About this lecture series
Lectures of Opportunity offer U.S. Naval War College (NWC) students, faculty, and staff an opportunity to learn more about national and international socio-political subjects that may be of relevance to the NWC community.
Synopsis
Dr. Patel will introduce the audience to the context presented by rapid urbanization for humanitarian operations in towns and cities working through the complexity challenging the traditional architecture and methods used in crisis response. Topics will include coordination among multiple stakeholders, urban violence and fragility, and urban informal settlements. He will then present the various emerging principles and approaches used to address this new environment ranging from locally driven programming to leveraging markets and new technology to resilience. After an overview, the audience will have the opportunity to select from a number of topics to drill deeper, analyze and discuss the new approaches for improved humanitarian action in an increasingly urban and thus, complex world.