It’s that time of the year again when we’re getting started on fulfilling new year resolutions and initiating plans for 2025 or this first quarter. According to the Global Humanitarian Overview 2025 (UNOCHA), 305.1million people will need humanitarian assistance in 2025 – this is compared to 300 million people in 2024. This increase is fueled by conflict, violence, natural disasters, and political instability – the usual suspects.

This means that as humanitarians we need to be prepared now to respond to crisis that has occurred or when it occurs in our localities. We must be equipped with the right information, mindset, skillset and knowledge to solve problems in a way that is sustainable and does not cause harm.

Considering your work last year and the impact of your support as a humanitarian, perhaps you feel equipped to take on the new year’s challenges. You may also feel that there are gaps in your knowledge which you must fill to respond more effectively in 2025.

You will find this non-exhaustive list helpful.

(Feel free to add to the list when you repost it on your social media pages!)

1. Start where you are 🏁

This sounds simple but sometimes the hardest step is the first. Using the resources already within your grasp such as a phone, tablet, or laptop with internet access, you can begin your learning journey. If you’re already a Kaya learner, you have access to hundreds of learning resources for you to take freely at your own pace. So, start there. If you’ve never tried learning online, Kaya is a great place to start – it’s self-directed, 100% free with material available in up to 12 languages and accessible to everyone. Look out for courses relating to solutions to current world problems or areas you are curious about.

2. Get curious – step out of your comfort zone 🔎

So, you have preferences for learning in terms of interest, topic, style, pace, platform, channels, and more. 2025 may just be the right year to step out of the box – investigate an area of humanitarianism you’ve never investigated before. Start reading a new publication; check global trends and shifts – which topics are you unfamiliar with? Which topics scare you? Do navigate them even if everything seems unrelated. It connects in the end in the humanitarian eco-system.

3. Join a network or learning community 👨🏿‍🤝‍👨🏻

It could get a bit challenging trying to navigate your learning journey alone; that’s why networks and communities exist (for organisations and individuals) – to provide mutual support. In 2025, consider joining a network or community of like-minded learners where you can share ideas, find mentorship and inspiration. Several exist. We recommend the Kaya learning community, and if you’re a woman – the Women in Leadership Network. Start by signing up to receive Kaya monthly newsletters; you will receive signposts to what’s new in the global humanitarian learning community (free online or hybrid events such as HX, new courses, job opportunities) and updates about learners like you who you can connect with and learn more from.

4. Focus on your Professional Development 👩‍🎓

Sometimes the challenge in the humanitarian sector is that there are not enough people with the right knowledge and skill to take on different levels of responsibility. A vast knowledge portfolio opens a door of opportunities for good – for yourself and your community. Remember this if/when the going gets tough when you are completing that new course or training. Get familiar with reliefweb, and developmentaid, which provide information on available opportunities.

5. Watch and listen back 🎧

There is a plethora of information already freely available on not just the HLA Resources Hub but on a few learning spaces as well. You will find webinars and podcasts on topics ranging from coaching and mentoring, localisation, innovative financing to leadership, WASH, learning and development and more. All providing a fresh perspective on humanitarian approaches and responses. Take time to binge-watch/listen to these materials, maybe more than once throughout the year. Find some helpful resources here, here and here.

BONUS

Make time ⌚

It’s very easy to not have time to learn but an intentional approach helps a great deal! If you’re choosing the online learning route this year, remember that for several online courses the content takes one to two hours to complete. Planning and setting aside learning time might be the right tactic in 2025!

Have you found this list useful? Have you got any ideas to add or emphasize? Do spread the word with fellow humanitarians. Stay tuned for more content aimed to inspire and motivate you on your learning journey!

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion by Russia in 2022, the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine has become one of the largest in the world. Local organisations have naturally served as first responders and work tirelessly, providing critical support to their communities. Many of these actors have rapidly expanded their capacities to address immense humanitarian needs, with staff and volunteers working relentlessly without electricity, heating or internet while facing the risks of airstrikes, burnout, and emotional exhaustion.

“Localisation” remains a hot topic, driven by strong voices from Ukraine’s diverse, well-established civil society. Despite their critical role in the response, local actors point out that they receive only a fraction of the funding, face excessive bureaucracy, and are often excluded from decision-making. In my personal view, many ‘localisation workshops’ are led by international actors who, despite frequently using terms like ‘partnerships’ and ‘capacity building’, can often fail to genuinely support locally-led responses.

Due Diligence as the Hot Topic of the Day

One of the top buzz phrases as part of the localisation agenda is ‘Due Diligence Passporting.’ While it may seem surprising that a niche, compliance-focused topic that few non-technical people had heard of could spark such debate, it highlights the tensions in ensuring a fair and effective partnership framework.

For those unfamiliar with the topic, Due Diligence is essentially an assessment of a local partners’ organisational capacity that evaluates the legal, financial, operational, and ethical practices to ensure accountability, compliance, and alignment with donor requirements.

Many local organisations express profound frustration with the bureaucratic barriers, high thresholds for accessing funding, and standardised Due Diligence requirements (see the open letter to international actors) and the call to “simplify and standardise requirements” from colleagues at Philanthropy in Ukraine.

These discussions recur in nearly every localisation meeting in Ukraine and appears frequently in reports, including the Localisation Baseline and similar studies. The debate on Due Diligence continues to gain momentum among the humanitarian community. After all, it highlights a broader issue: the lack of space for local leadership and meaningful participation.

The Impact on Civil Society

The high thresholds and often repetitive procedures have exacerbated ongoing developments within Ukraine’s civil society. This includes a polarisation of funding among national organisations with greater capacity, whereas smaller, grassroots, often youth-led, or women’s rights organisations, struggle to navigate the donors’ complex processes.

Some local actors try to adapt to this by prioritising meeting procedural standards rather than organically building capacity, sometimes with the support of their donors. However, there is a risk that this increased ‘Due Diligence capacity’ might turn what could be meaningful capacity assessments into box-ticking exercises.

Exhaustion and burnout are another issue – I’ve found that many first responders lack adequate financial and capacity support, making it challenging to work sustainably and healthily. Undergoing the same assessments over and over again, sometimes without a promise of funding, further reinforces donor-beneficiary power imbalances and increases the strain on actors that do most of the heavy lifting while being most at-risk.

Finally, local actors are increasingly frustrated with the perceived unwillingness or inability of international agencies to adapt processes, provide capacity-strengthening, or genuinely involve them in shaping the localisation agenda, where they should be central.

