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Del curso dictado por University of Geneva

Humanitarian communication : Addressing key challenges

75 calificaciones

University of Geneva

Humanitarian communication : Addressing key challenges

75 calificaciones

Learn how to address the main challenges of communication in humanitarian settings and how to implement a communication plan in the midst of humanitarian action.

De la lección

Week 1

Dear students, Welcome to this course on communication in humanitarian settings. During this week, we will cover the main concepts and definitions essential to understand the specific framework of communication in humanitarian settings.

Week 1 introduction1:38

The communication process5:14

Communication concept definitions12:29

Communication means evolution12:02

Humanitarian action definition8:50

Humanitarian principles11:46

Specificities of humanitarian communication - Part 15:27

Specificities of humanitarian communication - Part 211:08

Week 1 wrap up1:10

Conoce a los instructores

Prof. Doris Schopper
Director of CERAH, joint Centre of the University of Geneva and the Graduate Institute of Geneva
Faculty of Medicine
Dr. Valérie Gorin
CERAH lecturer
Centre for Education and Research in Humanitarian Action
Jean-Marc Biquet
Course coordinator and lecturer at CERAH
Centre for Education and Research in Humanitarian Action
Claire Barthélémy
Course coordinator and lecturer at CERAH
Centre for Education and Research in Humanitarian Action
Claire Doole
Invited lecturer
Centre for Education and Research in Humanitarian Action
Claire Bellmann
Professional Trainer, Coach and Facilitator
Centre for Education and Research in Humanitarian Action

[MUSIC]

Welcome to the session introducing humanitarian action.

In the previous session we covered the definition of communication and

its recent evolution.

In the following sessions we will focus on humanitarian communication.

In this session in order to better understand the specificities

of humanitarian communication,

we first need to define the framework of humanitarian action.

Therefore, in this session we will define humanitarian action and

present its main characteristics.

It will help you to better contextualize the specific setting in which you

implement your communication.

Humanitarian action refers to assistance and protection provided in a short term

programme focusing on the crisis event and the needs of people directly affected.

These could be victims of man made disasters, such as armed conflict and mass

displacements, or of natural disasters, such as epidemics, floods, or earthquakes.

There is no internationally agreed definition of what humanitarian action

is and what its limits are.

However, it is commonly considered that international or

national humanitarian action has to be deployed when a crisis occurs and

national institutions do not have the capacity to cover the fundamental needs of

the population, such as food, shelter, water, and health care.

The aim is to save lives, limit extraordinary suffering,

and prevent further injury to the population and damage to the society

by providing goods and services and obtaining full respect for

the rights of the individual, in accordance with relevant bodies of law.

The two components of humanitarian action are called assistance and protection.

Assistance is related to the provision of goods and services to address

the physical, material, and psychosocial needs of persons of concern.

This may include food items, medical supplies, clothing, shelter,

seeds, and tools.

Protection, on the other side,

refers to all activities aimed at obtaining full respect for

the rights of individuals and communities in accordance with the letter and

spirit of human rights, as well as refugee and international humanitarian law.

Protection implies creating an environment conducive to respect for

human beings, preventing and alleviating the immediate affects

of a specific pattern of abuse, and restoring dignified conditions of life.

Almost always the first helpers in a crisis situation

are the affected community members themselves.

For example, neighbors will provide food to families who have lost

all their belongings and resources in the crisis.

But if the entire community has been severely affected or

if its capacity to cope with the extent of the damages is overwhelmed,

extra assistance must come from outside.

However, humanitarian action is for humanitarian purposes,

meaning that it is not done for political, commercial, or military purposes.

The response should be delivered rapidly and

be neutral, impartial, and independent.

This means that it is based on humanitarian principles.

In the next session we will introduce what humanitarian principles are.

The sole aim of aid actors should be

to respond to the assessed needs of the population.

This focus must be kept despite difficulties, attempts of diversion or

manipulation, and other prevailing agendas.

By sticking to the needs of affected people and by respecting the humanitarian

principles and implementing of aid actions, humanitarian actors can

reach their central objective, save life and alleviate suffering.

The humanitarian response is characterized by short term programs focusing

on the crisis event and the needs of the people directly affected by the crisis.

Humanitarian action should be results oriented with a short term perspective as

well as outcome oriented, focusing not only on the product of an activity but

also on the processes, taking into consideration effects and

impact on the environment on the community and the context.

It should do no harm and

make all possible efforts to have more positive effects than negative ones.

The humanitarian response has to an end of a certain stage.

In many instances it should be handed over and lead into development project.

Ideally, humanitarian and development activities should be integrated and

coordinated in order to guarantee a more relevant, coherent, constructive, and

responsible response.

The humanitarian response should include processes to strengthen the resilience of

people and reinforce their capacity to prevent and

prepare themselves for the next disaster.

In the same country different types of situations can coexist.

For example, in one part of the country a natural disaster

can suddenly affect a group of people and put them at risk of

dying if they do not receive immediate aid to cover their fundamental needs.

However, in another part of the same country at the same period,

development projects can still be established for

populations not affected by the natural disaster.

Haiti was a country in this situation during the 2010 earthquake.

In some contexts, natural disasters and

armed conflict occur together at the same time in the same place.

For example, the Sila region is a very sad and good example of these complex crises.

Let's now look at the responsibility of the different actors.

First of all,

states have the responsibility to protect their population.

A state has the primary role in initiation, organization,

coordination, and implementation of humanitarian aid.

The United Nations General Assembly resolution states this very clearly,

reaffirming the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and

national unity of states, and recognizing that it is up to each state,

first and foremost, to take care of the victims of natural disasters and

similar emergency situations occurring on its territory.

If a state fails to provide aid for its own people, it becomes a receiver of aid.

The international community then supplements the role of the state

in accordance with a principle of respect of the state sovereignty and

territorial integrity.

Actors involved in humanitarian action have the responsibility to adapt their

response to the specific needs of the population and the particular situation.

Therefore, as a humanitarian communicator you have the responsibility

to adapt your communication to the context and the specificity of the crisis.

Humanitarian actors coming from different parts of the world should as much as

possible act in collaboration or coordination between them, but

also with the national and local bodies.

These include public services, as soon as they are able to function again,

civil society organizations, the local population that can mobilize and

structure its efforts for the most affected members of the community.

This can happen through self help groups, local organization, other local bodies.

Vulnerable groups have also to be identified.

Those that have existed before the crisis, for example, handicapped people, and

those that have become more vulnerable as a result of the crisis.

Vulnerable individuals or communities need special attention.

Humanitarian actions should also avoid reinforcing preexisting

exclusion mechanism.

As a person involved in humanitarian action, we have a lot of responsibilities.

Quality of our action is essential, and we believe that we can and

should always improve ourselves.

Now let's be part of this endeavor as a humanitarian communicator.

Thank you.

[MUSIC]

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