GRADUATE PROGRAM IN CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND COEXISTENCE
The Heller School for Social Policy and Management
113HS-267F-1 Humanitarian Negotiation
Alain Lempereur, Alan B. Slifka Professor in Coexistence and Conflict Resolution
Class Time: Spring 2016, Module 2, Friday, 2:00 pm 4:50 pm
Location: Heller, 163
Contact information for Prof. Lempereur
Fall Office Hours: Please use the following Google Doc
Office: Heller School Building, #106
Email:[email protected]
Phone: x 63959
Skype ID:Alain-Lempereur
Course Description
Humanitarian negotiators are ordinary people who do extraordinary things to protect the most vulnerable in highly volatile contexts, engaging interlocutors that some deem the least legitimate to talk to and the least likely to convince.
Humanitarians address human- or nature-made disasters. They make life saving the purpose of their negotiation moves and embody the responsibility to protect, at strategic, operational and ground levels. First, they seek access to those who need protection, and assess their needs. Second, they inform the different stakeholders of how to take action and they inquire about how to trigger humanity in the reality in order to alleviate suffering. Finally, they stay engaged in a sustainable way as long as lives are threatened. They act as de facto advocates of the war wounded, prisoners, refugees or internally displaced people, women or children at risk, civilians, victims, etc. They cope with dilemmas that idealists/pragmatists, perpetrators, obstructionists, sympathizers, or bystanders raise and they help persuade them by leveraging many motivations. Through a complex process of joint problem solving with people, they ensure vital nutrition, care, and shelter.
This advanced module on humanitarian diplomacy builds on, and further tests, the Responsible Negotiation methods of the semester course. It seeks to understand frontline negotiators challenges and to provide a practical motivation-based framework that supports the field. This class explores past and present negotiators, historical figures and unsung heroes, who got small but crucial yesses on behalf of noncombatants in danger. It explores real-life cases and simulations involving the ICRC, MSF, UNHCR and UNOCHA, WFP, NRC, other humanitarian organizations, religious charities, and even businesses. We cover 150 years of humanitarian diplomacys unique contributions to saving countless lives.
Objectives
Exploring humanitarian responsibility
The course examines how to integrate the responsibility to protect as a permanent drive in humanitarian negotiation, which is defined as a joint process of solving problems between people on behalf of beneficiaries who deserve protection.
People Care Negotiators as caretakers
Put people first (the needs of the most vulnerable, humanity, impartiality, proximity, identity, benevolence, gender, culture, etc.).
Aim for sustainable relationships (and overcome difficult behaviors and roadblocks).
Structure instructions, organizations, coordination and coalitions to reach deals that conform to humanity and its dignity.
Ensure dynamic mapping of all relevant stakeholders in their complexity (including the most vulnerable, local communities, principals, implementers, other humanitarian agencies, the government, the elders, bystanders, the non-state armed groups, commanders and soldiery, perpetrators, the press, etc.).
Problem Solving Negotiators as problem solvers
Leverage humanitarian values, principles, and norm compliance (R2P, humanity, suffering alleviation, neutrality, etc.) beyond political/economic/religious/ procedural obstacles in the search for adequate solutions (legitimate, doable, legal).
Look for broadly acceptable solutions, which respond optimally to the underlying problems of the most vulnerable, i.e. minimizing suffering, maximizing relief, ensuring human dignity, and open to review.
Achieve positive humanitarian impact of the solutions on the beneficiaries and the general environment to be safe, peaceful, caring, sustainable, green, etc.
Process Facilitation Negotiators as facilitators
Carry on a facilitative process to have access to, and to protect the most vulnerable in a timely fashion.
Empower the most vulnerable at all stages, from assessing needs to implementing operations and handing over.
Build ownership of the solutions with all.
Implement the agreement in practice and overcome possible roadblocks at all levels (strategic, operational and tactical).
Ensure broad accountability for any decision (i.e. not only with principals, but beyond the traditional two-level power structure) and provide feedback loops.
Learning Goals for the Members of this Class
Increase awareness about humanitarian negotiation responsibility and complexity.
Assess various actors approaches and skills, strengths and challenges.
Understand how to align values, norms, attitudes and behaviors, ends and means.
Broaden the negotiation repertoire to better protect humanitarians and beneficiaries.
Cope creatively with dilemmas, tensions, and dividers.
Build integrative conversations, optimizing active perception and persuasion.
Improve relationships and trust with principals, peers, teams, and all stakeholders.
Leverage the power of organizations and of positive coalitions.
Further the cause of human dignity, nonviolence and coexistence.
Craft effective deals and contracts to deliver life-saving and principle-abiding results
Learn how to really learn from experience.
Teaching Methods
This course consists of 7 class sessions taught once a week for 3 hours per class. One extra-session has been scheduled on March 29 between 10am and 2pm. As participants, you are sometimes asked to meet before class in order to prepare in groups. The course features practical simulations (role plays) or cases that you have to:
Read at home beforehand (in general, instructions are distributed the week before and must be prepared carefully),
Role-play with your classmates, in pairs or in teams, with designated partners so that you can work with as-many-as-possible diverse classmates, either before class or in class,
Debrief and discuss internally with your designated partners, once you are done, and capture the key lessons on both process and results in writing a summary report, whatever the results are, whether you reach an agreement or not,
Discuss with the entire group, through exchange of good practices and awareness of bottlenecks (make sure you have two or three points to share with everyone), and,
Connect your experience to the readings, and to relevant theories, concepts and tools, which are explored in class, summarized in PowerPoint presentations, and can then be mobilized in the next sessions or negotiation simulations or cases.
Participants in the class will also be exposed to exercises and video excerpts that they can review and analyze.
Disability
If you have a documented disability on record at Brandeis University and require accommodations, please bring it to the instructors attention prior to the second meeting of the class. If you have any questions about this process, contact Mary Brooks, disabilities coordinator for The Heller School at [email protected].
Requirements
Attendance, Punctuality, and Active Participation
In order to benefit from experiential learning, you are required to attend every class, barring documented illness. Please also arrive on time at the beginning of every class and after the break. If you know you will be absent or late for a legitimate reason, make sure you warn in advance your instructor, who cannot accept unexcused absences. Whatever the reasons, should you miss more than one class, unfortunately, you will not qualify for credit. Attendance means more than just coming to class and signing the attendance list. You are expected to actively participate, including for group preparation before class.
Assignments and Readings
In order to ensure active participation in the best possible conditions, make sure you complete the assignments listed below on time. You should do so in advance of each class and submit the required documents spontaneously before each class, except if it expressly says otherwise. For the preparation of class time, it is highly recommended that you annotate personal copies of, or make notes from the readings. You might be called upon to discuss readings in class and to participate in individual or group presentations. Therefore come to class prepared to allow well-informed discussions. Enjoy complete academic freedom in the classroom, within the limits defined by mutual respect.
As you will be assigned different roles in negotiation simulations or cases, you should not communicate before class with students who are not on the same side as you.
Writing Requirements, and Academic Integrity
The writing requirements listed below are intended to encourage you to approach reading materials critically, to foster improved research and writing skills, and to serve as a basis for contributing to class discussion and a diversity of opinions. You are expected to devote careful attention to the technical quality of your written work, as well as its substance. Honesty matters in all academic work, and is strictly enforced by the instructor. (Please consult this Brandeis weblink). We cannot insist enough on the fact that all written work for this course must include appropriate citation of the sources used.
