The cycle will give an overview of the theory of violence, peace and conflict transformation. It will explore the definitions of conflict, violence and peace, and it will explain the dynamics of escalation of conflicts and explore visible and invisible effects of violence. Discussions will address styles of conflict handling and introduce approaches to different conflict transformation.

During the cycle, participants will get acquainted with a nine step process to conflict transformation, which has been developed over the last decade by the trainers. The process, structured by three phases and nine dimensions and movements, aims to inspire analytical empathy with a conflict party and invoke creativity in order to develop possible solutions that would take into consideration the symmetric fulfillment of the basic human needs of all parties involved.

Module One

Thursday April 19 9.00 – 16.15/ Friday April 20 9.00 – 16.15 – Campus in Camps Al Feneiq Center, Deheishe Refugee Camp
Workshop: Basic Conflict and Violence Theory

Module Two

Monday July 16 9.00 – 15.00/Tuesday July 17 9.00 – 15.00/Wednesday July 18 9.00 – 15.00 -Campus in Camps Al Feneiq Center, Deheishe Refugee Camp
Workshop: Advanced Conflict, Violence, Peace and Civilization Theory

Biographical note

Gudrun Kramer

Kramer is Program Manager for the GIZ and heads the “Regional Social and Cultural Fund for Palestinian Refugees and Gaza Population”. The program aims to support Palestinian refugees develop new life prospects. From 2005-2010, she was the Director of the Institute for Integrative Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding – IICP (Vienna). In this function, she was engaged in international peace processes as mediator and facilitator on behalf of the Austrian Ministry for Foreign Affairs. She also designed and implemented dialogue projects in the South Caucasus, Central and South Asia, Middle East and Africa. Another focus was the reconstruction of three villages after the Tsunami in Sri Lanka’s war-torn areas. Ms. Kramer is an expert on conflict transformation approaches and has been engaged in this field for more than 15 years. She has lectured at many universities across Europe, developed training curricula, published various articles in her field of expertise and has been speaker at numerous international conferences.

Dr. Wilfried Graf

Graf is the co-founder and director of the Herbert C. Kelman Institute for Interactive Conflict Transformation (“Kelman Institute”) in Austria and a Senior Researcher at the Centre for Peace Research and Peace Education at the Alpen-Adria-University of Klagenfurt – a partner of the currently emerging Conflict Peace Democracy Cluster (CPDC). He works as a researcher, advisor and trainer in conflict areas and post-conflict societies (such as Sri Lanka, Central Asia and currently foremost in Israel/Palestine). Currently, Dr. Wilfried Graf is living in Vienna and Jerusalem.

Thomas Ernstbrunner

Ernstbrunner studied Sociology and Peace and Conflict Studies. He is an Associate with the Herbert C. Kelman Institute for Interactive Conflict Transformataion (“Kelman Institute”) and has assisted it in several initiatives in Sri Lanka and Austria (Carinthia). Currently, Mr. Ernstbrunner is working with the ZFD in Bethlehem, Palestinian Territories. He is development advisor for UNRWA CIP and assigned to the Campus in Camps team.

Reading Materials

The Challenge of the 21st Century [ENG]

We were seated in a small room, about fourteen of us. Some were under the bunks that lined three walls, some on the top beds with their feet dangling…