Topic: Nonviolent Resistance as a Strategy Against Occupation: A Comparative Analysis of Palestine and Western Sahara
Background
In this exercise, we will retrospectively examine the efforts of nonviolent struggles and campaigns. Comprehending historical waves of nonviolence is crucial for informed action in the present and future.
Objective
The objective of this assignment is to examine one specific dimension of nonviolent action in depth. Below, we propose several ongoing and emerging debates in nonviolence studies. You may also propose a topic not included in the list. In all cases, you are expected to engage critically with the topic, collect and interpret relevant data, and develop original findings and conclusions.
To explore your chosen topic, you should apply the theoretical lenses discussed in class. You may also draw on additional theoretical approaches where useful. You are encouraged to use one or two case studies to apply the concepts and reflect on their implications.
List of thematic topics:
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Area 1: NCR and its relation with community resilience and social cohesion. (keywords: identity, solidarity, economic recovery, human capital recovery, reconstruction, etc)
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Area 2: Nonviolence and its contribution to democratization and social emancipation (keywords: local governance, new social leadership, social infrastructure, swaraj, self government, etc)
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Area 3: Nonviolence and its intersections with peacebuilding, conflict transformation, transitional justice and human rights’ protection. (keywords: justice, war crimes, women’s’ rights, etc)
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Area 4: Nonviolence and its relation with ideology, narratives, information war and the public opinion battle (keywords: misinformation, mass media, social networks.
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Area 5: Nonviolence as a strategy to confront imperialism, colonization and occupation (keywords: authoritarism, segregation, apartheid, genocide, etc)
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Area 6: NCR and its relations military strategies/architectures (keyworks: human security, PoC, civilian defence systems, CHM, Hybrid warfare, deterrence strategy, etc)
Format
Your essay should not exceed 2,500 words, and should be formatted in a 12-point font with 1.5 line spacing. Word limit includes footnotes, while bibliography is excluded.
The emphasis of this essay should be on the quality of your reflection rather than the quantity of words.
Please note that the bibliography is not included in the word count, whereas footnotes are. Ensure that all citations adhere to the Chicago Manual of Style. (No “in-text citation")
Rubrics
Content: (1) formulates and answers the specific questions; (2) argues in clear, comprehensive, and persuasive way about the relevance of the question and the results; (3) produces credible results and/or novel ideas.
Organization: (1) arranges ideas in a coherent and organized way; (2) structures text and ideas well.
Language: (1) accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation; (2) engaging writing style through word choice and usage.
Correctness: (1) coherent and correct referencing; (2) coherent and logical formatting.