Humanitarian Briefs: Spanning the field of relief, aid, and development
Since 2007 the Josef Korbel School of International Studies has sponsored both certificate and concentration programs for masters degree candidates interested in careers in humanitarian assistance. Five core courses are offered, one of which is entitled “Humanitarian Assistance in Complex Emergencies.” Taught by Prof. Peter Van Arsdale, it provides students with many of the foundational premises associated with the field, as well as with numerous case-specific examples and issue-specific themes. Each student is required to research and write two briefing papers, one covering an important case, the other a critical issue.
Exemplary papers are produced each year. Beginning in 2011, some of these were edited by Prof. Van Arsdale and (with the assistance of masters candidates Britt Reiersgord and Phillip Price) prepared for publication on-line, through a new project entitled HARP. In these documents, readers can find the following types of information regarding the humanitarian field:
- Key developments in regulations and guidelines, such as the Sphere Standards and displaced-person protection standards
- Information on NGO and IGO operations, such as those of Oxfam and the Red Cross
- Challenges in nations where humanitarians work, such as Palestine and Sudan
- Pertinent themes for field researchers, such as food security and camp security
- Engaging problems for humanitarian activists, such as staff self-care and government corruption
- Theoretical premises, such as those associated with the theory of obligation and education-in-emergencies
- Overviews of major natural disasters, such as the 1985 Mexico City earthquake and 2005’s Hurricane Katrina
- The status of vulnerable populations, such as refugees and impoverished children
- Late-breaking developments, such as those involving military – civilian collaboration and innovative technologies
- Champions of human rights and humanitarian causes, such as Aung San Suu Kyi and Fred Cuny
