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Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

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Carter School partners with Rotary to scale up peacebuilding

Colleen Rich — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 17:19:07 +0000

Carter School partners with Rotary to scale up peacebuilding Colleen Rich Tue, 03/05/2024 - 12:19

The Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School at George Mason �鶹��, the top-ranked national public institution for peace and conflict resolution, has partnered with Rotary International, one of the largest global membership service organizations, to provide education and develop modalities to assist Rotary clubs in promoting local, regional, and global peace.

Dean Alpaslan Özerdem with Gordon McInally, president of Rotary International. Photo provided

For nearly a year, Carter School faculty have met with Rotary to identify areas in which their missions overlap and where each organization may benefit from the expertise of the other.

Through this partnership, the Carter School and Rotary will incubate new peacebuilding ideas and accelerate existing ideas to make them more effective. The Carter School will also assist in developing replicable modalities of peacebuilding—peacebuilding action “templates” that can be duplicated and applied to address the needs of different conflicts.

Rotary connects 1.4 million people of action from more than 46,000 Rotary clubs in almost every country in the world. Their service improves lives both locally and internationally.

“This critical partnership will open many opportunities for both organizations as they can build on each other’s strengths and expertise in peacebuilding,” said Alpaslan Özerdem, dean of the Carter School. “We have taken our time in forming this partnership as we wanted to ensure that it is a bottom-up process and incorporated a vast body of viewpoints in shaping how it would be transformational with its impact on peace. We are ready to scale up our efforts to build more peaceful societies worldwide. Knowing that we will take this transformational journey with an organization like Rotary fills me with confidence, excitement, and hope.”

Photo provided

Additionally, the Carter School will tap into its Better Evidence Project (BEP) expertise, which hosts an online depository of peacebuilding research and applied successes. Under this partnership, Rotary’s peacebuilding efforts will be integrated into the BEP database, making their organization’s work accessible to other peacebuilders. Plans include an online forum, tying Rotary into a global community of researchers and practitioners where peacebuilders can strategize and discuss their work.

Taking advantage of its expert faculty, the Carter School will provide educational strategies to equip Rotary members and their leaders to be more effective peacebuilding practitioners. In addition to seminars, the Carter School will host several “Peace Salons,” intimate gatherings to raise awareness and build networks with Rotary members in peacebuilding practice. In Fall 2024, Rotary and the Carter School will host the first Peacebuilding Praxis Conference, illustrating the nexus of theory and practice.

“Creating peaceful, welcoming, and inclusive societies is at the heart of what Rotary is about,” said Rotary International President Gordon McInally. “We’ve made peacebuilding the cornerstone of our global mission with everything we do, from fighting disease to supporting education, building toward the optimal conditions for more peaceful and resilient societies. But we can’t do this alone. Through our partnership with the Carter School, we will help empower, educate, and increase the capacity of our members and participants to become even more effective catalysts for peace.”

Charles Davidson, a Carter School professor specializing in local peacebuilding and partnerships between international and local constituents, will facilitate connections between Rotary members and faculty with expertise in a geo region or peacebuilding specialty. “With the global reach of Rotary and the world-renown expertise of the Carter School, I believe this collaboration will innovate peacebuilding efforts at both the local and global levels with specific but far-reaching impact and education,” Davidson said.

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The Carter School Partners with Rotary to Scale Up Peacebuilding

Paul Snodgrass — Mon, 19 Feb 2024 21:36:36 +0000

The Carter School Partners with Rotary to Scale Up Peacebuilding Paul Snodgrass Mon, 02/19/2024 - 16:36

Dean Özerdem at the signing with John Hewko, CEO of Rotary International, Sarah Crawford, Director of Programs and Grants at Rotary International, and Dr. Charles Davidson of the Carter School.

For nearly a year, Carter School faculty have met with Rotary to identify areas in which their missions overlap and where each organization may benefit from the expertise of the other.

Through this partnership, the Carter School and Rotary will incubate new peacebuilding ideas and accelerate existing ideas to make them more effective. The Carter School will also assist in developing replicable modalities of peacebuilding – peacebuilding action “templates” that can be duplicated and applied to address the needs of different conflicts.

