Drugs, Peace, and Development: Rethinking Policy (FutureLearn)

Gain insights into the relationships between illicit drug economies, peacebuilding, and development in borderland regions. Explore new ways to tackle drugs, development, and peacebuilding challenges. There is growing awareness that the ‘war on drugs’ has failed and that there is a need for reformed drug policies. But what does this mean in practice? On this five-week course from SOAS University of London, you’ll delve into the latest debates in global drug policy and the current efforts to integrate drugs, development, and peacebuilding policies.

Enroll in course

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You’ll learn about the tensions and trade-offs between different policy goals and how these can be navigated to work towards more humane drug policies.

This course draws on world-leading research conducted in Afghanistan, Colombia, and Myanmar – countries that account for more than 90% of the world’s illicit opium production and more than half of the world’s cocaine production. In-depth case studies will take you into the lives of those involved in illicit drug economies.

Discover the complex relationships between illegal drugs, development, and peacebuilding in borderlands

You’ll learn how drugs, development, and peacebuilding intersect with one another in complex and surprising ways, and the consequences for people who depend upon illicit economies at the margins.

Explore the opportunities and challenges for more development-oriented drug policies

You’ll examine creative approaches and new policy directions for responding to illicit drugs. Within this, you’ll identify interventions that can generate more humane and inclusive outcomes for those involved in illicit drug economies.

Learn from experts at SOAS University of London and a global network of researchers

SOAS is a centre of excellence in research and policy approaches to drugs, development, and peacebuilding.

Drawing upon SOAS’s global networks, you’ll learn from a diverse range of experts that have worked on drug issues.

Syllabus

Week 1: Drugs, development and peacebuilding: the trilemma

Week 2: Drugs and drug policies

Week 3: Peacebuilding, violence and conflict

Week 4: Development

Week 5: Applying trilemma thinking

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

- Investigate the relationship between illicit drugs, conflict, and development, drawing on evidence from the borderlands of three major drug-producing regions of the world: Afghanistan, Colombia and Myanmar

- Identify policy linked to the wars on drugs and their different impacts on some of the world’s most marginalised populations

- Engage with contemporary debates on global drug policy and efforts to integrate drugs, development and peacebuilding policy

- Assess the tensions and trade-offs surrounding policy goals of a drug-free world, the promotion of peace and sustainable development

- Apply the concept of a policy ‘trilemma’ to navigate tensions and trade-offs between policy goals, and to devise more humane ways to tackle drugs, development and peacebuilding challenges
Who is the course for?

This course is designed for those involved or interested in the fields of conflict, peace, development, global security, public health, and drug programmes. Activists, researchers, policy makers and individuals working for NGOs will all find it valuable.