HUMANITARIAN NEWSLETTER
June 9 - 23, 2014 
Training Humanitarians Around The World
IDHA 43 BEGINS AT FORDHAM UNIVERSITY IN NEW YORK
Last week, the Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs (IIHA) began its 43rd International Diploma in Humanitarian Assistance (IDHA) at Fordham University in New York, welcoming 35 students from 21 different nations, representing 27 different humanitarian organizations and currently working in 24 countries around the world.

The course was opened by University Professor and President of the Center for International Humanitarian Cooperation (CIHC), Kevin M. Cahill, M.D.; President of Fordham University, Rev. Joseph M. McShane S.J.; IIHA Humanitarian Programs Director, Larry Hollingworth, C.B.E.; and IIHA Executive Director, Brendan Cahill. The first week alone included lectures from the IIHA's esteemed network of speakers and tutors including Ambassador Francis M. Deng, Peter Hansen, Diego Guerrero Oris, Angela Jackson, Anthony Land, Mark Little, Pamela Lupton-Bowers, Al Panico, Gonzalo S�nchez-Ter�n, and Alexander van Tulleken.

On Thursday, Human Rights in Humanitarian Crises Co-Director, Elisabeth Wickeri, delivered a session on Human Rights Law which was then followed by a session on International Humanitarian Law (IHL) delivered by Daniel McLaughlin. The day of law continued with a discussion about the international community's approach to humanitarian intervention, highlighted by Melissa Labonte's session on the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) and a look at Immigration Law, led by James Stillwaggon.

As the students geared up for their first syndicate presentations on Friday, Tim Peek led a morning session on Media, during which students were able to consider the various representations and misrepresentations of information in the news and examine the effectiveness of communications and media in their own work and organizations.

The next few weeks will prove to be an extremely challenging, yet undoubtedly rewarding experience for the participants, as they set their eyes on joining the ranks of over 2,300 IDHA Alumni who have undergone the same pressures and late night syndicate preparations they will endure this June. Happy IDHA!
WORLD HUMANITARIAN SUMMIT CONTINUES ONLINE CONSULTATIONS
The World Humanitarian Summit online consultations offer the humanitarian community an opportunity to identify and prioritize global solutions around improving humanitarian effectiveness, increasing innovation, addressing needs of people in conflict, and reducing disaster risks.   
 

The World Humanitarian Summit online consultation for West and Central Africa is now entering the final week of the discussion period before  the regional event in C�te d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast). The WHS Secretariat invites thoughts and feedback before the discussion closes on Friday, June 13. The WHS online consultation period for North and South-East Asia has been extended until Friday, June 20. The Global Consultation remains open for your comments. The discussions are open to everyone to contribute and are actively moderated by experienced humanitarian practitioners. 

 

@WHSummit is also organizing two live interactive webinars for the North and South-East Asia Consultations. Please see more details in the Online Events section of this newsletter.

 
For more information about the World Humanitarian Summit, please contact info@whsummit.org. 
HUMANITARIANISM & ACADEMIA
Call For Papers
ALUMNI UPDATES
Congratulations to Dominic Kilbane (IDHA 37 NY), and his wife, Helen, on their newborn, Ella! 
Andreas Kiaby (IDHA 30 New York) assumed a position as International Advisor in Humanitarian Advocacy and Humanitarian Law at the Danish Red Cross. He now supports international programs in 27 countries with a particular focus on advocacy, IHL, human rights, gender and social inclusion. He works alongside Kaspar Bro Larsen (IDHA 13 Geneva) and recently met with Emilie Chazelle (IDHA 30 Dublin and Forced Migration 3 Barcelona) in Amman and Bettina Schulte (IDHA 40 New York and Communications & Media 2 Nairobi) in Copenhagen.
Gisele Menye Ntsama-Langue
(IDHA 39 Berlin) graduated from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy with a Master of Arts in Humanitarian Assistance (with a focus on Post-conflict interventions and nutrition policies).
Send us your news! 
Have you recently transitioned organizations or missions? Are you looking for contacts in a particular region? Contact us!
IIHA Course Calendar