International Responses, in Ukraine and Beyond

International agencies have attempted to address these challenges within the limits imposed by institutional donors, though with limited success. Some organisations have focused on Due Diligence certification and passporting, harmonising processes with other agencies, and adapting global tools to the Ukrainian context, which are all great first steps.

Globally, initiatives such as from Collaborative Cash Delivery Network (CCD) are under way and are focusing on generating evidence around the topic, advocating with donors internationally, and pioneering alternative ready-to-use tools in the Turkiye-Syria Earthquake Response, and now also in Ukraine. Colleagues from Humentum developed the Charter for Change Due Diligence Passporting Tool as an adaptable option for other organisations. Other tools and studies are on the way.

Finally, in Ukraine, the “Reverse Due Diligence” (or donor assessment) is something that has been pioneered by the Ukrainian organisation NGO Resource Center (NGORC) in attempt to reverse the power dynamics, increase transparency and upwards accountability.

Ukraine’s Due Diligence Task Force

In Ukraine, ActionAid and eight other organisations formed a ‘Due Diligence Task Force’ under the Humanitarian NGO Platform, where colleagues from different agencies meet bi-weekly to discuss, share experiences, and advocate for local partners’ concerns.

Key outputs of the Due Diligence Task Force so far include a harmonised vocabulary of terms like ‘certification’ and ‘passporting’, a comparative analysis of tools showing that over 80% of content is similar, a database of local partners, and an informal information-sharing network.

With support from the Disaster Emergency Committee, the Task Force’s work will continue until late 2025, to deepen networks, engage more stakeholders at both the Ukraine and global levels, and increase the buy-in of senior decision-makers to adapt some of their Due Diligence processes and practices. This also includes more advocacy with donors who could push for Due Diligence Certification as a mandatory requirement.

A Call to Action

The Task Force has proven that International NGOs can make a big difference with some simple steps. Adapting and aligning Due Diligence tools with other organisations can make processes easier without lowering compliance standards. A basic certification approach – accepting assessments from other international donors (with partner approval), can greatly cut down the workload.

INGOs should also end the practice of withholding assessment results – sharing assessment findings allows local actors to make informed choices about capacity-strengthening and even challenge the assessment if needed. Perhaps strict institutional rules and strong institutional capacity might not even be needed (or desirable) for every small, local, youth-led or rights-based organisation.

As INGOs, we continuously face the dichotomy of acting as both donors and partners to local organisations. At ActionAid, we recognise that financial relationships inherently create power dynamics that cannot be ignored. While we strive to be partners (and often like to label ourselves as such), we understand that our local partners will often see us as donors. Inevitably, this means that, in order to be better partners, we must be better donors in the first place.

About the author

Jasper Kiepe is the Head of Programmes for ActionAid in Eastern Europe. Based in Ukraine since early 2023, he is a founding member and co-chair of the Due Diligence Task Force and a co-chair of the Partnerships Working Group under the NGO Platform. He holds degrees from SOAS University of London and the University of Hildesheim.

ActionAid is a global federation working towards a world free from poverty and injustice. ActionAid works through federation members and partners with people living in poverty and exclusion, civil society organisations and social movements in 70 countries. Motivated by the believe that local leadership should be central, ActionAid has been supporting local organisations in Ukraine, Poland, Romania and Moldova since early 2022, including strengthening their capacity and facilitating access to international platforms and donors.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of their organisations.

Humanitarians are sometimes unclear about where and how to go about upskilling and strengthening their capacity, there is often the question about what may be helpful to the communities they are serving. The problems can be glaring but their solutions are not always obvious or easy to decipher.

It is important to have clear guidance on what you need to learn and where you can access this learning. Our story maps use real scenarios to guide you through some of the Top 5 most commonly requested learning needs, relevant to your response’s context.

Phil Street, HLA Digital Learning Specialist shares his enthusiasm for this tool: “We hope this guides learners and is an eye opener for useful courses and how they tie in to current crisis response. These maps provide information that further increase awareness of free Kaya courses across different regions and contexts.”

Through a series of short stories we guide you to relevant courses that will change the way you and your team work as humanitarians.

Find stories in Ukrainian, Turkish and Arabic.

الاستجابة الخاصة بزلزال تركيا – سوريا

Have a look

SURİYE DEPREMİ SONRASI MÜDAHALE

Have a look

ВІЙНА В УКРАЇНІ

Have a look

How to use Story Maps

Each map is contextualised and available in the stated language

Click the link to open the map you are interested in.
When the link opens, scroll down to peruse each scenario and each course.
When you click a course, it opens on kayaconnect.org, our free learning platform.
Register your login details to use Kaya, if you are a first-time learner
Share the links with your work colleagues.

What you will find

In Arabic, users will find the following courses:

An Introduction to Proposal and Report Writing

Strategic Planning and Assessment of Logistical Needs

Being Accountable to Affected People

Staff Care and Wellbeing

Conflict Sensitivity

In Turkish, users will find the following courses:

An Introduction to Proposal and Report Writing

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) in Emergencies

Working in Partnerships

Staff Care and Wellbeing

Conflict Sensitivity

In Ukrainian:

Introduction to Core Humanitarian Standard | Вступ до Основного стандарту надання гуманітарної допомоги

An Introduction to Proposal and Report Writing | Вступ до написання проєктної заявки та звіту

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) in Emergencies | Курс щодо вивчення моніторингу, оцінки, підзвітності та здобуття навичок за цими напрямками

Staff Care and Wellbeing | Збереження психічного здоров’я та підтримка персоналу

Working in Partnerships | Робота в партнерстві

This week is World Breastfeeding Week, a global initiative supported by WHO and UNICEF, marked between 1-7 August every year.

In 2024, the theme is ‘Closing the gap: Breastfeeding support for all’. The aim is to celebrate breastfeeding mums in all their diversity; while showcasing the ways families, societies, communities and health workers can support every breastfeeding mother around the world.

Breastfeeding has many advantages for the health and survival for both babies and their mothers. All babies are recommended to exclusively breastfeed for the first 6 months of life; and then to continue breastfeeding alongside safe and adequate complementary feeding until at least 2 years of age. Currently only 48% of babies worldwide are exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life.

“When breastfeeding is protected and supported, women are more than twice as likely to breastfeed their infants. This is a shared responsibility.”

Catherine Russell, UNICEF and Tedros Adhanam Ghebreyesus, WHO¹

How can I help?

In this blog post, we round-up a selection of learning resources which highlight the benefits of breastfeeding, as well as offer guidance on Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices.

These free learning resources are designed to be as accessible as possible and are available in a range of languages. They are of particular relevance to support health and nutrition programme managers, technical advisors, clinical managers and anyone working to support mothers and babies in humanitarian settings.

