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Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time; the need for mankind to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to oppression and violence. ~ Martin Luther King Jr
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Negotiation is the fundamental process by which human beings discern how to resolve differences and move forward together—whether in a family, a local community, an organization, a society, or a world community. Mediation adds a third party to the negotiation process, and has proven remarkably effective in resolving and even transforming certain disputes. This course will train participants to be effective negotiators and to serve as impartial mediators, but will also explore the varying contexts in which these processes take place and the variety of perspectives and worldviews that parties bring to a negotiation or mediation process. For CJP MA in Conflict Transformation students this course satisfies the skills assessment course requirement.Each student will be evaluated by the instructor and by class peers for competency in mediation and negotiation skills.
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We will learn methods appropriate for guiding community and organizational meetings, conducting public processes, and for enabling difficult dialogues across conflict divides. Participants will learn how to assess the needs of the group and then to design processes to address them. This will include processes to help groups improve understanding, strengthen relationships, engage in collaborative problem solving and make effective decisions. Participants will become familiar with a variety of methods and techniques to achieve process goals, whether it is a group of three or 3,000.
Through a variety of readings, exercises and reflections, the course will assist participants’ formation as reflective practitioners enabling group processes. We will focus on developing self-awareness and awareness of group dynamics, while cultivating openness and offering a calm presence even in the midst of high levels of anxiety and conflict. We will consider a variety of facilitator roles and functions and critically assess the ethics and appropriateness of these for different types of situations, including with evident power imbalances and systemic oppression. While rooted in a North American peacebuilding paradigm, we will aim to also explore facilitation in other cultural traditions and raise awareness of the challenges of facilitating cross-culturally.
This course is designed for participants enrolled in CJP’s graduate studies program and presumes knowledge of basic conflict analysis and peacebuilding concepts and methods. As such, Foundations 1 or an equivalent course is preferred. This class qualifies as a skills assessment course for the CJP MA degree.
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In this course, faculty continue to coach students as they further develop their knowledge and skills for dealing with conflict and situations of injustice and building sustainable peace, with increased sensitivity to race and gender as well as history, and political economy. Students work individually and in teams to learn new theories and concepts and to apply these ideas and skills to cases that progress in complexity from the community to the national and global levels (and back again). Throughout the course, we also examine the intersections and overlaps among the local and the global.
Students continue to develop their self-awareness as well as their capacity for professional judgment and reflective practice. Students become familiar with theories and frameworks that help explain the causes and dynamics of larger-scale conflicts, injustice and structural violence. They explore the roles of social-movement organizations, practitioner groups and policy engagement for dealing with such situations. Students prepare for future employment by completing assignments that develop professional skills, including but not limited to: communicating complex ideas clearly and succinctly, working in teams on complex projects, researching strategies and moving from analyzing a situation of injustice or conflict to designing and preparing strategies to impact that situation.
Foundations 2 is required for all MA in Conflict Transformation and MA in Restorative Justice students.
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This course will focus on social and global processes of transformation by exploring global challenges, local experiences and struggles, and transnational solidarities that emerge in response to those challenges. It will be concerned with institutions, relations of power, and the Is nonviolence effective for creating sustainable social change in the face of institutional, political, and violent resistance? How is the philosophy of nonviolence connected to nonviolent strategy and tactics? And can nonviolence still be relevant today? In this course, we look at the power of social movements to effect change using strategic nonviolence, including forms of protest and persuasion, noncooperation, and nonviolent intervention and direct action. We examine the theory, practice, history, and research behind nonviolence, and explore debates and criticisms about the efficacy of nonviolent social change. Our work will be grounded in a close study of the US Civil Rights Movement, as well as other social change movements from India to Serbia to South Africa, and recent movements from Occupy to Arab Spring to Environmental Justice.
Through case studies and our own experiences, we will practice assessment, visioning, planning, and tactical skills, and also apply what we have learned to issues we care about. As we discuss whether nonviolence is “the way” or “one way” for us today, we will investigate the intersections of nonviolent social change with peacebuilding practices and social justice movements. Along with readings and classroom discussions and activities, we will engage with multimedia resources like film and music, and connect to real-life scenarios through individual and group research and presentations.