Dean Ozerdem at the signing with Gordon McInally, President of Rotary International.

“Creating peaceful, welcoming, and inclusive societies is at the heart of what Rotary is about,” said Rotary International President Gordon McInally. “We’ve made peacebuilding the cornerstone of our global mission with everything we do, from fighting disease to supporting education, building toward the optimal conditions for more peaceful and resilient societies. But we can’t do this alone. Through our partnership with the George Mason �鶹��’s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, we will help empower, educate, and increase the capacity of our members and participants to become even more effective catalysts for peace.”

About the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

George Mason �鶹��’s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution is a community of faculty, students, staff, alumni, and partners with a fundamental commitment to building peace. Through the development of cutting-edge theory, research, education, and practical work, we seek to identify and address the underlying causes of conflict and provide tools for ethical and just peacebuilding on the local, national, and global stages. For more information, visit https://carterschool.gmu.edu.

About George Mason �鶹��

George Mason �鶹�� is Virginia’s largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls more than 40,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the past half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity, and commitment to accessibility. In 2023, the university launched Mason Now: Power the Possible, a one-billion-dollar comprehensive campaign to support student success, research, innovation, community, and stewardship. Learn more at gmu.edu.

About Rotary International

Rotary unites a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges and creating lasting change. Rotary connects 1.4 million people of action from more than 46,000 Rotary clubs in almost every country in the world. Their service improves lives both locally and internationally, from helping those in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world. For more information, visit Rotary.org.

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Charles Davidson

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Carter School dean helps organize peace-building efforts in South Sudan

Colleen Rich — Mon, 12 Feb 2024 16:20:56 +0000

Carter School dean helps organize peace-building efforts in South Sudan Colleen Rich Mon, 02/12/2024 - 11:20

Alpaslan Özerdem, dean of George Mason �鶹��’s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, recently returned from a peacebuilding initiative in South Sudan, where he was a guest of the Minister of Peacebuilding Stephen Par Kuol and NewGen Peacebuilders’ Executive Director Patricia Shafer.

Dean Alpaslan Özerdem (left) with team at Advance Youth Radio in South Sudan. Photo provided

South Sudan gained its independence in 2011, though it was engaged in a civil war from 2013 to 2020. Despite its oil and mineral resources, it’s also one of the poorest countries.

The international community, including the United States, United Kingdom, and Norway (The Troika), has provided funding for nation-state building and peacebuilding efforts. However, Sudan’s state structures are weak, with access generally limited to the capital city of Juba and other urban areas. The country is supposed to hold its first national elections at the end of the year to move from its current transitional government structures after so many years, but it is yet to be delivered.

Özerdem assisted the Ministry of Peacebuilding in its policy and programmatic efforts. After a meeting including representatives of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Education, several international donors and NGOs, U.S. and several other ambassadors, a wide range of national authorities including the National Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Commission (NDDRC), and the Carter Center, Özerdem provided the ministry with a plan of action, which focused on the capacity development at several levels.

The Mason team visiting with the Minister of Youth and Sports in South Sudan. Photo provided

“In a country where millions of civilians are armed to the teeth, where there has never been a comprehensive [Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration] DDR of its ex-combatants and child soldiers, what the executive secretary of the NDDRC said quietly was deafening: The DDR is dead!” Özerdem said.

The Carter School’s graduate programs in conflict and dispute resolution, and the delivery of in-country training tailored for the mid-level ministerial management of the country, were identified as short-term priorities to ensure the local peacebuilding programming capacities can be sustained in the mid-to-long term.

Özerdem and Shafer tested some of their initial ideas with several international agencies, including the Carter Center, which has been running a successful Guinea Worm Eradication Program in South Sudan since 2005.

“It was a short but hugely productive visit, Özerdem said. “South Sudan needs academic actors like the Carter School to bridge the knowledge and practice and help national and local actors develop their capacity.”

