Humanit. Action in Practice

3 Credits · Level: Graduate

From Ebola to Syria, South Sudan to Haiti, the humanitarian community needs to respond quickly, appropriately, and scale. Within the complex, dynamic, and challenging contexts in which humanitarian actors implement life-saving programs, it is essential to understand the systems and coordination mechanisms involved to carry out quality support to affected communities. The Humanitarian Action in Practice course will provide a response-centered perspective on humanitarian operations, informed by case studies of significant current and historical humanitarian crises. It will explore the coordination, funding, logistics, programmatic, human resources, security, and monitoring and evaluation components to understand the “behind the scenes” challenges involved in carrying out relief efforts. Students will become familiar with the core response tools, policies and practices of the international humanitarian system, the major types of emergencies that prompt a response operation, and the process by which a response is planned, financed, and executed. The course will also focus on the perspectives and priorities of different actors within the humanitarian landscape and how their power dynamics and agendas shape response priorities in the field. Students will explore the challenges and ethical dilemmas that often characterize humanitarian action.