F1IS 5300 - Humanitarian Diplomacy and Negotiation

Humanitarian actors negotiate daily to protect the lives affected by nature- or human-made disasters. They seek to get access to the most vulnerable, assess, and provide for, their needs. In that respect, they engage the relevant stakeholders at all levels; they strive to persuade them to trigger humanitarian impulse and take action in line with the humanitarian principles. They stay engaged to alleviate suffering as long as necessary. This humanitarian negotiation and diplomacy class has a double objective: (1) introduce students to negotiation concepts and skills and (2) analyze 150 years of humanitarian negotiation. It explores real-life cases involving humanitarian negotiations and provides an inquiry-based framework to support responsible field practice.

Additional requested information: students will learn to engage negotiation theories to take humanitarian practices and its specific aspects seriously, and to provide practitioners with relevant responsible negotiation theories and tools for the field.

Course objectives

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

Foster a multi-layer responsibility as negotiator to engage people, to problem-solve constructively, and to facilitate an empowering process

Identify the challenges and dilemmas of humanitarian negotiators

Assess their relational and transactional skills as a potential humanitarian actor

Effectively engage with all people using guiding principles/methods that:

Put people first (humanity, the needs of the most vulnerable, impartiality, proximity, identity, benevolence, cultural components, etc.)

Network and advocate at all levels, aim for sustainable working relationships and overcome roadblocks and difficult behaviors

Structure instructions, organizations, internal and external coordination, and coalitions

Ensure dynamic mapping of stakeholders (including aid recipients, local communities, principals, headquarters, implementers, other humanitarian agencies, host governments, the elders, bystanders, the non-state armed groups, commanders and soldiery, perpetrators, sympathizers, the press, etc.)

Constructively solve problems through negotiations to:

Leverage humanitarian values, principles, and norm compliance (humanity, impartiality, neutrality, etc.) beyond political/economic/religious/procedural obstacles in the search for adequate solutions (legitimate, legal, doable)

Seek broadly acceptable solutions and agreements, which best respond to operate safely in specific contexts, i.e., maximizes assistance and protection, while minimizing risks and delays for all

Achieve positive humanitarian impact of solutions on beneficiaries and keep the general environment safe, protective, caring, sustainable.

Successfully facilitate negotiations through processes that:

Carry on a structured process to have access to, and to protect and assist those most in need in a timely fashion

Empower beneficiaries at all stages, from assessing needs to implementing operations, reviewing them, and handing them over, when appropriate

Build ownership of the solutions with all

Structure a mandate which aligns local needs with the organizational mission and the headquarters instructions

Implement local agreements in practice and overcome possible roadblocks at all levels (strategic, operational and field)

Ensure broad accountability for any decision (i.e., not only with principals, but beyond the traditional two-level power structure) and build feedback loops

Learning Outcomes:

Understand the key negotiation pillars for negotiation strategy and preparation.

Increased awareness about negotiation complexity and responsibility in humanitarian contexts.

Improve the quality of solutions and relationships.

Develop active communication skills for perceiving and persuading in negotiations.

Assess personal approaches to negotiation et set objectives for improvement.

Professional Skills:

A practical framework for negotiation preparation.

Facilitative skills to overcome internal and external tensions.

Interpersonal communication skills for active comprehending and convincing

None

Reading and Preparation for Class: up to 8 hours a week / 48 hours a semester

Research and Preparation for Group Work: up to 5 hours a week / 30 hours a semester

Research and Writing for Individual Assessments: up to 8 hours a week / 47 hours a semester

Participants in the class will also be exposed to case studies, exercises and video excerpts that they will be asked to review and analyze. Additional requested information: 3 to 4 hours.

In order to validate the course, students need to complete 1 group assignment and 2 individual assignments. Please see the table on the next page for more information.

10% Class Participation: Sessions 1-6

Attendance, punctuality, interactions, feedback

Preparation of the simulations, and participation in the role-plays

15% Assignment 1 – Group Work Due: Session 2

The purpose of this group assignment is to analyze the ICRC delegate, Marcel Junod, as a pioneering humanitarian negotiator.

Each group should engage in the following tasks:

Read individually the designated chapter from Warrior without Weapons.

Group #1: Abyssinia (1935), 13-50

Group #2: Spain (1936), 87-110

Group #3: Spain (1936), 111-134

Group #4: Germany-Poland (1939), 137-155.

Group #5: Germany-France (1940), 156-174.

Group #6: Germany-England-Greece (1940), 175-206.

Group #7: Germany-England-Russia (1941-44), 207-232.

Group #8: Japan (1945), 235-271

Discuss and analyze the chapter with your group members.

Leverage the 8P negotiation framework to structure your analysis:

Purpose of humanitarian negotiation

Problems to address

Place of intervention and negotiation (context, country, region, etc.)

Planning of intervention (dates, sequence, length, meetings, etc.)

People who were concerned (authorities, arm bearers, beneficiaries, etc.)

Process Moves and Methods

Principles of humanitarian negotiation at stake

Product of the negotiation (deliverable)

Summarize your analysis and findings in one or two slides, using the PowerPoint provided template.

Have your group representative send the PowerPoint presentation with your findings the DAY BEFORE SESSION 2, at 11am, copying all your group members.

30% Assignment 2 – Individual Work Due: Session 3 & 6

The purpose of this individual assignment is for you to analyze a national diplomat who turned humanitarian during World War 2.

