In this unit students critically examine the role of the United Nations in promoting international peace and security. Contemporary and historical case studies such as Rwanda, Iraq and East Timor are used to analyse the UN's performance in relation to such activities as peacemaking, peacekeeping, peacebuilding and peace enforcement. We assess the challenges facing the UN in achieving its mandate and implementing reform with a view to attaining peace with justice.

Research and writing toward a dissertation of 12000-15000 words on an approved topic under the supervision of an academic member of staff.

Completion of research and writing, and submission of a dissertation of 12000-15000 words on an approved topic, written under the supervision of an academic member of staff.

This unit will study the cultural contexts, origins, meaning and leading varieties of 'violence' in the modern world. How violence has been defined historically, its character and prevalence in different times and places, and changes in public perceptions, media presentation, tolerance, prevention and prosecution will be examined. Topics such as violence in the home, sport, public protest, sexual and racial relations, terrorism, genocide, warfare, youth culture and the criminal justice system will be considered.

This unit introduces students to theories of peace, conflict and violence. It demonstrates the interdisciplinary character of peace and conflict studies and the application of theories and methods across the spectrum of conflict types from intrapersonal and interpersonal, to community, inter-ethnic and international. Students gain an understanding of the nature of social conflict, causes of violence, and the meanings of peace, as well as conflict analysis and resolution and the means of achieving peace with justice in different conflict settings.

This unit examines the role of nonviolence as a philosophy and practice in promoting social change. Specific topics include: approaches advocated by Gandhi, Martin Luther King and Aung San Suu Kyi; manifestations of nonviolence in the language of peace negotiations; analysis of how commitments to nonviolence advance understanding of democracy and civil society and thus influence principles of citizenship and human rights; and appraisal of the relevance of nonviolence to questions about national identity and policy priorities in the 21st century.

People spend a large part of their lives dealing with organisations. Organisations require close proximity and communication between people, often under pressure. This unit analyses organisations and diagnoses dysfunctional practices. It explores conflict/consensus theories and organisational politics. Culture and the relevance of peace with justice in the workplace are explored, and theory and skills that lead toward satisfying outcomes are examined and practiced. Students will learn to apply tools to resolve conflict in the workplace and achieve peace with justice.

This unit examines media representations of conflict and their influence on the behaviour of those involved. It introduces creative ways for journalists, media development workers and media activists to apply principles of conflict resolution. Students diagnose 'war journalism' and 'peace journalism', and analyse conflict in a journalism context. Theories of news and concepts of objectivity and responsibility are critically explored. Students gain practical skills in peace journalism and media activism as well as devising peace journalism interventions in conflict-affected areas.

This unit explores the philosophical development of the idea of human rights and the international human rights regime as a means of promoting peace with justice. We examine legal instruments, political strategies, humanitarian challenges and moral imperatives that pertain to implementing human rights locally and internationally. We consider debates surrounding universality of human rights, humanitarian intervention, the role of civil society and global responsibilities, as well as specific rights such as those of women, refugees and indigenous peoples.

Religion is frequently blamed as the cause of war, and yet peace and nonviolence are considered central to most, if not all, religions. In this unit, students gain an appreciation of the war and peace traditions of the world's major religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. We look at sacred texts for sources of attitudes towards war and peace, and examine historical and contemporary case studies to deepen our understanding of both religion-based violence and the peacemaking potential of religion.

Under supervision of a member of staff, students devise a research proposal, conduct research and complete a treatise of 25000-30000 words. In Treatise Part 1, students define the research topic and complete the bulk of research.

Under the supervision of a member of staff, students devise a research proposal, conduct research and complete a treatise of 25000-30000 words. In Treatise Part 2, students will complete their research and writing of the treatise.

This unit explores the psychological dimensions of cultivating peace, by assisting individuals and communities to evolve emotional resilience and empathic capacities to minimise aggression, violence and war. For those already trapped in cycles of violence, we examine the psychological mechanisms of trauma, addiction and violence and how they can be transformed into healing and well-being.

A critical introduction to the TRANSCEND method of analysing conflicts and identifying means for peaceful transformation, also known as Diagnosis-Prognosis Therapy. The application of these principles is considered: to micro-conflicts, within and between individuals; meso-conflicts, within societies; macro-conflicts, among states and nations; and mega-conflicts, among regions and civilizations. There will be an examination of 'deep culture' and 'deep structure' the underlying dynamics which predispose societies, states, nations and regions to particular forms of response to conflict issues.

The human right to adequate food is considered in light of recent developments in economic and social rights to complement civil and political rights: historical foundations; the influence of the World Food Summit 1996; the application of the human right to adequate food in various contexts - specific countries, in relation to refugees, infants etc; analysing concrete situations to identify violations of the human right to adequate food; and formulating proposals for policy and legislation to realise the human right to adequate food in specific contexts.

