HUMANITARIAN NEWSLETTER
September 3 - 17, 2014 
Training Humanitarians Around The World
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Dear Friends,

 

As we begin each Academic Year, we take the opportunity to evaluate and improve the various ways we connect with our growing network of students, alumni, faculty and friends - both within the Fordham community and the larger humanitarian community worldwide.  


For years, The Humanitarian Newsletter has served as the main source of communication between the Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs (IIHA) and its rapidly growing networks. By including humanitarian news, events, and an extensive list of internship and employment opportunities, we work diligently to keep our readers informed and engaged. As you may have noticed over the past few months, we have also changed our newsletter to a more user-friendly and interactive platform, while continuing to add and modify various sections to better target the needs and interests of our readers - now numbering over 6,000.

To ensure that we provide the most current list of events and jobs available, we will now be sending out the Humanitarian Newsletter on Wednesday, every two weeks. If you wish to share news, events, and opportunities, please submit the details to iihaoutreach@fordham.edu.

As always, we look forward to hearing your feedback and suggestions on how to better serve our communities and provide our readers and followers with the best resources available to us.

Wishing you all a great week ahead!

Kind Regards,
Kasia Laskowski 

Editor, The Humanitarian Newsletter
Program Officer, IIHA 
WORLD HUMANITARIAN DAY 2014
Each year, August 19th marks World Humanitarian Day, a day which honors those who have lost their lives in humanitarian service and those who continue to bring assistance and relief to millions. The day was designated by the General Assembly to coincide with the anniversary of the 2003 bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq, which claimed the lives of 22 people.

World Humanitarian Day seeks to draw attention to humanitarian needs worldwide and to explain what humanitarian aid work entails. The 2014 campaign,  "The world needs more #HumanitarianHeroes," turns the spotlight on humanitarians around the world - people from all walks of life who are committed to making a difference.

The IIHA continues to take the opportunity to recognize our own humanitarian heroes: over 2,300 alumni from 133 countries, and faculty and guest lecturers from around the world, who take time out of their demanding schedules to continue to learn, grow, and educate with the ultimate goal of improving their response to populations affected by disaster, war, and conflict. As our next set of courses begins in Amman, Jordan, the IIHA will continue to feature its own Humanitarian Heroes, drawn from the ranks of our dedicated alumni and faculty. We encourage our students, faculty, and friends to nominate your own #HumanitarianHeroes by using the hashtag #IIHAHH on Twitter and Facebook or sending us an email explaining why your nomination is a Humanitarian Hero.
 
We send our thoughts and prayers to all of our current students, alumni, and faculty worldwide. We are grateful to know you, work with you, and follow your efforts to respond to the needs of the most vulnerable.
HUMANITARIANISM & ACADEMIA
Call for Papers
 

Noteworthy Surveys & Research Opportunities


Evidence Aid - How to Get Involved? 

Read more to find out how you can use Evidence Aid's resources, promote their findings, and input your research and ideas into their growing body of evidence.

  

ALNAP SOHS Survey - Calling all humanitarians!

ALNAP is now working on its next State of the Humanitarian System (SOHS) review. Commissioned by ALNAP and authored by Humanitarian Outcomes, the report offers a comprehensive picture of the shape and size of the system and insights into the 'bigger picture' of trends and performance in the sector. It incorporates perspectives from those who receive aid, as well as practitioners from across the globe and at all levels of seniority. To ensure a diverse and comprehensive sample size, ALNAP asks all humanitarian professionals directly involved in operational humanitarian assistance to complete the 2015 SOHS survey and disseminate the survey within their respective networks.
ALUMNI UPDATES
Angie Jackson and Mark Little, alumni of IDHA 27, successfully completed their journey from the UK to Mongolia, traveling 9,900 miles across 1/3 of the world's surface with no fixed route & no support. They undertook the Mongol Rally six weeks ago with the aim of raising funds for two organizations (the Royal Flying Doctor Service & Cairns Hospital Emergency Department) which provide vital healthcare to Far North Queenlanders. Congratulations Angie, Mark and the FNQ Medics Team!
Amman, Jordan
STAY CONNECTED
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JOB/INTERNSHIP
OPPORTUNITIES
WORLD
HUMANITARIAN SUMMIT 2016

The UN Secretary-General will convene the first-ever global humanitarian summit in Istanbul in 2016. The goal of the World Humanitarian Summit is to find new ways to tackle humanitarian needs in our fast-changing world. This three-year initiative is being managed by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and Dr. Jemilah Mahmood, IDHA Honoris Causa recipient, will head the WHS Secretariat at the United Nations headquarters in New York. The summit will set a new agenda for global humanitarian action. It will focus on humanitarian effectiveness, reducing vulnerability and managing risk, transformation through innovation, and serving the needs of people in conflict.  