Each student should individually engage in the following tasks:

Choose one WWII humanitarian diplomat in the list that is provided in Appendix A, or validate any other humanitarian negotiator with the instructor. On the provided Google document, indicate the name of the selected diplomat. Please do not choose Wallenberg or Junod for this assignment.

Due: Session 3

Make research about the humanitarian negotiator you chose.

Prepare 5 PowerPoint slides using the provided template. After the title slide, introduce briefly the negotiator (1 slide), present and analyze his or her negotiations (1 slide), possibly use a movie clip or any other digital content you have identified (1 slide), the lessons learnt for humanitarian negotiation (1 slide) and the book, or any further reading or web source, as to allow to explore further the topic in question (1 slide).

Submit your PowerPoint presentation that summarizes your individual findings the DAY BEFORE SESSION 6, at 11am.

Due: Session 6

30% Assignment 3 & 4 – Group Work Due: Session 3 & 5

The purpose of this individual assignment is for you to prepare the two simulations (Chinroni and MSF) before sessions 3 and 5.

Each student should individually engage in the following tasks:

Read the instructions for your role

Read (or reread) the chapter on preparation of The First Move. A Negotiator’s Companion

Fill in the Prep Sheet template, using the 3–slide PPT Prep Sheet

Send your PowerPoint presentation that summarizes your findings at 11am, the day before session 3 or 4.

Bring your Prep Sheet to class

15% Assignment 5 – Group Work Due: Session 4

The purpose of this group assignment is to analyze MSF humanitarian negotiations.

Prepare individually the designated chapter from Humanitarian Negotiations Revealed. The MSF Experience.

Group #1: Yemen, 41-48.

Group #2: Sri-Lanka, 15-34

Group #3: Somalia, 77-94

Group #4: Myanmar, 109-128

Group #5: Afghanistan, 39-68

Group #6: Gaza Strip, 95-108

Group #7: Nigeria, 129-146

Group #8: Pakistan, 69-76

Discuss the chapter before class with your group members.

Leverage the 8P negotiation framework to structure your analysis, in full or in part if you find it helpful.

Summarize your analysis in one or two slides, using the PPT template.

Have your group representative send the PowerPoint presentation with your findings the DAY BEFORE SESSION 4, at 11am, copying all your group members.

25% - Class Participation (Sessions 1-6)

Attendance, punctuality, interactions, feedback

Preparation of the simulations, and participation in the role-plays

15% - Assignment 1 – Group Work (Due: Session 2)

The purpose of this group assignment is to analyze the ICRC delegate, Marcel Junod, as a pioneering humanitarian negotiator.

Each group engages in the following tasks:

Read individually the designated chapter from Warrior without Weapons.

Group #1: Abyssinia (1935), 13-50

Group #2: Spain (1936), 87-110

Group #3: Spain (1936), 111-134

Group #4: Germany-Poland (1939), 137-155.

Group #5: Germany-France (1940), 156-174.

Group #6: Germany-England-Greece (1940), 175-206.

Group #7: Germany-England-Russia (1941-44), 207-232.

Group #8: Japan (1945), 235-271

Discuss and analyze the chapter with your group members.

Leverage the 8P negotiation framework to structure your analysis:

Purpose of humanitarian negotiation

Problems to address

Place of intervention and negotiation (context, country, region, etc.)

Planning of intervention (dates, sequence, length, meetings, etc.)

People who were concerned (authorities, arm bearers, beneficiaries, etc.)

Process Moves and Methods

Principles of humanitarian negotiation at stake

Product of the negotiation (deliverable)

Summarize your analysis and findings in one or two slides, using the PowerPoint provided template.

Have your group representative submit the PowerPoint presentation the DAY BEFORE SESSION 2, at 11am, copying all your group members.

30% - Assignment 2 – Individual Work (Due: Sessions 3 & 5)

The purpose of this individual assignment is for you to analyze a national diplomat who turned humanitarian during World War 2. Each student should individually engage in the following tasks:

Choose one WWII humanitarian diplomat in the list that is provided in Appendix A or validate any other humanitarian negotiator with the instructor. On the provided Google document, indicate the name of the selected diplomat. You may not choose Wallenberg or Junod for this assignment. DUE THE DAY BEFORE SESSION 3, at 11am.

Do research about the humanitarian negotiator you chose.

Prepare 5 PowerPoint slides using the provided template. After the title slide, introduce briefly the negotiator (1 slide), present and analyze his or her negotiations (1 slide), possibly use a movie clip or any other digital content you have identified (1 slide), the lessons learnt for humanitarian negotiation (1 slide) and the book, or any further reading or web source, as to allow to explore further the topic in question (1 slide).

Submit your PowerPoint presentation that summarizes your individual findings the DAY BEFORE SESSION 5, at 11am.

30% - Assignment 3 – Individual Work (Due: Session 6)

The purpose of this individual assignment is for you to prepare the Chinroni simulation before Session 6. Please note that during the course you will have two other, prior opportunities to practice your preparation skills.

Each student should individually engage in the following tasks:

Read the instructions for your role.

Read (or reread) the chapter on preparation of The First Move. A Negotiator’s Companion.

Fill in the Prep Sheet template, using the 3–slide PPT Prep Sheet.

Submit your PowerPoint presentation that summarizes your findings at 11am, the day before Session 6.

Bring your Prep Sheet to class.