Internal Displacement, Conflict and Protection

This course provides insight into the phenomenon of internal displacement, a major humanitarian and development challenge in today’s world. Taking a global perspective, you will learn about who internally displaced persons (IDPs) are and where they come from, as well as delving into the fundamentals of the global protection response for IDPs and potential ‘solutions’ for those who have been internally displaced. The course places you at the centre of the learning experience through engagement with a range of robust and challenging activities, materials and online peer engagement.

This course has been developed by a specialised consortium of research networks and institutions working on IDP protection and research:

• Global Engagement Network on Internal Displacement in Africa

• Latin American Network on Internal Displacement

• Middle East Network for Research on Internal Displacement

• Internal Displacement Research Programme and Birkbeck at the University of London. Learners who have completed this course may seek to continue studying on our online Master’s programme in Refugee Protection and Forced Migration Studies. In 2019, this MA was awarded the prestigious Roger Mills Prize for its innovative approach to online learning. That programme builds upon the MOOC experience, delivering a fully accredited Master’s degree in an online learning environment.

The development of this course was supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), on behalf of the UKRI Global Challenge Research Fund (GCRF) as part of the funded project “Interdisciplinary Network on Internal Displacement, Conflict and Protection” (AH/T005351/1), working in collaboration with network leaders Dr Beatriz Sanchez Mojica, Dr Hana Asfour and Dr Romola Adeola.

Key learning objectives:

• Explain the main trends in internal displacement, and why IDPs merit special assistance

• Assess ‘protection’ and ‘solutions’ for IDPs, including the links to development

• Evaluate the experience of internal displacement, drawing on research and creative sources