The Research School on Peace and Conflict invites applications for the course 'Humanitarian Action and the Protection of Civilians' 28-30 October. The course is based on the research project Protection of Civilians: from principle to practice, organised in collaboration between CMI, NUPI and PRIO within the Norwegian Centre for Humanitarian Studies. It will be lectured by project members and coincide with a project workshop.

The protection of civilians (PoC) became a central concern in the international community in the late 1990s, accompanying an upsurge in humanitarian action and peacekeeping. While considerable efforts have been made by the UN and the humanitarian community to integrate PoC in policies, it is less evident how the principle is operationalized and institutionalized in practices on the ground. This research course explores the international political conditions for the PoC agenda and how these are reflected in the role and impact of humanitarian action in cases like Afghanistan, Uganda, Somalia, South Sudan and Colombia.

While designed for PhD candidates, the course is also open for practitioners with a relevant educational background who are working on aspects of the protection of civilians. MA students writing their thesis on a related subject would also be welcome to apply.

The deadline for applications is 8 September 2014. For more information on curriculum and registration, please see the course website.