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Negotiation is the fundamental process by which human beings discern how to resolve differences and move forward together—whether in a family, a local community, an organization, a society, or a world community. Mediation adds a third party to the negotiation process, and has proven remarkably effective in resolving and even transforming certain disputes. This course will train participants to be effective negotiators and to serve as impartial mediators, but will also explore the varying contexts in which these processes take place and the variety of perspectives and worldviews that parties bring to a negotiation or mediation process.
For CJP MA in Conflict Transformation students this course satisfies the skills assessment course requirement.Each student will be evaluated by the instructor and by class peers for competency in mediation and negotiation skills.
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This course is designed to develop participants’ capacities as skillful facilitators and to enable them to design and lead effective group processes for dialogue, deliberation and decision-making. The course is structured around six all-day class sessions that are complemented by observation of real meetings and mentored, applied practice as facilitators in the community.
We will learn methods appropriate for guiding community and organizational meetings, conducting public processes, and for enabling difficult dialogues across conflict divides. Participants will learn how to assess the needs of the group and then to design processes to address them. This will include processes to help groups improve understanding, strengthen relationships, engage in collaborative problem solving and make effective decisions. Participants will become familiar with a variety of methods and techniques to achieve process goals, whether it is a group of three or 3,000.
Through a variety of readings, exercises and reflections, the course will assist participants’ formation as reflective practitioners enabling group processes. We will focus on developing self-awareness and awareness of group dynamics, while cultivating openness and offering a calm presence even in the midst of high levels of anxiety and conflict. We will consider a variety of facilitator roles and functions and critically assess the ethics and appropriateness of these for different types of situations, including with evident power imbalances and systemic oppression. While rooted in a North American peacebuilding paradigm, we will aim to also explore facilitation in other cultural traditions and raise awareness of the challenges of facilitating cross-culturally.
This course is designed for participants enrolled in CJP’s graduate studies program and presumes knowledge of basic conflict analysis and peacebuilding concepts and methods. As such, Foundations 1 or an equivalent course is preferred. This class qualifies as a skills assessment course for the CJP MA degree.
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Foundations 1 and 2 give a comprehensive overview of justice and peacebuilding practice and its multi-disciplinary, multi-level aspects. Foundations 1 centered on personal, interpersonal, small group and organizational transformation analysis, theory and practice. Foundations 2 focuses on communal, societal and global processes of transformation, with particular attention to the relationship between power and the production of justice and peacebuilding theories and practices. It will pick up where Foundations 1 left off, aiming to add to students’ comprehensive overview of justice and peacebuilding practice and its multi-disciplinary, multi-level aspects. Whereas Foundations 1 centered on personal, interpersonal, small group and organizational transformation analysis, theory and practice, this course will equip students to Throughout the two courses, you will be required to understand and integrate ethical application of theory, technical utilization of analysis tools, and systematic processes of planning and implementation for practice interventions across a myriad of sectors in society.
In this course, faculty continue to coach students as they further develop their knowledge and skills for dealing with conflict and situations of injustice and building sustainable peace. Particular focus will be given to social, state, and political change with increased sensitivity to race , gender, ecologyand gender as well as history, and other political economy traditions. Particular attention will be given to the colonial legacies and decolonial possibilities in justice and peacebuilding, exploring decoloniality as both an epistemic and a political project.Action and struggle for justice and peacebuilding are always found in peoples’ local, place-based experiences, but to gain understanding in order to effect change, we have to explore their global features. To do this we will . Students work individually and in teams to learn new theories and concepts and to apply these ideas and skills to cases that progress in complexity from the community to the national and global levels (and back again). Throughout the course, we also examine the intersections and overlaps among the local and the global, including the transnational solidarities that connect local struggles around the world. Students will .
Students continue to develop their self-awareness as well as their capacity for professional judgment and reflective practice. Students become familiar with theories and frameworks that help explain the causes and dynamics of larger-scale conflicts, injustice , and structural violence. Students will work individually and in small groups to apply these ideas and skills to cases that progress in complexity from the community to the national and global levels (and back again). Students will also continue to develop their self-awareness as well as their capacity for professional judgment and reflective practice with attention to vocation, values, ethics, faith and spirituality.
