Peace Studies Program

College of Social Sciences
School of Communication and Information
Matsunaga Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution
Saunders Hall 723
2424 Maile Way
Honolulu, HI 96822
Tel: (808) 956-6433
Email: uhip@hawaii.edu
Web: sci.manoa.hawaii.edu/programs/matsunaga-institute-for-peace/

Faculty

*C. Moore, PhD (Director; Chair, Graduate Certificate in Conflict Resolution)—public policy, American politics, Hawaiʻi politics, politics of bureaucracy
M. Fisher, PhD (Undergraduate Advisor)—political ecology; environmental governance; forest/agrarian change; climate adaptation; Indonesia
*P. Flowers, PhD—international norms, law, relations; Japan
*B. Hallett, PhD—peace studies
*D. Milz, PhD—conflict resolution, facilitation, environmental planning
*M. Soetoro, PhD—peace studies

Cooperating Faculty

*J. Barkai, JD—law
*M. Coffman, PhD—environmental economics, planning
*A. Hubbard, PhD—conflict and relational management
*C. Petersen, JD—international human rights, equality and nondiscrimination
*R. Robinson, PhD—management
*C. Stephenson, PhD—political science

Affiliate Graduate Faculty

*S. Chandler, PhD (Emeritus)—public policy/child welfare
L. Minerbi, PhD (Emeritus)—urban and regional planning
*D. Foley, PhD—deliberative dialogs, conflict resolution
*L. Sponsel, PhD (Emeritus)—anthropology

* Graduate Faculty

The Academic Program

The Matsunaga Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution is a multi-disciplinary community of scholars, students, and practitioners who through academic programs and outreach promote cross-cultural understanding and collaborative problem-solving. Residing within the School of Communication and Information, the institute emphasizes critical thinking and collaboration to groom future leaders to address contemporary and complex issues in Hawaiʻi, the Asia-Pacific region, and the world.

Peace Studies broadens students’ perspectives and strengthens critical thinking on issues of war and peace, justice and human rights, and governance. Conflict resolution processes such as facilitation, mediation, and negotiation are necessary in organizational, community, and civic relations, and build important interpersonal skills that are vital to good leadership. Students develop a theoretical foundation to advance scholarship in peace studies, including human rights and advocacy, leadership and governance, policy analysis, and communications, while they learn and hone practical conflict management skills to develop as professionals in their chosen field.

Students may enroll in Peace and Conflict Education (PACE) courses, either as an intellectual endeavor or to enhance personal and professional skills. Students who understand the causes of conflict and the methods for resolving conflicts will be better equipped for a wide range of careers in the fields of education, law, human resource management, industrial relations, government, foreign service, security, urban and regional planning, sociology, and social work, to name a few.

For students who wish to obtain an academic qualification in peace and conflict resolution, the institute offers three programs:

The Peace and Conflict Resolution major for undergraduates (a flexible inter-disciplinary program offered in cooperation with the Interdisciplinary Studies BA program);
The Certificate in Peace Studies (open to undergraduate students and equivalent to a “minor”); and
The Graduate Certificate in Conflict Resolution (open to graduate students seeking the certificate only or concurrently with another graduate-level degree program).

Inherently interdisciplinary and international in perspectives; the institute is committed to building on Hawaiʻi’s cultural heritage and island values of aloha, mutual aid and respect, and sense of community. The institute is dedicated to honoring the memory of U.S. Senator Spark M. Matsunaga and implementing his hope that; “every student enrolled in Hawaiʻi’s public university system will be exposed to peace studies.”

Programs

Undergraduate Certificate

Peace Studies, Certificate

Graduate Certificate

Conflict Resolution, Certificate