Derek Sweetman

Graduate Lecturer

Peace and Conflict Resolution, Social Movements and Resistance, Systemic Violence, Systemic Transformation, Nonviolence

Derek Sweetman teaches at GMU and the University of Colorado-Boulder. At GMU, he primarily teaches for the School of Integrative Studies, the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, and the Global Politics Fellow program at the Schar School of Policy and Government. He is also the Dispute Resolution Director and Foundation Director at the Better Business Bureau of Metropolitan Washington, DC and Eastern Pennsylvania.

He teaches courses in conflict transformation, community conflict resolution, peace studies, critical conflict resolution, American foreign policy, human rights and social movements. Derek was a member of the Unrest Magazine editorial cell from 2010-2014 and published and edited OJPCR: The Online Journal of Peace and Conflict Resolution from 1998-2007. He served on the Board of Directors for the DC Chapter of the Association for Conflict Resolution from 2005-2010 and is currently an arbitrator for the DC Bar Association. He participated in the GMU Center for Teaching and Faculty Excellence Social Justice Education learning community in 2013-2014, served on the Curriculum/Pedagogy Committee for the GMU Anti-Racist and Inclusive Education Task Force in 2020-2021, and was a Stearns Center Campus Champion for antiracism in 2023-2024. He was awarded the GMU Adjunct Teaching Excellence Award in 2014.

Current Research

Current research examines the long-term failures of efforts to limit U.S. state violence by citizens and movement groups.

Selected Publications

Business, Conflict Resolution, and Peacebuilding: Contributions from the Private Sector to Address Violent Conflict. Routledge. 2009

Courses Taught

COMM 326: Rhetoric of Social Movements and Political Advocacy
CONF 101: Conflict in Your World
CONF 210: Theories of Conflict and Conflict Resolution
CONF 330: Community, Organizational, and Group Conflict Analysis and Resolution
CONF 331: Simulation in Community, Organizational, and Group Conflict Analysis and Resolution
CONF 340: Global Conflict Analysis and Resolution
CONF 341: Simulation in Global Conflict Analysis and Resolution
CONF 375: Special Programs Field Experience
CONF 398/695: Countering Violent Extremism Practicum
CONF 399: Special Topics - Peace Studies
CONF 399: Special Topics - Organizational Conflict and Conflict Resolution
CONF 600: Foundations of Conflict Analysis and Resolution
CONF 695: Critical Conflict Resolution
CONF 730: Structural Sources of Conflict
GLOA 400: Capstone
GOVT 445: Human Rights
INTS 101: Narratives of Identity
INTS 303: Introduction to International Studies
INTS/NCLC 304: Social Movements and Community Activism
INTS/NCLC 305: Conflict Resolution and Transformation
INTS 331: Principles of Fundraising
INTS 362: Human Rights and Social Justice
INTS/NCLC 422: An Experiential Approach to American Foreign Policy
NCLC 331: The Nonprofit Sector
NCLC 475: Peace Studies

Education

PhD, School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, George Mason University, 2019
M.S. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution, George Mason University, 2006
B.A. in Political Science, Colorado State University, 1998

In the Media

Viginia Public Media Focal Point: "Understanding the issue of abortion as a social movement," 5/5/2022.