18 June 2018
A group of 19 AUC students, under the guidance of Dr. Anne de Graaf and AUC alumna Chiara Tulp, are currently in Kosovo to participate in fieldwork for the course Peace Lab. Using methods of experiential learning, the students are set to visit various organisations and civil society institutions in order to learn more about how Albanians and Serbs are going through processes of reconciliation in creating the newborn state of Kosovo.
Peace Lab is an intensive course that takes place over four weeks in June. Part of the fieldwork which students must complete is a ten day visit to Kosovo. The course embraces teaching methods related to experiential learning where theory meets practice. 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 their differences in Kosovo?
The class will visit a mix of UN organisations, government organisations, a Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian community, 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 what it's like to live in a post-conflict society. For many students, the experience is both emotional and exciting, as it opens their eyes to the realities of peace making, peacekeeping and peace building. Peace Lab is a qualitative research methods fieldwork class that ensures that students are out in the field to interview, listen and understand.
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 is updated daily and you can read along by clicking the link below.