COLLEGE OF LAW, GOVERNMENT & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

UNIVERSITI UTARA MALAYSIA

GFPS 3083: Management and Resolution of International Conflict

SEMESTER A242 (2024 / 2025)

GROUP A

Time / Place: Monday / Thursday, 8.30 – 10.00 am (SOIS BK7)

Lecturer: ASSOC. PROF. DR. CHE MOHD AZIZ YAACOB
Room Number: 203 (School of International Studies)
Email: [email protected]
Phone Number: 049288472 / 0142435123
Time for Consultation: Monday & Thursday, 11.30 – 12.30 am

Synopsis of the course

This course is designed to help build an understanding of a variety of conflict situations among
students in a way that they can relate to them through their academic experiences. It’s an
interdisciplinary course that draws its insights from various branches of social sciences and seeks
to provide a lively learning environment for teaching and training students. Conflict exists in all
aspects of human existence whether between individuals or at the state or international levels.
Conflicts has both positive and negative implications. Conflicts may lead to revolutions and
positive changes and it may develop relationships and improve communications as well as
contributing towards settling disputes. The negative features of conflicts is that it leads to
violence, wars and destruction. Thus the need to manage conflict is an essential requirement of
human existence. This course aims to create an awareness about the nature of conflicts as well as
inculcate the need to resolve conflicts at all levels through different means of conflict
resolutions. The course will deal with the theories of conflicts, its causes and means of resolving
conflict at local, regional and international levels.
Assessment Methods and Types
1. Coursework (60%)
 Individual Assignment 20%
 Service Learning 40%
(Community Conflict Resolution Training Program)
 Lecturer’s Observation – Practical – 10%
 Lecturer’s Observation – Leadership – 10%
 Community / Participants Observation – 10%
 Peer Assessment /Presentation – 10%
2. Final Exam (40%)

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Individual Assignment:

You are required to write project paper over 15- 17 pages on a topic that you have to choose
from the list below. Each project should have a list of reading materials (Bibliography) and also
use the appropriate footnote, Chicago style-citation (please refer website:
http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html). All forms of plagiarism and
cheating will be detected and appropriate action will be taken. Date of submission of the
project is in the week 7.

Topics:

1. Conflict cases in Malaysia: Source, Resolution and future. (The Malaysia’s conflict can
be write from various angles, for example - ethnic conflicts, security issues, border and so
on.
2. Conflict cases in Southeast Asia regions. (for example, separatist conflict in Mindanao,
Aceh or Southern Thailand. Ethnic conflict of Malaku, Kalimantan and so on).
3. Conflict cases in the world. (for example, Israeli – Palestine Conflict, China-Taiwan
Conflict, Iraq’s Conflict, Afghanistan’s Conflict and so on).

Each project must have the following items: Introduction, Background (Composition, History,
Actors and Issues) Theoretical framework, Source of problems, conflict analysis and Conclusion
(Suggestion).

Note: Please check with lecturer if you are unsure the title.

Service Learning (Community Conflict Resolution Training Workshop):

Every group are required to organize a Conflict Resolution Training Workshop to the local
community leaders (UUM students – Depends on situation). Students will choose the
neighbourhood areas around the university (Kubang Pasu District) and organize the Conflict
Resolution Training Workshop. Each group should looks for their respective areas and make a
discussion with the community leaders to host these activities. This conflict resolution course
will be held starting in Week 8 and submit the activity report in Week 10. The Report will be
included Paperwork, YouTube link’s Video Activity, Photos, any documents as an
appendix, Student’s Peer Evaluation form and Participants Evaluation form.

Week 1: 17 / 20 March 2025 – ONLINE CLASS

1. Introduction to the course

Current situation: general overview
 International relation, conflict & dispute, conflict management & resolutions
Syllabus Discussion
 Lecture, individual & group assignment (Service Learning) & Final examination

Week 2 : 24 / 27 March 2025 – ONLINE CLASS

1. Sharing experiences on conflict situation

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  How to deals with Community?
 Conflict Issues
 Actors
 Situations
 How to identify and solve the issues?

Week 3: 31 March - (Raya Aidilfitri) / 3 April 2025 – ONLINE CLASS

1. Why we have to study Conflict and Conflict Resolution?

 Definition and explanation of Conflict and Peacebuilding Concepts

 Conflict Management: Conflict Resolution & Conflict Transformation
 Case Study: Southern Thailand, Aceh, Mindanao etc

Week 4: 7 / 10 April 2025

Type of Conflicts
 Symmetric and Asymmetric Conflict: Vertical and Horizontal
 Conflict in Society: Inter-state, Intra-state & Regional
 Revolution/Ideology, Identity/ secession, Factional Conflict
 Levels of Conflict

Week 5: 14 / 17 April 2025

Conflict Management: Resolution

 Definition of concepts
 Method of Conflict Management; Prevention, Controlling & Ending
 Barriers of Conflict Resolution

Week 6: 21 / 24 April 2025

Conflict Mapping
 Concepts of Conflict Analysis
 Conflict Mapping Tools; Stage of Conflict, Sequence of Events, Onion Analogy, Conflict
Tree, Conflict Mapping, Needs and Fears
 Conflict Cases: Indonesia – Malaysia Confrontation, Conflict in South China Sea, Ethnic
Conflict in Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan: The Kashmir Conflict, The Middle East: Arab-
Israel Conflict, Post-Conflict in Acheh, Southern Thailand Conflict, Post-Conflict in
Mindanao, Taiwan Strait Conflict, North Korea-South Korea Conflict.

