Course description

Different societies face deep political crises, unproductive dialogues between government and opposition groups, major challenges in reaching broad social consensus, frequent waves of citizen protests, or even violent and armed conflicts. Managing these scenarios requires special skills. The multiplicity of actors and issues, as well as phenomena such as the interconnectedness between them and the unpredictability of outcomes, require the use of tools developed for the study of complex systems. These tools provide the basis for analysing the current situation, preventing the emergence of new crises and establishing a working relationship between the conflicting parties in the future.

Course objectives

• Become familiar with a varied set of tools in conflict resolution;
• Identify elements that should be incorporated in a sound conflict analysis;
• Approach political crises strategically;
• Go beyond the zero-sum approach that characterizes many conflicts and develop a longer-term perspective in the relationship between the parties involved;
• Exchange experiences and become part of a community of practice.