United Nations: International Peace and Security

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The course examines the evolution of the meaning of peace: from the Cold War, to the 1980s and 1990s until today. This chronology is useful to grasp how understandings of peace have evolved until today and give context to UN peace interventions. The course also focuses on specific historical examples (the Congo, Somalia, the Balkans, Sierra Leone, Syrica, etc.) that students will investigate and discuss in class. It finally addresses the number of proliferating critiques and alternative proposals that have burgeoned in response to the limitations of international interventions. Gender and decolonial sensitivities, as well as concern with local contexts and everday experiences of the people will be used to rethink humanitarian action. 

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

The aim of this course is threefold: first, to introduce students to the United Nations (aims, institutions, history) and its critical role in contemporary international society; second, to focus on the evolution of the meaning of peace since the end of the Second World War until today; and third, to provide a systematic toolkit which helps students out in critically analyzing the performance of the UN peace missions, by identifying strengths and weakenesses of different historical operations in the field.