Ethnic division fuelled by inadequate governance and uneven economic development has led some ethnic based groups to regard violence as a legitimate means to achieve political and social ends. The political disruption caused by ethnic militia related violence in Nigeria prevented the first 3 attempts at republican democracy. The purpose of this study was to analyze the role played by human rights abuse in Nigeria in the formation of the Oodua People's Congress (OPC) in 1994, and to also analyze the OPC turning to violence in 1999. The theoretical construct of the study is the constructivist philosophy, which purports that people develop meanings based on personal feelings, tastes, and opinions from their experiences. The conceptual framework of human rights theory is used to analyze whether human rights abuses and material deprivation created conditions that encouraged violence. The central research question addressed whether the militarization of politics in Nigeria so abused the citizens' political and personal rights that the human rights threshold was met, influencing the OPC to turn to violence as means to achieve political end. Interview data was collected from 15 founding members of the OPC to form themes and descriptions for the study. Results indicated that the incessant abuse of citizens' political and personal rights led to a violent reaction after the July, 1998 death of Chief MKO Abiola, who died in military detention. This research contributed to social change by documenting that human rights abuse in Nigeria created a condition that led violence by those abused. Further, research recommendations, if implemented, can facilitate social change through increased stability in governance, reduced human carnage from terror activities, and improved personal economy of Nigerians.

After the United Nations' mission in Liberia (UNMIL) ends on September 30, 2015, effective policing will be a security concern for Liberians. Liberians have expressed fear that conflict could return if ongoing police training programs do not sustain public safety. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to understand how UNMIL's training affected public confidence in the Liberia National Police (LNP). The theoretical bases for this study included public choice theory and liberal democratic theory. Quantitative data were used to address impact of UNMIL's police training on the maintenance of law and order. These data were collected through a researcher-developed survey which measured recruitment, training, effectiveness (insert comma here) and public confidence in the LNP. Participants were government officials, members of UNMIL, LNP, and civic organizations (n = 120). Data were analyzed using ANOVA. Qualitative semistructured interview data were also gathered from 18 additional participants to address the challenges for quality improvement in the police security forces. The results were inductively coded and organized across themes and patterns. Quantitative findings indicated a moderately significant correlation between police perceived knowledge and job effectiveness (r = -0.35). However, qualitative findings show the government of Liberia failed to provide adequate resource support to complement the training due to its weak commitment. Diversity of trainers from contrasting policing jurisdictions produced an outcome that lacked a country-specific context for Liberia. This study promotes positive social change by informing future police training interventions by the United Nations on a host county's policing needs.

As Tim O'Brien advises in The Things They Carried, "You can tell a true war story by the way it never seems to end" (76). If the war story never seems to end, then how does it manifest in future generations? In my case, as the first-born son of a Vietnam veteran, the war story has played out physically, within my body, in the form of an Agent Orange-related disability. How has my response to disability affected both the fine details and the overall texture of my life? My father also suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) for several years after his return, a timeframe that happens to coincide with the first and most impressionable years of my life. How has this affected my relationships to my disability and to the world at large? Lastly, what can a chronicle of Agent Orange in Vietnam tell me about my own story?

Individuals with communication impairments (CI) are at a distinct disadvantage when attempting to interact through more traditional conversational means. Although their intentions may be similar to peers, physical limitations make verbal articulation of thoughts and feelings a more laborious undertaking. For some, the use of external augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) has offered an otherwise unavailable communicative opportunity. However, this type of communication requires more of the non-AAC using conversation partner and, unlike traditional forms of communication, may increase the likelihood of miscommunication. Although there is agreement as to the importance of understanding the experience of individuals using external AAC, there is limited research in the area of miscommunication, conflict, and conflict resolution. This phenomenological study explored the experiences of six individuals who use external AAC devices. The purpose of this study was to address the following research questions:1) What are the conflict behaviors, beliefs, values, or thoughts of individuals using external AAC devices? 2) Does miscommunication between AAC and non-AAC users contribute to conflict? 3) Do identity standards and empowerment needs contribute to the development of conflict? and 4) For those using external AAC devices, what is the impact of, and what do successful resolutions mean? This study finds similarities in the interpersonal conflict experience of external AAC users and non-users. However there were differences in their experience with larger societal-level conflict. Understanding these areas of similarity and difference is beneficial to anyone who endeavors to support the interpersonal and societal level conflict resolution of this unique population.

The purpose of this study was to examine and explore the meanings, and essence of the lived experience of Nigerian women whose male siblings had been prioritized in the family. The goal of the was to use the detailed description given by the research participants to understand the impact of male sibling prioritization, and thereby advance gender equality in Nigeria. The fundamental importance of obtaining a better understanding of the impact of male sibling prioritization on women and gender equality influenced the researcher to commit herself to this study. A qualitative phenomenological research method was employed to conduct this study. Sources of data for this research study were observations, semi-structured one-on-one interviews, and transcripts from the research participants. The twelve research participants for the study were Nigerian women, homogenous by the criteria that they were all born and raised to adulthood in Nigeria. In addition, the research participants lived in South Florida, could read and write English and had one or more male siblings. Initial analysis of the data led to the unfolding of themes connected to male sibling prioritization and gender equality. Twenty symbolic themes surfaced from the research. These themes helped to show how Nigerian women were affected by male sibling prioritization, and how understanding these disadvantages could be used to promote gender equality. It is anticipated that the results from this research study will inform scholars, researchers, therapists, government officials, families, and conflict practitioners on ways to provide social, economic, educational, and political conditions favorable to Nigerian women seeking gender equality, and empowerment.

