Leading in Humanitarian Crises – War, Disasters, and Disease
Leading in humanitarian crisis is an inevitable and essential responsibility for leaders in today’s world. Whether they are in government, business, civil society or international organizations, today’s leaders have a duty to develop policies and institutions which can limit the worst effects of climate crisis, war and disease on human society. The purpose of this course is to prepare students to be intellectually ready to take on a humanitarian leadership role when a crisis strikes their organization and the people around it.
The course has a policy focus. It gives students overarching knowledge of the scale, character and trends of climate-related disasters and war in the world today. It then introduces them to the legal, policy and operational frameworks deployed in global governance to regulate and manage human violence, climate hazards and disease. The course focuses on policy trends and changing patterns of good practice in humanitarian action and humanitarian diplomacy. At all times, students are invited to challenge prevailing Western orthodoxy in humanitarian practice with next generation thinking from Asia and around the world and to reflect on their own crisis values and personal ethics as humanitarian leaders.