Social change does not occur in isolation but must be a product of the social milieu it engages while remaining politically relevant, tactically innovative, and less vulnerable to repression, recuperation, and cooptation. Often those working on the front lines of social change find themselves engaged in a never-ending cycle of reaction, rushing to oppose the latest forms of violence rather than engaging in contestation on its own terms. In this session, individuals can get hands-on experience understanding how social movements grow, build, and enact change. Throughout the interactive workshop, participants will be encouraged to explore a variety of questions such as: What differentiates the strategy of direct action from that of representationism and electoral politics? What factors should be considered when determining whether a particular protest tactic is effective or ineffective, violent or nonviolent? What can the practice of mapping teach us about our strengths and weaknesses, and the opportunities and threats present? What role can organizational mapping — identifying influencers and understanding bureaucracies — play in this? How can we distinguish allies from opponents, and realistic solutions from false ones? What are the key steps in developing a social change campaign and what distinguishes disruptive, performative and symbolic action?
Archive
Fellowships in Conflict Resolution and International Peace
In search of that dream you didn’t know existed? Hoping to gain additional experiences while studying at a university? Recently graduated and struggling to figure out what to do next? This workshop will help individuals locate fellowships in conflict resolution and international peace in accordance with their own interests. Additional tips in applying for fellowships will also be discussed. Short-term and long-term fellowships will be highlighted, along with several essential websites to search for additional opportunities.
Faculty Resources for Adding Civil Resistance Content to Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution Programs
There are times when diplomacy, dialogue, mediation, and conflict prevention efforts are not sufficient by themselves to win rights, freedom, and justice. Recent research also documents that nonviolent civil resistance campaigns are more effective than just using “normal institutional channels” such as elections, lobbying, and litigation, one-off mass protests, or violent rebellions when undemocratic power elites dominate a county’s economic and political life. This has been shown to be true in dictatorships, authoritarian societies, and in formal or backsliding democracies like the United States. Can peace studies and conflict resolution education programs be complete without exploring civil resistance movements and strategies? What resources are available to faculty members wanting to learn about and teach students about this often neglected, but very important element of conflict transformation? This workshop will share the many academic resources available from the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict, a Washington, D.C.-based educational foundation that promotes the study and use of civil resistance movements and campaigns and supports innovative faculty research, teaching, and publishing.
Supporting ex-offenders: creating community with college social systems
This discussion will present current statistics about incarcerated students and the invisible numbers of those ex-offenders attending college. We will examine ex-offenders as a marginalized group struggling to belong in a community while facing dim prospects for success due to a lack of housing, employment, and education. Our focus will be the factor of the lack of social support offered in our communities and colleges. This session should benefit faculty, staff, and administration in any educational institution working on attaining completion as well as anyone with an interest in working to hire, to connect or to provide resources for those needing an inclusive community. In addition, join us for a unique look at current and previous felons through a lens of art and narration. Ex-offenders will participate in the discussion.
Preparing Tomorrow’s Peacemakers: Robots vs. Resumes
Resume writing has changed drastically especially due to the rise of the digital revolution. The ways of writing resumes has revolutionized how job/career seekers are positioning themselves in the workplace. This interactive workshop teaches how to prepare a professional resume that reflects skills, knowledge, education and experiences that are relevant to the job students are seeking to pass through the scrutiny of the ATS systems (robots):
• Identify the key components of the resume
• Understand the importance of tailoring and targeting resume to the employer
• Create and practice writing accomplishment statements that are the key to today’s resumes
Participants will leave this workshop with a resume draft and the tools to be able to beat the robots, and get to the hiring authorities.