Delve into the complex history of the 21st century’s ‘War on Drugs’ in order to examine the extent to which the policy was and is successful or is instead one of the biggest policy failures of the current century.
Does the ‘War on Drugs’ make the world safer, or is it the 21st century’s biggest failure? This course looks at the history of modern narcotics prohibition and its role in fermenting conflict, criminalising poverty and undermining rule of law and democracy. Students of international relations and global politics find plenty to think about on this course as they consider how the ‘War on Drugs’ influences human rights, development and sovereignty across the world, while empowering and enriching the world’s most dangerous criminals and their transnational networks. Through examining specific situations in countries such as the USA, Mexico, Colombia, Afghanistan and the Philippines, this course asks whether there is a way out of the current stalemate?
Course Content
10 LESSONS
10 HOURS Total Length
Lesson 1
An Overview: The ‘War on Drugs’ in the 21st Century
60 minutes
Lesson 2
The History of Narcotics Prohibition
60 minutes
Lesson 3
More than Escobar: Civil War in Colombia
60 minutes
Lesson 4
Poppies, Development and Insurgency: the Afghanistan Conundrum
60 minutes
Lesson 5
The Not-So Marvellous City: Rio de Janeiro’s War on the Poor
60 minutes
Lesson 6
Death Squads and Social Cleansing: Duterte’s Drug War in the Philippines
60 minutes
Lesson 7
Cartels and Chaos: Mexico
60 minutes
Lesson 8
Drug Wars and Policing in the USA
60 minutes
Lesson 9
MDMA: From Acid House to Post-Traumatic Therapy
60 minutes
Lesson 10
Is There a Way Out?
60 minutes
Key Skills
Critical Thinking
Forming Opinions
Global Thinking
Flexible Thinking
Educator
Damian P
World Affairs Expert
With more than two decades of experience working to promote the rights of disadvantaged communities, Damien has extensive experience in teaching and working with children around the world.
