Humanitarian principles and values
Social contract theory and Rawls’s concept of the veil of ignorance
August 4, 2017THIS ASSIGNMENT REQUIRES YOU TO ATTEND A CULTURAL EVENT YOU WOULD NOT NORAMALLY ATTEND. THE FOCUS OF THE EVENT MUST BE AN INTELLECTUAL ENGAGEMENT OF ISSUES SUCH AS DIVERSITY, DIFFERENCE, OPPRESSION/SOCIAL POWER. THERE SHOULD ALSO BE A FOCUS ON ISSUES OF GENDER, WOMEN AND/OR SEXUALITY.
August 4, 2017Humanitarian principles and values
To what extent is neutrality considered to be debatable. Explain why we need humanitarian principles. Is it possible to save lives, alleviate suffering and respect human dignity in contexts where these principles are not accepted, respected and/ or adhered to?
Topic 2: Humanitarian Standards
Are humanitarian standards necessary to ensure the effectiveness, accountability and quality of humanitarian response of humanitarian actors during emergencies? List the different humanitarian standards available and discuss whether minimum standards should be binding.
Topic 3: Disaster Response
What is the relationship between hazard, vulnerability, and capacity that reflects on occurrence of disaster? Explore the role of disaster preparedness in reducing vulnerability and increasing capacity of local communities facing disaster? Explain briefly: the formula for risk and, with reference to literature, the role of DP in reducing vulnerability and increasing capacity of communities prone to disaster.
Topic 4: Humanitarian Military Relations in Emergencies
Discuss the added values and the main concerns when engaging military assets and personnel in humanitarian response? Does humanitarian proximity to military forces undermine humanitarian principles and put humanitarian actors at increased risk? What sorts of guidelines and measures do you suggest to minimise risks that may arise as a result of engaging military actors in humanitarian response.
Topic 5: International Humanitarian Law
Outline and critically analyse the main principles of international humanitarian law (IHL) relating to the protection of civilians in war and identify the main challenges to enforce it. What is the relation between IHL and disaster response?
Topic 6: Protection
What are the main challenges for the delivery of protection and assistance in complex emergencies? Does the protection role contradict the humanitarian principles? What is the opportunity of use presence as an effective protection tool?
Topic 7: The role of the state in humanitarian response
Discuss what role a state affected by a humanitarian disaster could or should play to ensure effective and efficient humanitarian response? Should this role be overseen internationally/ externally? If no, why not? And if yes, how and by whom?