This course is required for all MACT and MARJ students and is not available for reduced credit.
Please note: for the 2023-2024 year academic year, PAX 635 plus a 3 credit hour course from an approved list will satisfy the Foundations 2 sequence.
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● review and deepen learning around trauma awareness and resilience
● explore the complex realities and implications of structural and historical harms
● practice and deepen capacity for trauma-informed/responsive facilitation, and
● share plans and questions, while connecting with others who are applying STAR learning in their lives and work.
STAR Level 1 provides foundational content for this course. In Level 2, we continue to focus on trauma’s impacts on body, brain, beliefs and behavior; how those impacts often lead to cycles of violence; and possibilities for breaking free from cycles of violence and building resilience. Participants in STAR Level 2 will also have the opportunity to join the STAR Practitioner learning community for ongoing connection and exchange as well as conceptual and practical resources.
Participants must have applied STAR concepts personally or professionally since completion of STAR Level 1 training (normally for a period of about 3-6 months). STAR 2 is also offered in the Summer Peacebuilding Institute.
Learn more about STAR on the STAR website!
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This online class is a 3 SH requirement for any students in the GC in Conflict Transformation or MA in Conflict Transformation programs.
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This course is intended to provide experience in the circle process as well as an understanding of the foundational values and key structural elements for designing and conducting peacemaking circles. The class will prepare students to design and facilitate peacemaking circles in culturally diverse settings and situations.
3 SH version of this class is typically offered during our annual Summer Peacebuilding Institute (www.emu.edu/cjp/spi/).
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Please note: Directed/independent study courses will only be approved for students who have demonstrated the ability to do independent work (and therefore not approved in the first semester of a student’s program). See the registrar or your advisor to learn about independent study options.
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The emphasis throughout the semester is on each students’ development as a practitioner. Sessions are set up to introduce, discuss and showcase various practice models in a variety of settings. RJ professionals will share knowledge and expertise derived from years of practicing in their field. Students will derive competence through engagement of case studies, developing a resource toolbox, reflective assessment, peer and instructor feedback, engaging with professionals, and most importantly, practice as a facilitator.
For MA in Conflict Transformation students this satisfies the skills assessment course requirement if taken for 3 credits, and is a required course for all students enrolled in the MA and Certificate in Restorative Justice programs.
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This is one of several seminar courses that are geared primarily to second year graduate students in the Center for Justice & Peacebuilding. These seminar courses will be capped at 15 students, with up to 18 students with special instructor permission. This course satisfies a core requirement for MA in RJ students. Students from other graduate programs should meet with the professor to determine the suitability of the course for their learning goals. In order to participate in this advanced seminar, students will be required to have completed either PAX 571 Restorative Justice OR, for MAED students, EDRJ 551 Foundations of Restorative Justice in Education. In addition it is strongly recommended that students take PAX 533 Analysis or PAX 534 Foundations 1 OR, for MAED students, EDRJ 581 Analyzing Conflict in Educational Settings prior to enrolling in this course.
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The practicum is required for MA in Conflict Transformation and MA in Restorative Justice students. In very select cases, a student may be granted permission to pursue a thesis (PAX 683 described below) in lieu of a practicum.
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Demonstrated capacity (at CJP) to complete complex research and writing projects in a timely manner.
Adequate access to Internet and technology to support the process.
Strong writing and editing skills so that there is limited or no need for writing support.
Applicants for a thesis option should identify their area of focus by the end of their second semester and should select seminar courses and electives in their third semester so that they are completing a robust literature review prior to the thesis semester. Once granted permission to do a thesis in lieu of a practicum, the student will:
Formally ask two professors to serve as their thesis advisors (the student should have preliminary conversations with faculty members to gauge their interest).
Research and write a publishable master’s level thesis (for example, 40-50 pages for 6 credits).
Present the thesis (both a thesis defense and capstone to broader CJP and EMU community).
Submit thesis to be bound and placed in the EMU library collection.