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Carter School Partners with U.S. Department of State to Provide Research on International Conflicts

Paul Snodgrass — Fri, 10 Nov 2023 16:20:27 +0000

Carter School Partners with U.S. Department of State to Provide Research on International Conflicts Paul Snodgrass Fri, 11/10/2023 - 11:20

Carter School to become an Academic Center of Conflict Anticipation & Prevention Partner

The Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution at George Mason �鶹�� and the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Conflict & Stabilization Operations (CSO) have signed an agreement, along with a select number of other universities, to become an Academic Center of Conflict Anticipation & Prevention (ACCAP) partner. As part of this public-private partnership, the Carter School will provide research on “current, real-world conflict-related issues” as identified by CSO offices in the interest of supporting conflict resolution and stabilization efforts.

Under this new initiative, research will be conducted by select students, at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, with oversight from Carter School faculty. Students will be able to select from different projects that have been requested by CSO offices. Developed under the supervision of Carter School Dean Alpaslan Özerdem, Dr. Susan Allen, and Dr. Karina Korostelina, this partnership will not only allow Carter School students to contribute to international peacebuilding efforts with actionable research, but it will also provide valuable insight as to how the State Department considers approaches to conflict prevention or mitigation in regions around the world.

Carter School Dean Alpaslan Özerdem stated, “This is an excellent partnership for building bridges between policymaking and academia on a myriad of topics in conflict prevention. We are proud to work with the US Department of State on this exciting initiative.”

Dr. Susan Allen, who is also the Director of Graduate Programs at the Carter School, added, “I am pleased that when the U.S. State Department sought out leading university research centers in conflict analysis and resolution, they approached the Carter School. �鶹�� diverse student body comes from all over the world, and our faculty focuses on peace and conflict resolution from diverse methodological approaches.”

When asked about the benefit to students, Carter School professor and Director of Peace Lab on Reconciling Conflicts and Intergroup Divisions, Dr. Karina Korostelina commented, “This initiative will not only advance students’ research skills but also develop their capacities to write policy-oriented papers and briefs. The access to vast databases and localized data is essential for the understanding of conflict dynamics and complexities of peace and justice processes.”

George Mason �鶹�� is a Tier 1 research institution.

About the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

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Susan Allen

Karina Korostelina

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Podcast - EP 52: The tension between war, justice, and peace

Damian Cristodero — Mon, 11 Sep 2023 13:56:10 +0000

Podcast - EP 52: The tension between war, justice, and peace Damian Cristodero Mon, 09/11/2023 - 09:56

Professor Karina Korotelina joins Mason president Gregory Washington in the studio to discuss conflict analysis and resolution on this episode of the Access to Excellence podcast.

Photo credit:

Cristian Torres/George Mason �鶹��

Karina Korostelina, a professor of conflict analysis and resolution in Mason’s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, conducts research with global implications that not only applies to countries and groups in conflict but societies as well.

She tells Mason President Gregory Washington that Ukraine’s war with Russia, at its end, will present enormous problems with the reconciliation of people and territories. A look behind the scenes at Korostelina’s remarkable research and what it tells us about human nature and how we can find peace after conflict.

_{The study was an analysis of 15 peace processes across the globe. What I found, in addition to many other factors, was that if a nation creates multicultural, or civic — based on connection to the state — identity, then peace processes sustained. If not, if a country promotes an ethnic concept of national identity, peace processes fail.”}

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Explore the Carter School for Peace and Conflict

Access to Excellence Podcast Episodes

Podcast — EP 67: Building community and conversation through the arts
April 21, 2025
Podcast — EP 66: Peace building amid the rise of global conflict
March 17, 2025
Podcast — EP 65: James Baldwin’s insights on American life and identity
February 17, 2025
Podcast — EP 64: Navigating AI’s risks and rewards
January 21, 2025
Podcast — EP 63: The economic perceptions driving U.S. politics
December 11, 2024

In This Episode

Gregory Washington

Karina Korostelina

Mason Korea Professor Receives Fulbright Award to Serbia

Paul Snodgrass — Wed, 24 May 2023 01:18:20 +0000

Mason Korea Professor Receives Fulbright Award to Serbia Paul Snodgrass Tue, 05/23/2023 - 21:18

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Borislava Manojlovic

Dr. Borislava Manojlovic, assistant professor of conflict analysis and resolution at Mason Korea, has been awarded a Fulbright award to conduct research in Serbia.

