Armed Groups and Humanitarian Aid

HCRI60161 Armed Groups and Humanitarian Aid 15 Semester 2 Postgraduate Taught Level 6 1 FHEQ level (Framework for Higher Education Qualifications) ' Masters/Integrated Masters P4 ' European Credit Transfer & Accumulation System Rating : 7.5 This unit explores the stakes of humanitarian action in situations of armed conflict, with a focus on the role of armed groups. In 2012, a study by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) claimed that such groups are ‘frequently identified as the pre-eminent challenge to contemporary humanitarianism.’ Often labelled as terrorists, sometimes welcomed as liberators, subject to varying positions of law, armed groups have a powerful influence on aid. Their interactions with humanitarians have taken different forms over time, with a range of implications for people living amidst conflict. Combining history and development studies, the unit will introduce students to current concerns such as the instrumentalisation of aid, and security and ‘access’ challenges in humanitarian action, and the importance of urban environments, while also questioning the assumption that these are recent phenomena. The course combines conflict and development analysis with historical methods, drawing on examples from across a wide range of geographical areas and periods in contemporary history. This unit explores the stakes of humanitarian action in situations of armed conflict, with a focus on the role of armed groups. In 2012, a study by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) claimed that such groups are ‘frequently identified as the pre-eminent challenge to contemporary humanitarianism.’ Often labelled as terrorists, sometimes welcomed as liberators, subject to varying positions of law, armed groups have a powerful influence on aid. Their interactions with humanitarians have taken different forms over time, with a range of implications for people living amidst conflict. Combining history and development studies, the unit will introduce students to current concerns such as the instrumentalisation of aid, and security and ‘access’ challenges in humanitarian action, and the importance of urban environments, while also questioning the assumption that these are recent phenomena. The course combines conflict and development analysis with historical methods, drawing on examples from across a wide range of geographical areas and periods in contemporary history. The aims of this course are to:1. Explore and apply geo-political and historical perspectives in order to better understand the place of humanitarian action in armed conflict.2. Examine the ways in which armed groups shape humanitarian practice.3. Critically engage and analyse both historical and contemporary humanitarian responses in situations of armed conflict.4. Enhance students’ understanding of and ability to contribute to debates on humanitarian action in conflicts, through the development of analytical and presentation skills. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:1. Debates about the place of armed groups in relation to humanitarian action2. Issues shaping humanitarian responses in urban settings and ‘other situations of violence’3. How security and development concerns influence humanitarian practice in situations of armed conflict.4. A historical perspective on the above debates and issues, as well as key relevant episodes in contemporary history 1. Identify and evaluate different perspectives on humanitarian action in conflict settings (e.g. beneficiaries, NGOs, UN agencies, armed groups, governments, diaspora networks, law, etc.).2. Critically analyse debates about humanitarian operations in these settings3. Investigate and analyse historical and contemporary humanitarian crises featuring armed groups4. Consider the impact of a historical perspective on understandings of humanitarianism and/or conflict analysis5. Critically analyse the ways in which the core principles of humanitarian practice have been shaped by armed conflict 1. Research skills, including planning, prioritisation of tasks, identification and location of primary and secondary sources, evaluation of findings.2. Essay-writing skills related to the analysis of a specific question, construction of arguments, assessment and deployment of evidence, writing style.3. Applied analytical skills, built through an understanding of both academic and operational questions about humanitarian practice in situations of armed conflict.4. Participation in seminar discussion and presentations in order to aid the research, analysis and presentation skills. 1. Students will have the opportunity to develop interpretation and argumentation skills, both written and oral form, through assessed coursework and seminar presentations.2. Students will develop research and project management skills throughout the course.3. The course will foster an ability to move between different disciplinary approaches, promoting flexibility and adaptable working methods. 0 Other 30% 2 Written assignment (inc essay) 70% <table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:662px;" width="662"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width:321px;">Feedback method</td> <td style="width:340px;">Formative or Summative</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width:321px;">Oral feedback in class</td> <td style="width:340px;">Formative</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width:321px;">Written feedback on assignment</td> <td style="width:340px;">Summative</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width:321px;">Oral feedback one-to-one during office hours</td> <td style="width:340px;">Formative/Summative</td> </tr> </tbody></table>  Y Bhatia, Michael V. ‘Fighting Words: Naming Terrorists, Bandits, Rebels and Other Violent Actors’, Third World Quarterly 26:1 (2005): 5-22.Klose, Fabian. ‘The Colonial Testing Ground: The International Committee of the Red Cross and the Violent End of Empire’, Humanity 2:1 (2011): 107-26.Lischer, Sarah Kenyon. ‘Collateral Damage: Humanitarian Assistance as a Cause of Conflict’, International Security 28:1 (2003): 79-109.Magone, Claire, Michaël Neuman, and Fabrice Weissman (eds). Humanitarian Negotiations Revealed: The MSF Experience (London, Hurst: 2011).Perret, Françoise and François Bugnion. ‘Between Insurgents and Government: The International Committee of the Red Cross’s Action in the Algerian War (1954–1962)’, International Review of the Red Cross 93:883 (2011): 707-42. Lectures 20 0 130