Certificate Course on Humanitarianism, Policy, and Diplomacy
Course Flyer
Course Booklet
The Center for Peace Studies (CPS) under South Asian Institute of Policy and Governance (SIPG) of North South University is going to organize a 10-week long certificate course titled: Humanitarianism, Policy, and Diplomacy. This course will provide a framework for the participants to help them better understand the role of state and non-state actors in responding to global disasters, crises, and tragedies by coming forward to render assistance to those in distress. It looks at the policies and politics of humanitarian crises as well as the need for protecting humanity. It also examines legal, moral, and ethical dimensions of global security of all human beings regardless of race, creed, and/or ethnic/political affiliation.
The participants will be students, who wish to include humanitarianism as part of their academic program, and professionals, (teachers, diplomats, journalists, NGO workers, etc.) who want to expand their knowledge about humanitarianism.
Faculty members from North South University, University of Hawaii, University of Western Sydney, specialists from International Organizations will be the trainers in this course. The course offers an opportunity to the participants to experience humanitarianism at the Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar.
Field Trip to the Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar
The field trip of the CPS’s Certificate Course on ‘Humanitarianism, Policy, and Diplomacy’ was held on March 27 & 28, 2021 at the Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. The aim of this trip was to offer the participants a first-hand experience of humanitarianism, policy, and practice in the world’s largest refugee camp. They visited the Rohingya camps namely, camp No. 8W and camp no. 15 at Kutupalong, Ukhia, Cox’s Bazar. A total of 26 participants joined the field visit including CPS Advisor and the course coordinator Dr. Katherine Li and CPS member Dr. Bulbul Siddiqi.
The participants visited the Rohingya camps on Day 1. In the camp, they met the Camp-in-Charge (CICs), conversed with the Rohingya community, and visited humanitarian activities of several NGOs. After returning to Cox’s Bazar a debriefing on the visit took place.
The participants met the development agencies, such as UNHCR and IOM, at their offices on Day 2. Later they had group discussions on the vsit, and Q&A with Refugee Relief & Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) at his office in the afternoon.
They were encouraged to take notes of all the meetings since they had to submit a field observation report afterwards. CPS arranged their travels (Cox’s Bazar-Ukhia-Cox’s Bazar) and provided lunch, snacks, drinking water, notebook, and pen.
Thus, the field trip ended with lots of experiences of visiting the world’s largest refugee camps. The participants learned about the pains and sufferings that the Rohingya endured in Rakhine and their hopes to return to their motherland with dignity. They also saw the humanitarian works being done to support the Rohingya both by the Bangladesh Government and other INGOs and NGOs. The plights of the Rohingya community created a sense of empathy towards them and ushered humanitarianism for most of the participants.