Commenting on World Breastfeeding Week, Dr Rathi Guhadasan, HLA Public Health Learning Specialist and paediatrician said:

“Breastfeeding protects babies against illness and death and promotes healthy growth and development. It is particularly important in emergencies, where access to safe and nutritious food and water sources may be limited. Breastfeeding mothers are also protected from some non-communicable diseases, including certain cancers.

Whether we are family, community members, civil society workers, employers or policy makers – we should all do everything we can to ensure that women feel able to breastfeed, anytime and anywhere – at home, at work and within our communities.

Under this year’s World Breastfeeding Week theme, “Closing the gap: Breastfeeding for all”, both WHO and UNICEF have called for improved breastfeeding support, in order to reduce health inequity for mothers and their babies. Currently more than half of the world’s mothers do not have access to all of the essential health services that they need, including trained, respectful and empathetic breastfeeding counselling services; while only half of the countries in the world collect data on breastfeeding rates¹.

Vulnerable mothers in emergency settings or from marginalised / minority communities need tailored and timely breastfeeding protection and support. They also need robust breastfeeding policies, advocating for family-friendly employment, regulation of the marketing of breastmilk substitutes and investment in breastfeeding-friendly healthcare services.”

1. Microlearning guide: Key advantages of breastfeeding

Format: 10-page PDF booklet
Provider: HLA
Duration: 2-minute read

Sharing information on the key advantages of breastfeeding can help mothers make informed infant feeding choices.

This microlearning guide provides a quick overview of these benefits, and is available to download in a handy PDF format for ease of distribution.

Available in English, French and Turkish.

2. Animation: Infant feeding

Format: YouTube video
Provider: HLA / Save the Children UK
Duration: 3:47

This short animation addresses the benefits of breastfeeding as a shield to protect vulnerable children in their first years of life – especially in emergency settings.

It outlines the best practices adopted by Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies programmes worldwide, and highlights some of the many myths and misconceptions around breastfeeding.

Available in English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Turkish, Romanian, Polish and Ukrainian.

3. Course: Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies during Infectious Disease Outbreaks

Format: free online course on Kaya
Provider: READY Initiative and the Infant Feeding in Emergencies (IFE) Core Group
Duration: 1 hour

This e-learning course is designed to equip learners with foundational knowledge on how to protect, promote, and support recommended infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices in humanitarian settings during outbreak preparedness and response.

You will be able to download a certificate once you have completed the course.

Available in English and French.

4. Course: IYCF Remote Counselling: How to support caregivers during infectious disease outbreaks and other settings

Format: free online course on Kaya
Provider: READY Initiative
Duration: 1 hour

This is an e-learning course for Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) counsellors designed to equip learners with the knowledge and skills to remotely counsel clients to understand, adopt and sustain optimal IYCF behaviours and practices during infectious disease outbreaks and in other remote settings.

You will be able to download a certificate once you have completed the course.

This course is available in English, French, Spanish, Arabic and Indonesian.

Find out more

Reference

UNICEF. This World Breastfeeding Week, UNICEF and WHO call for equal access to breastfeeding support. 2024. Last accessed 02.08.2024

Visit the World Breastfeeding Week website

For further public health and technical learning resources, please visit kayaconnect.org

For further information on how HLA can support your organisation’s capacity strengthening needs around breastfeeding, please contact R.Guhadasan@savethechildren.org.uk

We know that lack of time is a barrier to humanitarian learning – 16.8% of respondents in our recent HLA Learner Survey told us that they find it difficult to fit training and learning into their busy schedules.

We’re delighted that 4.7k learners from more than 200 countries took the time to participate in our online survey to share their preferences for humanitarian training and learning with us [read key takeaways here]. In today’s blog post, we’re highlighting a selection of bite-sized learning resources from the HLA and partners, covering topics that emerged as the main areas of learning interest in this survey.

This collection focuses mainly on introductory-level content that takes between two minutes to two hours to complete. The resources are generally aimed at those who are new to these topics, or at those who are looking for a quick refresher before taking a deeper dive into these subjects.

Why not explore the collection – and take just two minutes or two hours to learn something new today!

1. Food security and livelihoods

Resource: Child Protection competencies for Food Security actors
Provider: The Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action
Format: Document on Kaya
Duration: 45 minutes

The Child Protection competency framework for Food Security actors and associated learning resources are designed to help Food Security actors to advance children’s protection, well-being and safety.

Access the course [EN]

2. Protection, diversity and inclusion

Resource: Protection microlearning animation
Provider: Save the Children and HLA
Format: Short video on YouTube
Duration: 2 minutes 59 seconds

Protection is central to all humanitarian work. This short animation gives an overview of some of the common risks and threats found in an emergency situation, and introduces four principles to ensure protecting people’s rights and dignity is considered at all stages of humanitarian projects.

This video is also available in Arabic, French, Spanish, Ukrainian, Polish, Romanian and Turkish.

3. Health

Resource: Effects of Emergencies on Health and Nutrition – An Introduction
Provider: HLA and Save the Children
Format: Online course on Kaya
Duration: 1 hour

This is an introductory course on effects of emergencies on health and nutrition, aimed at humanitarian field workers and health and nutrition professionals.

Available in English, French, Spanish and Arabic.

4. Project Management

Resource: Introduction to Managing Projects in Humanitarian Settings
Format: Online course on Kaya
Provider: Part of the FIELD programme from the HLA, Save the Children and World Vision International.
Duration: 1 hour

This module has been designed to introduce the learner to the key requirements for managing projects in the humanitarian environment and to help field managers expand their understanding of the role of a project manager.

Take this course [EN]

5. Education

Resource: An Introduction to Education Technology
Format: Online course on Kaya
Provider: Save the Children and HLA
Duration: 1 hour

This course will introduce learners to education technology and how it can be integrated into education programing.

Take this course [EN]

6. Monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL)

Resource: Introduction to MEAL
Format: Online course on Kaya
Provider: Part of the FIELD programme from the HLA, Save the Children and World Vision International.

Available in English, Romanian, Ukrainian and Polish.

7. Peacekeeping and peacebuilding

Resource: Humanitarian Careers webinar: Peacebuilding [recording]
Format: YouTube video
Provider: HLA
Duration: 84 minutes

In this recording of an HLA Humanitarian Careers webinar which took place in May 2024, we explore the work and skills involved in the field of peacebuilding. Our panellists share their personal stories along with their tips and advice for anyone interested in working in this field.

8. Nutrition

Resource: Introduction to nutrition
Format: Online course on Kaya
Provider: UNICEF
Duration: 30 minutes

This UNICEF module introduces nutrition work approaches, core concepts and interventions. It also highlights the importance of multi-sectoral programmes.