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CJP attempts to offer a wide variety of courses on critical issues and skills needed in the peacebuilding field. Especially in our Summer Peacebuilding Institute (SPI) each May and June, we offer new topics courses based on what we are hearing is needed most out in the field. These topics courses are one time offerings that may or may not be offered again but are not a required part of the graduate program (though students may take these courses as elective credits)They explore the roles of social-movement organizations, practitioner groups and policy engagement for dealing with such situations. Students prepare for future employment by completing assignments that develop professional skills, including but not limited to: communicating complex ideas clearly and succinctly, working in teams on complex projects, researching strategies and moving from analyzing a situation of injustice or conflict to designing and preparing strategies to impact that situation.
Foundations 2 is required for all MA in Conflict Transformation and MA in Restorative Justice students.
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This course will focus on social and global processes of transformation by exploring global challenges, local experiences and struggles, and transnational solidarities that emerge in response to those challenges. It will be concerned with institutions, relations of power, and the relationship between power and the production of justice and peacebuilding theories and practices. It will pick up where Foundations 1 left off, aiming to add to students’ comprehensive overview of justice and peacebuilding practice and its multi-disciplinary, multi-level aspects.
Whereas Foundations 1 centered on personal, interpersonal, small group and organizational transformation analysis, theory and practice, this course will equip students to further develop their knowledge and skills for dealing with conflict and situations of injustice and building sustainable peace. Particular focus will be given to social, state, and political change with increased sensitivity to race, gender, ecology, and other political economy traditions. Particular attention will be given to the colonial legacies and decolonial possibilities in justice and peacebuilding, exploring decoloniality as both an epistemic and a political project.
Action and struggle for justice and peacebuilding are always found in peoples’ local, place-based experiences, but to gain understanding in order to effect change, we have to explore their global features. To do this we will examine the intersections and overlaps among the local and the global, including the transnational solidarities that connect local struggles around the world. Students will become familiar with theories and frameworks that help explain the causes and dynamics of larger-scale conflicts, injustice, and structural violence. Students will work individually and in small groups to apply these ideas and skills to cases that progress in complexity from the community to the national and global levels (and back again). Students will also continue to develop their self-awareness as well as their capacity for professional judgment and reflective practice with attention to vocation, values, ethics, faith and spirituality.
This course is required for all MACT and MARJ students and is not available for reduced credit.
Please note: for the 2023-2024 year academic year, PAX 635 plus a 3 credit hour course from an approved list will satisfy the Foundations 2 sequence.
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Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience (STAR) Level 2 invites people who have started to bring trauma awareness into their life and work for greater resilience to deepen their knowledge and skills. In Level 2, participants have a chance to:
● review and deepen learning around trauma awareness and resilience
● explore the complex realities and implications of structural and historical harms
● practice and deepen capacity for trauma-informed/responsive facilitation, and
● share plans and questions, while connecting with others who are applying STAR learning in their lives and work.
STAR Level 1 provides foundational content for this course. In Level 2, we continue to focus on trauma’s impacts on body, brain, beliefs and behavior; how those impacts often lead to cycles of violence; and possibilities for breaking free from cycles of violence and building resilience. Participants in STAR Level 2 will also have the opportunity to join the STAR Practitioner learning community for ongoing connection and exchange as well as conceptual and practical resources.
Participants must have applied STAR concepts personally or professionally since completion of STAR Level 1 training (normally for a period of about 3-6 months). STAR 2 is also offered in the Summer Peacebuilding Institute.
Learn more about STAR on the STAR website!
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Many of the systems in which we live and work are dysfunctional, harmful and mired in conflict. One strategy for transforming them is through deliberative dialogue processes that engage the whole system: whether community, organization or society. Such processes can enable us to respond creatively to our most complex challenges and move us toward more equitable, just and positive relationships and structures. Through this class, we will explore how complexity and identity theories, conflict analysis, and power assessment inform collaborative process design. We ask tough questions about what kind of processes are relevant for cultivating different phases of change and explore ethics underpinning the praxis of process design rooted in awareness of our ‘positionality’ in the system. We will learn about many process methodologies such as Appreciative Inquiry, Courageous Conversations, Emergent Strategies, Narrative Practice, Open Space, Polarity Management, Transformative Scenario Planning, World Café, and others. We will critically explore their underlying theories of change and theories of practice in ways that enable participants to become more creative and astute process designers. It builds upon and complements theories and skill learned in PAX 610 but does not teach facilitation skills per se. This class will be most appropriate for participants who already have some familiarity working with groups and is ideal for those with facilitation practice experience.
