The Heller School for Social Policy and Management
Brandeis University
Sustainable International Development Graduate Program
131HS-291F-1
Development in Armed Conflict Situations
Spring 2015 – Module 1
Brown Building- G54
Monday 02:00 PM – 04:50 PM
Pierrette Quintiliani
Office Number: 145
Office Hours: Mondays between 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM and by appointment
617-835 7072 -
University notices
1. If you are a student with a documented disability on record at Brandeis University and wish to have a reasonable accommodation made for you in this class, please contact me immediately.
2. You are expected to be honest in all of your academic work. The University policy on academic honesty is distributed annually as Section 5 of the Rights and Responsibilities handbook. Instances of alleged dishonesty are subject to possible judicial action. Potential sanctions include failure in the course and suspension from the University. If you have any questions about my expectations, please ask.
Academic integrity is central to the mission of educational excellence at Brandeis University. Each student is expected to turn in work completed independently, except when assignments specifically authorize collaborative effort. It is not acceptable to use the words or ideas of another person – be it an excellent philosopher or your roommate – without proper acknowledgement of that source. This means that you must use footnotes and quotation marks to indicate the source of any phrases, sentences, paragraphs or ideas found in published volumes, on the Internet, or created by another student. If you are in doubt about the instructions for any assignment in this course, you must ask for clarification.
This syllabus is subject to change. When in doubt, please ask me.
Core Competency Statement
The ongoing wave of globalization has intensified societies’ political, economic, military and cultural interconnections. This process also leads to incorporation or ostracization, the homogenization or diversification of diverse segments of countless social organizations. Consequently, the goals, methods and financing of conflicts have adjusted to these developments. These conflicts tend to breed in undemocratic and less industrialized countries, and sadly, civilians are paying the highest toll. Excluded from the global scheme, numerous communities and individuals are struggling to survive; unfolding tragedies, such as in the Darfur region of Sudan, in Syria or Colombia reveal that humanitarian aid continues to be indispensable to the survival of civilians caught in these intractable conflicts.
The geopolitical adjustments initiated by the fall of the Berlin Wall and the post 9/11 events have transformed the environment in which humanitarian aid and development agencies are operating. In 1993, a new development paradigm emerged following the former Secretary General of the United Nations, Boutros Boutros-Ghali report “An Agenda for Peace.” The Agenda for Peace has connected underdevelopment and security and has imparted relief agencies with a mandate to combat poverty, which is alleged to be one of the origins of insecurity.
However, with the current remodeling of the world order, new challenges have emerged for the humanitarian community. Are we moving towards a new paradigm that will change the modus operandi of all parties involved in or affected by conflicts? How are relief and development agencies adapting and adjusting to the new imperatives generated by these changes?
Sustainable Development Statement
This course relates to the field of sustainable development as follows:
The conditions inherent to complex political emergencies have blurred the lines between relief and development. Indeed, development programs do not wait for armed conflicts to end and external intervention during conflicts must take into consideration the complex parameters that led to the eruption of violence.
What are the actions and programs that development and humanitarian agencies can take during a conflict to provide lasting support to communities? What are the limits of aid during conflicts and what are its negative and positive effects?
Community members are not helpless victims; they have their own resources and priorities and their potential and legitimacy need to be acknowledged, understood and reinforced. Since 2000, international organizations have moved towards an understanding of development that is not limited to economic indicators. The analysis of social relations, political economy, gender relations, human capital, and natural resources management in time of conflict reduces the risk of neglecting opportunities to reinforce and nourish existing capacities.
Course Objectives
This course explores the evolution of humanitarian action in relation to conflicts and to the connections between development and humanitarian activities. This multi-disciplinary course will cover a broad range of subjects, including the analysis of conflicts and their effects on the humanitarian enterprise, the political economy of conflicts and humanitarian aid, the methodologies developed to improve effectiveness and accountability, and the potential for supporting social changes in societies affected by conflict.
A mix of academic analysis and practical experiences is used to reflect on working in armed conflict. It will provide a holistic framework for endowing students with a comprehensive approach to operate in conflict not only in an effective manner but also in a respectful way while being aware of the wider configuration and evolution of the international system.
Sessions will include a lecture format and discussions based on the readings. The previous experience of participants having worked in areas affected by violent conflicts will enrich the debate. We will also use some case studies to approach the connection between development and conflicts.