The prestigious award will allow Dr. Manojlovic to continue her research work in the Balkans with a special focus on southern Serbia. “My experience of wars in the Balkans in the 1990s and my desire to understand the roots of violent conflicts shaped my life trajectory and dedication to conflict prevention and peacemaking,” said Dr. Manojlovic.

From this fall to next summer, Dr. Manojlovic will be working with colleagues at the �鶹�� of Nis in southern Serbia to conduct research on the best strategies for integrating multiculturalism, tolerance, and inclusivity into the educational programs at higher education institutions in Serbia.

“As a Fulbrighter, I look forward to strengthening connections with local scholars in Serbia to reinforce joint educational programs, and also to publish a volume on the role of higher education in promoting tolerance and peacebuilding,” said Dr. Manojlovic.

Dr. Manojlovic also intends to produce reports and articles containing in-depth recommendations on how to address the challenges of diversity and inclusion of minorities. “My future plan is to grow research initiatives at Mason through faculty and student exchanges, research projects and organizing joint conferences, workshops and guest lectures,” said Dr. Manojlovic.

"I am excited to see that our faculty are being recognized for their expertise by prestigious organizations such as Fulbright," said Dr. Shannon Davis, Associate Dean for Faculty and Academic Affairs at Mason Korea. "The award to Serbia is one additional way in which Dr. Manojlovic's scholarship will have worldwide impact on the field and practice of conflict resolution," she added.

Named for US senator William J. Fulbright, the Fulbright program is the US's flagship program to support teachers, students, artists and other professionals in fostering international exchange. It is administered by the US Department of State.

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Carter School hosts activist whose organization documents war crimes in Ukraine

Mariam Aburdeineh — Mon, 13 Mar 2023 15:31:57 +0000

Carter School hosts activist whose organization documents war crimes in Ukraine Mariam Aburdeineh Mon, 03/13/2023 - 11:31

In This Story

Karina Korostelina

Daniel Rothbart

On February 24, the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, George Mason �鶹��’s Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution hosted “One Year After: Ukraine War Analysis and Prospects,” an all-day virtual event to discuss the effects of the war and potential post-war contexts.

The event featured Romantsova Oleksandra, executive director of the Center for Civil Liberties, the first Ukrainian organization to win a Nobel Peace Prize. The recognition, which the human rights organization received in 2022, was due in part to their work documenting war crimes against civilians in occupied areas of Ukraine.

Karina Korostelina (left) and Romantsova Oleksandra during the virtual event, "One Year After: Ukraine War Analysis and Prospects."

Oleksandra spoke about her work to an audience of about 50 people, and answered questions about the war via Zoom. The discussion was moderated by Karina Korostelina, professor and co-director of Mason’s Program for the Prevention of Mass Violence.

“The war in Ukraine has presented a real challenge to those who favor negotiated outcomes,” said Carter School Dean Alpaslan Özerdem in his opening remarks. “However, even if the political space is constrained for negotiations at the moment, we shouldn’t write off what conflict resolution could achieve in the future.”

Oleksandra began by explaining how her work started in 2014—around the time Russia invaded Crimea—and explained how they started with a hotline where they gathered questions about Crimea and Donbas before starting field work there.

After summer 2014, and the disputed Crimean status referendum, their mobile teams on the ground were blocked, Oleksandra said.

“They don’t give the possibility of Ukrainian human right defenders of going into the territories,” she said. “So, we collect[ed] information using the help of our partners from Belarus, from Russia, and from other countries.”

Oleksandra described various ways her team collects information, including gathering testimonials from individuals or relatives of those who have been prosecuted. The team also investigates sites where crimes occurred, and documents the aftermath with photos and video.

