Election violence occurs in many different forms and in varying contexts. Protesters in Minsk, Belarus, gathered to demonstrate in support of the removal of Lukashenko from the office of President after claims that his government conducted vote-rigging during the 2020 presidential election. (Photo: Pexels, Artem Podrez ).
Elections can create anxiety and tension in many transitioning democracies around the world. In some cases, elections even turn violent, presenting a big setback not only to peace but to democracy as well. For the past 20 years, USIP has tried to better understand why this happens and how election violence can be mitigated and prevented. While most organizations in the election space do great work in providing technical assistance, by supporting logistical preparations or by making sure that political parties campaign responsibly, USIP takes a different approach.
This new online course introduces how election violence is a threat to peace and democracy. The course provides participants with knowledge and skills to prevent violence more effectively across different electoral and conflict environments. The course identifies risks and opportunities for prevention through the various phases of the election cycle–before, during, and after election day–as well as the underutilized time between elections. The course also introduces different types of election violence prevention and reviews their utility.
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By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
Evaluate the scope of election violence as a challenge to peace and democracy
Identify structural risks and triggers of election violence before, during, and after election day
Explain the range and utility of various approaches to promote peaceful elections
Design holistic strategies including the full array of early prevention and crisis management tools aimed at preventing election-related violence
Analyze the effectiveness of international, national, and local interventions
While everyone's learning style is different, most participants complete this self-paced course in 9-12 hours.
Debra Liang-Fenton , Consultant and former Senior Program Officer, U.S. Institute of Peace
Jonas Claes , Policy Officer, European External Action Service
