Human Security in Post-Conflict Interventions (ESS.2019.005)
Human security first appeared as a post-Cold War attempt to transform the traditional understanding of security – which was framed in terms of the security of the territory from external military aggression and of the protection of national interests in foreign policy. Stemming from the acknowledgement of the complex character of contemporary violence, human security focuses on the protection of individual lives and recognizes that threats to human security can arise in contexts and from sources other than the military.
The goal of the course on Human Security in Post-Conflict Interventions is to present the concept of human security in terms of an organizing standard and to introduce the principles that inform the planning, implementation and evaluation of human security-oriented interventions in post-conflict settings.
At the end of the course you will be able to:
- Describe the UN approach to human security;
- Point out the human security operational principles as applied to post-conflict peacebuilding;
- List the specificities of a human security approach to analysis, mapping, planning and implementation of post-conflict interventions;
- Outline the specificities of human security impact assessment.
This self-paced course is composed of four modules:
- Module 1: Introduction to human security;
- Module 2: Operational principles of human security;
- Module 3: Application of human security to analysis, mapping, planning and implementation;
- Module 4: Application of human security to impact assessment.
The estimated workload for this course without voluntary assigments is around 8 hours. However, if you choose to deepen and enhance your understanding through the completion of voluntary writing assignments, the workload will be around 50 hours in total.
The course is a self-guided, self-paced, web-based course that is on-going and can be accessed at any time. The course has four modules. Multiple choice quizzes at the end of each topic serve a dual function of assessing and evaluating the students’ understanding and retention and provide a further didactic function by reviewing the content. The passing grade for each quiz is 60%. If you pass all four quizzes, you will receive a certificate of completion at the end of the course.
Further, voluntary assignments enhance the learning through a practical and scenario-based approach. In this course, these take the form of writing assignments, which are self-graded. Thus, they do not contribute to the final grade. The activity sections also provide sample answers to the activities that help you assess your own solution to the assignment.
In addition to the narratives which provide the content of the modules, you will have at your disposal a list of resources, a glossary of terms and a glossary of acronyms. A discussion forum provides you with the opportunity to discuss any issues with fellow students.
The course is open to anyone interested in human security in peacebuilding, including practitioners working in post-conflict contexts, field workers, and international volunteers. United Nations Volunteers, holding a valid contract, can benefit from a reimbursement from the UNV Programme. Students are entirely responsible for ensuring their eligibility and requesting their reimbursement directly with the UNV office.
Technical Requirements
UNITAR recommends the following as a minimum in hardware and software to take our e-Learning courses. Please consult your Network Administrator or Systems person to ensure that you have the following:
Platform:
- Windows XP, 7 or superior;
- MacOS 10.6 (Snow Leopard) or superior;
- Linux.
Hardware:
- Intel Core 2 Duo – or AMD – 3 GHz processor;
- 3 GB of RAM (4 GB recommended);
- Hard drive: 160 GB minimum.
Software:
- Adobe Acrobat Reader;
- Adobe Flash Player.
Browser:
- Google Chrome 30.0 or superior;
- Mozilla Firefox 25.0 or superior;
- Safari 7 or superior;
- Internet Explorer 8 or superior.
Note that JavaScript, Cookies and Popups must be enabled
Mobile:
- Apple iOS in Apple iOS 7 or superior on iPad:
- Articulate Mobile Player;
- Moodle Mobile.
- Android OS in Android OS 4.1 or superior (optimized for tablets):
- Articulate Mobile Player;
- Moodle Mobile.