Gender Perspective Statement
This course incorporates the following perspective on gender:
The fate and role of civilians in wartime is partly delineated along gender lines. Men and women, children and elderly are affected by violence in various ways. In a large number of ongoing conflicts, the use of violence by governments and armed groups against populations have led to unbearable physical and psychological trauma. While men are at greater risk of being killed, women, children and elderly are traumatized physically and psychologically by direct or indirect brutality. Rape and sexual violence have always been a feature of war but their acknowledgement as crime of war dates from the mid-1990s following the genocide in Rwanda and the civil wars in what had been Yugoslavia, however, this acknowledgement and potential punishment for perpetrators has failed to prevent sexual brutality during conflicts.
Course Requirements
1. Attendance at all sessions; prompt arrival.
2. Preparation of at least 2 readings.
3. Participation in class discussions and in any small group work.
4. Timely submission/presentation of assignments.
6. Helpfulness to other students.
Your grade will be calculated based on the following assignments:
a. A research paper that will be handed in on the last day of class (12 pages, double spaced, 11 Times New Roman): 30%.
b. A presentation of group case study on the last day of class: 30%.
c. Four short assignments (2 pages each, double spaced, 11 Times New Roman) based on your reflection on the readings for week 2, 3, 4 and 5. These papers should be sent to me electronically before class on week 2, 3, 4 and 5.
All assignments should be sent to me electronically.
Make-up policy for late papers
Participants who think they may be late with their term work should contact me before the last week it is due to discuss an extension. However, this will be considered for exceptional reasons only.
CLASS SESSIONS
Session 1
January 12, 2015
Conflicts and humanitarian assistance: Evolution of conflicts and humanitarian aid
In this first session we will review the evolution of humanitarianism in relation to the evolution of conflicts. We will then discuss the relationship between development and conflicts, and using Rwanda as a case study, we will deconstruct the socioeconomic and political factors that contributed to and culminated in genocide. In the final part of the session we will watch a documentary illustrating the connection between development and conflicts.
Readings for this class:
Requested:
Barnett, M. N., & Weiss, T. G. (2008). Humanitarianism in question: Politics, power, ethics. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, pp. 1-48
Duffield, M. R. (2001). Global governance and the new wars: the merging of development and security. London; New York, NY: Zed Books, Palgrave, pp. 44-75.
Vaux, T. (2006, June). Humanitarian trends and dilemmas. Development in Practice, 16 (3&4), pp. 240-254.
Session 2
January 26, 2015
Conflict analysis: Political Economy of Conflicts
Classical interstate war may be, as von Clausewitz wrote, nothing else but the pursuit of politics through other means. The prevailing form of conflicts is neither the Clausewitzian interstate war nor the classic civil war (government versus insurgency), but transnational war involving a variety of official and unofficial actors, often from several states. Such wars develop particular patterns of economic activities. The longer they persist, the more society and economy adapt, creating a relatively stable type of social formation: the civil or transnational war economy. A few actors profit, while most have no say in the development of their own society.
Understanding conflicts and the structures of violence are essential for planning activities in regions affected by conflicts. During this session, we will use a conflict analysis framework to analyze and discuss the political economy of the conflict in Syria.
Readings for this class:
Abboud, S. (2014), Syria’s War Economy. http://carnegieendowment.org/syriaincrisis/?fa=54131,
Socio-Economic Challenges, http://carnegieendowment.org/2012/11/09/socio-economic-challenges/ei3y, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace,
Goodhand, J. & International Peace Academy. (2006). Aiding peace? The role of NGOs in
armed conflict. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers pp. 27-77.
Keen, D. (2008). Complex emergencies. Cambridge, MA: Polity Press, pp. 25-99.
Lund, A. (2014), Cold Winter Coming: Syria’s Fuel Crisis, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, http://carnegieendowment.org/2014/10/13/cold-winter-coming-syria-s-fuel-crisis.
Slim, H. and Trombetta, L. (2014) Syria Crisis Common Context Analysis. Co-ordinated Accountability and Lessons Learning (CALL) Initiative. IASC Inter-Agency Humanitarian Evaluations Steering Group, New York
Additional Readings:
Reese, E. (2014). Inside Syria: The Back Story of their Civil War and what the World can Expect, Prometheus Press, New York.
