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Special Report |
LAST UPDATE December 12, 2007
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| November 7, 2007 |
Putting Theory into Practice: Tuebingen University Students Join Peace Boat to Experience Reality of Peace and Conflict Issues |
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Tuebingen International Students performed a series of skits to illustrate how contemporary Germany is coming to terms with its past |
A group of 19 graduate students and two scholars from the University of Tuebingen in Germany joined Peace Boat from Aqaba, Jordan to Barcelona, Spain as part of their coursework for a Masters in Peace Research and International Politics. Although many of the students hail from a range of countries outside of Germany (including France, Greece, Taiwan, Nicaragua and the United States), they are united by their vision of peace. While onboard, they attended lectures and workshops as well as teaching about various aspects of peace and conflict issues. Topics they covered included dealing with Germany’s past, freedom of speech and the media, religion and politics and the potential and limits of the European Union. They also participated in tailored programs in the ports visited during their journey. |
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| The students actively engaged with guest educators to discuss a range of topics relevant to peace and conflict studies |
For most of the Tuebingen International Students (IS), it was their first time onboard the Peace Boat. One of their coordinators, however, was an IS on the 49th Voyage. Alex De Juan, 27, is a PhD candidate in the young discipline of Peace Research and International Politics. He believed that the time spent onboard Peace Boat was valuable because it gave the students access to situations that would be impossible to arrange on their own. ‘Staying in a refugee camp in Jordan was a really special experience. There’s nothing that is even comparable to this experience. Peace Boat gave us an opportunity to experience the reality of what we are studying,’ he said. Mr De Juan also found the experience of talking to guest educators important. ‘For me, it was a really significant experience to talk to the guest educators because they are working on the conflict. I’m coming from an academic background, so it’s really interesting to get a different perspective.’ |
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| Star spangled shirts: two students act as politicians from the European Union and discuss its limits and potential |
Upon graduation, most of the students hope to pursue a career in the development field. However, there is a gap between the theoretical and academic knowledge they glean in their studies and practical hands-on experience gained outside of an academic environment. Although they do have seminars on such issues as conflict management, Peace Boat has provided a window for the students to merge both theory and practice together. ‘A lot of what we learn is about how different elements of society are linked in conflict, but you need both theory and practice – either is not enough,’ Mr De Juan stated. |
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| A slide from one of their presentations highlighting how Germany is reconciling its violent past with its prosperous future |
Of particular interest to the participants on Peace Boat was how Germany is dealing with its past. In this respect, both Germany and Japan have faced the same problem of how to reconcile with their violent past, and also how to deal with the ongoing issue of war compensation from World War II. The current contentious issue of having a national military was also discussed. Many Germans feel uncomfortable with the fact that there are German troops in Lebanon and Israel on peacekeeping missions, because survivors of the Holocaust are faced with Germans carrying guns. Through a series of skits, the Tuebingen IS represented popular but contrasting viewpoints in contemporary Germany: some think that history is history and the country should move on, while others believe they should learn from history and leave Israel and the rest of the Middle East alone. They concluded by stating that ‘the past not only had, but continues to have, an important impact on the conduct of German foreign policy.’ |
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The Tuebingen IS took time out of their busy study program to experience unique aspects of Japanese culture, such as the tea ceremony, which differs greatly from German culture |
The Tuebingen IS also cited examples of where peaceful protests have led to positive outcomes. Recently in the town of Tuebingen where their university is situated, for instance, neo-Nazis gathered at the central train station to riot. However, they were met with protests from civil society who blocked the entrance so they couldn’t leave, thereby thwarting their attempts to cause mayhem in the sleepy town. |
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Learning to write calligraphy is harder than it looks, especially with a language barrier, but the Tuebingen IS still gave it a shot |
In addition to their onboard study program, the Tuebingen IS had an opportunity to experience Japanese culture and participate in such activities as tea ceremonies and calligraphy writing. ‘We had a lot of interesting experiences, because German and Japanese are totally different cultures,’ said Mr De Juan. ‘Although there’s a language barrier, you see that they really want to talk to you. The participants were especially interested in talking to us about the topic of our violent past. After one lecture, about 40 participants came and asked us questions. Because CCs [Communication Coordinators, or volunteer interpreters] were with us, we could really talk to them. The discussion was great.’ No doubt the interaction was beneficial for the both participants and students who will all take their new knowledge and experiences home with them.
For more information: http://www.uni-tuebingen.de/pol/master/fip |
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