Seminar: Building peace via action research
This event has already taken place.
VU’s Centre for Cultural Diversity Wellbeing warmly invites you to the seminar 'Building peace via action research: African case studies'.
Postgraduate supervision and academic research usually ends after exploring a problem, typically with a list of recommendations for the relevant authorities to consider.
Authorities are extremely unlikely to read these academic recommendations, and even less likely to change policy as a result. However, we continue to assume or hope that these contributions to knowledge will eventually contribute to shifting policy and desired change.
Given the challenges facing many African countries, it is extremely important that new knowledge is translated into action. Action research is able to contribute to this translation and bring about change, albeit typically for very small numbers of people.
With the aid of four African case studies, this presentation explains action research. It makes the case for the use of action research as a vehicle for building peace and examines some of the challenges it faces.
The speaker
In the first 20 years of his academic life, Professor Geoff Harris worked as a development economist. In this time, he spent seven years at the University of Papua New Guinea during the 1970s.
His acquaintance with peace studies began around 1990, when he was asked to coordinate an undergraduate programme in the discipline at the University of New England. Later, at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, he coordinated the postgraduate programme in Conflict Resolution & Peace Studies.
After 12 years at the University of KwaZulu-Natalfrom he retired and was invited to establish the Peacebuilding Programme at Durban University of Technology. His current research interests are reintegration and demilitarisation (both widely defined) and the relationship between economic inequality and inter-personal violence.
Footscray University Town events & activities
This one of a range of Footscray Uni Town events & activities brought to you as part of the ongoing Footscray University Town partnership between VU and Maribyrnong City Council.
Join the VU at MetroWest mailing list to receive regular updates about upcoming events.
When?
This event has already taken place.
