Gender and reconciliation in divided societies

About

Political expert, Adrian Guelke, defines divided societies as communities, where violence or menaces impede to the people’s unification. Their inner disputes became so meaningful and groundbreaking that now the process of reconciliation is getting exceptionally complicated. Nowadays the international situation makes the increasing in the number of such communities possible. In the 1990s many of societies in the once united Yugoslavia became divided. After Arab Spring in the 2011, the vast majority of the countries in the Middle East can be classified as divided as well. At the moment Ukraine and many African and Latin American states can be also defined as divided societies. Often the main reason of irreconcilable differences becomes religious diversity of people. Russia also doesn’t have high level of social cohesion and it is considered to be if not divided, but fragmented, due to substantial disparities between the various social groups. That’s why the issue of conciliating and achieving civic consensus is getting more significant every year. Grassroots initiatives of civil organizations, networks and individuals are essential for coming to the consensus. Women and women’s organizations play important role in the process of reconciliation and overcoming post-war traumas.

Course leader

Olga Shnyrova

Target group

Specialists in the fields of social, political studies, international relations, psychologists, lawyers, members of the NGOs

Course aim

The objectives of the couse are:

- to present the experience of different European countries and regions in reconciliation of divided societies to the participants
- to teach participants to use the gender analysis in elaboration of the approaches to peace building and conflict resolution
- to form participants’ skills in facilitation of intergroup conflicts and in mediation in the negotiation.

Fee info