This online class is a 3 SH requirement for any students in the GC in Conflict Transformation or MA in Conflict Transformation programs.
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This course will introduce participants to the peacemaking circle process and explore:
• foundational values and philosophy of peacemaking circles, including the indigenous roots of the circle process
• creating safe, respectful space for dialog
• consensus decision making,
• structure of the circle process,
• facilitation of the circle process
• practical applications of circle process,
• problems and challenges in circles.
This course will use the peacemaking circle process as the primary form of group work.
This course is intended to provide experience in the circle process as well as an understanding of the foundational values and key structural elements for designing and conducting peacemaking circles. The class will prepare students to design and facilitate peacemaking circles in culturally diverse settings and situations.
3 SH version of this class is typically offered during our annual Summer Peacebuilding Institute (www.emu.edu/cjp/spi/).
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Course work undertaken through independent study must be approved by the student’s academic advisor and completed in collaboration with a supervising instructor.
Please note: Directed/independent study courses will only be approved for students who have demonstrated the ability to do independent work (and therefore not approved in the first semester of a student’s program). See the registrar or your advisor to learn about independent study options.
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Restorative Justice originated as a practice-based discipline. In the following decades, the field expanded to include theory and research of RJ. At the core of any restorative practice, is a focus on steps to identify and address harms while finding ways to bring healing and make amends. The course will be framed by four key values of RJ: inclusion, encounter, amends, and reintegration. The content of the course will be embedded in the foundational practice models that drive the Restorative Justice field like Victim Offender Conferencing/Dialogue, Family Group Conferencing, and Circle Processes. The class will explore structural applications of RJ philosophy, principles and practices in diverse situations: in educational settings, with justice involved individuals, and among members of various communities who experience harm.
The emphasis throughout the semester is on each students’ development as a practitioner. Sessions are set up to introduce, discuss and showcase various practice models in a variety of settings. RJ professionals will share knowledge and expertise derived from years of practicing in their field. Students will derive competence through engagement of case studies, developing a resource toolbox, reflective assessment, peer and instructor feedback, engaging with professionals, and most importantly, practice as a facilitator.
For MA in Conflict Transformation students this satisfies the skills assessment course requirement if taken for 3 credits, and is a required course for all students enrolled in the MA and Certificate in Restorative Justice programs.
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The reemergence of Restorative Justice (RJ) in the last 40+ years initially focused on interpersonal harm and violence, yet, more recently, is expanding to include collective harms caused by governments, corporations, or institutions against marginalized people. Rather than conceiving it as a method of ‘social reform’, if we understand RJ as a ‘social movement’ and study and apply it in that context, there is a greater potential for both serious interpersonal and structural transformation. This course is designed to empower RJ practitioners and theorists who are prepared to position themselves as change agents for justice systems shifts. This course will examine the relationship between institutional and interpersonal harms and dissect systemic harm that is an end result. Through case study research and discussions, we will explore the potential benefits and limitations of restorative and transitional justice principles and practices in building areas of accountability for systemic harms. Students will work collaboratively through a specific case study to identify and create theories of change for systemic transformation of a carceral system. The knowledge gained from the case study will then be applied to areas of personal interest through a three-phase process, culminating in a final project and presentation.
This is one of several seminar courses that are geared primarily to second year graduate students in the Center for Justice & Peacebuilding. These seminar courses will be capped at 15 students, with up to 18 students with special instructor permission. This course satisfies a core requirement for MA in RJ students. Students from other graduate programs should meet with the professor to determine the suitability of the course for their learning goals. In order to participate in this advanced seminar, students will be required to have completed either PAX 571 Restorative Justice OR, for MAED students, EDRJ 551 Foundations of Restorative Justice in Education. In addition it is strongly recommended that students take PAX 533 Analysis or PAX 534 Foundations 1 OR, for MAED students, EDRJ 581 Analyzing Conflict in Educational Settings prior to enrolling in this course.
