Conflict and Humanitarian Intervention: Blurring Humanitarian, Development, and Security Policy

Humanitarian principles were instituted to ensure aid was used for life saving purposes, and not to support governments or a country's foreign policy goals. While there was always some blurring, the lines between humanitarian, development and security policy began to blur to a greater degree during the Balkan wars; after 9/11, the lines became ever more faint, creating significant debates about civilian-military relations. Post-Syria there are questions if there are even lines anymore. In this course, we will examine this evolution, where aid, both humanitarian and development, is used to a greater and greater degree in support of a country's security policy. We will examine how this has changed the nature of these programs, how it effects the ability of governments and INGOs to operate in these environments, and the moral and ethical dilemmas that arise.