Refugee Law Project Summer Institute

In Mid-May 2017 I visited Uganda again as part of the Summer Institute focusing on “Men’s and Women’s Relations in Coercive Settings” (17-19 May 2017) hosted by the Refugee Law Project (RLP) and in War Partnership (CSiW). As part of the event I participated in a 2-day long workshops run by RLP and partners with men who were former combatants/abducted during the Northern Uganda war to learn from their experiences. The second part of the event was a more open conference focusing on women’s and men’s experiences of forced relationships in wartime. I am most gratfeul to Dr Chris Dolan and Professor Erin Baines for the opportunity to attend, learned a fortune.

Some of the Refugee Law Project staff

Conference: Masculinities, Violence and Post-Conflict

Call for Papers

Postgraduate Conference: Masculinities, Violence and (Post-)Conflict

Date: Thursday, 14 January 2016, 09:00 – 17:00

Venue: Ulster University, York St. Campus (Belfast, Northern Ireland)

The Transitional Justice Institute (TJI) and the International Conflict Research Institute (INCORE) at Ulster University invite proposals for a one-day postgraduate conference on “Masculinities, Violence and (Post-)Conflict” on Thursday, 14 January 2016. This student-led event will offer academic presentations, peer discussion, networking opportunities and expert feedback in a supportive environment. The conference will be followed by an international high-level workshop on Masculinities and Violence on Friday, 15 January 2016, organized by International Alert, Saferworld and Conciliation Resources (CR), providing a forum for both practitioners and international academics to engage on the topic.

The conference will bring together postgraduate students working on the interface between social constructions of masculinities as well as violence and (post-)conflict. Specifically, the conference will focus on the relationship between these areas, assessing how socially constructed notions of masculinities - in their varying forms, including hegemonic and subordinate conceptions - theoretically and conceptually can, and empirically do (or do not), fuel violence or impact the advancement of women's rights. At the same time, we aim to explore how situations of violence and victimisation influence and (re-)shape notions and dynamics of masculinities (both combatant and civilian identities), in itself and in relation to femininities and gender-hierarchies. The conference will therefore move beyond simplified conceptualisations of gender identities and critically explore the largely ambivalent role of masculinities. We thus aim to approach masculinities as both potentially contributing to violence and at the same time as potentially (and factually) vulnerable. Questions to be explored thus include, but are not limited to:

How, conceptually and empirically, can masculinities be linked to violence, including sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and violence against women (VAW)?

Conceptually and empirically, what are the relationships between masculinities and femininities, gender equality as well as women's rights within (post-) conflict contexts?

How do situations of violence and (post-)conflict shape masculinities, and how are masculinities (re-)shaped and influenced during conflict and post-conflict lived realities?

How and to what extent do post-conflict peace-building and transitional justice processes consider and address masculinities?

We invite paper proposals from postgraduate students across various disciplines that utilize a gendered lens while exploring the dynamics of, and/or relationships between masculinities, violence and (post-)conflict either conceptually or empirically in different geographical contexts and across time. In-depth case study analyses alongside theoretical explorations and empirically-grounded papers, including feminist theoretical and methodological approaches, are welcome. Speakers and discussants at the conference include, inter alia, Prof. Fionnuala Ni Aolain, Prof. Brandon Hamber (both Ulster University) and Dr. Henri Myrttinen (International Alert).

If you would like to propose a paper, please submit an abstract of max. 250 words and a short one-paragraph academic bio by 15 November 2015 to Philipp Schulz (Schulz-P@email.ulster.ac.uk) and Seamus Campbell (Campbell-S25@email.ulster.ac.uk).

Papers will be grouped thematically and distributed among three main panels. Each panel will have a designated commentator, an established academic or other expert in the field. Commentators will offer expert feedback as well as complement and stimulate peer-discussion. We are seeking the possibility of a publication of contributions (from conference and workshop), for which selected postgraduate papers might also be considered.

Participation and attendance at the conference are free of charge and participants are invited to attend the workshop on the following day. We regret that we are unable to offer travel bursaries or other assistance with costs. 

Keynote: Psychosocial Issues and Peacebuilding

From the 6th to the 8th of May 2015, the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (South Africa) and the War Trauma Foundation (Netherlands) hosted a conference attended by 52 individuals from 15 countries around the world that explored the nexus between psychosocial needs, practice and peacebuilding in the aftermath of conflict.

 Based on years of experience in the field of peacebuilding (by IJR and its partners) and a long trajectory of developing, implementing and analysing mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) projects around the world (by WTF and its partners), the two organisations partnered in bringing together academics and practitioners from both fields to explore ways in which the nexus between MHPSS and peacebuilding could be better understood.

As such, the programme was structured in such a way that practitioners could share their experiences (best practice and challenges), academics could put forward their existing research and the group as a whole could explore ways in which the two fields could begin to be brought closer together in order to contribute to the development of more sustainable and holistic interventions.

 The full conference report is available here.

 To watch my keynote address at the conference play below.

