The School of Peace and Conflict Studies at Kent State University and the National Center for Peace and Conflict Studies (NCPCS), University of Otago, New Zealand are co-sponsoring webinars on May 12 and May 18 focusing on "Confronting an Enduring State of Conflict Non-resolution: International Webinars on Functional Coexistence. Dr. Tatsushi Arai from SPCS is one of the presenters.
Confronting an Enduring State of Conflict Non-resolution:
International Webinars on Functional Coexistence
Session 1: 9:00-10:30 am (morning), Eastern Standard Time, May 12 (Thursday)
Session 2: 8:00-9:30 pm (evening), Eastern Standard Time, May 18 (Wednesday)
Co-sponsors: School of Peace and Conflict Studies (SPCS), Kent State University, USA
& National Center for Peace and Conflict Studies (NCPCS), University of Otago, New Zealand
Policymakers, civil society actors, and researchers concerned with intractable conflicts at intercommunal, national, and international levels have long searched for ways to resolve them. They have generally devoted far less attention, however, to how to work with an enduring state of conflict non-resolution. The webinars will explore constructive ways of staying actively engaged in an enduring state of non-resolution. They will also explore how to promote long-term systemic changes necessary for transforming such a state of non-resolution. Using Tatsushi Arai’s ‘Functional coexistence in intractable conflict: A decades-long view of conflict intervention’ (Peace and Change, 2022) as a point of departure, the panelists will engage the webinar participants in thought-provoking conversations on how to find opportunities for constructive change in the context of sustained changelessness. Each of the two seminars is self-standing and will feature different practitioner experiences and regional foci. There will be ample time for discussion in each session. The panelists’ presentations may be recorded.
Session 1: 9:00-10:30 am (morning), Eastern Standard Time, May 12 (Thursday)
Zoom link here (Meeting ID: 889 5414 0056; Passcode: 665134)
- Tatsushi Arai, Associate Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies, Kent State University, USA
- Jacqueline N. Font-Guzmán, Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion & Professor in the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, Eastern Mennonite University, USA
- Bernard Mayer, Professor Emeritus of Conflict Studies, Creighton University, USA & Founding Partner of CDR Associates, USA
See Mayer & Font-Guzmán, The Neutrality Trap: Disrupting and Connecting for Social Change.
Session 2: 8:00-9:30 pm (evening), Eastern Standard Time, May 18 (Wednesday)
Zoom link here (Meeting ID: 810 7267 3832; Passcode: 640743)
- Tatsushi Arai, Associate Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies, Kent State University, USA
- SungYong Lee, Associate Professor, National Center for Peace and Conflict Studies (NCPACS), University of Otago, New Zealand
Breakout sessions may be introduced depending on the number and interest of the participants.
Please contact Tatsushi Arai at tarai@kent.edu if you are interested in the webinars but unable to attend. Inquiries on practical applications of functional coexistence and related concepts are especially welcome. A PDF version of this webinar announcement can be downloaded here.