Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation (CRR)

This module provides an insight into some of the core skills needed to develop as a graduate student here at Trinity College Dublin. The module will reflect on a number of core themes including: reading and writing; theories of knowledge production; qualitative research methods; ethical considerations in research; and data analysis. It has been designed in such a way as to support the successful completion of written assignments in the taught modules and serves as early preparation for the MPhil dissertation. In addition, the sessions will provide an orientation to some of the resources available for studies during the programme and an analysis of academic skills involved in graduate work. 

This course analyses the origins and dynamics of the conflict across the region with a view to assessing the prospects for peace and reconciliation. Core topics include, inter alia: explanations of the conflict (colonial, economic, religious, ethno-nationalist); Irish republican/nationalist, and Ulster unionist/loyalist perspectives of the conflict; the peace process and Good Friday Agreement; prisons as sites of resistance during the troubles, and reimagining Belfast as a post-conflict city. Students will be invited to form their own views on the current, complex condition of Northern Ireland and to examine the multi-faceted nature of Northern Ireland’s transition. (Note field visits are a core component in this module, meaning there may be a small charge for transport/fees and/or entrance into museums).  

The aim of this course is to provide students with a critical examination of the fundamental questions and concerns of transitional justice, and to unpack the many ways that transitional justice mechanisms have been trialled in conflicted/post-conflict societies across the world. The core areas of transitional justice, including its liberal underpinnings, the role of domestic/international criminal tribunals, truth recovery, reparations, institutional reform, and memorialisation are covered. In so doing, students are provided with the framework to better interrogate some of the challenges associated with dealing with the past in conflicted and transitional societies. The interdisciplinary nature of the module is one of the great attractions of studying transitional justice and permits students to engage with sociological, anthropological, legal, and political material. In addition, case studies are used to illuminate and bring to the fore some of the core issues.  

The Mediation and Peacebuilding Skills Module is taught as a one week intensive. The aim of the module is to provide a theoretical and practical introduction to mediation and dialogue facilitation skills in the context of intractable conflict. In addition, the module offers an insight into political negotiations and conflict management practices, and outlines how to prepare for, and conduct dialogue in challenging environments. 

This module – an internship with an identified partner organisation - allows students to gain real-world experience of community work in Northern Ireland and connect this experience with what is being learned in the classroom. Those who choose to undertake a placement should do so in line with their interests and abilities and consult with the Module Co-ordinator to identify an appropriate organisation. In this module, students are expected to work a minimum of 70 hours with the organisation between October 2024 and April 2025. Students will be asked to keep a reflective journal for the duration of their time on placement. These journals should be digitised and submitted for assessment following completion of the placement. Students enrolled in this class must also take the ‘Conflict and Peace in Northern Ireland’ module to ensure that their experiences in the community are grounded in a sound understanding of the socio-political context. Please note, this module will be awarded a pass/fail grade. 

This module interrogates the concept of reconciliation from a range of disciplinary perspectives and within various domains. What is reconciliation? Is it possible and why does it attract criticism, scepticism and even hostility? Does reconciliation mean abandoning justice and ‘forgiving and forgetting’? What are the personal and social psychological dimensions of reconciliation? Is it an inherently religious idea – and how and why has it so often been promoted from a faith-based perspective? How can sport and the arts and symbolism contribute to reconciliation? What is political reconciliation? What roles do apology and forgiveness play? Can we measure reconciliation, and can we find it? 

The module provides students with a theoretical understanding of the causes and dynamics of violence inter-group conflicts and approaches to their resolution.  It offers a series of significant and diverse country/regional case studies, including Israel-Palestine, the former Yugoslavia, Sri Lanka, and the Korean peninsula. In each instance a series of questions are posed: what are the causes of intergroup tension and violence?; in what forms has the conflict manifested itself over time?; what role have regional and transnational factors played?; how have political leaders, civil society and third parties sought to resolve the conflict, and how successful have those efforts been?; and what are the prospects for, and the contextual constraints on, reconciliation? By taking a global approach, this module highlights successes, dilemmas, challenges, and cross-national learning, in contemporary conflict resolution.