Zones of Conflict, Zones of Peace
General Information
The Zones of Conflict, Zones of Peace (ZCZP) program enables students to study conflict management and resolution in its real-life application across the globe. Since 2007, the award-winning program has been taking students to zones of ethnic, political, religious and social conflict, with the goal of better understanding both the causes of the conflict and the difficult process of reconciliation.
In 2018, the program was converted to a 3-credit course, including a travel component. Each Spring, a faculty member teaches the course on a topic that they have chosen. Students then travel with the faculty member and staff from the Office of Student Development in order to bridge their academic learning with the current reality. The trips occur during the Spring break or summer holiday and last one to two weeks. During the trip, the group meets with politicians, journalists, community organizers, and other change-makers in the destination zone, as well as visits to points of historical interest.
Approximately 15 students are chosen each year for this special program and course. Students selected for the program are required to be in good academic standing and go through a competitive application process that includes personal reflections and academic essays.
Read about the program on the Global Engagement website.
This year’s program
To be announced soon.
Past Trips
Zanzibar-Spring 2020
Professor Rogaia Abusharaf and students revisited the lessons of the expulsion of Arabs during the 1964 revolution in Zanzibar.
Spain and Basque Country – Spring 2019
Professor Sonia Alonso Sáenz de Oger and students traveled to the Basque Country, an autonomous region in Spain, to study the causes of the ETA armed political struggle and the strategies used to create peace after 40 years of violence in the region.
China – Summer 2018
Students learned about the history and culture of Muslims in China with Professor Max Oidtmann. The group started in Beijing, and traveled to other cities by plane and train to get a better understanding of life for Chinese Muslims.
Japan – Summer 2017
Professor Kai-Henrik Barth led 15 students to Japan to studythe dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima & Nagasaki.
Oman and Tanzania – Summer 2016
Professor Rogaia Abusharaf took 14 students to study the history, politics, and aftermath of the violence that accompanied the expulsion of Arabs during the 1964 revolution in Zanzibar.
Zanzibar
The group focused on tackling the lack of information on the ethnic conflict in Zanzibar, and looked at how genocide is constructed and labeled in the international community, along with concepts of ethnic cleansing, reintegration and repatriation.
United States – Spring 2015
11 students traced the culture, history and politics of Muslims in the US. The group focused on the historical path of migration of Muslim immigrants, their cultural productions and the political challenges they have faced in the US in the 20th and 21st centuries, led by Professors Karine Walther and Abdullah Al-Arian.
South Africa – Summer 2014
14 students looked at the use of sports, arts, and culture in ongoing reconciliation in the 20 years after the 1994 end of apartheid.
Northern Ireland – Spring 2014
16 students looked at the use of sports in reconciliation efforts since the signing of the 1998 Good Friday/Belfast Agreement.
Germany and Poland – Summer 2013
15 students traveled to Germany and Poland to learn about the Holocaust, its subsequent memorialization and efforts in regards to reconciliation and justice.
Rwanda – Spring 2013
13 students learned about the 1994 genocide, and the subsequent memorialization, reconciliation, and justice efforts in Rwandan society after the event.
Timor-Leste – Summer 2012
15 students explored truth and reconciliation efforts in the aftermath of the Indonesian occupation from 1975 to 1999, the transitional administration by the United Nations and the East Timorese independence in 2002.
Cambodia – Spring 2012
16 students studied reconciliation and memorialization efforts in the aftermath of the 1975-1979 genocide, with a focus on international law and the ongoing Khmer Rouge trials.
South Africa – Summer 2011
14 students looked at the use of arts and culture in ongoing reconciliation efforts in the years after the 1994 decree to end apartheid.
Northern Ireland – Spring 2011
Students looked at the use of arts and culture in ongoing reconciliation efforts after the signing of the 1998 Good Friday/Belfast Agreement.
Bosnia and Herzegovina – Spring 2010
Students studied educational, governmental, and economic realities in the 15 years following the Srebrenica genocide.
Cyprus – Spring 2010
13 students learned about the conflict on the divided Mediterranean island between the internationally recognized state of Cyprus and the unofficial Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
Germany and Poland – Summer 2009
Students traveled to Germany and Poland to learn about the Holocaust, its subsequent memorialization, and efforts at facilitating unity and justice.
Rwanda – Spring 2009
Students learned more about the 1994 genocide, attempts at collective remembrance, and the reconciliation and justice efforts in Rwandan society.
Palestine and Israel – Summer 2008
12 students traveled to Palestine and Israel for the first program trip under the new Zones of Conflict, Zones of Peace name. The group learned about the diversity of the respective areas, as well as the social and political realities and motivations of the many sides involved in this contentious conflict.
Jordan – Summer 2007
Labeled as the first ZCZP experience, the focus of this trip was on micro-finance and small business enterprises. 11 students spent two days with the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development (JOHUD), sought to better understand the situation of Palestinian and Iraqi refugees, and finished by working on a build with Habitat for Humanity.