Take the course [EN]

9. Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)

Resource: Introduction to Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) in Emergencies
Format: PDF microlearning guide
Duration: 2 minutes
Provider: HLA

Learn more about the role of WASH in a humanitarian response to reduce public health risks preventing the spread of infectious disease.

View the guide in English, French or Turkish

We hope that this collection serves as a dose of learning inspiration! As one of our survey respondents from Malawi said: “Keep up the good work. Knowledge is power. Together we can achieve a better world for all.”

We’d love to hear your feedback on any of these featured resources. Please contact us via social media or by email on info@humanitarian.academy

This is a translated opinion piece by Katarzyna Bryczkowska, the HLA’s Learning Solutions Specialist for the Eastern Europe Regional Centre. This article was published as a comment on the recent research by Klon/Jawor Association “When working in crisis becomes daily life. Local organisations supporting refugees in Poland“.

Read the original article in Polish

Since the full-scale invasion in Ukraine, 20 June, International Refugee Day, has taken on a completely different meaning in Poland and can be said to have ceased to be a ‘niche’ event for specialised organisations.

Since 24 February 2022, many NGOs have undergone an accelerated and, in a way, forced ‘course of participation in humanitarian response’. The results of this ‘fast-track course’ are discussed in a report entitled: ‘When working in crisis becomes a daily reality. Local organisations supporting refugees in Poland’, which was prepared by researchers from the Klon/Jawor Association.

The Humanitarian Leadership Academy and Save the Children were partners in this process. As representatives of the Humanitarian Leadership Academy in Poland, we wondered which of the aspects related to the situation we are all experiencing were worth highlighting in the report commentary.

Two important research results emerge in the report as significant phenomena in the humanitarian response in Poland. These are: on the one hand, severe burnout of people working in organisations that have decided to engage in humanitarian action, and on the other hand, intensive relationship building and mutual support between different organisations. Perhaps these are even two sides of the same coin…

Burnout – the “bitter lesson”

Let me start with the burnout of people from NGOs who have chosen to do humanitarian work, which is almost 60% of responders according to the report (see page 38). This lesson from the ‘fast-track course in participation in humanitarian response’ seems overly bitter. Behind the numbers are people who have sometimes paid with their mental health for the decision to work in a crisis. After all, there was no time to learn the Occupational Health and Safety of humanitarian work.

It seems to me that this is a solemn lesson, perhaps it couldn’t have been done in a different way… Everything happened so fast, so many people needed help immediately, and we had to learn the hard way. But since this happened, there are lessons to be learned for the future.

In the report, researchers from Klon/Jawor indicate that people from NGOs working in a humanitarian response need professional training, psychological support, supervision, coaching and all kinds of tools to enhance psychological wellbeing.

Dedicated people must not be let down by organisations and have their mental health badly affected by their work. They also need to recuperate for longer periods of time if ever diagnosed with PTSD. Taking care of the wellbeing of people from organisations willing to bring humanitarian aid is a responsibility, and it is one of the elements of CHS – the Core Humanitarian Standard. It is unacceptable to turn a blind eye to people’s mental health.

I therefore urge partners, donors and funders of any kind to be ready to budget for psychological support and burnout prevention tools in the humanitarian sector.

On the other hand, I urge and ask you, dear dedicated people, to put yourselves first. Your health is key, you don’t have to be heroes or heroines. Don’t work beyond your strength and stop overstepping yourselves. We are all in for a long cross-country run rather than a 100 metre sprint. Spread your energy and ask for support. Say “no” when you feel you can’t go on. It is not a weakness to be tired, sick or helpless, it is normal. However, it is a strength to recognise your helplessness, to say to yourself and others “I need to rest”, “I want support”, “I have had enough”.

Please stay close to each other. That way, you will have enough strength for a longer time to professionally support people in refugee crisis.

The first rule of humanitarian aid is “do no harm”. It applies to you as much as to the people you are helping.

I hope that this report will be a good support for you in reasoning with donors, with leaders, with local authorities about the necessity of supporting your mental and physical health in your projects. Keep it up!

Cooperation – the “sweet lesson”

The second insight shows local NGOs working with more partners. It is reassuring and, for a change, a sweet lesson from the ‘accelerated course in humanitarian participation’. The report says that the most lasting change most frequently felt by organisations was networking with various actors from all sectors. Their contacts expanded, and relationships strengthened.

It turns out that the most frequent partners for diverse cooperation for NGOs are other local NGOs, the local community and INGOs (international NGOs).

The nature of cooperation varies considerably depending on the context, needs, size of partners and their capacities. However, as many as 90% of organisations reported that they had received non-financial support such as exchanges, networking, partnerships since the full-scale invasion in Ukraine (see page 57 of the report).

This lesson is a powerful and optimistic one. It proves that, if need be, we let go of competing and build communities. Well, we remain social beings, after all. Relationships, networks, and coalitions are a symptom of health and the instinct for self-preservation.

As I mentioned at the beginning, the ‘bitter and sweet lessons’ are two sides of the same coin. By building relationships, sharing tasks, and complementing each other, we strengthen each other’s capacities, build the sector’s flexibility and resilience, and indirectly, and sometimes probably directly, take care of the mental health of everyone involved in humanitarian aid.

Such fellowship combined with professional tools to counteract burnout will certainly give strength to all in what may yet lie ahead. This is a fabric that is forming and that will strengthen. It will certainly pay off with great social, human, and local capital.

By building networks of support and collaboration, we build resilience – the resilience, the robustness, the flexibility of our communities. This allows us to rise faster during crises.

To conclude, I will return once again to the metaphor of the long cross-country run because I think it captures well what we should be preparing for as a sector (which has largely become humanitarian). For us to be prepared to run a long distance, it is important to have an organisation-individual balance.

We are doing a good job networking between organisations (even the cross-sector ones, which was a challenge before the invasion). However, to not get stuck in the wolf pit during this marathon, it is crucial to take care of the runners.

Katarzyna Bryczkowska – Learning Solutions Specialist at the Humanitarian Leadership Academy. Kasia graduated with the Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Studies in Humanitarian Aid at the University of Warsaw and International Law at the Faculty of Law and Administration of the University of Warsaw. She is an expert in development and education projects, a coach, a trainer and a facilitator of many training programmes, including SPHERE standards, Good Governance by the Council of Europe, and a promoter of anti-discrimination education. She has been supporting female and male NGO leaders for years and started working full-time in the humanitarian sector in 2022.

This week we were delighted to receive the news that the Humanitarian Xchange 2024 has been shortlisted in the Purpose Awards EMEA for Best Advocacy Campaign in the charity/NGO category!

