Humanitarian & Inclusive Communication

Communication in humanitarian settings is essential to ensuring effective key program implementation and beneficiaries’ satisfaction. Communication is central before, during, and when closing a humanitarian program as it is the only link between different actors and within different groups.

In this course, we will explore the changing practices of humanitarian communication in the 21st century by addressing questions such as: What are the histories of humanitarian communication? How is it changing today, and why? What are the tensions and dilemmas that organizations face as they struggle to communicate the plight of distant others?

What you'll learn?

What kind of politics of visibility and voice is played out in humanitarian communication? What are the ideological and ethical positions informing and informed by the digital narratives and spectacles of vulnerable others - and how do these change when ‘others’ speak for themselves? And finally, what are the challenges of 21st-century humanitarian communication, and can we do it better? Today, more than ever, images and narratives of vulnerable people in zones of poverty, disaster, violence, and conflict routinely populate our everyday lives. They are produced by a wide range of organizations and individuals and appear on various platforms, including NGO websites, news networks, social media, and celebrity advocacy.

To explore these issues, students will work with case studies to debate the theoretical principle and empirical realities of humanitarian communication, its contemporary power relations, and the tensions and complexities that underpin its practices and effects.

Methodology

The Bootcamp course will be offered through the Zoom platform in live meetings and reading materials.

What is Bootcamp Class?

A bootcamp course is an intensive learning model whose primary purpose is to develop skills and competencies in an area of knowledge agilely. Those who study on a bootcamp are completely immersed in learn