Read the Attachment and Prompt (Kim Woods)

Please choose one of the following questions: 1) If you were hired as a consultant to a new peacebuilding initiative in Israel/Palestine, how could you apply Autessere’s insights to make concrete recommendations for the peacebuilding initiative? Additionally, what would you as a consultant have to learn about Palestinians and Israelis, and the history of the conflict, in order for you to make your recommendations? (You may also choose another current conflict, like Kashmir, Colombia, etc.) 2) Imagine that you have been made plenipotentiary (roughly: king/queen) of the world. Your first order of business is solving the world’s most dire problems, from extreme poverty to violent conflict. As plenipotentiary, you can ignore all existing laws and institutions – so how can you ensure that your problem-solving attempts succeed where current attempts have failed? What else might you have to change (like political and economic affairs) that current peacebuilders do not have the power to change? (This question allows you to delve into: what factors outside of current peacebuilders’ control may be adversely affecting their efforts, besides what Autessere mentions?) 3) International intervention comes not only in the form of peacebuilding initiatives, but also economic (development) and military interventions. How can Autessere’s insights be applied to economic or military interventions? Please use at least one real-world example (Afghanistan and Iraq would be two such examples encompassing both military and economic intervention). 4) Autessere’s insights may be applicable to many other contexts – how might they apply to domestic, within-country problems and attempts to solve them? Do differences in knowledge between those trying to help and those to be helped (like the difference between “thematic expertise” and “local knowledge”) also pose problems when the government or NGOs attempt to solve problems within the country?