Even though women who have been abandoned by their fathers at a young age are more likely to exhibit destructive behaviors as adults, there are cases in which women develop new social skills and become successful at building new relationships (Stolberg, Complair & Wells, 1987). The main purpose for this phenomenological research wasto understand the shared experiences of Hispanic women who were abandoned by their fathers at a young age and explore their conflict management skills. This research wasguided by the following research question: What are the lived experiences of Hispanic women who were abandoned by their fathers before the age of seven? Through conducting and analyzing phenomenological interviews with 25 participants and using the lenses of attachment theory, social construct and phenomenology, this research will contribute to scholarshipin different arenas. Findings of this research used the participant’s shared recommendations and suggestions as a means for discussion to help women who were abandoned as children prevent and cope with conflict effectively. Finally,this research will help social scientists understand whether being abandoned by a father at a young age has any effects in a Hispanic woman’s conflict resolution skills.

This thesis attempts to record the progress of peace promoting projects by telling the story of the beginning, development, and operation of the Peace Movement, with special emphasis on the post war undertakings. It is written primarily for the junior high school student, with the hope that the information will provide a suitable basis for him to make his own deduction as to whether or not wars are necessary in settling international disputes. The method adopted is that of simple historical narration, beginning with ancient times and bringing it down to the present day. This broad approach is necessary so that the student may grasp the sweep and spirit of the movement.

This thesis is confronting literature on art and peace and on peace education with reflections of young performing artists. The artists have been interviewed on their experiences in theatre, music and dancing. From comparing the interview outcomes with the literature this thesis is trying to add an artist’s perspective to existing knowledge of cooperation of art and peace. The research concludes that within the examined performing artists’ reflections, there are similarities and differences to the literature detectable, which might indicate possibilities and concerns for the cooperation of art and peace and the use of performing arts in peace education. It also indicates that there is a lot more room for further research.

Higher education is arguably critical for healing and stabilization in postconflict contexts, by developing leaders who value peace and have the skill sets to achieve it in various sectors. A rapidly growing body of literature concludes that peace education in particular has great potential to transform postconflict communities, both in higher education and at other levels of schooling. Yet there exists little rigorous analysis of the decisions faced by educational leaders responsible for implementing such programs, particularly those in postconflict settings where the needs are uniquely challenging. This qualitative investigation documented the M.A. in Peace Studies and Conflict Transformation program, managed by the Centre for Conflict Management (CCM) within the University of Rwanda’s College of Arts and Social Sciences (CASS), one of the first of its kind in the region. The goal of this study was to use interviews and field notes collected during a six-week fieldwork period to highlight lessons from the experiences and perspectives of colleagues who have typically been on the outskirts of the conversation about how formalized peace education can contribute to leadership development and national stability. Participants included faculty members, administrators, and alumnae, as well as leaders affiliated with the Rwandan Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) and various civil society organizations. The study led to twelve key findings aligned with the three research questions, each of which is similarly aligned with a corresponding discourse theme and three clusters of interview questions, as well as three related overarching researcher recommendations for policy and practice, grounded in participant perspectives. Abstract (French) On peut soutenir que l’enseignement supérieur est essentiel pour la guérison et la stabilisation dans les contextes d’après-conflit, en formant des leaders qui attachent de la valeur à la paix et possèdent les compétences nécessaires pour l’atteindre dans divers secteurs. Un corpus de littérature en croissance rapide conclut que l’éducation à la paix, en particulier, a un grand potentiel pour transformer les communautés après un conflit, à la fois dans l’enseignement supérieur et à d’autres niveaux de scolarité. Cependant, il existe peu d'analyses rigoureuses des décisions des responsables de l'éducation chargés de la mise en œuvre de tels programmes, en particulier dans les situations d'après-conflit où les besoins sont particulièrement difficiles. Cette enquête qualitative documentait le programme de maîtrise en études sur la paix et la transformation des conflits, géré par le Centre de gestion des conflits (CCM) du Collège des arts et des sciences sociales de l’Université du Rwanda (CASS), un des premiers du genre dans la région. L’objectif de cette étude était d’utiliser les interviews et les notes de terrain recueillies au cours d’une période de travail sur le terrain de six semaines pour mettre en évidence les leçons tirées des expériences et des points de vue de collègues qui se trouvaient généralement à la périphérie de la discussion sur la manière dont une éducation à la paix formalisée pouvait contribuer au développement du leadership. et la stabilité nationale. Parmi les participants figuraient des membres du corps professoral, des administrateurs et des anciennes élèves, ainsi que des dirigeants affiliés au Ministère rwandais de l'éducation (MINEDUC) et à diverses organisations de la société civile. L'étude a abouti à douze résultats clés alignés sur les trois questions de recherche, chacune correspondant également à un thème de discours correspondant et à trois groupes de questions d'entretien, ainsi qu'à trois recommandations de recherche globales relatives à la politique et à la pratique, basées sur les perspectives des participants.

The purpose of this thesis is to focus on the impact of the influx of refugees on the European Union taking into consideration the challenges, threats and opportunities that arise from this persistent crisis. The examination of the above-mentioned issue presents and analyzed pertinent findings derived from the relevant literature in the field, ranging from diverse case studies, public statistics, data of European Union institutions as well as NGO's, associations and other entities that have addressed issues of human rights and refugee integration in European Union countries. The thesis discloses how this complex matter, referred to as the "current European refugee crisis" gives rise to complex problems and divergent concerns ranging from Islamophobia, terrorist attacks and threats, economic challenges, cultural conflicts, and social clashes. It concludes that there is a need for new perspectives and strategies for better addressing the long and short term causes and challenges of the European refugee crisis.