Session 3
February 2, 2015
Looking at complex political emergencies through the lens of gender, culture and religion
Warring parties today are using culture, gender and religion to direct their greed, creed or/or grievance. Gender, religion and culture are associated with suffering in distinct ways. For example, men are in danger of being killed or forcibly conscripted, while young girls can be kidnapped as laborers or sex slaves. The attack on the United States in September 2001 has re-polarized conflicts around religions and religious beliefs which can be manipulated by authorities to initiate or reinforce conflicts in areas they covet.
During this session, we will discuss how conflicts and humanitarian assistance affects and shape gender relations, culture and religion; we will use two case studies, one located in South Sudan and one in Somalia.
Readings for this class:
Requested:
Ager, A. (2011). Faith and the discourse of secular humanitarianism. Journal of Refugee Studies, 24(3), pp. 456-472.
Cahill, K. M. (2003). Traditions, values, and humanitarian action. New York, NY: Fordham University Press and The Center for International Health and Cooperation, pp. 53-82.
Duffield, M. R. (2001). Global governance and the new wars: The merging of development and security. London; New York, NY: Zed Books, Palgrave, pp. 202-265.
Fox J. (1999), The influence of religious legitimacy on grievance formation by ethno-
religious minorities. Journal of Peace Research, 36(3), pp. 289-307.
Honvana, A. (2009). Children in war: Reintegrating child soldiers. Institute of Development Studies.
Ticktin, M. (2011). The Gendered Human of Humanitarianism: Medicalising and Politicising Sexual Violence’ Gender & History, Vol.23 No.2, pp. 250–265.
Inter-Agency Standing Committee. (2006). Women, Girls, Boys and men: Different needs, equal Opportunities, Gender Handbook in Humanitarian Action. http://www.humanitarianinfo.org/iasc/gender
Additional readings:
Gardner, J., J. El-Bushra, et al. (2004). Somalia--the untold story: The war through the eyes of Somali women. London; Sterling, VA: CIIR; Pluto Press, pp. 24-50, 69-96, 116-13.
Session 4
February 9, 2015
Humanitarian Programming to Support People leaving in Conflict Areas
How do we support the livelihoods of people who are affected by conflicts? During this session, we will discuss some of the positive and negative aspect of humanitarian/development assistance. Humanitarians are frequently acting as negotiators between donors and recipients of humanitarian aid, the agenda of each protagonist may differ and bringing some meaningful assistance is a difficult challenge. During this session we will explore some of these challenges and question the constant pressure for humanitarian organizations to raise funds and remain true to their values.
Requested Readings:
Dijkzeul, D., & Wakenge, C. (2010). Doing good, but looking bad? Local perceptions of two humanitarian organisations in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Disasters,34(4), 1139-1170.
Girgis, M. (2007). The capacity-building Paradox: Using friendship to build capacity in the South. Development in Practice, 17(3), pp. 353-356.
Longley, C., et al. (2006). Agricultural rehabilitation: Mapping the linkages between
humanitarian relief, social protection and development. Humanitarian Policy Group, Report 22. Overseas Development Institute.
Bailey, S. (2008). Perception of corruption in humanitarian assistance among Internally Displaced Persons in Northern Uganda. Humanitarian Policy Group Working Paper. Overseas Development Institute.
Roisin, S. (2009). Playing with principles in an era of securized aid: Negotiating space in post-9/11 Afghanistan. Progress in Development Studies, 9(1), pp. 15-36.
Savage, K. & Harvey, P. (2007). Remittances during crisis: Implication for humanitarian response. Humanitarian Policy Group, Report 25. Overseas Development Institute.
Neufeldt, C. R. “Frameworkers” and “Circlers”: Exploring Assumptions in Impact Assessment
Session 5
February 23, 2015
Partnering between international, national, local organizations and self-help groups.
A significant number of INGOs has moved from the direct implementation of humanitarian/development projects towards a partnership in which they fund and collaborate with national, international, local NGOs or self-help groups. Working with local NGOs during complex political emergencies requires more than funding projects, and entails “capacity-building” as well as the creation of a solid partnership and the avoidance of the tendency to patronize local organizations. During this session we will review some various experiences of partnership and work on a case-study in South Soudan.