Reference no: EM133759310 , Length: word count:1700
Assessment Reflective
ASSESSMENT DESCRIPTION
Background: In a world of escalating crises, conflict and climate change, the humanitarian system seems no longer fit for purpose or to deal with the scale and severity of crises in the 21st century. Climate change, increasing fragility and conflict, and financial and economic crises compound disasters, while top-down approaches and system reform initiatives have failed to deliver transformational change. Progress towards decolonising aid, shifting the power and achieving the localisation agenda has stalled. Taken as a whole, the international development system has failed to respond meaningfully to the polycrisis compounding global inequality and poverty. Despite the commitments to address the power inequities in the international development system, most notably the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Grand Bargain commitments announced at the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul in 2016, the Sustainable Development Report (2023) reveals little progress has been made towards the SDGs in most key development areas.
Task: To encourage students to practice summarising and reflecting on concepts and approaches in an engaging format, you are asked to write a development blog of 2200 words. Students are encouraged to add hyperlinks to related blogs or online articles and use topic-related images, figures, maps, drawings, etc., which can reduce the required word count to 1700 words - discuss with your tutor if unsure. This assignment will give you the opportunity for less formal reflective engagement with different audiences to communicate critical approaches to development.
Using workshops 1 (SDG) and 2 (Theoretical Approaches) and the background materials provided for them - write a critique of the SDGs that addresses failures and successes at global and local scales. Use specific examples to reflect on the connection between the SDGs and the lived experience of individuals or families in the majority world. (i.e., reflect on how it makes you feel about international development - inspired, depressed, confused - does it challenge your thinking? You are encouraged to write in the first person).
Writing Style: This is an academic blog aimed at a general, but well-educated audience and should be appropriately referenced with in-text citations to support your argument without overwhelming the blog (meaning less frequent citations than a purely academic journal article).
References from core readings and beyond are required to support and strengthen your biog. Both Taylor and Francis publishing and Hamilton College have articles on writing academic blogs that may assist you.
Requirements: 2200 words (+/- 10%). As described above, there is an option to use images that help tell the story and, in doing so, reduce the required word count to 1700 words - best to discuss with your tutor.
Referencing: All assignments must be fully referenced according to the APA referencing style.