Presentations: International Congress of Psychology

I have now finished my presentations at the 30th International Congress of Psychology (22-27 July 2012) in Cape Town. On Monday 23 July 2012, I hosted a symposium at 11am, entitled "From the individual to the collective: Exploring social transformation through psychosocial Interventions". This symposium reported on the findings of Trauma, Peacebuilding and Development project with various authors of the case studies speaking. I will also presented, with with Dr Elizabeth Gallagher our research on "Youth, masculinity, the past, and conceptualisations of trauma in post-conflict Northern Ireland". We hope to have a book about the project out next year.

Yesterday, the 24th I was part of a symposium focusing on the issue of reparations after violent conflict entitled "Surviving gross human rights violations - exploring survivors' experience of justice and reparation". My paper was entitled "Healing political wounds: The role of macro interventions in assisting victims of political violence".

An audio clip of my introduction is available here: Audio Clip (3 Minute Introduction)

The main points, as tweeted were:

• At ICP 2012 presenting paper “Healing the Wounds: The role of macro interventions in assisting victims of political violence”
• The impact of political violence is not the same everywhere but practitioners argue it is with concepts like PTSD
• This can remove context and fail to take account of the historical and individual meaning associated with political violence
• If we don't recognise context in addressing political violence we can fail to see the how macro interventions operate
• By macro interventions I mean truth commissions, or trials or tribunals
• The delivery of truth, justice and reparations are part of this context, and are key to individual healing
• This highlights the limits of defining psychological support as only about therapy or interpersonal assistance
• Changing the context or the environment changes individuals mental health
• Changing the context is a mental health intervention. This is all our responsibility #icp2012

30th International Congress of Psychology

I will be at the 30th International Congress of Psychology between 22-27 July 2012. This year it is held in Cape Town, South Africa. I will be involved in several presentations.

On Monday 23 July 2012, I will hosting a symposium at 11am, entitled "From the individual to the collective: Exploring social transformation through psychosocial Interventions". This symposium will report on the findings of Trauma, Peacebuilding and Development project with various authors of the case studies speaking. I will also present, with with Dr Elizabeth Gallagher our research on "Youth, masculinity, the past, and conceptualisations of trauma in post-conflict Northern Ireland".

On the Tuesday the 24th I am part of a symposium focusing on the issue of reparations after violent conflict entitled "Surviving gross human rights violations - exploring survivors' experience of justice and reparation". I will give a paper at 4:30pm called "Healing political wounds: The role of macro interventions in assisting victims of political violence".

Inter-group Forgiveness in Settings of Ethnic Conflict

Inter-group Forgiveness in Settings of Ethnic Conflict: Empirical Research, Peace and Conflict is pleased to announce a future special issue on the theme of inter-group forgiveness in settings of ethnic conflict. Professor Micheal D. Roe of Seattle Pacific University and the University of Ulster is serving as Guest Editor. Manuscripts must present empirical research. Both qualitative and quantitative methodologies are welcome. Studies from a variety of national or cultural settings are encouraged. Inquiries should be directed to Micheal Roe. Phone: (206) 281-2252; email: mroe@spu.edu. Submission deadline: 1 October 2003.

Conference on West Africa

A group of concerned students, mostly British Chevening Scholars with the support of the British Council and in conjunction with the Human Right Centre of University of Essex and The Nigeria Coalition on International Criminal Court is organising a seminar on conflicts in West Africa. The Seminar will take place on the 1st of March 2004 at the ‘The Hexagon’ near Barclays bank, University of Essex, Colchester, Essex. We attached the programme schedule. For further information on the Seminar please contact: Ameen Bashir Ayodele (University of Essex) baamee@essex.ac.uk or at 01206 535904, or Candie Pearson (British Council) candie.person@britishcouncil.org or at 01223 354817

Reparations: An Interdisciplinary Examination

The Department of Philosophy and the Forum for Philosophy and Public Policy at Queen's University in Canada are pleased to announce a conference, "Reparations: An Interdisciplinary Examination of Some Philosophical Issues", to be held on the Queen's campus from February 6-8, 2004. Coming from five continents, the well-known group of speakers will draw on their diverse expertise and experiences as economists, lawyers, philosophers, political theorists, psychologists, public policy specialists and
representatives of NGOs to examine a range of philosophical issues pertaining to four different reparations cases: reparations for victims of war, reparations for indigenous peoples, reparations for victims of colonialism, and reparations for victims of slavery. 

For more information, visit the conference website (http://www.queensu.ca/conferences/reparations) or contact the conference organizer, Jon Miller (Department of Philosophy, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3N6, Canada; phone: 613-533-2182; email: miller@post.queensu.ca).

Are lessons transferable?

I have just added a new paper to my site entitled: Are lessons transferable? The importance of research for policy on transitional justice mechanisms. I presented this paper at the "Empirical Research Methodologies of Transitional Justice Mechanisms Conference", 18-20 November 2002, Stellenbosch, South Africa. Download paper.