humanitarian – C4D Network

Humanitarian Journalism Today (London, UK)

October 15, 2018

This event is about the journalists who report on humanitarian crises today. It launches a major new report from Martin Scott, Kate Wright and Mel Bunce, The State of Humanitarian Journalism, based on four years of research. This report shows which news outlets report on humanitarian issues, how they frame their stories, and what audiences think about this news.

A panel of leading journalists and media commentators will discuss the findings and their own experiences reporting on humanitarian crises, including:

Josephine Schmidt, Executive Editor at IRIN, the world’s oldest humanitarian newswire
James Copnall, Newsday presenter, BBC World Service
Tom Law, Director of Campaigns and Communications, The Ethical Journalism Network
Stefanie Glinski, Freelance journalist and photographer, currently based in Afghanistan.

This is followed by a screening of the celebrated documentary, ‘Another News Story’ about the journalists who reported on the 2015 ‘refugee crisis’ in Europe.

UNESCO Chair in Technologies for Development 2018 International Conference: Voices from the Global South (Lausanne, Switzerland)

June 27, 2018

The Tech4Dev Conference is the biennial flagship event of the UNESCO Chair in Technologies for Development hosted by CODEV at EPFL. The Conference focuses on the potential of technology solutions to advance inclusive social and economic development in the Global South.Tech4Dev 2018 puts the challenges and the potential of the Global South in the center of discussions reflected by its title Voices of the Global South. Indeed, even though the Sustainable Development Goals apply globally, the needs in terms of access to health and financial services, functioning education systems and sustainable urban and natural ecosystems are undeniably more significant in the Global South. In this perspective, it is crucial to listen to and support stakeholders from the regions who are facing these challenges

CDAC Network webinar: Eliminating Barriers to Meaningful Participation in Humanitarian Response (online)

May 23, 2018

In this global webinar hosted by the Communicating with Disaster Affected Communities (CDAC) Network, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) will present research examining the key barriers faced by agencies in collecting and using community feedback in humanitarian project design and the internal and external factors which can enable us to do this better. The Kenya Red Cross (KRCS) will share their experience of scaling up accountability to communities, the institutional environment that helped them achieve this, and the positive impact on community ownership and project sustainability. Finally, CDA Collaborative Learning Projects will share some key lessons they’ve learnt about how organizations can strengthen accountability to communities, drawing on the IRC and KRCS research, as well as the many studies they’ve carried out globally.

2018 ICT4D Conference (Lusaka, Zambia)

May 8, 2018

The 10th ICT4D Conference brings together public, private and civil society organizations from across the humanitarian and international development community. Participants share how they’ve used innovations in technology to increase the impact of their work. Highly interactive and hands-on, the conference attracts a diverse audience of technical advisors, executives, and others who offer a range of practical insights on applying technology to development, humanitarian, and conservation challenges.

ICRC Event: Being accountable to people affected by armed conflicts (London UK or through livestream)

April 18, 2018

Contributing chair:

Jacobo Quintanilla @jqg – Community Engagement Advisor, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

Speakers:

Christina Bennett @cr_bennett – Head, Humanitarian Policy Group

Rachel Hastie – Global Protection Adviser, Oxfam GB

Anahi Ayala Iacucci @anahi_ayala – Senior Director for Humanitarian Programs, Internews

David Loquercio @DavidLoquercio – Head of Accountability to Affected People, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

Description

Over the last decade, humanitarian agencies have aspired to be more accountable to people affected by crises, but progress has been limited. Despite many global and institutional commitments and research on ways to increase engagement, meaningful participation with affected people is still often seen as an optional ‘add-on’ to programming activities.

Aid agencies’ resistance to change, operational constraints and the fear of relinquishing power and control are reasons why the issue of accountability remains one of the least improved areas in the humanitarian sector. This is particularly true in armed conflicts and other situations of violence, where rumours, misinformation and propaganda are rife. The constant change and disruption, unique sets of expectations, and an erosion of trust and proximity make it ever more challenging for humanitarians to engage and be responsible to affected people.

Are humanitarians, and donors, ready to relinquish decision-making power and control? What role does technology play in improving trust and accountability, particularly in conflict settings? Are engagement and accountability ‘just’ a matter of donor compliance?

This event, drawing on the ICRC’s new report on Engaging with People Affected by Armed Conflict and ODI’s Humanitarian Policy Group’s research on Constructive Deconstruction, helps answer some of these crucial questions. Panellists discuss the challenges and opportunities for humanitarian agencies in better engaging with affected communities in armed conflicts and violence.