International Conflict
Model Outline
Paper No. 1 – from the Opposition Perspective (Irish Republican Army)

I.    Introduction: Our Historic Role in Northern Ireland
(Overview from the IRA’s perspective; include conflict origins, your origins, how you are perceived)

II.    Political Violence in Northern Ireland Today
(Identify how the conflict has changed; what’s going on today; perpetrators, victims and survivors of violence, including if/how your group uses violence (or threat thereof) and to what end)

III.    Our Vision for Northern Ireland
(Your objectives; timeline for change; roles the group can play)

IV.    Impediments to Progress
(Costs of the conflict; what it will take to end the violence; your negotiability)

V.    Conclusion

**Parenthetical information should not be part of your headings; this is one option for incorporating answers to the assignment questions.

International Conflict – Fall 2015
Paper no. 1

Overview
This is a paper (6 pages, double-spaced), written from the perspective of a media or communications officer working for the actor often perceived as “less powerful” or in opposition in the conflict.

This is an analytic research paper, written from an empathetic perspective.  For this paper, the idea is that you put yourself in the shoes of this actor and write about the conflict from their perspective, integrating answers to the questions below. So you need to develop an understanding about how your chosen actor views the conflict.  Note that this conflict orientation of this paper is key.

Due October 14 by 11 PM by email

Questions
Your paper, relying on range of integrated sources, should answer the following questions:

?    Who are you, and what is your role in your state/society/conflict?
o    How are you/your role viewed by the major players within the conflict?

?    From your perspective, how did the conflict start?
o    Include who started the conflict and why.

?    Has the nature of the conflict changed since it began?

?    What is the current status of your conflict?

?    What are the primary ways people have been violent and who have been the targets of the violence?

?    From your perspective, who have been the primary victims in your conflict?

?    Who and what is perpetuating the conflict and related violence?

?    From your perspective, what are the primary costs of the conflict?

?    What will it take to end the violence?

?    Who are you willing to negotiate with, why and under what circumstances?

Other Important Bits
?    You must use at least twelve (12) sources, including at least 2 books, 3 reports from advocacy organizations or think tanks, and 2 academic journal articles. You may not use tertiary sources for this paper (no encyclopedias, fact-books, or similar websites etc.).

?    You must integrate a range of sources throughout the paper.

?    As this is a research paper, all non-common facts (which is most of your paper) require an endnote or parenthetical reference.

?    All quotes require an endnote or parenthetical reference or, however, you want to minimize your use of quotations.  This is your paper.

?    Your endnotes should be formatted Chicago-style; OR parenthetical references MLA style.

?    You must have a works cited page (Chicago OR MLA style).

?    Your paper should be double-spaced, have 1” margins and use Times New Roman 11-point font.

?    Your paper should have your name, the date and your role, single-spaced in the upper left corner.  For example:

Kimberly Jones
September 15, 2015
Role: Communications officer, Irish Republican Army

?    You may share sources with the other members of your conflict group, however, this is an individual assignment in terms of reading, analysis, and writing.