| CODE | LAS1071 | ||||||
| TITLE | Mediation, Diplomacy and Democracy | ||||||
| UM LEVEL | I - Introductory Level | ||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Centre for the Liberal Arts and Sciences | ||||||
| DESCRIPTION | The concept of mediation which dates back to 209 BC. How can mediation, diplomacy and democracy help us engage in complex negotiations to present and resolve conflicts? The Unit will show students how mediation can lead to political engagement and peacebuilding. The main aim is to achieve democracy through effective diplomacy. It is clear that today mediation is increasingly being employed as a tool for resolving conflicts. The Unit will analyse how soft power can be a means to success in the world of politics and explore whether a good diplomat necessarily a good mediator. The effectiveness of soft and hard power in contemporary international relations when it comes to endurance and sustainability will also be explored. Cultural diplomacy continues to attract significant interest as a potential means for states to exercise ‘soft power’. However, policy-makers and academics who assert the efficacy of cultural diplomacy in terms of influencing foreign publics and states rarely consider how cultural products are actually received abroad. By applying these approaches to cultural diplomacy, policy-makers and researchers could shift their focus to an exploration of realities of the reception cultural products abroad, which would better inform their assumptions about how to achieve successful cultural diplomacy. This Unit will also touch on the OSCE – which remains a key instrument of conflict resolution in Europe. This Unit will analyse the role of norms in international peace mediation. ULTURAL diplomacy between nations, in its widest sense, encompasses any interaction between two or more parties in which aspects of culture as diverse as food, music, art, film, theatre or fashion are exchanged, resulting in greater mutual understanding and the formation of new relationships. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the Unit the student will be able to: - Describe the 3 concepts (mediation, diplomacy, democracy) and how together they can be effective when it comes to conflict resolution and peacebuilding. - Define and assess the relationship between the mediation, diplomacy and democracy. - Illustrate the interdependence and possible overlap between mediation, diplomacy and democracy. - Demonstrate the ability to think critically about the 3 concepts. 2. Skills: By the end of the Unit the student will be able to: - Explain the immense role of mediation in diplomacy. - Describe the complex realities of how soft power can be a powerful tool in the hands of politicians. - Explore news ways of solving conflict resolutions Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts - Clarke, David. ‘Theorizing the Role of Cultural Products in Cultural Diplomacy from a Cultural Perspective’, International Journal of Cultural Policy, XXII, 2 (2014), 147-163. - Cull, Nicholas J. Public Diplomacy – Lessons from the Past. Los Angeles, Figueroa Press, 2009. - Melin, Molly M. ‘When States Mediate’, Penn State Journal of Law and International Affairs, II, 1 (2013),78-90. Supplementary Texts - Zeller, Mathias and Hein Scheleekens. On Democracy. 2017. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Seminar | ||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Anthony Licari (Co-ord.) Sharon Scicluna |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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