SSJ30107

Description

This course seeks to understand the experiences of urban refugees and forced migrants from a range of countries of origin and living in a number of cities, and how humanitarian actors, municipal authorities, and other actors incorporate these populations into urban planning and development initiatives. According to the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), over 60 per cent of the world's refugees and 80 per cent of those displaced within their countries of origin live in urban environments. The UNHCR and its humanitarian partners now recognize that cities must play a key role in hosting refugees given the limitation and shrinking hopes of voluntary return to a peaceful country of origin for large numbers of refugees. This course considers a number of questions, including: What do we know about the lived experiences of urban refugees? How can we maximize the potential of urban refugees? What livelihood options allow urban refugees to cope with their displacement? Does a strategic focus on urban refugees contribute to a shift in the discourse of migration-related development? Coursework is comprised of readings, discussion, and a final project of the student's choice. Formerly IDCE 30107. Students who have already passed IDCE 30107 cannot receive credit for SSJ 30107 and should not take this course.