Global Studies and Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs Programs are pleased to offer a brand new course focused on Refugees, Displaced Persons, and (Im)migrants this coming fall. All UNL students no matter their class rank are welcome to register.
Course Description:
According to UNHCR there are currently 70.8 million forcibly displaced people around the world today. Of those, 41.3 million are internally displaced people, 25.9 million are considered refugees, and 3.5 million are recognized as asylum seekers. As a refugee relocation center, Nebraska has resettled over 12,000 refugees since 2002, and countless migrants and immigrants have made our state their home. This course will help us understand why people leave their homes by focusing on various push factors including persecution, war and armed conflict, natural disasters, and poverty. The forcefully displaced populations affect both their home country as well as the countries that receive them. Understanding what caused such large-scale movements, as well as understanding different ways in which we can resolve this issue is an important global challenge necessitating examination and discussion. The ultimate goal of the course is to encourage solutions to problems caused by mass forced migrations by examining what has been done in various places around the world, as well as what can be done in the future.
Learning Outcomes:
1. Understand human rights, immigration, migration patterns, legal structures and globalization.
2. Understand local, national, and international responses to the problem of forced migration
3. Articulate obstacles to effective protection and assistance of these populations
4. Become familiar with resources available for further research on migration studies
5. Understand various solutions to the global forced migration crisis