Other times, the Center for Civil Liberties uses data from institutions, such as hospitals.

“We have a lot of evidence that sexual crimes happened, too, like thousands of cases. People [don’t] very directly speak about that with prosecutors or police, but they easily speak with doctors,” Oleksandra said. “That’s why we have some statistics, and we have a national line where the people can call and speak about that.”

Oleksandra’s organization has used all this information to create databases and maps of where human rights violations have occurred.

“We have now more than 33,000 cases [of] potential war crimes against humanity and crimes of genocide,” she said. “Why ‘potential’? Because at the end, only courts can give this characteristic and classification.”

“[The] International Criminal Court is working now in Ukraine,” Oleksandra said. “We support them. We give them information, but they will cover maybe 20 cases.”

Despite a backlog of cases waiting to hit the courts, the work is still worth pursuing. Oleksandra said documenting evidence is important to punish those who committed atrocities, bring justice, protect human rights, promote public awareness, influence policy, and move toward sustainable peace.

Oleksandra said their ideal is to create a new model to deal with the thousands of other cases that demand attention. She also hopes an international tribunal against crimes of aggression would be assembled to hold Russian leaders accountable, including President Vladimir Putin.

“I’m really glad to speak with people who are thinking about what happened in Ukraine and trying to understand what kind of experience Ukraine now can give all the world about war crimes,” Oleksandra said.

The session was also meaningful for attendees.

“The presentation was outstanding,” said Carter School Professor Daniel Rothbart.

“The selection of [Oleksandra’s] Center for Civil Liberties for the Nobel Peace Prize demonstrates just how vital her work is for bringing peace to this war-torn nation,” he said. “The center represents an inspiration to all of us hoping for a peaceful end to this tragic violence in Ukraine.”

Click here to watch recorded sessions from "One Year After: Ukraine War Analysis and Prospects."

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Carter School leads by listening, as Congolese partners construct their own peace.

Mariam Aburdeineh — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 17:33:14 +0000

Carter School leads by listening, as Congolese partners construct their own peace. Mariam Aburdeineh Wed, 02/15/2023 - 12:33

In This Story

Charles Davidson

It’s been a year since George Mason �鶹��’s Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution touched base in the war-torn Democratic Republic of the Congo. Their goal? Accompany locals in creating their own sustainable peace—something the country has not experienced in more than 30 years.

In December 2021, a unique peace accord was signed in the province of South Kivu, with representatives from armed groups, the Congolese government, military, police, intelligence services, religious leaders, civil society groups, and peace advocates, including several female peacemakers.

Carter School Dean Alpaslan Özerdem, and Charles Davidson, PhD ’19, Carter School research faculty and alumnus, visited the Congo in October 2022 to check in on the “Peacemaking + Initiative,” funded by Milt Lauenstein, and assess the direction for its next phase.

Özerdem and Davidson spoke over Zoom with updates from the trip:

What have been the major successes of the initiative so far?

AÖ: The most important success is that the peace process is still there. Considering such processes tend to be so fragile in their first few years, it was wonderful to see that not only was it still sustaining, but also the way that the local actors and all the stakeholders owned the process.

Also, the reduction of violence that we’ve seen over the last six months, particularly in inter-community violence, but also in terms of the number of combatants from the bush start to go back to their communities.

Former armed group members strategizing next steps in the peace process. Photo provided by the Carter School.

What does “the bush” refer to?

CD: There are local defense forces, which remain in their villages and take up arms when they’re threatened. Then there are mobile armed groups that live in the wilderness and fight as a mobilized armed group of tribal and ethnic interest. To go back to the bush means to go back fighting full-time, although there are groups who remain in the bush who are not fighting. They’re just waiting to demobilize and reintegrate when the time comes.

How many people have demobilized?

CD: We have 300 registered demobilizations thus far, and 1,000 people have expressed their willingness to demobilize [and are going through a certification process with the government to make it official].

Why do you think this has been so successful?

