Ethnic Conflict & Reconciliation

Ethnic conflict has again become a threat to peace in Europe since Ukraine’s invasion by Russia has been linked to ethnopolitics and the safeguarding of ethnic minorities. Ethnic conflicts, in addition to the variety of their causes, their actors involved, and their levels of intensity, take a significant toll in terms of human, economic, and social costs. Conflicts can fundamentally change political institutions, social norms, and identities. Equally important are conflict resolution arrangements. So-called “accommodation regimes” for inter-ethnic conflict resolution include minority rights, autonomy arrangements, and power-sharing.

In 2023, the ECMI Summer School will consist of two thematic parts. In the first part, attention will be paid to what our collective knowledge about ethnic conflict – both in Europe and elsewhere in the world – can tell us about why this torment is rising again. Alongside more micro-level precipitators like local disputes or triggers in specific contexts, participants will discuss long-term, structural causes like poverty, discrimination, and exclusion. Here, the Summer School will feature a quantitative component, where scholars linked to the Ethnic Power Relations project (EPR) will
introduce the wealth of comparative datasets available to examine conflicts on a more systematic level. In the second part, participants will examine conflict resolution arrangements, including institutional mechanisms and bottom-up programmes.

Conceptual Foundations of Ethnic Conflict: Can we define ethnic conflict? How does nationalism precipitate ethnic conflict? What is the role of emotions and grievances in causing ethnic conflicts and insurgencies?
The Agony of Ethnic Conflict: How does conflict affect ordinary citizens? What role do women play in the course of ethnic conflict? What are the roots of ethnic cleansing?
Measuring Ethnic Conflict: Can we measure ethnic conflict? How can we analyze ethnic conflicts comparatively using datasets? What approaches exist in measuring ethnic conflict and what are the key conceptual and methodological issues involved?
Post-Conflict Reconciliation: Does the involvement of international organisations facilitate conflict resolution? What are the types of power-sharing arrangements, and do they work? How do bottom-up peacebuilding initiatives enable reconciliation? Why are transitional justice and the establishment of truth important?

Course leader

Keynote lectures will be delivered by Dr. Erika Forsberg, Dr. Andreas Juon, Dr. H. Zeynep Bulutgil, and Dr. Denisa Kostovicova.

Target group

The Summer School team aims to select a total number of 25 junior scholars, researchers or practitioners, having the following professional background:
Students from relevant fields of studies (MA and PhD students), and/or
Practitioners from the public sector, NGOs, mass-media.

Course aim

The programme will consist of lectures, seminars and workshops given by ECMI research staff and expert guest lecturers. The course will include:

Keynote lectures delivered by prominent scholars, academic lectures and practitioners’ seminars;
Interactive workshops conducted by trained professionals, world cafés and discussion sessions ;
Meetings and networking with local minority stakeholders, disucssion panels on topics such as
gender, power-sharing arrangements, and bottom-up peace-building initiatives;
A study trip to Novi Sad and a visit to the Assembly of Vojvodina (meeting with the local
government representatives & minority institutions);
Presentation and research exchange among the participants ;
Social events (visits to selected museums/exhibitions, international evening).

Fee info

EUR 200: The tuition fee for the Summer School 2023 is 200 EUR if the completed application is submitted until 31 March 2023 (EARLY BIRD discount).

The fee covers: 

The week-long programme of lectures and workshops;
All reading materials before and during the Summer School ;
Accommodation (including breakfast)  in shared rooms from 26 August (Saturday) - 3 September 2023 (Sunday);
Lunches and light refreshments for seven days of the Summer School, plus two dinners;
A field trip to Novi Sad;
Participation in all additional Summer School activities (city tour, social activities, visits to museums/exhibition); 
Support with bureaucratic matters during your visa application (if needed). Please note that visa fees will not be reimbursed.   
Travel costs, as well as visa and health/travel insurance costs will not be reimbursed. 

Cancellation policy

Cancellation until 30 June 2023: 80% of the tuition fee will be refunded, minus any additional incurred costs. 

Cancellations after 30 June 2023: no refund.
EUR 250: The fee is 250 EUR if the completed application is submitted on or after 1 April 2023.

Scholarships

No scholarships are available for this course.