international faculty, and is now recognised by the National Human Rights Commission in India, and several universities along with various grassroots organisations have collaborated over the years to make it a success.

There are several features of the course, which make it a unique programme. Readers of the report will find the details in subsequent pages; however it is important to summarise them and place them at the beginning: 

(a)     Emphasis on distance education, its innovation, and continuous improvement through interactive methods, including the use of web-based education;

(b)     International standard, rigorous nature of the course, customizing methodologies for forced migration research and generating original research inputs, field work, analysis of the protracted IDP situations, and a comprehensive regional nature of the course;

(c)     Emphasis on experiences of the victims of forced displacement in the conflict zones; such as India’s Northeast, Jammu & Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh and Chattisgarh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Israel/Palestine;

(d)     Special focus on auditing and strategizing media through workshops, film sessions and creative assignments;

(e)     Emphasis on gender justice;

(f)      Special attention to policy implications;

(g)     Follow up programmes such as spreading it to universities, providing inputs to future researchers, innovating local modules, training participants to become trainers of the future programmes;

And, finally building up the programme as a facilitator of a network of several universities, grassroots organisations, Mothers’ Fronts, research foundations, UN institutions etc.