Università Roma Tre

The twentieth century was the most violent century in history. The century of the genocides, that of the world wars, of the nuclear weapon, of the ideological clash. Faced with so many conflicts, men, societies, cultures, religions have produced answers and actions to restore peace and coexistence and to promote development: paths of reconciliation - sometimes inadequate, sometimes courageous -, institutions, social and legal innovations. After analyzing the factors underlying collective violence - nationalism, authoritarianism, racism, propaganda, economic inequality - The course will reconstruct some of the pacification paths by placing them in the geopolitical and cultural scenarios in which they were produced, from post-World War II Europe to the non-European world of decolonisation.
Particular attention will be devoted to the analysis of African conflicts and initiatives to end, pacify and reconcile. The issue is addressed from an historical, geopolitical and social point of view. The recent phenomena of religious terrorism and the commitment of various subjects to their stigmatization and isolation will then be examined.
The course will be structured around the analysis of three types of topics:
- Historical moments and events of particular importance in the evolution of the dynamics of conflict and pacification in the twentieth century;
- Personalities and movements who, during the twentieth century, gave a meaningful contribution contributed to the construction of a peace-building culture and the elaboration of strategies for peace;
- Key processes that contributed to defining the main conflict dynamics in the twentieth century and the ways in which they were addressed.

Attending students (those who have attended at least 25 hours out of 36) will have to study one of the following two books:
Arianna Arisi Rota, "Pace", Il Mulino, 2024
Andrea Riccardi - Edith Bruck, "Oltre il male", Laterza, 2024

Beyond that, attending students will prepare for the exam by studying the following topics, starting from the lecture notes:
Johan Galtung and the origins of Peace Studies
What is conflict resolution?
Conflict and peace in Africa (with case studies covered in class)
Religions and conflicts
Interreligious dialogue and peace
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict
War and peace on the web
The birth of the UN
International non-governmental organisations and peace
Men of peace in the 20th century: Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Albert Schweitzer
The international refugee protection system
The nuclear threat and disarmament


Non-attending students, in addition to the introductory text by Arianna Arisi Rota mentioned above, must prepare for the exam by studying the following text:

Alessandro Colombo, Il suicidio della pace. Perché l’ordine internazionale liberale ha fallito (1989-2024), Raffaello Cortina Editore, 2025