 

The WHS discussions continue on with a series of live webinars organized in collaboration with Professionals in Humanitarian Assistance and Protection (PHAP), which will include key humanitarian specialists from around the world.
If you would like to listen to the archived sessions of previous WHS webinars, you can find them along with summaries here.   
NEW YORK EVENTS
Night at the Consulate: China with Sun Guoxiang
Thursday, September 4, 2014

Join UNA-NY to experience the culture of the People's Republic of China - a sovereign state located in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population of over 1.35 billion, throughout a vast and diverse landscape. Ambassador and Consul General Sun Guoxiang, who will guide us this evening through many impressions of Chinese culture and history, as well as tasty samplings of a light, Chinese-style buffet.

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

Location: The Consulate General of the People's Republic of China, 520 Twelfth Avenue (at 42nd Street), New York, NY 10036
Tuesday, September 16, 2014 | 6:00 PM

As thousands of unaccompanied children stream into the United States and thousands more remain behind while their parents are deported, Americans remain sharply divided about what constitutes a just policy toward immigrant youth and families. This panel, sponsored by Fordham's Center on Religion and Culture and the Center for Ethics Education, will examine how to balance the best interests of children and parents against U.S. economic aspirations and a sharply divided electorate.

Panelists include:
Ken Salazar, retired Democratic Senator from Colorado and 50th U.S. Secretary of the Interior

Sarah Burr, retired Assistant Chief Immigration Judge, U.S. Department of Justice

Gabriel Salguero, President, National Latino Evangelical Coalition

David Ushery, journalist and host of NBC's The Debrief with David Ushery


To register: Please contact the Center on Religion and Culture at CRCevent@fordham.edu or (212) 636-7347.

Location: Pope Auditorium, Fordham University, 113 West 60th Street, New York, NY 10023
Sunday, September 21 - Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Hosted by President Bill Clinton, Secretary Clinton, and Chelsea Clinton, the 10th Annual Meeting will bring CGI members together under the 2014 theme of "Reimagining Impact" to facilitate the development of forward-thinking approaches that re-envision the way we impact the world. The 2014 theme of "Reimagining Impact" guides members in better measuring and assessing the outcomes of their work, and rethinking how we create value through new approaches to address complex global challenges going forward.

For more information: Please visit the Clinton Global Initiative website.

Location: New York, NY
Monday, September 22 - 
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
 
The high-level plenary meeting of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, to be known as the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples (WCIP), to be held in 2014 in order to share perspectives and best practices on the realization of the rights of Indigenous peoples, including to pursue the objectives of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and invites the President of the General Assembly to conduct open-ended consultations with member states and with indigenous peoples' representatives in the framework of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, as well as, the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Special Rapporteur in order to determine the modalities of this meeting, including indigenous peoples' participation at the Conference (A/RES/65/198).

For more information: Please visit the UN WCIP website.  

 

Location: United Nations Headquarters, New York, USA
Friday, November 21 - Sunday, November 23, 2014

Machik Weekend is an annual gathering for dialogue, exploration and understanding among people who share a passion for the ideals of service and civic engagement in Tibet. It is a unique space to share and learn about path-breaking service projects, dynamic leaders and resilient communities in Tibet.

 

For more information: Please visit the Machik Weekend website.  

 

To register: Please click here and follow the prompts.

 

Location: Fordham University School of Law, 140 W. 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023
NATIONAL EVENTS
Girl on Fire Women's Conference 2014
Friday, September 12 - Saturday, September 13, 2014

For women and by women, this conference will bring together business-owning women for a variety of topics including workshop on faith-building, starting a business, and handling conflicts.

For more information: Please visit the Girl on Fire Conference website.

Location: 14800 Ludlam Road, Miami Lakes, FL, 33014
UNICEF's Chicago Humanitarian Awards Luncheon
Friday, October 17, 2014

The Midwest Regional Office of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF hosts UNICEF's Chicago Humanitarian Awards Luncheon at the Ritz-Carlton Chicago on Friday, October 17, 2014 from 11:00 am - 1:15 pm. This year's honorees are Francie Comer, Philanthropist, Comer Family Foundation, and Sue Duncan, Founder and Chairman Emeritus of the Sue Duncan Children's Center for their admirable work on behalf of children.

For more information: Please visit the U.S. Fund for UNICEF website or contact
Elisabeth Kasdorf-Torney at ekasdorf@unicefusa.org

Location: Ritz-Carlton, 106 East Pearson Street, Chicago, IL, US
The Aid & International Development Forum's 6th Annual Disaster Relief Summit
Wednesday, November 19 - Thursday, November 20, 2014

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 visit the Disaster Relief Summit 2014 website.

 

Location: Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington DC, 20004
INTERNATIONAL EVENTS
The World Humanitarian Summit Consultations

The World Humanitarian Summit has been conducting a series of Regional Consultations that will bring together individuals and groups, giving them a chance to identify humanitarian challenges and promote solutions. In each region, individuals and organizations will have the chance to contribute their ideas in the discussion forums on this website, and in numerous events in each region.

