The Wars Within: Causes and Consequences of Modern Civil Conflict

Why does civil war break out? How does a state return to a ‘civil peace’? What role does the international community play, if any? In this seminar we will explore the cycle of civil war and civil peace through the lens of social science. We will consider the utility (or futility) of state-building efforts and debate the proper role of intervention by the international community following a frank assessment of the effects outsiders have had on civil wars. Prominent cases will include such conflicts as Somalia, Haiti, Kosovo, and the developing crisis in Syria.