The Humanitarian Xchange was established to create a much-needed global convening space for humanitarians, and as such, we are thrilled to receive this recognition of our initiative. We continue to strive to harness our networks to create lasting change and impact in the humanitarian sector at the systemic, organisational and individual level.

In today’s article we shine a spotlight on the impact HX24 has had on two delegates from the University of Derby who attended in-person at the Business Design Centre in London: academic Dr Dolapo Fakuade (Programme Director, MSc Intelligence, Security and Disaster Management) and her researcher, Tyler Spiers.

We caught up with them to hear their reflections, experiences and key outcomes from the day.

What were you looking forward to most about HX24?

Dolapo: I always set my objectives before attending any event. For HX24, my objectives were to network, learn and share with other attendees and stakeholders in the humanitarian sector.

My overall goal was to seek collaborators to work with and share knowledge for improving measures taken in the field in a challenging operating environment.

I was most keen on learning how the sector has grown, what other academic institutions are doing, and the collaboration between academia and the sector.

Not only were my objectives met, I was also impressed with how much progress has been made in the humanitarian sector, and the role HLA has taken in facilitating such an extensive network of stakeholders.

Tyler: I was most looking forward to being surrounded by other like-minded individuals at a wider capacity to what I have been before, all of whom have a clear interest in humanitarianism and how to contribute to positive influence and development, as well as being exposed to new ideas/concepts for me to consider in future work where relevant.

What were you hoping to gain from the event?

Dolapo: This is related to my objective and overall goal explained earlier. Any opportunity to network with like-minded people is always golden.

I did hope to gain more knowledge and understanding of different dimensions in which humanitarian assistance can be approached. I appreciated the involvement of the tech companies, policymakers, practitioners and academic institutions in the same environment, with the singular intention to explore solutions to several problems identified and discussed.

Tyler: I was hoping to expand my current knowledge and being exposed to new knowledge on the different dimensions and components of humanitarian aid, and getting further insights into some of the work that has and is still currently being done to improve how humanitarian aid and assistance is provided.

I was also hoping to learn more about the HLA and how it contributes to understanding humanitarianism.

What were your top three highlights from HX24?

Dolapo: It might be slightly challenging to compress my experience into three, but I’ll give it a go!

In no particular order of importance, one highlight is opportunity to interact with different organisations in the field. This was an eye-opener and a form of orientation into what others are doing, including common challenges such as security of humanitarian workers and community at risks.

Another highlight was the range of themes covered and speakers/facilitators from around the world. This reflects the HLA’s reach, collaboration and willingness of stakeholders to engage.

Finally, the level of coordination of the event itself on the day; having an exhibition, lunch, crowd movement and online sessions were impressive. Using good technology to connect everyone and communicate throughout the event was appreciated which is a reflection of how well the event was funded. Congrats to the HLA leadership and team for a successful event!

Tyler: The virtual reality set was a top highlight – it is something I have never experienced VR before, and it was intriguing to visualise the need for humanitarian aid/assistance in ways that I haven’t before.

Experiencing different ways of learning and how it is accessible to all, be that VR, workshops, online sessions, panel discussions, different stands with various organisations, etc was another highlight.

The general event I would say is a top highlight too – it was impressive to see the work put into organising and funding the event and how it ran so smoothly with no disruption or logistical/technical difficulties.

What was your key takeaway from HX24?

Dolapo: My key takeaway is informed by my overall goal. First, I left HX24 with more contacts than I came to the event with. For example, exposure to Nesta Collective Crisis Intelligence concept, as well as security risk management are areas of research and practice interest to me which I never knew was that advanced in the field. So, in terms of securing more collaboration and networks, that was a success and a major takeaway for me.

Another takeaway from HX24 is the potential researchable themes I identified and how experiences of stakeholders can be better captured for teaching and learning. I plan to continue to liaise with HLA regarding some of my observations and this specific takeaway.

Tyler: That there are countless dimensions to humanitarianism and providing aid/assistance at different capacities. There is still plenty of work to be done to make HA accessible to all who need it, especially in times of complex crises/polycrisis.

Do you have any follow-up actions or ideas after attending HX24?

Dolapo: I have a couple that align with one of my takeaways. One action is to liaise with HLA to convert security humanitarian research into learning course that can be made available on the Kaya site. If there’s an update, collaborate with HLA to organise webinar series that to explore solutions to some of the challenges or problems highlighted during the event.

I think from the closing remark, it is evident that there’s appetite for solutions to ongoing challenges, and some of the recurring problems associated with providing humanitarian aid and assistance in complex emergency situations. This action or idea would depend on whether there is update for such webinar series.

Another follow-up action for me is to invite HLA to University of Derby for a session with my postgraduate students. As at the time of granting this interview, this has already taken place (read about this visit here).

Beyond this, I have initiated discussing with HLA and partners to consider partnership for impact case study. There seems to be interest in this, thus for now, it’s watch this space!

Tyler: To continue work on the role of community (grassroots approach), CBOs and developing community resilience, as that was a common theme emerged from the sessions that aligned well with my postgraduate research. Potentially looking more into the role of communication (translations, accessibility, relevancy, internet) and media (transparency, NGO brand image, ‘cancel culture’, theatrical humanitarianism, using internet access as a weapon in some cases).

Could you sum up your HX24 experience in one sentence?

Dolapo: HX24 was a truly rewarding opportunity that appropriately combined knowledge sharing, learning and networking experiences that exceeded my expectations. Congrats once again to HLA and partners!

Tyler: My HX24 experience was insightful, enriching and useful in gaining knowledge, making links to research I have done during and post-MSc and motivational.

Thank you Dolapo and Tyler for joining us for HX24 and sharing your reflections!

About Dr Dolapo Fakuade

Programme Director, MSc Intelligence, Security and Disaster Management, at the University of Derby, UK.

Dr Dolapo Fakuade (Dolas) is a ‘pracademic’ with professional and academic experience in the United Kingdom (UK), New Zealand, UAE, USA, Australia, Germany and Singapore.

Drawing from her professional experience, and PhD in Hazard and Disaster Management and MSc Disaster Management qualifications, Dolas taught modules, and led policy and practice informing research in the aforementioned countries. Her experience designing and developing postgraduate and executive programmes for public and third sectors, span over a decade with awards and recognition for her learning and capacity development methods.

Dolas is also a consultant for the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and other UN agencies informing stakeholders’ capacity and capability development projects. She brings her international experience, methods and understanding that learning ought to be tailored to learners’ needs to her current role at the University of Derby where she leads a diverse teaching team to achieve the learning goals of her postgraduate students. Her students have different security and disaster management backgrounds as well as early careers from the UK and different countries around the world.