CD: I’ve been working in the Congo for almost eight years and have seen a lot of processes not really hit the mark, because you’d see NGOs and other peace prospects go to individual armed group members and try to achieve peace through the individuals.

We asked, “How do we achieve this from the community level, so that not only do the armed group members have the ability to go home to a more sustainable environment, but that environment can nurture that process and therefore reduce recidivism and new recruitment?”

The community level considers the perspectives of all the people who are experiencing this conflict and looking for solutions from this dynamic panorama.

“The peace process was innovative in the sense that many actors were involved: Combatants themselves, women leaders and wives of the combatants, youth [active actors in conflicts], representatives of communities and tribes, involvement of the politicians and government officials at different levels, demobilization programs, religious and civil society organizations, [the] media, [among others]. The peace process was largely inclusive and nobody was left behind without being listened to.”

—Sudi Yahudi Longuet, peace facilitator and independent consultant expert in peace and conflict transformation

Women from local communities analyzing and voting on next steps in the peace program. Photo provided.

How has the community-based approach made an impact?

CD: By engaging from the community level and even the tribal level, we’re getting large groups of people who were fighting each other on the regular saying, “We’re going to stop fighting, and we’re going to officially declare forgiveness of the groups that have been fighting.” That’s so not only the groups can experience forgiveness toward one another, but the individuals who were fighting feel forgiveness as people when they return to their home community.

Forgiveness sounds easier said than done. How does that process work?

CD: We’re investing in a literal ceremony of forgiveness where public crowds come together to watch their tribal leaders pronounce forgiveness with each other. They will do so over the radio so everybody in the province hears, and so all the individuals under their leaders’ authority can join the group and say, “We’re done fighting and we forgive you.”

What’s the importance of publicly declaring forgiveness?

AÖ: When an ex-combatant is registered by the government, that registration legally is important because whatever crimes they may have committed during the war, it gives them amnesty. The support of the Congolese government has been so important.

What also matters is whether or not you are forgiven by your receiving communities—that’s the social-cultural aspect.

Özerdem (left) meets with members of AJDC in their offices in South Kivu. Photo provided by the Carter School.

What is Mason’s role in the peace process?

CD: The Carter School is championing a truly effective model of peacemaking accompaniment.

We didn’t go in and dominate the process, lead everything and make demands. Instead, we’re leading by listening. We’re promoting local leadership and making it to where the locals feel that it is their peace process because it is their peace process.

AJDC is the local peacemaking organization that’s led by a former child soldier. They’re the ones who are in the grind, but we’re sticking to what we’re good at, and that’s peacemaking scholarship at the intersection of peacemaking practice, and lending our skills and expertise in a way that nurtures, grows, and accompanies the process rather than dominating.

“The fact that AJDC was created by former child soldiers allowed us to have a mastery and deep understanding of the armed groups’ logic, desires, needs, and requirements, and allowed us to have no fear in finding them in their stronghold [their post of command in the bush]. Becoming an ambassador for peace is building positively our history which will [distinguish] us across generations. We would like to see our community inclusive, stable, nonviolent, peaceful and developed.” —AJDC

What’s next?

A community reintegration fishing project in Mboko, South Kivu employing former armed group members and community members.

CD: Number one, we’re going to focus on the four armed groups that continue to fight for reasons other than intercommunity violence, mostly based on economic interest. We’re going to bring those groups to the table to look for a solution to bring a total peace to the armed group situation in South Kivu.

Number two is the official ceremonies of forgiveness.

Third, we’re continuing to set the example of community reintegration investments. Throughout South Kivu, 21 villages are being given investments toward creating community-level industry. These are not only creating jobs for the armed group members who are coming home, but for the people in the community who never left. These investments will grow economic sustainability and stability for those communities, which lie at the nexus of ethnicities that have traditionally been hostile to one another.

What are you most proud of with this initiative?

AÖ: Making claims is one thing, but making them happen and showing the world that as an academic institution, we can facilitate a peace process with our local partners is another. On its first-year anniversary, peace is being owned by local actors, and now we are entering the next stage, strengthening what we achieved over the last year. It’s a very proud moment.

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