This unit offers a comparative consideration of different concepts of democratisation and development including the criteria for compiling country development indices and typologies of democracy. Experiences of implanting and/or imposing democracy are examined in Japan, Iraq and other nations. The pan-Pacific model of development, and the pros and cons of using authoritarian means to achieve it, is also considered, with examples including Indonesia under Suharto and Singapore under Lee Kuan Yew. Relationships between development, conflict and poverty are examined - do elections lead to more democracy? More development? Or do they allow authoritarian winners to institutionalise power? What about the coup in Thailand?

An in depth critical exploration of the context, concept and development of the Global Compact, with an examination of the theoretical underpinnings of the notion of corporate social responsibility and the role business can play and should play in pursuit of peace and justice. Human rights principles, labour rights principles and environmental principles: where do they come from and how can they be applied in different situations? The role of business in zones of conflict and enabling economies of peace is considered in light of current case studies and experience.

Transitional justice is a rapidly emerging interdisciplinary field of study focussing on processes dealing with past human rights violations and the transition to a more peaceful and democratic state. This unit examines the evolution of transitional justice theory and practice, including truth commissions, trials and traditional practices, in such contexts as post-apartheid South Africa and post-genocide Cambodia and Rwanda. Issues discussed include the various types of justice, accountability, truth, reconciliation and reparations, and the challenges of balancing justice and peace.

This unit of study will focus on the theory and practical application of facilitation, communication and conflict resolution skills in a community mediation context. Students will learn about various models of community mediation and will become skilled in the stages of community mediation through role-plays and simulation exercises. Successful completion of this unit of study will equip students for possible accreditation as a community mediator in Australia, as well as providing students with transferable skills and knowledge about mediation.

This unit of study will focus on developing a set of value-based ethical principles for responding to the forms of violence that obstruct the achievement of a culture of sustainable peace, namely organized physical violence, structural and ecological violence. Case studies and literature in the area of social justice, nonviolence, ecological sustainability and participatory decision-making will be used for acquiring an understanding of the ethical challenges presented by these forms of violence and developing ethical principles for responding to them.

International aid efforts operating in a conflict-affected context sometimes feed conflict rather than alleviate it. This unit of study is designed as a practical, skills-based intensive unit on conflict-sensitive approaches, nowadays a core operating principle among international peacebuilding, development and humanitarian organisations. Incorporating the latest and best international practices, including the groundbreaking 'Do No Harm' methodology, this unit is taught in a collaborative seminar format and is suitable for professionals or advanced postgraduate students wishing to engage in field-based work.

Selected reading program supervised by an academic member of staff. Students write a research essay based on a question arising from the program of reading.

Research and writing toward a Treatise of 20-25000 words on an approved topic, under the supervision of an academic member of staff. Department permission required prior to enrolment.

Completion and submission of a Treatise of 20-25000 words on an approved topic, written under the supervision of an academic member of staff. Department permission required prior to enrolment.

Research and writing toward a Dissertation on an approved topic under the supervision of an academic member of staff.

Completion and submission of a Dissertation on an approved topic, written under the supervision of an academic member of staff.

As an emerging discipline, performance studies has drawn upon a wide range of theoretical positions and resources, from semiotics to New Historicism, cultural studies, feminism, psychoanalysis, discourse theory, deconstruction, phenomenology and hermeneutics. In this unit, we will read some key theoretical texts and look at how they have been applied to the analysis of performance.

This unit prepares students for the task of observing and analysing rehearsal practices (or training, creative development etc) in theatre and other genres of aesthetic performance. We will canvass some of the key theoretical and methodological issues of ethnographic research, not only through readings but also through practical tasks involving video recordings of rehearsal, prompt books and other materials held in the department's unique archive. This unit is a pre-requisite for those students undertaking PRFM5903 Rehearsal to Performance.

This unit is structured around a rehearsal process occurring in the mid-year break (July) and involving performing artists in residence at the Department's Rex Cramphorn Studio. Students attend rehearsals full time for two weeks, documenting the process and writing up their observations as ethnographic fieldnotes. Seminars during semester provide an opportunity for students to 'unpack' this experience and to develop strategies for turning fieldnotes into a more detailed, coherent and analytical casebook.

This unit offers 'hands-on' training in a range of theatre techniques (e.g. Boal's "Theatre of the Oppressed") tailored to the needs of teachers and community workers involved in peace-building, human rights campaigns, health promotion, youth work and other 'community cultural development' activities. Along with practical theatre facilitation skills, the unit provides a rigorous critique of the political/educational philosophies underpinning the practice and an overview of key debates regarding the funding and evaluation of arts-based community development projects.