DV3162 Complex emergencies and humanitarian responses
Syllabus
Defining emergencies: common perceptions of emergency and development; rethinking war, famine, natural disaster and displacement.
Politics of information: influencing an emergency through information; flows of information within the 'humanitarian system'; war reporting; information stereotypes.
Behind the violence: the rationality of violence; the psychology of perpetrators and victims; women and violence; analysing 'ethnic violence'.
Keeping the war going: war economies; the international arms trade; the aid business; impact of aid and humanitarian assistance; the dilemma of humanitarian intervention; peace keeping; who are the international actors and what is their role?
Making peace: management of peace processes; implementation challenges; displacement and repatriation of refugees and internally displaced persons; principles of refugee protection; disarmament; demobilization and reintegration of combatants; healing.
From emergency to development: the challenges of reconstruction and re-programming of aid flows from an emergency to a development approach; best practice guidelines.
The themes in this course are illustrated by the use of case studies. These demonstrate the specifics of complex emergencies and humanitarian responses in particular places, and make connections between debates and new institutional arrangements and how these work in practice.
