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CONFLICT, SECURITY, AND DEVELOPMENT:
ISSUES, ACTORS, AND APPROACHES

A collaboration with the Office for International Programs at the NYU Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and the Master’s Program in Global Public Health.

This brown-bag lunch series examines new research, creative policy approaches, and recent innovations in addressing security and development challenges in conflict and post-conflict contexts.

Note location:

NYU Wagner at the Puck Building
295 Lafayette Street, Second Floor Conference Room

RSVP:  www.wagner.nyu.edu/events/conflictseries.php
or by calling 212-992-8380

 

What can the UN do in response to extrajudicial killings around the world?

Thursday, September 24, 2009
12:30 – 1:30 p.m.

Philip Alston, John Norton Pomeroy Professor at NYU Law School and UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions

The international community classifies “extrajudicial executions” as unjustified killings by the police and military, death squad and paramilitary killings, as well as targeted assassinations and honor killings. The presentation focuses on the UN Human Rights Council’s efforts to expose and help eliminate such practices, including visits by the speaker to the United States, Kenya, and Colombia.

 

Democratic Elections: A Tool for Peace or Catalyst of Conflict?

Thursday, October 1, 2009
12:30 – 1:30 p.m.

Robin Ludwig, senior political affairs officer, UN Department of Political Affairs

Recent research suggests that democracies tend to be more peaceful and engage in less interstate conflict than other forms of government. Recent so-called democratic elections in countries such as Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, and Moldova have sparked protests, demonstrations, and/or countrywide violence. What are the sources of such internal conflict? How might they be recognized and addressed before election day?

 

Building Refugee Livelihoods: Food Security, the Economic Crisis, and Long Term Development

Thursday, October 8, 2009
12:30 – 1:30 p.m.

Dale Buscher, director of protection, Women’s Refugee Commission

The worldwide financial crisis, occurring on the heels of a global food crisis, demonstrates that the world has changed in dramatic ways, and it is the most vulnerable people who suffer disproportionately. These crises, however, also offer occasion to rethink our business model and the structure and practice of humanitarian aid. Many argue that it is time to end dependency-inducing programs and focus as early and as soon as possible on helping affected populations resume their lives and livelihoods.

 

Climate Change, Financial Crisis, and Fragile States: The Imperative of Rethinking New Dimensions in International Security and Development

Thursday, October 15, 2009
12:30 – 1:30 p.m.

Yuvan A. Beejadhur, counsellor, The World Bank Group

Without proper action and coordinated national and worldwide efforts, the consequences of climate change can be catastrophic and irreversible. The financial crisis, which threatens the lives of 400,000 children each year, is not over, and millions of jobs are at risk. Both issues present formidable obstacles to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. At this critical juncture, the international community needs to reassess the strategies for international security and development. What future role will international organizations play?

 

Preventing Mass Killing: Moving Educational Theory to Policy Practice

Thursday, October 22, 2009
12:30 – 1:30 p.m.

Tucker Harding, educational technologist, Columbia University Center for New Media Teaching and Learning (CCNMTL), and Mark Whitlock, program coordinator, Columbia Center for International Conflict Resolution (CICR)

The 20th century marked a period of extreme, state-orchestrated, political violence perpetrated against civilians and noncombatants. What are possible strategies for mitigating the underlying causes of mass killings and genocide, and what prospects do they hold in the international arena? This discussion explores challenges for the prevention of identity-based violence in the 21st century, while examining the role of technology in the training of students and current policymakers. This includes results from a Web-based simulation developed by the presenters.

 

Women and Girls at War: ‘Wives,’ Mothers, and Fighters

Thursday, October 29, 2009
12:30 – 1:30 p.m.

Jeannie Annan, director of Research and Evaluation, International Rescue Committee

Data from northern Uganda’s war challenge conventional notions about women in conflict: women and girls recruited by the Lord’s Resistance Army are not passive victims, but play active roles, and only a minority of those who return exhibit serious reintegration difficulties. For those who do have problems with reintegration, abduction into the armed group exacerbates already existing problems, including gender inequalities, corruption in the police system, and devastating poverty. Join us as Dr. Annan discusses her research and addresses the importance of strong interventions at the individual, family, and community levels.