Thabo Mohlala
The University of the North West is offering courses in conflict resolution and the preservation of indigenous knowledge systems
Conflicts and wars occur with such regularity in Africa that the continent urgently needs innovative methods and mechanisms to improve its chances of stemming a rampant culture of self-annihilation. Angolans have been tearing one another apart for decades now. Rwandans hacked at one another in a conflict that shocked the world. Then another ferocious war erupted in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Zimbabwe is currently embroiled in its own turmoil. Virtually every part of the continent has had its share. Enormous human, economic and material ruin has been the result.
Three new programmes launched last year at the University of the North West address these realities. Under the leadership of Professor Hassan Kaya of the faculty of human and social sciences, they focus on vexing questions of political conflicts, land redistribution and integration of local wisdom and knowledge into mainstream consciousness in resolving regional problems and challenges.
The programmes are Peace Studies and International Relations; Land Reform and Rural Development; and Indigenous Knowledge Systems. In the first, students learn about conflict mediation and resolutions, the politics of the global environment, global diplomacy, international law human rights, and women’s rights movements for peace and social change.
The land-reform programme focuses on rural health and sanitation, comparative rural cooperative movements, gender, justice and the environment, and HIV/Aids and rural communities. Indigenous Knowledge Systems features courses such as protection of cultural and natural heritage, indigenous food security strategies, indigenous land and water management systems and the rights of indigenous peoples.
The programmes marry “academic expertise and practical skills development”, says Anne Mayher of the university’s department of peace studies and international relations. “The programmes utilise visiting lecturers from various countries with expertise in these areas and therefore students will gain exposure to a variety of perspectives and experiences,” she says.
A wide range of job opportunities open up to graduates of these programmes. For instance, students who have done Peace Studies and International Relations can work for NGOs such as Amnesty International, Women in Law and Development in Africa, or one of many centres for peace and conflict resolution. They could also work as facilitators of conflict resolution and mediation in youth programmes, anti-racism initiatives or on a national level. Department of Foreign Affairs positions are also a possibility.
Graduates from the Land Reform and Rural Development programme could land a job in the Department of Land Affairs or the Department of Public Administration, in development or land reform NGOs, or as development project officers (in housing, electrification, water, community empowerment and Reconstruction and Development Programme projects, for example).
And for graduates in Indigenous Knowledge and Systems, job opportunities lie in community and rural development, policy analysis and development, research institutes, education policy development and advocacy for indigenous rights.
“There are conflicts throughout the world, with many in Africa. We as Africans should study peace and conflict resolution so that we can become the experts of tomorrow,” says Malebogo Mmoho, a student from Botswana.
Students are accepted at BA, honours and master’s levels.