The Humanitarian Studies Course offers a practical and in-depth analysis of the complex issues and skills needed to engage in humanitarian work in field settings. Through presentations and hands on table top exercises offered by faculty and guest lecturers who are experts in their topic areas, participants will gain familiarity with the primary frameworks in the humanitarian field (human rights, livelihoods, Sphere standards, international humanitarian law) and will focus on practical issues that arise in the field, such as rapid public health assessments, field cluster sampling techniques, application of minimum standards for food security, and operational approaches to relations with the military in humanitarian settings.

During the weekend long Disaster Simulation, participants will utilize knowledge of the humanitarian field gained in the classroom learning sessions during a three-day field simulation exercise. Attendees will spend two nights in the forest and participate in a complicated disaster and conflict scenario. During the simulation, participants will work in teams representing different humanitarian non-governmental organizations and will engage with a wide range of local and non-state actors (roles developed and filled by faculty, course alumni, and affiliates) to create a service delivery plan. The Simulation will be held rain or shine.

Core Curriculum Topics

Humanitarian Crises: Evolution of the Humanitarian Community
Learning Objectives:
•To understand the relevance of the history of humanitarianism to today’s response community
•To have a clear understanding of the main actors in humanitarian response
Key Issues in Humanitarian Crises
Learning Objectives:
•To become familiar with the basic nature of humanitarian crises
•To understand the key terminology used in the humanitarian business
Humanitarian Standards/Sphere Standards
Learning Objectives:
•To be familiar with the historical rational for global standards
•To understand the methodology for creating standards and the basic taxonomy of such standards
•To be able to apply the Sphere manual in program design
Rapid Health Assessment and Basics of Epidemiology
Learning Objectives:
•To be familiar with the standard methodologies for rapid health assessment, their limitations and uses
•To understand basics terms, calculations and applications of epidemiology in humanitarian response
Humanitarian Logistics
Learning Objectives:
•To understand the role of logistics in field operations
•To explore the range of challenges to humanitarian coordination
•To become familiar with the standard mechanisms and bodies used to coordinate humanitarian action
Communicable Disease
Learning Objective:
•To become familiar with the major communicable disease risks in the field
•To learn how to apply preventative measures as well as develop and implement mitigation and containment plans
Geographic Information Systems
Learning Objectives:
•To understand the basic operation and use of GIS systems
•To understand and practice the basic operation of GPS units and their use in the field
International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights
Learning Objectives:
•To explore the dilemmas and opportunities of a rights based approach to assistance
•To understand the nature and application of protection in humanitarian crises
Ethics
Learning Objective:
•To be familiar with the most common ethical dilemmas encountered in humanitarian work
•To explore the limitations of humanitarian action imposed by these dilemmas
Personal & NGO Security
Learning Objectives:
•To explore the core dangers facing personnel and teams in complex humanitarian crises
•To review best practices for personal and team security protocols
Civil-Military Relations
Learning Objectives:
•To understand the present roles of military forces in humanitarian crises
•To explore the opportunities and cost of military engagement in humanitarian work
•To examine the consequences of military “hearts and minds” campaigns for humanitarian operations
Food Aid/Food Security
Learning Objectives:
•To understand the drivers of food insecurity
•To understand information systems and approaches to analysis of food security crises
•To be familiar with common approaches to food security programming
•To understand the nature limitations and opportunities of food aid and food aid programming
Emergency Nutrition
Learning Objectives:
•To be familiar with the most common methodologies for estimating population nutrition levels
•To be familiar with the rationale behind emergency nutrition programs
•To understand the various types of programming used
•To be familiar with the limitations and common problems associated with emergency feeding
Livelihoods
Learning Objectives:
•To understand the basis of livelihoods analysis
•To understand its application in humanitarian crises
Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WaSH)
Learning Objectives
•To become familiar with programming options for supplying water in emergencies
•To understand the social context in which wat/san decisions are determined
•To become familiar with the common methodologies for sanitation control
Shelter & Site Planning
Learning Objectives:
•To become familiar with programming options for shelter in emergencies
•To become familiar with core considerations for site planning
•To understand the social context in which shelter and site options are determined
Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL)
Learning Objectives:
•To explore the present nature of agency evaluations and accountability and become familiar with some of the key practices
•To become familiar with the use of the DEC evaluation criteria
Interaction with Media
Learning Objectives:
•To be familiar with the range of media one is likely to meet in the field
•To practice a range of common media interviews
•To be familiar with the common mistakes field workers make when confronted with the media
Emotional Intelligence and Team Building
Learning Objectives:
•To explore emotional intelligence as a concept and tool for the management of teams
•To understand the dynamics of team interaction and to discover simple tools for team development
Financial and Project Management
Learning Objectives:
•To understand the basics of financial tracking and reporting
•To develop basic budgeting resources
•To understand the program and project planning cycle and the role of the project manager
•To understand and explore risk and resource analysis
Environmental Humanitarian Crises
Learning Objective:
•To explore the humanitarian consequences of natural disasters which force people to flee their lands
•To understand the factors which determine these consequences, such as the extent and permanence of environmental destruction wrought by these crises, people's attachment to their homes and ecosystems,
the circumstances of departure, the destinations of refuge, and the possibilities for return
Mental Health
Learning Objective:
•To understand the mental health consequences of humanitarian crisis situations
•To become familiar with strategies for coping with mental health issues in the field
Methods in Cluster Sampling
Learning Objectives:
•To be familiar with the use of cluster sampling and its relevance to needs assessment, monitoring an evaluation of humanitarian operations
•To be familiar with the methodologies available for estimating populations in crisis zones
•To develop a good appreciation of the constraints imposed by the crisis environment on estimating populations
Gender-Based Violence
Learning Objectives:
•To understand the nature and drivers of gender based violence
•To be familiar with programming options to counter such violence
•To understand the implications for common relief programming modalities of countering gender-based violence
Child Soldiers
Learning Objective:
•To understand the history of the use of child soldiers in conflict and its current implications for humanitarian intervention
•To explore the psychological consequences upon children and communities