UCL - Foreign Policy and Humanitarian Assistance

[HUMA2210]

[30h] 5 credits

Teacher(s): Amine Ait-Chaalal

Language: French

Level: Second

Aims
Main themes
Content and teaching methods
Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Aims

The students will have to be able to carry out both a critical and a constructive analysis of the interaction be-tween foreign policies and the humanitarian assistance. They will have to perceive the various issues at stake in the interactions of the humanitarian assistance with the political, military, media, economic and market dynam-ics

Main themes

1/ The analyse of the complex relations of the "humanitarian - military - political" basic triangle as well as the interactions of this basic triangle with the media sphere and the economy and the market .
2/ The analyse of the States role, the armed forces, the international organizations, the non-governmental or-ganizations, the media and the economic interests.

Content and teaching methods

This teaching relates to the analysis of the various aspects of the relationship between the foreign policies of the States and the dynamics of the humanitarian action. Within this framework, it is proceeded to the study of poli-tico-diplomatic dimensions of the "political - military - humanitarian" basic triangle, to what should be added a few elements concerning the media and the commercial sphere. The analysis also refers to the questions related to the ambiguities of the humanitarian action in the context of States' foreign policies and the role of the interna-tional organizations next to the non-governmental organizations. The course focused more in particular on put-ting in prospect the general issues of the humanitarian approach by referring to concrete cases. The course also deals with the analysis of the peacekeeping operations within conflicts of the post-cold war period and its im-pacts on humanitarian action. An analysis of the complex relationship between "humanitarian action - devel-opment policies" will also be carried out during this course.

The teacher's lectures on the issues have already been outlined in the present document.
A Text portfolio will be at students disposal in order to implement discussions and debates on several cases and specific themes.

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Basic knowledge in international relations, geopolitics and on the humanitarian issues. This seminar articulates the lesson with "Geopolitics", "Geopolitics applied to the con-flicts" and "Geopolitics of the conflicts and humanitarian action".

Involvement in the debates + essay writing by each student (10-15 pages) on a subject, to be decided with the teacher, among one of the five following themes: the relationships between 1) humanitarians-military, 2) politics-humanitarians, 3) media sphere - humani-tarian action, 4) economic and market - humanitarian sphere, 5) humanitarian action - development policies.

Recommended books: F. Bouchet-Saulnier, Dictionnaire pratique du droit humanitaire, La Découverte, Paris, 1998 ; R. Brauman, L'action humanitaire, Flammarion, Paris, 1995 ; P. de Senarclens, L'humanitaire en catastrophe, Presses de Sciences Po, Paris, 1999 ; J.-L. Ferré, L'action humanitaire, Milan, Toulouse, 1995 ; M. Ignatieff, L'honneur du guerrier, La Découverte, Paris, 1998; International Commission on Inter-vention and State Sovereignty, The Responsibility to Protect, International Development Research Center, Ottawa, 2001 ; J. Moore (éd.), Des choix difficiles. Les dilemmes mo-raux de l'humanitaire, Gallimard, Paris, 1999 ; D. Rieff, L'humanitaire en crise, Le Ser-pent à plumes, Paris, 2004.