Development Studies Special Topics A (DEVT90007)

This subject involves the study of selected key issues in the field of development studies. It is intended that the subject will assist students in broadening their understanding of development processes and update their knowledge of current debates amongst development theorists and practitioners. This will be achieved by students taking advantage of subjects and/or lectures offered, or through intensive one-off courses offered by visitors with specialist expertise.

August 2019: Refugees and Forced Displacement in Global Perspective

Dr Louise Olliff, Senior Advisor, Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA),

In the context of unprecedented forced displacement globally, issues relating to the movement of people across borders due to persecution, conflict and generalised violence cross-cut and intersect with many key themes and debates in Development Studies. Evidence suggests that the root causes of forced displacement are closely linked to issues of poverty, inequality, colonial legacies and the failings of both states and global governance systems. What happens when a person crosses an international border and seeks ‘refugee protection’ provides fertile ground to explore questions of social responsibility – of the role of states, multilateral institutions, NGOs, civil society and local communities – and of the nexus between humanitarian, peacebuilding and development actors. This subject will explore the history and emergence of the international refugee regime as a global governance structure, how responses to forced displacement have evolved since the Post-WWII period, and some of the current challenges and debates in refugee studies.