Administrative Notes: International Peacekeeping I

 

Fall Course Numbers:          PUBP 650-001      

                                                CONF 744-001

                                                ITRN 701-007

                                               

Instructors: Dr. Ivan King, x33758, iking@gmu.edu

Prof. D.F. Davis, x31703, fax: x38215, ddavis@gmu.edu, Home: 273-2532

                    

                       

 

Class meets in the Arlington Rm 257, 4:30PM to 7:00PM on Thursdays.

 

The full course is two semesters in length.  The course may be taken one semester at a time, without loss of content, just some in continuity.  The Fall segment will be mostly theoretical in content while the Spring segment will focus more on the pragmatic - the how to - of Peace Operations.

 

Class Requirements: 

1) (10%) Paper proposal and proposal presentation.  This proposal will be for the course research paper.  A ten minute formal presentation will be required in class. 

2) (45%) A significant research paper, 20 - 30 double spaced pages, with references. 

3) (20%) Completion of UNITAR-POCI Course, details below.

3) (20%) Weekly monitoring of an active peace operation, either UN or non-UN.  This monitoring will include a short update in class each week and a written update (preferably 250 words), via email prior to class each week.  The weekly updates may be posted on the WWW. 

4) (5%) Class participation.   The class is run as a seminar; full and active participation is expected of all students.

 

Texts:  The first text for this class will be obtained through the UNITAR-POCI course detailed below.   A second text is Hard Choices: Moral Dilemmas in Humanitarian Intervention, edited by Jonathan Moore, Rowman and Littlefield, ISBN: 0847690318.    The third text is Deliver Us from Evil : Peacekeepers, Warlords and a World of Endless Conflict, by William Shawcross, Simon & Schuster; ISBN: 068483233X. Some readings are annotated, other readings will be assigned during the course of the semester.

 

Process:  The classroom times will be used  to present an overview of the topic areas and to highlight additional readings.  Full lectures will be the exception rather than the norm.  This class will be run as a participative seminar; I expect candid and frequent participation from every student.  But remember:  Emotional arguments are less meaningful than factual ones.  Back up your opinions.  The normal class will start with 45 - 60 minutes of student reports on their monitored missions, followed by the topical discussion or a guest speaker.

 

Special Activities:  Each semester on the Monday following the last class (10 December 2001), a field trip is taken to the United Nations and selected papers are presented to the Department of Peacekeeping Operations senior executives.  In the summer of each year, students may be given the opportunity to accompany the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre’s Peacekeeping Management, Command and Staff Course’s field trip to an active Peace Operation.

 

Correspondence Course:  This semester we will be including a correspondence course from UNITAR-POCI as part of the requirements.  The History of UN PKO during the cold war: 1945-1987, by F.T. Liu, may be obtained via http://www.wm.edu/unpeacek/index.html and will cost $125.  The course must be completed and the graded certificate turned in prior to the Thanksgiving break.  Since this course will require significant time outside of the classroom, two periods are designated as compensatory time for this course.  Therefore, there will be no class on the 26th of October or the 9th of November (NOTE: You probably can not wait for the compensatory time to do the work!)

 

Fall Semester 2001

 

01: 30 Aug ‘00                       The UN Charter and Early Peace Operations, Intro to the CMPO

                                                Choice of mission to monitor

                                                King

 

02: 06 Sep ‘00                        Research Methodology for Course Paper, and

A Theory of Peace and Peace Interventions.

                                                Initial Monitoring report

                                                Hard Choices: Annan

                                                Davis

 

03: 13 Sep ‘00                        Peace Operations as a response - theory

                                                Conceptual Model of Peace Operations

                                                Hard Choices: Hassner

                                                King

 

04: 20 Sep ‘00                        Peacekeeping Overview - Missions in the field today

                                                How are they conducted - theory review

                                                Hard Choices: Granderson

                                                Davis

 

                                                                                               

05: 27 Sep ‘00                        Peace Operations – Religious Considerations and the

Ethnic component

Hard Choices: Sahnoun

                                                King

 

06: 04 Oct ‘00                        Theory Application – the use of MAPO

                                                King

 

07: 11 Oct ‘00                        Compensatory  - No Class

 

08: 18 Oct ‘00                        Further discussion of MAPO and initial case studies

                                                King

               

09: 25 Oct ‘00                        Paper Proposal Presentations

                                                Students

               

10: 01 Nov ‘00                       Diplomatic Activities

                                                Guest: Ambassador Bill Farrand (Invited)

 

11: 08 Nov ‘00                       Compensatory  - No Class

 

 

12: 15 Nov ‘00                       The Civil Military Interface

                                                Guest: Major General Michael W. Beasley (Invited)

Correspondence Certificates due

 

XX: 22 Nov ‘00                     Happy Thanksgiving!

 

13:  29 Nov ‘00                      Student Paper Presentations

 

14: 06 Dec ‘00                        Student Paper Presentations

 

XX: 10 Dec ’00                      Student Paper Presentations to DPKO in New York

 

XX: 13 Dec ‘00                      Student Research Papers Due