DWA 401 Human Development in a World of Promise and Peril

This seminar-style course will focus on practical case studies to identify the drivers of, and potential brakes on, sustainable human development. Illustrative country cases from around the globe will focus students on the present day reality of people's lives, the role of development planning policies and actions by the state, and how the norms established at the global level of the UN are implemented at the national, as well as local, level. Modern day global issues related to population dynamics, climate change, inequality, food security, energy access, natural and man-made disasters, and others will be examined for their impact on human development against the backdrop of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio +20), the U.N.'s focus on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, and the Millennium Development Goals. Cases will range from a review of specific UN programs that went to scale and led to fundamental national change (e.g. Mongolia microfinance, Cambodia decentralization, and Ethiopia's HIV/AIDS response), to a review of individual countries where multiple UN programs and the political economy stand out as driving factors for change (e.g. Myanmar, Costa Rica, and Brazil). These cases will be informed through literature review and through contact with UN staff and UN agencies who worked on the programs, as well as with individuals from the concerned missions.