Protecting Civilians in Conflict

How can civilians be protected in today’s wars—and what makes protection succeed or fail? As conflicts grow more complex, the risks faced by non-combatants have intensified. Understanding how international norms, peacekeeping practices, and local agency interact to shape civilian safety has never been more urgent.

This course examines the major debates driving civilian protection in contemporary conflict. You will explore fundamental questions such as: What is the civilian protection norm? Who is responsible for safeguarding civilians? How do armed and unarmed strategies compare in practice? Why do peacekeepers face persistent dilemmas? And what can we learn from current conflicts such as Sudan, Ukraine, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo?

You’ll examine:

• The evolution, principles and politics of the civilian protection norm.

• The roles, mandates and constraints of actors such as the UN, NATO, NGOs and civilian peacekeepers.

• Comparative effectiveness of armed and unarmed protection strategies.

• Operational, ethical and strategic dilemmas in UN peacekeeping missions.

• Real-world protection challenges in Sudan, Ukraine and the DRC.

Led by Dr Sukanya Podder, Reader in Post-War Reconstruction and Peacebuilding, the course blends conceptual foundations with insights from extensive field research and policy engagement. Drawing on global case studies and contemporary scholarship, you will develop practical analytical tools for assessing protection strategies in volatile environments.

By the end, you will be able to evaluate competing approaches, identify structural and political constraints, and propose context-sensitive strategies to improve civilian protection in the world’s most challenging conflict settings.