 

Key Dates:

 

October 27 - 28: Regional consultation for Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Hungary and others.

 

For more upcoming consultation dates: Please visit the World Humanitarian Summit website.
Monday, September 8 - Thursday, September 11, 2014
 
This International Conference hosted by the Centre for Disaster Resilience will explore the concept of resilience as a useful framework of analysis for how society can cope with the threat of hazards, helping to understand attributes that enable physical, socio-cultural, politico-economic and natural systems to adapt, by resistance or changing in order to reach and maintain an acceptable level of functioning.

For more information: Please visit the Build Resilience website.

To register: Please click here and follow the prompts.

Location: MediaCityUK, Salford Quays, UK

The Third Annual Conference of the International Association for Peace and Conflict Studies and the ECPR Standing Group on Critical Peace and Conflict Studies. The intention is to provide a forum for scholars and practitioners with an interest in Peace and Conflict Studies to network and discuss issues of mutual interest. 

For more information: Please visit the International Association for Peace and Conflict Studies website.

Location: Samuel Alexander Building, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL UK
Tuesday, September 16 - Thursday, September 18, 2014

In 2013, the Humanitarian Partnership Conference brought together universities and NGOs working in the humanitarian sector. The result was multiple collaborations and ongoing conversation. This year, the 3 day conference wants to take this conversation to the next level by expanding stakeholder representation and engagement and addressing topical issues in the world of Humanitarian Assistance.

 

For more information: Please visit the Humanitarian Leadership Academy website.

To register: Please contact Sheila Waruhiu at s.waruhiu@savethechildren.org.uk.

Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Agricultural Policy Processes in Africa
Wednesday, September 24, 2014 | 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM (BST)

Hosted by the Overseas Development Institute, this event will present key findings and policy insights on the political economy of agricultural policy processes, the changing patterns of agricultural growth and investment, and  strengthening and integration of Africa's seed systems.

For more information: Please visit the Overseas Development Institute website.

Location:  203 Blackfriars Road, London, UK, SE1 8NJ
 Humanitarian Congress Berlin - "Protection: A Broken Promise?"
Friday, October 10 - Saturday, October 11, 2014

The Humanitarian Congress Berlin is an international platform for exchanging information, experiences and ideas of humanitarian aid. Each year the Congress brings together experts from medical, humanitarian and international organisations, politics, media as well as a large number of students from different subject areas.

With around 700 participants and speakers from around the world in 2013, the Humanitarian Congress has established itselfas an important forum in the world of humanitarian aid. The congress offers a unique mix of medical and political keynote speeches and debates. Besides that, a number of workshops inform about the most recent (medical and logistical) developments in humanitarian assistance.

For more information: Please visit the Humanitarian Congress website.

Location:  Charit� - Universit�tsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Lehrgeb�ude, Forum 3, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin-Wedding, Germany
 
ONLINE EVENTS
Global Value Chains in Asia: Is Everyone Benefitting?
Friday, September 5, 2014 | 1:00 PM - 3:00 (BST)
The rise in East Asia's global economy can serve as a model for developing countries. The spread of global value chains (GVCs) over geographical space underpin East Asia's rapid industrialization, creation of jobs and unprecedented prosperity over decades. However, there has been little of the transmission of GVCs to other developing regions. Hosted by the Overseas Development Institute, this seminar will discuss critical issues for inclusive growth in Asia and the rest of the developing world. 
 
For more information: Please visit the Overseas Development Institute website.

To register: Please click here and follow the prompts.
Tackling Trade-Offs in the Food-Water-Energy Nexus: Lessons for the SDGs
Thursday, September 11, 2014 | 10:30 AM - 1:00 PM (BST)

This event will examine how certain developing countries have tackled the trade-offs inherent within the food-water-energy nexus, balancing environmental concerns with the need for development, and it will reflect on the importance of integrating across sectors for the implementation of the SDGs.

For more information: Please visit the Overseas Development Institute website.  

To register: Please click here and follow the prompts.
Central African Republic: Prioritising the protection of civilians - are we doing enough?
Tuesday, September 16, 2014 | 2:00 - 3:30 PM (BST)

In the Central African Republic, often described as a 'silent' or 'forgotten' crisis, the continuing violence and the daily targeting of civilians by numerous armed groups means that protecting civilians remains the top priority. By now more than a million people in CAR have been displaced and 2.5 million people - over half of the population - need humanitarian assistance.

Join the Humanitarian Policy Group (HPG) for the launch of issue 62 of the Humanitarian Exchange on the Central African Republic - the day after the new UN peacekeeping mission (MINUSCA) is deployed - to discuss what approaches are being used to support conflict-affected people and what more can be done by MINUSCA to protect them and prevent more violence.

Follow #CARcrisis on Twitter for live coverage.

For more information: Please visit the Overseas Development Institute website.  

To register: Please visit the event website or email hpn@odi.org.