Students will have the opportunity to engage in specially designed courses. The main focus will be placed on issues of global importance while maintaining personal relevance through interactive and challenging means.

All students will be required to take minimum of two courses but can take up to three. The main course that everyone will take is “Poverty, Social Struggle and Revolution,” students will then choose between “History, Society and Photography”, “Spanish Language course” for a 6 credit program or both for an intensive 9 credit program.

All courses are taught in English and are fully accredited by the Universidad Nacional de Tres de Febrero our ongoing academic partner. Each course is worth 3 US/6 ECTS semester credits. Credits can be transferred upon approval from the student's home university.

Main course: (taken by all TPO Participants)

Poverty, Social Struggle and Revolution:

3 US Credits/6 ECTS

Poverty is one of the most pressing problems in the world today and this course will provide you with an overview of the causes of poverty and some of the ways out of it. A specific objective is to identify and analyze the role of politics in both the causation and elimination of poverty.

Poverty is an intrinsic component of the daily struggles for survival of the more than one billion people in the developing world. Poverty is rising rapidly in Europe and Central Asia, and continuing to rise in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa. In Asia, where most of the world’s poor live, the proportion in poverty has declined over the past two decades although the Asian crisis slowed down overall progress. In general, the world appears to be divided into clusters of countries, the worst of which seem to be caught in a ‘poverty trap’. The course will address to what extent the continued existence of poverty can be attributed to national and international policies. In this context, certain key questions will be addressed: What are the causes of extreme poverty and famine and the role of politics in combating such deprivation? Why have conventional approaches to development not had greater impact on poverty reduction? Will a human rights-based approach to poverty reduction result in greater urgency and effectiveness in tackling the problem? What has been the role of bilateral and multilateral agencies in poverty reduction and are certain regimes better equipped to eradicate poverty than others?

In addition we will be focusing on the ways in which ideological, political, and legal-institutional factors have shaped the historical development, current structure, and future possibilities for welfare policy at an international level. Discussion will center on public welfare, medical care, social security and workfare, and the racial distribution of poverty.

This course will emphasize class discussion and group interaction as a part of the learning process. An important part of this course will be building connections with local organizations that will serve as examples of actors in the political arena, to better understand the process and its effect in the “real world”. An example of such are the famous worker run factories. After analyzing the currennt social situation in Buenos Aires, students will then decide on an issue they would like to impact, and through a community service project they will be given the resources necessary to help make a difference.

“A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”

Margaret Mead

Additional Courses:

History, Society & Photography:

3 US Credits/6 ECTS

• Historicity and Social Conscience
• Looking at “the other”
• Political use of images
• Photography, reality and the truth. The digital era.

Intensive Spanish Language Course:

3 US Credits/6 ECTS

• Course will cover grammar, writing skills &reading comprehension
• Oral communication will be an essential component of course.
• Experienced and motivated teachers
• Small groups allowing more individual attention.

For additional course information please e-mail Lcsala@tomorrowpeople.org