Systemic Conflict Analysis

This training is part of the Full Time Course in Peace and Conflict Work. However, it can also be booked separately or as package with the training on Designing Peace Projects (with a 10% discount on the combined block of the two trainings).

Who can register for this training?

This training is intended for both practitioners and people who plan to work the fields of civil conflict transformation, peacebuilding, or conflict-sensitive development and want to gain a well-founded understanding of conflict analysis, it´s application and impact on the practical work.

Depending on methods and topic of the training, we limit the number of available spaces to a maximum of 16 participants. Register early to reserve your place! 

Content

There is more to a conflict than just one particular cause or single event. It is therefore of decisive importance for peacebuilding projects to take the whole system and all parties involved into consideration when conducting a conflict analysis. A nuanced and thorough analysis is essential to finding the right approach to a peace project and to anticipating the possible effects of an intervention. The training introduces a variety of different analysis methods and offers insight into their practical application in the field.

Objectives

• Get familiar with and be able to apply different conflict analysis tools, their objectives and uses and limitations
• Practice use of the tools through analysing conflicts from participant’s respective contexts / using real case studies
• Identify entry points for intervention which can be used as a springboard for designing peace projects
• Gain a deeper understanding for the essentially subjective nature of conflict analysis
• Gain a deeper understanding of power and privilege and how they relate to conflict analysis

Topics

• Introduction to conflict analysis and various tools, its uses and limitations
• Systemic thinking in Conflict Transformation
• Systemic conflict analysis
• Systemic Conflict Analysis application, limitations and potential challenges
• Entry points for intervention

Methodology

The training uses inputs, exercises, plenary discussions, and group work on case studies in order to let participants experience different conflict analysis tools. The emphasis of the training is on letting participants work on real-life examples in order to underline the actuality and usefulness in practice of the tools. The work on analyses of real-life examples is supplemented with reflections on issues such as power and privilege, objectivity versus subjectivity and the difference between linear and systemic approaches in conflict analysis.

After a successful participation, participants receive a certificate and become part of the academy’s alumni network.

Certification Requirements

The course certification requirements serve as a guideline for the participants to critically evaluate their own learning progress and as a point of reflection on the importance of their continued engagement with the group, participation in the course and commitment to the tasks.

The specific requirements are the following:

• Punctuality and regular attendance during the course. Participants are allowed up to 25% of absence, with permission from the Academy, to attend to urgent issues;
• Completion of 90% of the compulsory tasks and deliverables per module; and
• Respect and observance of the agreements about the learning process such as; active participation, treating each other with respect, readiness to work on one’s own skills, willingness to resolve conflicts in a constructive way, and openness to reflect on one’s roles and behaviours, emotions and thoughts.

Exceptions on individual basis and/or alternative tasks as compensation of missed requirements could be granted in agreement with the course team. Gaining new knowledge and perspectives and learning new skills are the core outcomes of the course. However, inability to meet most or all the requirements may lead to the participant not receiving a certificate at the end of the course.

Do you have questions about this training? Our team is happy to assist you. Please do not hesitate to contact me: claudia.osthues@propeace.de

Application

Please register for this training online via our website by 31 December 2026. We will then contact you for the next steps. Please note that the number of available spaces per training is limited, and that your participation in the training is only guaranteed if the training fee is paid in time. Early registration is highly encouraged. 

Please make sure to clearly express your motivation and expectations for the training. Also, please share your experiences relevant to the topic.

Visa: Participants from outside the EU will need a visa to enter Germany. We can generally support the visa process with a formal invitation letter from our side. Be advised that it takes a significant amount of time to get the visa processed, so be sure to start the process 8 weeks before the training start. Please make sure you are eligible and check the specific requirements and usual timeline for processing with your local German embassy. The responsibility for obtaining the visa lies with each of the participants themselves.