JUNE 1 - JUNE 28
 
JUNE 22 - JUNE 28

JUNE 29 - JULY 5
STAY CONNECTED
Like us on Facebook   Follow us on Twitter   View our profile on LinkedIn 
JOB/INTERNSHIP
OPPORTUNITIES
NEW YORK EVENTS
Tuesday, June 10 | 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM and 12:15 AM - 3:00 PM
 

For more information: Please contact Ms. Visser at Siebrich@hscollective.org or Maria Van Steendelaar at maria-van.steendelaar@minbuza.nl

Location: Netherlands Mission to UN- 666 Third Avenue, 19th floor New York, NY 10017
Wednesday, June 18 | 3:00 - 5:00 PM
 

As recent events illustrate, the last three years have marked an unprecedented surge in child migration from Central America and Mexico. A panel of experts from international and local organizations will examine the increasing insecurity in Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Mexico, and the resulting implications for destination communities, such as New York.

 

This growing trend calls into question dichotomies of forced and economic migration and presents new challenges and protection issues to communities that wish to welcome these young people and support their integration and development.

 

This event is co-sponsored by the Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs (IIHA) and the Feerick Center for Social Justice.

 

To RSVP: Kindly visit the Fordham website.

 

For more information: Please visit the IIHA website or contact Kasia Laskowski.

Location: McNally Amphitheatre, Fordham School of Law, 140 W. 62nd St., New York, N.Y. 10023
Wednesday, June 18 | 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
 

Alcides Soares is one of the 500,000 Mozambican kids who lost both parents to AIDS. Two film luminaries help this 16 year old to make a short film about his life as an AIDS orphan in Maputo, Mozambique. Home Is Where You Find It, Alcides's documentary about finding family, is both intimate and inspiring. 

 

For more information: Please visit the UNA-NY website.

Location: Dolby 88 Screening Room, 1350 Avenue of the Americas (at West 55th Street), Lobby Level, New York, NY 10019
 
65th ANNUAL UN DPI/NGO CONFERENCE
2015 and Beyond: Our Action Agenda
Wednesday, August 27 - Friday, August 29
 
The 65th Annual UN DPI/ NGO Conference will take place at a critical time in the post-2015 process. As the international community strives to achieve the Millennium Development Goals while formulating the post-2015 development agenda including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), 2015 is recognized to be a once-in-a-generation opportunity for transformational change. The purpose of this Conference is to harness the strategies, expertise and resources across the broadest spectrum of civil society to move poverty eradication, sustainability, human rights and climate justice into the mainstream discourse, and spark sustained public demand for lasting political action in support of an ambitious outcome from the post-2015 sustainable development process.

 

Location: United Nations Headquarters, New York, USA
NATIONAL EVENTS
Tuesday, June 10 - Friday, June 13

The most influential event of its kind, the 30th annual InterAction Forum brings together leaders from not-for-profits, governments, philanthropy, corporations, and civil society to advance collaboration, effectiveness, and innovation in our work to end poverty and move us toward a more sustainable and equitable future.

 

Issues like natural disasters, food price volatility, climate change, technological advancement, and gender equity remain complex and dynamic. To build effective, sustainable long-term solutions that will serve the most vulnerable populations, alleviate poverty, and advance equality around the world, we need to harness the strength of multiple sectors, each with different perspectives and mandates. This four day Forum focuses on enhancing partnerships between all stakeholders to develop effective programs, policies, and mutually-beneficial solutions to alleviate poverty and advance equality and sustainability around the world.

 

For more information: Please visit www.interaction.org 

 

To register: Please click here.

 

Location: Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Pl., NW,  Washington, D.C. 20001 
Wednesday, November 19 - Thursday, November 20

The Aid & International Development Forum's 6th annual Disaster Relief Summit is the world-leading gathering for international humanitarian experts at relief agencies, NGOs and charity associations, UN and government agencies, development banks and donors and innovative technology and service providers. AIDF summits are designed to create a mutual platform to facilitate and encourage exchange of thoughts, share expertise and present the lessons learned through first-hand experiences. The summit strives to enable quicker and better response during crisis and catastrophes in a more effective, sustainable and cost-efficient way.

