Study non-profit management, urban and environmental policy, human resources, and international affairs at the Milano School of International Affairs, Management, and Urban Policy, a part of The New School in New York City. | [ Ссылка ]

Humanitarianism is no longer seen simply as a heroic undertaking, or an ideal that gives meaning to the use of force for civilian protection. In many contemporary debates, the focus is on the moral hazards of humanitarianism, from its role in African conflict zones to its corollary exercise of post conflict state building. For years the theater of perhaps the most complex humanitarian intervention of the post-Cold War era, Kosovo offers the opportunity to take a critical look at a whole set of critical issues related to humanitarianism.

In the 1990s, western diplomacy dramatically failed to stop the war in the Balkans. When Milosevic turned a brutal counterinsurgency against the Albanian separatist guerrilla into ethnic cleansing, NATO finally intervened in Kosovo. The humanitarian crisis was contained, but thousands civilians were killed and almost a million people displaced.

At the end of the war, the Yugoslav province of Kosovo became a UN-led trusteeship, preparing for self-government. Independence was declared in 2008, but Kosovo remains locked into a "permanent transition." Because Serbia and many other countries do not recognize Kosovo, the UN Mission still plays the role of guarantor of Security Council Resolution 1244 and remains status neutral. A new EU Rule-of-Law Mission holds a quasi-executive role. The International Civilian Office monitors progress in decentralization and protection of minorities. Yet, despite twelve years of international supervision, Kosovo's democratic credentials are still in doubt, as elections are contested and the leadership accused of corruptions and crimes.

Graduate Program in International Affairs | [ Ссылка ]

At very different times, former US diplomat James Rubin and UN Special Representative Lamberto Zannier have been key figures in the Kosovo intervention. Join them in a discussion on what we can understand and learn from their experience. Introduction by Michael Cohen, director of the Graduate Program in International Affairs at The New School, and moderation by Anna Di Lellio, lecturer at the Graduate Program in International Affairs and Country Coordinator for the International Field Program in Kosovo at The New School.

Location: Wollman Hall, Eugene Lang Building, 65 West 11th Street.
02/16/2011 6:00 p.m.

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