Tyler Spiers gained his postgraduate degree in MSc Intelligence, Security and Disaster Management at the University of Derby. As a researcher, he has worked on research focusing on the role of community and sense of place in disaster response and recovery.

The Humanitarian Xchange 2024 (HX24) on 20 February marked a milestone moment, bringing together 600 attendees at the Business Design Centre in London, with thousands more joining online, creating a truly global platform for the humanitarian sector.

Over 100 speakers led 39 engaging sessions on a diverse range of humanitarian topics to consider how collectively we can address and tackle pressing global challenges.

One of the aims of HX24 is to inspire one million new humanitarians, requiring engagement with early career researchers and professionals – a mission that resonated with a group of postgraduate students from the Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute (HCRI) at The University of Manchester.

Among them were Naufal Ridwan from Indonesia; Chihiro Shimizu from Japan; Alejandra Camacho Vega from Mexico; Marielle Dick from Trinidad and Tobago; and Holly Fieldsend, Bridie McGough and Eve Henley from the UK.

In a post-event reflection, Ka Man Parkinson, HLA Communications and Marketing Advisor, caught up with this group at HCRI to hear about their HX24 experience and takeaways.

***HCRI postgraduate students in attendance at HX24 in London. Image supplied***

What were you looking forward to most about HX24?

Alejandra: The opportunity to attend a global networking event with humanitarian practitioners from diverse fields to discuss current issues related to humanitarianism.

Bridie: I was looking forward to mixing with humanitarian professionals so I could gain a better understanding of how the humanitarian sphere works in practice and to hear the realities of humanitarian work. I was also looking forward to being involved in some interesting and thought-provoking conversations with experienced practitioners.

Holly: Hearing from such a wide array of speakers, from experts in the field to academics and staple names whose theories we have engaged with at university, such as Hugo Slim.

Marielle: Immersing myself in a setting filled with seasoned professionals within the humanitarian field, eager to learn about what it takes to enter the sector. I also anticipated gaining fresh perspectives on ongoing advancements within the field and understanding the strategies and initiatives envisioned by executives of these humanitarian organisations to enhance support for marginalised communities.

Chihiro: Meeting and talking with professionals to expand the network in the humanitarian sector and open the future for humanitarian work with them. I decided to join the event since I would like to find a space to talk about the future of humanitarian work and create synergy among people engaging in the humanitarian sector.

What were you hoping to gain from the event?

Chihiro: As a master’s student, I was hoping to gain new insights about the current humanitarian system and hear opinions from professionals, both of which are difficult to gain from academic study at the university.

Holly: To gain a new insight into humanitarianism, with new knowledge presented from experts and insightful discussions sparked.

Marielle: By attending in person, I was hoping to broaden my professional network and gain insights from professionals in the field regarding the potential issues stemming from over-professionalisation within the sector, as well as exploring avenues for enhancing its long-term sustainability.

Ridwan: To expand my network within the humanitarian sector and meet numerous scholars. One highlight for me was participating in a session with Hugo Slim, where we discussed the importance of the environmental sector in humanitarian work and why it should be a priority.

Alejandra: To gain new insights into innovation in humanitarian responses. Currently, I am developing my master’s dissertation on innovation in the local integration response for refugees and asylum seekers in Mexico. Therefore, having the opportunity to listen to experts on innovation from different regions was an impactful experience for me. Also, I was hoping to acquire practical strategies and tools to enhance my work in the field.

Bridie: To gain a deeper understanding of the practicalities and realities of humanitarian work, which I believe I did due to the wide range of practitioners and varied organisation workers that had the platform to talk. I was also hoping to have the chance to network and talk with other humanitarian professionals.

What were your top three highlights from HX24?

Holly: My top highlight was hearing from so many different perspectives. I was very happy that there so many diverse voices and not just that of the Global North.

Chihiro: Having a chat with humanitarian people throughout the HX24; listening to the talks of professionals from various fields; and discussing some topics with my colleagues who also joined HX24.

Marielle: Reflecting on the conference, my top three highlights were the discussions surrounding three of the panel sessions I attended (Roundtable Discussion, Humanitarianism in Light of the Gaza Crisis and the Global Implications and Rebuilding Society: Humanitarians Finding Their Place).

Ridwan: I attended two impactful sessions on polycrises and the environment, both of which shed light on issues faced by workers in the field. If I had to pick my top three highlights:

The realisation that polycrises are a stark reality, and they are interconnected. We can’t prioritise one over the other; we need to address all crises simultaneously.

The recognition that while humanitarian efforts cover various aspects of life like protection and development, prioritising the environment is crucial.

Understanding the political nature of humanitarian work and the necessity of siding with humanity, as emphasised in the closing remarks.

Eve: Firstly, the insightful talk on Gaza, especially the perspectives shared by Jason Hart, a Professor of Humanitarianism and Development at the University of Bath.

Secondly, the roundtable discussion on six major issues in humanitarianism was incredibly enlightening. I was involved in a discussion concerning: ‘Bringing the human back into humanitarian,’ where I gained valuable insights from the personal experiences of professionals in the field. Despite being surrounded by very experienced, bright individuals, I felt included and appreciated for sharing my ideas even though my experiences in the humanitarian sector are less substantial.

Lastly, the event provided an excellent networking opportunity. Engaging in candid conversations with professionals in such a context felt like a privilege and I have made valuable connections that I hope to maintain throughout my career.

Alejandra: Looking for new ways on financing humanitarian responses through local partnerships; transparency and trust in crisis communications; collaboration as a way to shift from current power dynamics in the humanitarian sector.

Bridie: The round table discussions – I found this the most beneficial activity throughout the day.

The talk on Gaza – it is so important to hear about humanitarian professionals discussing about current crises.

The final discussion led by the Trumanitarian podcast – hearing a range of reflections about the discussions had at the conference, from a variety of humanitarians from different backgrounds was extremely valuable to me as a hopeful humanitarian worker.

What was your key takeaway from HX24?

Bridie: A huge rise in both internal armed conflicts and natural disasters is creating a higher demand on humanitarian organisations, so we, as a community, need to adapt and re-organise the traditional functioning of the humanitarian sphere. I believe and many other humanitarians agree that localisation of aid is the way forward.

Holly: My key takeaway is that localisation is a lot more complicated than I imagined it to be!

Chihiro: I learned a lot from humanitarian professionals about current humanitarian situations around the world as well as their provisions for humanitarian work and the ecosystem around it.

Marielle: My key takeaway comes from a quote from Rachel O’Brien, Director at the Humanitarian Leadership Academy, “Be purposeful, progressive and hungry for the change you want to see.”

