14 June 2017
A group of 20 AUC students, under the guidance of Anne de Graaf, are currently in Kosovo to participate in fieldwork for the course Peace Lab. Embracing methods of experiential learning, the students will be visiting various organisations and civil society institutions in learning how Albanians and Serbs are going through processes of reconciliation in creating the newborn state of Kosovo.
Peace Lab is a June intensive course that takes AUC students to Kosovo for ten days. The course embraces the teaching methods related to experiential learning. Experiential learning involves theory meeting practice, and in this class international relations and human rights theories come face to face with transitional justice on the ground. How do Albanians and Serbs reconcile in the new-born state of Kosovo?
The class will visit a mix of UN organisations, a Roma camp, NGOs battling corruption and organisations fighting for LGBT rights, and women’s rights. Students will stay with Albanian families in Pristina and hear first-hand about the struggles of living in a post-conflict society. It’s emotional and it’s exciting to expand our borders and learn about the ins and outs of peace making, peacekeeping and peace building. Peace Lab is a qualitative research methods fieldwork class that gets students out there, interviewing, listening and understanding.
While participating in the Peace Lab course, students will be documenting and reflecting on their activities, experiences and interactions via their blog "Crossing the Bridge". It will be updated daily and you can read along by clicking the link below.