STUDENT 2
1. Conflict-affected areas, according to the lecture, are locations where violence and/or conflict is extremely high and when these areas face high levels of conflict/violence, it can lead to high levels of poverty and other societal issues. Despite this, it is imperative that children living in these areas receive a quality education, but providing this education comes with many challenges. Burde et al., in their text, Education in Emergencies (2017) found that three factors play a part in the relationship between education and conflict: Access, Learning, and Protection. When conflict-affected areas are met with these barriers, children aren’t able to learn effectively. For instance, Burde et al. (2017) noted that conflict such as war has the ability to limit access to education due to destroyed schools and school systems, and/or injuries and deaths upon teachers and students. When taking learning into consideration, the authors find that what students are taught and how they are taught contributes to conflict through what is considered the hidden curriculum. Children are more prone to following specific values and beliefs when they learn about them in school. Education is often viewed as a form of protection, especially in these conflict-affected areas. While trauma stemming from conflict can negatively impact a child’s education, schools provide a safety net and ultimately mitigate these effects.
2. In areas with high levels of violence, conflict, and/or environmental disasters, the focus is rarely on providing education to children. Researchers find that including education in humanitarian aid programs would continue to develop education for all of those impacted and increase the protection of children, including their right to education. Specifically, Burde et al. (2017) note that education in these areas can provide a stable and structured routine which would grant a sense of normalcy, provide psychosocial support and develop resiliency among children, and supply other necessities such as nutrition, water, and even temporary shelter.
3. As always, I’m very mixed in my feelings towards this question. While I don’t necessarily think that a partnership between private and non-profit organizations should be implemented when considering education in conflict-affected areas, I do think they can provide certain beneficial resources. From my perspective of the information we’ve learned throughout the semester, privatization of public institutions has done more harm than good, especially on low-income individuals. According to the lecture, there are around 50 million children in these areas who are out of school and this can potentially lead to further instability. When private sectors try to partner with nonprofits, individuals are often taken advantage of and end up owing thousands of dollars in debt, so in my opinion, adding private organizations into the mix, whose primary goal is to make a profit, can potentially lead to more instability. On the other hand, these private organizations can likely provide the necessary resources that conflict-affected areas actually need through methods such as funding.
DISCUSSION 2 (ANSWER INDIVIDUALLY)
The film “Send in the Clowns” is about the work of non-profit organizations (NGOs) Clowns Without Border in conflict affected areas – Haiti. The film brings to attention several ethical and moral dilemmas involved in working in such areas.
1) Use specific examples from the film, highlight various dilemmas people in the documentary were contemplating? Think about the conversations around what should the organization be doing? Is working to spread laughter a worthy cause or should the organization instead focus on providing food/clothing/shelter? What happens when the organization leaves? What do they leave behind and how does that affect the people? What steps should NGOs take to ensure they address the needs of the people on the ground without causing undue harm?
2) What are your thoughts on non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working in emergency areas. Do you support or not support NGOs working in emergency areas? Support your answer using examples from the film and lecture.
VIDEOS
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1L24ojFfnKdz4fKRxabjioZeVW2x3bgSM/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1R0oilZccgVGy9Tc_-W-E48kshyvOWfr3/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DnywDMC1qdePJVsYZM316jv0MIovbe39/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/11MpCzCu6CmlhZzUpHVDwouVzaW3Ur6Z4/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gAfyP83ArjY792xcP9JqbYHTHUFl4NtA/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1v9Jx-ZGBXyTpEqMSGn_mA_s_hkgde-y2/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Khi2-X2dormHTOKiRY4jdny2S2u80d0j/view?usp=sharing