Do you have any follow-up actions or ideas after attending HX24?

Bridie: HX24 highlighted the sector-wide need to localise aid and adapt to cross-sector functioning. This is something I believe would be extremely beneficial to the humanitarian sector as a whole, but it was rewarding to hear that this seems to be the general consensus. This has encouraged me to complete my final master’s research project about the realities of localising aid.

Marielle: After attending HX24, I plan to engage with Humanitarian Leadership Academy’s global learning platform, Kaya. After learning about this platform, I’m eager to benefit from the online courses on offer to build my portfolio and expand my knowledge horizon.

Chihiro: I would like to keep myself up-to-date on discussions surrounding a humanitarian system and also exchange opinions actively with my master’s colleagues and professors.

Eve: HX24 has filled me with hope, rooted in the voices of the individuals who spoke, that the future of the humanitarian sector will be guided by a greater and sustained emphasis on collaboration, localisation and compassion.

Could you sum up your HX24 experience in one sentence?

Chihiro: I found HX24 a space to open the future for humanitarian work and foster synergy among humanitarian people.

Marielle: An immersive experience that left me pondering on the future of the humanitarian sector and the individuals it serves.

Bridie: An inspiring and thought-provoking environment that restored my faith in the humanitarian sector.

With thanks to Alejandra, Bridie, Chihiro, Eve, Holly, Marielle and Ridwan! We wish you all the best with your next steps on your humanitarian learning and career journeys.

There are a limited number of On Demand spots available to provide access to the HX24 sessions. Visit the HX event website for details and to express your interest.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day this year, it’s important to remember that it is not just a single day that we recognise and celebrate women in the humanitarian sector, but an opportune moment to pause, reflect and take time to think about the pivotal role women play in addressing global challenges, whether at a micro or macro level.

In a world that is increasingly complex, volatile, pressurised and polarised, there has never been a greater need for the power of women and feminist leadership.

From providing aid in crisis zones to advocating for marginalised communities, women play a critical role. Yet we know women continue to face barriers to gain more formal leadership positions within the sector, particularly in contexts where girls education and women’s equality are still not a given.

However, what continues to inspire me is just how many women have the courage to keep trying, to not give up, to fight for what is right, to bring diverse voices and opinions into debates and to continue to use different tools and ways to influence and bring about positive change in a world which can at times feel so bleak.

We need more women to feel bold, to feel brave, to know that their voice does matter and that women offer unique and different perspectives to bring people together. We need to be reminded that we have more in common than that which divides us.

Charlotte Balfour-Poole

This International Women’s Day I celebrate specifically female colleagues in Afghanistan, Yemen, oPt, Sudan and Ukraine, who continue to work tirelessly in crisis contexts to challenge the status quo, to stand up against what is right and to provide support and partnership for others in humanitarian crisis contexts.

The Humanitarian Leadership Academy is working to support many women across the globe and in complex crisis contexts by providing crisis coaching, as well as training more women in leadership coaching skills, to influence those they lead, inspire and relate to. These coaching skills are supporting women to navigate complexities of leadership in different ways, to bring in a more humane way of relating to one another and those around them.

We have noticed through coaching that women leaders in the humanitarian sector have identified their strengths, addressed challenges, and built confidence in their abilities. They have received tailored support to overcome obstacles and achieve their professional aspirations. This is helping women humanitarian leaders to overcome barriers and unlock their full potential to create new and better ways for leadership in the humanitarian sector.

A female leader who has benefitted from coaching

By embracing coaching and mentoring programmes, humanitarian organisations can foster a culture of inclusivity and empowerment.

These initiatives demonstrate a commitment to nurturing diverse leadership talent and creating opportunities for women to thrive in senior positions.

Coaching and mentoring contribute to the retention of diverse talented female professionals, strengthening the effectiveness and impact of humanitarian efforts worldwide.

As we reflect on International Women’s Day, let us reaffirm our commitment to supporting women’s leadership in the humanitarian sector.

Through coaching and mentoring, women can be empowered to lead with courage, compassion, and resilience, driving positive change and advancing the collective goal of creating a more just and equitable world.

The quality of everything we do, depends on the quality of the thinking we do first. The quality of our thinking depends on the way we treat each other while we are thinking.

Nancy Kline, author and speaker

Find out more

Read more about coaching and mentoring at the HLA.

Join the Women in Leadership Network

In the lead up to Humanitarian Xchange 2024 – the inaugural hybrid conference organised by Save the Children UK and the Humanitarian Leadership Academy, we have been speaking with panelists and speakers to learn more about them and what to expect from their HX platform.

We spoke with James Denselow, Head of Conflict and Humanitarian Policy and Advocacy at Save the Children UK.

James’ vast exposure working in the Middle East and as a writer covering geopolitical and security issues, will be experienced in his HX session discussing developing the ‘world’s first’ Paediatric Blast Injury Field Manual.

Humanitarian Xchange 2024 will hold on February 20, 2024 online and at the Business Design Center in Islington, London. Register for free to attend.

Hear from James:

In your journey, what is one personal experience that drastically changed your humanitarian outlook and possibly the trajectory of your work?

I remember visiting the Gaza Strip in 2015 with a team of British medics when I worked at Medical Aid for Palestinians. There was a young boy, I think he was 15, he’d lost his right leg in the escalation of the conflict in 2014 and had issues with a badly injured left leg. I remember the medical team working with their Palestinian peers but finding that amputation was the only way to save his life. The news was broken to the boy through a translator, and I’ll never forget seeing him digest the news with such sorrow and dignity. It was a powerful reminder that these injuries will be with children for the rest of their lives and that those should be a lot longer than adults who experience the same misfortune.

When I started working at Save the Children I was lucky to be part of the work between ourselves, Imperial College London and a host of other medics, researchers and NGOs that brought about the “Paediatric Blast Injury Partnership”. The basic tenant of the partnership’s work is that children are not “little adults” and have unique physiology that needs to be better accounted for by armed forces and groups in modern conflict as well as those responding as medics and humanitarians.

I remember having a meeting a year on from the partnership being set up at the “Royal United Services institute” (RUSI) where the new knowledge and approach to understanding paediatric blast injury landed with those tasked with the difficult job of running targeting and collateral damage assessments. After all you can only really understand the impact of your weaponry on children by better understanding children themselves; how especially young children have less blood, thinner skin, weigh less just to mention a few factors that will shape how they are injured by the weapons of modern war.

You can only really understand the impact of your weaponry on children by better understanding children themselves.

What should the audience look forward to during your session at HX?