Week 7: 28 April / 1 May (Labour Day) 2025

+ Individual Assignment Submission

Stimulation and Exposure course for Service Learning
 Briefing: Real situation and action in communities
 Exercise in the respective groups / participants
 Stimulation: Case Study
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Week 8: 5 / 8 May 2025 – MID SEMESTER BREAK

Week 9 : 12 (Wesak Day) / 15 May 2025

+ (Starting of Service Learning Project)

Models of Conflict Resolution
 Conflict Triangle: Galtung’s Model
 Edward Azar’s Theory of Protracted Social Conflict (PSC)
 Prisnor’s Dilemma and the evolution of cooperation in conflict

Week 10: 19 / 22 May 2025

Issues and Sources of Conflict

 Moral Conflict
 Issues of Justice
 Rights
 Unmet Human Need
 Identity Issues
 High-Stakes Distributional Issues

Week 11: 26 / 29 May 2025

+ Service Learning Report Submission

Third party intervention
 Dialogue and Negotiation
 Mediation
 Facilitation
 Arbitration

Week 12: 2 (YDPA’s Birthday) / 5 June 2025

Peacebuilding Approach
 Definition
 Peacemaking & Peacekeeping
 Reconciliation: Truth, Mercy, Justice and Peace
 Conflict Transformation: Context, Structure, Issue, Actor, and Personel and Group
 Multi-track Diplomacy: Actors and Approaches
 Peacebuilding Strategies
 Challenges of Peacebuilding

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Week 13: 9 / 12 June 2025

Multilateral Institutions and Conflict Resolution

 Evolution of Multilateral Institutions as Mechanisms for Conflict Resolution
 The League of Nations
 The United Nations
 ASEAN
 Conflict Prevention, Mediation through Multilateral Institutions
 Peacekeeping through United Nations and Regional Organizations

This conflict will discuss analyse base on the theories, approaches and variables. The focus of
the analysis is mapping of conflict and lead to peacebuilding strategy.

Week 14: 16 / 19 June 2025

Prospects & Challenges Of Conflict In The 21st Century

 The inhibiting factor of Globalization on conflicts
 the positive aspects of economic interdependence
 the expensive option of force
 Democracy and Conflict debate

Week 15: 23 / 26 June 2025

Review: Conflict Mapping

 Concepts of Conflict Analysis
 Conflict Mapping Tools; Stage of Conflict, Sequence of Events, Onion Analogy, Conflict
Tree, Conflict Mapping, Needs and Fears
 Comparison of Conflict Resolution and Transformation Implementation

Week 16: STUDY WEEK

REFERENCES

Main references

1. Kamarulzaman Askandar (ed.) (2021), Peace and Conflict Transformation in Southeast

Asia (Bangkok: ASEAN University Network dan SHAPESEA)
2. Miall, H., Ramsbothan, O., Woodhouse, T. (2011) ‘Understanding Contemporary
Conflict’, in Contemporary Conflict Resolution, (Third Edition), Cambridge: Polity
Press.
3. Hauss, C. (2001) International Conflict Resolution. London: Biddles Ltd, Guildford and
King’s Lynn.
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 4. Julia Palmiano Federer, Julia Pickhardt, Philipp Lustenberger, Christian Altpeter, Katrina
Abatis (2019) Beyond the Tracks? Reflections on Multitrack Approaches to Peace
Processes (MSN publications)
5. Barbara, AB. (2007) Conflict Management: A Practical Guide to Developing Negotiation
Strategies. Pearson, London.
6. Botes, M. J. (2003) Structural Transformation. In. Conflict (edited Cheldelin, S.,
Druckman, D. dan Fast, L.) London: The Tower Building.
7. Jeong, H-W. (2000) Peace and Conflict Studies: An Introduction. England: Ashgate
Publishing Limited.
8. Lederach, J. P. (2003) The Little Book of Conflict Transformation. United States of
Amerika, Good Book, Intercourse.
9. Galtung, J., Jacobsen, C.G. dan Brand-Jacobsen, K. F. (2002) Searching for Peace: The
Road to Trenscend. USA: Pluto Press.
10. Wallensteen, P. (2012) ‘Armed Conflicts’, in Understanding Conflict Resolution, (Third
Edition), London: Sage.

Additional references

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Hauss, C. (2001). International conflict resolution. London and New York: Continuum.
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Lund, M. (2001) ‘A Toolbox for Responding to Conflicts and Building Peace’, in L. Reychler
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