F1HH 5145 - Humanitarian Action: Issues and Perspectives

Provides insights into issues that are central to humanitarian action and its future development. Drawing on secondary sources, concrete examples, as well as contributions from third party experts, the course will:

• Unpack the various aspects of the relationship between Humanitarian Action and Politics in a rapidly changing world, and how it may impact the development of the sector going forward.
• Explore some systemic challenges facing the humanitarian system, with a particular focus on financing, coordination, localization, the nexus between Humanitarian, development and peace, forced displacement, and access. The status of and prospects for the humanitarian job market will also be discussed.
• Zoom in on a number of specific contemporary crises, discussing the issues, challenges and dilemmas that they have presented or present the system, and how it addressed or is addressing them.

Learning Outcomes :

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

• Identify and critically analyze the key aspects of the relationship between humanitarian action and politics
• Understand and discuss the key issues and challenges facing the humanitarian system and their practical implications.
• Develop a strategic vision of the humanitarian sector
• Evaluate available courses of action for humanitarians in different contexts.
• Be situated with regards to career opportunities and related challenges in the sector.

Both terms of knowledge acquired (expertise of a particular topic, overview of a field of study, in-depth engagement with a body of literature, etc.) and in terms of skills developed (critical analysis, writing policy briefs, oral presentations, etc.).

Professional Skills :

• Critical thinking: understand the relationship between humanitarian action and politics in a variety of settings, identify causes, and implications of possible courses of action.
• Communication and problem solving: be able to articulate strategic and operational issues that humanitarian organizations or other stakeholders (such as donors, coordination forums) engaged in humanitarian action need to understand in order to successfully navigate and manage the different dimensions of aid in different response contexts in ways that maximize impact and minimize harm.
• Leadership and management: Ability to develop effective organizational strategies, taking into account the constraints of organizations operating in crisis environments.

Students are supposed to have followed one of the 24-hours courses on humanitarian action during their first year. A first internship in the sphere of humanitarian action is welcome.

Students who have completed only mandatory sessions on humanitarian action of the course "F1HH 4105 - Human Rights and Humanitarian Action: Actors and Mechanisms" during their first year and have no other experience in the sphere of humanitarian action can still enroll in this course, but are expected to prepare for this course in advance, by reading the following books included in the 'supplementary readings ' section of the course description.

I will be available for individual support between the sessions and provide guidance to students ahead of each of the assignments.

Verbal feedback will be provided systematically after the group presentation, and upon request the individual written assignments, and at the end of the class.

Students will be assessed through

• Group work. Group of two or three students will present an aspect of the subject being presented in each lecture. 40 percent of the grade.
• An end course video assignment during which each student will be asked briefly analyse and give their views and insights on a topic given by the teacher, or on a topic of their choice validated by the teacher. 50 percent of the grade.
• Class participation and motivation will count for 10 percent

• In Class Presence: 24 hours a semester
• Reading and Preparation for Class: 5 hours a week / 60 hours a semester
• Research and Preparation for Group Work: 20 hours per semester
• Research and Writing for Individual Assessments: 3 hours a week / 36 hours a semester