GLOBALIZATION AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS (NYC  Campus)

Course

BGIA 310   Ethics & International Relations

Professor

Joel Rosenthal

CRN

90832

 

Schedule

Mon  4:00 – 6:20 pm  NYC Campus

Distribution

OLD: C

NEW: History

Thucydides punctuates his history of the Peloponnesian war with the quote of the Athenian generals, ‘The strong do what they will, the weak do what they must.’ In the twentieth century, this sentiment is echoed by the great realists, Hans Morganthau and Henry Kissinger, who argued that power and interest were the guideposts for foreign policy. What values guide us as we make choices about the use of force, resolving conflict, promoting human rights, encouraging democracy and participating in international organizations. This course will examine competing claims of morality, reason and power in contemporary international relations.

 

Course

BGIA 322  Humanitarian Action

Professor

Joelle Tanguy

CRN

90833

 

Schedule

Tu   4:00 – 6:20 pm  NYC Campus

Distribution

OLD: C

NEW: History

The seminar will explore the history, animating ideals, politics and contemporary paradoxes of humanitariam action. The seminar will begin with the creation of the International Committee of the Red Cross in 1863 and follow its guiding concepts—neutrality, impartiality and humanity—through the Second World War and the Holocaust. It will then investigate the ambiguous character of humanitarianism during the Cold War, with particular attention to the birth of the UN organizations (UNICEF, the World Food Program, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees) and the emergence of the non-govenmental movements of the late 70s to today. In the remainder of the semester, we will devote ourselves to in-depth investigations of six examples of 'humanitarian crises' and responses, starting with the Somali crisis (1990–1993), the wars in Bosnia and Croatia (1991–1995), the famine and civil war in the Sudan (1983-present), the Rwandan genocide and the following refugee crisis (1994–1996), the Kosovo crisis (1999), and concluding with an analysis of humanitarian aid and challenges in Afghanistan from the late 70s to today. The seminar will focus on assessing the limits and possibilities of humanitarianism, and in particular on its relation to international politics—especially the politics of military intervention—and to state sovereignty, on the ethics of giving care and bearing witness, on the role of the mass media and on the professionalization of the 'aid business'.

 

Course

BGIA 334   International Human Rights

Professor

Tim Waters

CRN

90894

 

Schedule

Wed 4:00 – 6:20 pm     NYC Campus

Distribution

OLD: C

NEW: History

Description to follow.

 

Course

BGIA 330   Reporting on International Affairs

Professor

Michael Moran

CRN

90836

 

Schedule

Mon  7:00 – 9:20 pm  NYC Campus

Distribution

OLD: C

NEW: History

This course will put a heavy emphasis on reporting, writing and developing the sensibilities needed for success as an international news correspondent. We will focus heavily on the techniques of the craft, always in the context of contemporary world events and the realities of modern English-language media. A series of lecturers, and a visit to one of New York City's great newsrooms, will be included during the semester. This is not a course for purists, but rather a broad look at a varied, complex discipline. We will examine briefly many of the topics an international journalist will confront today. We also will touch upon the broadcast and Internet skills that no journalist who strives to be in interesting places at interesting times can afford to ignore in this modern world.

 

Course

BGIA 337  Microfinance & Entrepreneurship

Professor

Mayada El-Zoghbi

CRN

90837

 

Schedule

Mon  7:00 – 9:20 pm  NYC Campus

Distribution

OLD: C

NEW: History

Microfinance is a powerful poverty alleviation tool. The provision of financial services to the poor helps to increase household income and economic security, build assets and reduce vulnerability, create demand for other goods and services (especially nutrition, education, and health care), and stimulate local economies. However, it is estimated that only 10 per cent of the estimated one billion of the world’s economically active poor have access to basic financial services. There is a consensus within the development community that in order to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, including cutting absolute poverty in half by 2015, microfinance should be provided in a sustainable manner. This course is intended to provide students with an understanding of the role of microfinance within a broader economic development framework. More specifically, it explores where microfinance is able to create a positive impact and where other economic tools may be more appropriate. It will provide a critical understanding of the major concepts, trends and policies driving the development of the microfinance industry, and debates within the industry, including on issues such as poverty targeting and the role of gender. It will offer case studies in a number of areas, including in post-conflict and post-disaster areas.