 

To register: Please register online here.

Location: Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington DC, 20004, USA
INTERNATIONAL EVENTS

Gender Based Violence and HIV/AIDS

Thursday, June 12 - Friday, June 13


This workshop will explore the different facets of gender-based violence like economic violence, physical abuse, genital cutting, and psychological abuse, and how they cause HIV infections. This workshop will also help participants understand how to intervene and address GBV and HIV.

 

For more information or to register: Please visit the website or email info@mersey-sa.co.za.

Location: Hackle Brook Meetings on Conrad, Craighall Park, Johannesburg, South Africa 
Tuesday, June 17 - Thursday, June 19

The objective of this workshop is to provide a space for exchange between REDLAC partners and other humanitarian actors with the overall goal of improving the work of disaster preparation and response in Latin America and the Caribbean. Specifically, the various sessions will explore possibilities for creating horizontal synergies between organizations and countries, consider innovative proposals for humanitarian work in a changing and dynamic context, and seek mechanisms to improve accountability of actions, among others.

 

For more information: Please visit the website or contact Himshem Him at himh@un.org.

Location: Panama City, Republic of Panama
Saturday, July 19 - Sunday, July 20

This conference aims to provide a platform for discussion and debate, bringing together actors from UN agencies, NGOs, academia, and both the public and private sectors. It will discuss ideas traditionally used in the private sector to improve the responses in emergencies, protracted crisis and post-conflict recovery and how humanitarians have turned to innovative solutions to face critical challenges in the field.

 

To register: Please visit the Oxford University website.

For additional information: Please contact hiproject@qeh.ox.ac.uk 
 

Location: Keble College, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PG
Monday, November 3 - Wednesday, November 5

The 2nd international Conference on Urban Sustainability and Resilience will be held at University College London from 3rd - 5th November 2014. The inaugural conference took place in 2012 and was a great success, generating a high level of interest and a stimulating agenda-setting debate.
             

Registration: Please click here.

For any additional questions or topic suggestions: Please email usarconference2014@ucl.ac.uk.

Location: University College London, Chadwick Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom. Please visit the Venue website for additional information.
ONLINE EVENTS

Humanitarian Effectiveness in a 

Changing Landscape

Thursday, June 12 | 4:00 - 5:00 PM (BKK)
 
This event will deal with questions regarding humanitarian effectiveness in the regional endeavor context and endeavor to pinpoint how the humanitarian landscape has changed in the region over the last years, and how the humanitarian system will need to be changed in order to better meet the increasing and changing needs of affected people.
 
Speakers will include Mr. Oliver Lacey-Hall, Head of the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Mr. Jagan Chapagain, Regional Director of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Asia Pacific zone, and Ms. Lilianne Fan, Humanitarian Policy Group (HPG) of the Overseas Development Institute (ODI).

 

 For more information and to register: Please visit the website.
Monday, June 16 | 3:00 - 4:30 PM (BST)
 

Join the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) as it presents the updated Global Multidimensional Poverty Index 2014, an international measure of acute poverty covering over 100 developing countries which provides invaluable insights for the post-2015 development agenda. We will present new estimations for 30 countries covering 2.5 billion people, and release new studies that answer the following questions: What percentage of MPI poor people live in rural vs urban areas? Who are the destitute and where do they live? Reducing MPI poverty - LICs and LDC heroes. Inequality and Disparity.

 

To register: Please visit the ODI website. 

Location: 203 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 8NJ and streamed live online. 

Humanitarian Response in 

Situations of Armed Conflict

Thursday, June 19 |4:00 - 5:00 PM (BKK)
 
 
This event will deal with regionally relevant issues such as population displacement, accountability of governments and aid organizations, access of people to humanitarian action, and protection of civilians.  

 

For more information and to register: Please visit the website.