Analyzing Humanitarian Interventions: A Toolkit for Understanding Humanitarian Action in the Past, Present, and Future

Faculty Advisor: Lecturer, International and Comparative Studies, University of Michigan

Research Program Introduction

We live in a world that is overwhelmed by humanitarian needs. From politics to products, humanitarianism has become a central consideration. But what does it really mean to provide aid to distant others?

This program introduces students to the basic principles and theories that inform humanitarian interventions. Weekly meetings focus on readings, organizational website visits, and student projects. At the end of the program, students will have a conceptual framework they can apply to any future humanitarian crisis.

We will study how the range of humanitarian actors has broadened to include the military, celebrities, and for-profit firms. We will also consider how, with increased security risks to humanitarians, the viability of long-held principles such as neutrality is being questioned in favor of principles like solidarity. This seminar will challenge students to consider the ethical, political, and practical issues associated with saving lives and preserving the dignity of people affected by crisis and conflict.

Students will also learn general and subject-specific research and academic writing methods used in universities and scholarly publications. After completing the program, they will focus on individual topics and generate their own work products.

Final Deliverable

For the final paper, each student will analyze a humanitarian operation by utilizing the tools and conceptual framework from the course. The analysis will: a. articulate if the crisis was conventional or complex; b. describe the challenges that were encountered; c. interpret the extent to which the response adhered to humanitarian principles; d. identify instances in which humanitarian actors were operating in their own interests versus at the expense of the humanitarian victims and survivors.

Possible Topics For Final Project:

• How has the rise of complex emergencies, in particular, changed aid provision?

• What are the distinguishing features of effective humanitarian responses?

• What are the merits and drawbacks of growing celebrity involvement in humanitarian action?

• What are the merits and drawbacks of private and for-profit businesses becoming involved in humanitarian action?

• Do new technologies like drones, AI, and 3D printing stand to improve the speed and quality of humanitarian response?

• Do you think the news media has been a friend or foe of humanitarian interventions?

• Other professor-approved topics in this subject area that you are interested in

Program Details

• Cohort size: 3 to 5 students

• Duration: 12 weeks

• Workload: Around 4 to 5 hours per week (including class and homework time)

• Target students: 9 to 12th graders interested in political science or anthropology or planning a career in international affairs, government service, or multilateral international institutions like the UN.