Swansea University – Center for Intercultural Dialogue

Swansea U: Studentship – From Wales to the World (UK)

PhD Scholarship: From Wales to the World: A History of the Children’s Peace and Goodwill Message, 1922-1972, Department of History, Swanse University, Wales, UK. Deadline: 13 May 2024.

Swansea University, and the National Library of Wales are pleased to announce the availability of a fully funded Collaborative doctoral studentship from October 2024 under the AHRC’s Collaborative Doctoral Partnership Scheme.

Every year without fail since 1922, a message of Peace and Goodwill has been broadcast to the world in the name of the children of Wales. Emerging in response to the violence of the First World War and in support of international peace, the message elicited responses from young people around the globe. The Goodwill Message linked Wales and the world and was a key means through which peace activists sought to mobilize children in the cause of peace against the backdrop of international upheaval. Despite having no parallel in modern history, little has been written of the history of the Goodwill Message or the international responses to it.

This innovative project stands at the intersection of Welsh and international history. Based at Swansea University and the National Library of Wales and working in conjunction with the Welsh Centre for International Affairs, it will utilise the NLW’s rich collections to research the history of the first fifty years of the Goodwill Message, analysing how visions of peace were articulated in the face of international turmoil and questioning how young people appear in the historical record. There will be opportunities to take part in the programme of CDP Cohort Development events and other activities organized for CDP students by the AHRC, as well as training and development provided by Swansea University and the CDP Welsh Culture and Heritage Consortium.

Swansea U PHD Studentship: Digital Restorative Approaches in Wales (UK)

Empirical Studies in Law: ESRC Wales Doctoral Training Partnership – Collaborative Studentship: Digital Restorative Approaches in Wales, Swansea University, Wales, UK. Deadline: 3 Febuary 2023.

Today’s perpetual crisis (BLM, Brexit, Covid19, inflation…) brings injustices and the need for dialogue into focus. Restorative approaches (RA) enable individuals and communities to develop the skills to pre-empt and respond to conflict and harm, while acknowledging trauma (1,2). In Wales, RA are used to build resilience and repair relationships in schools, families and housing contexts. Within the criminal justice system, victims are entitled to Restorative Justice, a type of RA, as an alternative and/or alongside the traditional justice process. It plays a role in rehabilitation, reducing re-offending and is central to youth justice. However, RA necessitate reflection and dialogue which, in a digital society, presents challenges and opportunities. The aims of this research are to explore how digital restorative practices (DRA) are evolving and how co-production and trauma-informed approaches can shape DRA.

The use of digital technology in restorative contexts (referred to as DRA) expanded during the COVID19 pandemic e.g., to facilitate mediation, virtual circles, specialist support and training (3–5). Indeed, technology has the potential to improve the sustainability and accessibility of interventions, help evidence ‘what works’, improve awareness of services and address misconceptions of RA (6–8). Beyond the traditional intervention model, technology could empower restorative communities to self-direct. Nonetheless, there are significant challenges associated with the integration of digital tools, including concerns regarding their misuse, digital exclusion, confidentiality, data security and building trust (9). Additionally, restorative practices should create opportunities for participants to connect and collaboratively re-construct their shared lived experience. Whether and how this can be achieved in a world dominated by instant and digitally mediated interaction, including online harms, needs investigation.

Using a mixed-methods socio-legal approach, this proposal sets out to meet three objectives [1] explore stakeholder experiences of the use of digital technology for the delivery of RA in England and Wales, [2] explore how co-production and trauma-informed approaches can shape DRA, plus [3] identify best practice and propose a model to aid practitioners in determining whether and how technology should be used. A baseline survey of practitioners is suggested, followed by focus groups with practitioners and community participants, to explore how and whether digital technology is used and experienced, vis-à-vis restorative principles and participants rights. Community participants may include adults engaged in Restorative Justice programmes, as well as young people taking part in school-based restorative initiatives. These methods may be complemented by an evaluation of the impact of specific technology use-cases, through a case-study approach.

Swansea U Job Ad: International Development/Relations (UK)

Lecturer in International Development or International Relations, Swansea University, Swansea, Wales, UK. Deadline: 2 July 2018.

The department seeks to appoint a specialist in the ethical or theoretical aspects of international development or international relations and with a particular focus on international humanitarian action, and/or international climate change. Applicants, however, must be able to relate their ethical or theoretical interests to applied contexts and global policy challenges.