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The Center for Justice & Peacebuilding is a practice-oriented academic program. The theories of change and the practice skills offered at CJP are meant to prepare individuals for a career in real world settings of complex conflict and injustice. The practicum is a time for learning and preparing for a career through personal involvement in and reflection on initiatives in actual situations. It is also a time to learn new theories and practice skills at the practicum site. Overall this hands on experience, with extensive interaction with people outside the classroom, and in organizations dealing with the subjects of students’ specializations, provides first-time or additional work experience for CJP students. Their experience is critical to employers as well as overall career development. Therefore, being prepared academically and having additional work experience through a practicum strengthens the individual student’s ability and capacity to offer a full range of experience to the people they will eventually work for and serve. In addition to doing an organizational practicum, CJP students may do a research-based practicum (independent or nested within an organization). For more information, refer to the practicum webpage.
The practicum is required for MA in Conflict Transformation and MA in Restorative Justice students. In very select cases, a student may be granted permission to pursue a thesis (PAX 683 described below) in lieu of a practicum.
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CJP MA in Restorative Justice or MA in Conflict Transformation full-time, residential students are able to petition the Academic Committee for an exception to the general rule that all students will do a practicum (PAX 682). Students will be vetted based on their experience and the quality of their proposal. A maximum of two persons per year will be granted this thesis option. This option is normally available only for those students planning on doing their practicum/thesis in the spring of their second year and for those that will be in residence. An exception to these guidelines will be considered for a student who has proven themselves to be both an excellent writer and a self-initiator. A student can make the case to write from a distance or on an alternate time table if they have:
Demonstrated capacity (at CJP) to complete complex research and writing projects in a timely manner.
Adequate access to Internet and technology to support the process.
Strong writing and editing skills so that there is limited or no need for writing support.
Applicants for a thesis option should identify their area of focus by the end of their second semester and should select seminar courses and electives in their third semester so that they are completing a robust literature review prior to the thesis semester. Once granted permission to do a thesis in lieu of a practicum, the student will:
Formally ask two professors to serve as their thesis advisors (the student should have preliminary conversations with faculty members to gauge their interest).
Research and write a publishable master’s level thesis (for example, 40-50 pages for 6 credits).
Present the thesis (both a thesis defense and capstone to broader CJP and EMU community).
Submit thesis to be bound and placed in the EMU library collection.
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CJP attempts to offer a wide variety of courses on critical issues and skills needed in the peacebuilding field. Especially in our Summer Peacebuilding Institute (SPI) each May and June, we offer new topics courses based on what we are hearing is needed most out in the field. These topics courses are one time offerings that may or may not be offered again but are not a required part of the graduate program (though students may take these courses as elective credits).
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This course focuses on global peacebuilding and the issues that are of pressing importance in contemporary action. And it will center the work and voices of practitioners through regular conversations and presentations by CJP alumni and current colleagues sharing their insights on their successes and challenges. We will work with such questions as Who are the most effective actors — Civil society, state, or global governance organizations? How should peacebuilding be organized, funded and assessed? What are acceptable roles of internal local or external foreign actors? How can global peacebuilding efforts deal with state violence and war, terrorism, climate injustices and other environmental issues, migration and displacement, the legacy of colonization, silencing of indigenous voices, gender inequity, and religious and identity-based violence among others. The course will include an action project and an optional one-day field trip to Washington DC.
Note: This course is being offered as an elective course during the Spring 2024 semester and it includes an additional $50 course fee.
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The Bible has often been used to justify war and other forms of violence. The biblical story has also been read and interpreted as pertaining to only personal beliefs and behavior rather than communal concerns or social issues. The intent of this course is to explore the biblical story and what it says about issues of violence, justice, and peace. How are people who embrace the biblical story called to apply these understandings to their lives, personally and collectively? How have Christian communities around the world made use of the biblical story as a core component of their efforts to work for safety, emancipation, self-determination, and healing? How can we use biblical narratives in our work to build peace and justice within communities? As we examine these questions, we will center perspectives and traditions of reading the Bible birthed by people experiencing direct violence and oppression.
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