The initial partnership work on paediatric blast led to the publication of the world’s first paediatric blast injury field manual, requested by medics from Syria Relief and authored by specialists across the continuum of care with Dr. Paul Reavley, former UK military doctor as lead author. This manual is now in over 13 countries and available in English, French, Arabic, Russian, Ukrainian, Dari and Pashto with Spanish and Chinese translations on the way.

Meanwhile with the launch of the Centre for Paediatric Blast Injury Studies at Imperial College London, which Save the Children are proud to support – we’re seeing pioneering research into prosthetics for children that is more needed than ever if you consider the numbers of serious injuries children suffer in conflicts across the globe.

Yet this is just the start, and we need to do so much more – hopefully this session can bring people into the partnership and closer to the work of the centre to do just that!

More on James’ hybrid session:

Title: Understanding Paediatric Complex Trauma, the Science, Medicine & Long-Term Outcomes.

Time: 11:00-11:55GMT

Format: Panel Discussion & Debate

Where: Humanitarian Hub & Online

The team from Imperial College London’s Paediatric Blast Injury Study Centre will discuss survival of complex blast and crush trauma, and the life beyond survival for the world’s children at risk from these terrible injuries. Treating children with complex trauma is one of the most significant and urgent challenges of our time. Securing the best possible outcomes for them into adult life will require not only medical and rehabilitational commitment, but a scientific understanding of the disruption of the biodynamically complex mechanisms of growth.

See the full agenda

About James

James is the Head of Conflict and Humanitarian Policy and Advocacy at Save the Children. His key areas of responsibility include the “Children and Armed Conflict” (CAAC) agenda, “Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas” (EWIPA) with specific reference to paediatric blast injury and Protection of Civilians (POC) policies. James has spent more than 20 years working on humanitarian and conflict issues with a focus on the Middle East, including time living in Syria and Lebanon. He is a contributing author to An Iraq of Its Regions: Cornerstones of a federal democracy and America and Iraq: Policy-making, intervention and regional politics since 1958. He is currently a Fellow at the Centre for Syrian Studies.

Humanitarian Xchange 2024 – The inaugural hybrid conference from Save the Children UK and the Humanitarian Leadership Academy will hold on February 20, 2024 online and at the Business Design Center in Islington, London.

HX will host valuable conversations and insights with humanitarians making real change in their areas of specialty. One of such conversations is with Cathy Riley, Strategic Partnerships Director at Flowminder.

During her hybrid session at HX, Cathy will share real results from estimating population distribution and mobility using mobile phone usage data in Haiti, DRC, & Ghana during a session focused on the use of spatial data to support humanitarian activities.

As we countdown to February 20, we had a chat with Cathy to learn more about her personal journey and what to look forward to in her session:

In your journey, what is one personal experience that drastically changed your humanitarian outlook and possibly the trajectory of your work?

When I was young, I distinctly remember thinking that politics was something ‘over there’ and that politics and politicians didn’t affect me, my life, or my future.

Over time, I have come to realize just how wrong I was in that world view. Whether it has been watching the way some political actors steadfastly refuted UN assessment figures for those in need, or engaging in dialogue about ending child marriage, understanding power dynamics, and actively analysing how influential individuals use their power, has been a game-changer for me.

What drives me now is a crystal-clear understanding that if you want to see change in the world, you have to collaborate with those who hold power to empower those who don’t.

This is applicable to a wide range of scenarios or sectors, from, for example, conducting a gender audit to understand barriers to vaccination in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to partnering with the right people so that we create a world in which decision-makers have the data they need to inform their decision-making.

Understanding the eco-system one works in, building partnerships, and strengthening data use are various ways one can achieve impact and navigate these power dynamics, and these are some of the motivators and actions I’ve taken in my humanitarian journey.

If you want to see change in the world, you have to collaborate with those who hold power to empower those who don’t.

Flowminder will discuss data mapping on a panel with Humanitarian OpenStreetMap (HOT), What3Words, and Esri UK. What should HX attendees look forward to?

I am excited to share with the audience the availability and potential of novel and innovative datasets, such as mobile phone and geospatial data, that can help humanitarian actors in their work.

Audiences will get to hear both what’s possible but also some of the challenges they’d face and considerations they’d need to make in opening up and using that data in their programmes.

I hope that what I share will be exciting and stimulating, generating interest in what we do and how we do it so that more people will be talking to Flowminder about ways to push the envelope when it comes to mobilising the use of phone data, as well as geospatial data, in the humanitarian space.

If you could change the world by doing just one thing, what would it be?

“I would rid the world of skepticism and arrogance, replacing these with kindness and humility.”

Put another way, I would instill each human with the instinct to be kind and humble in a way that couldn’t be switched off or tarnished, creating in people a deep and natural desire to see/hear the ‘other’, creating inevitable opportunity for dialogue and negotiation.

Will you join in the conversation? Join in person or online – registration is still open and the Humanitarian Xchange is free to attend.

About Cathy

Cathy is a sustainable development professional and organisational leader with over twenty years’ experience in a variety of contexts. Her most recent background is working in international development on programme delivery and policy design for development and humanitarian response initiatives.

As Strategic Partnerships Director at Flowminder, Cathy is responsible for resource mobilisation, building strategic alliances and oversight of key programme activities including Flowminder’s flagship Data for Good Partnership programme in Ghana and capacity strengthening work to support use of non-traditional data sources in low and middle-income countries.

Humanitarian Xchange 2024 – The inaugural hybrid conference from Save the Children UK and the Humanitarian Leadership Academy will hold on February 20, 2024 online and at the Business Design Center in Islington, London.

HX will host valuable conversations and insights with humanitarians making real change in their areas of specialty. One of such conversations is with Dr Emily Mayhew, Historian in Residence at Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College.

During her online session at HX, Emily will share a historian’s perspective – her expertise on putting together the Paediatric Blast Injury Field Manual which provides guidance to those with medical training to adapt their knowledge when treating severely injured children. We had a chat with Emily to learn more about her personal journey and what to look forward to in her session:

In your journey, what is one personal experience that drastically changed your humanitarian outlook and possibly the trajectory of your work?

As part of a panel event at the Science Museum in London, very much like this one at HX24, I gave a talk on the impact of blast injuries on adults and how this form of casualty and its outcomes has not changed a great deal in the century between the First World War and today’s wars. Also on the panel were humanitarians from Save the Children.

They asked me if this would be the same for children who were injured by blast. I had never been asked that before so I guessed and replied “probably, but let me check.” The next day I talked to all my colleagues who worked in paediatric trauma, and they sighed heavily and said “NO.”

They explained that paediatric trauma is much more complex in children than it is in adults. Children have different physiologies because they are still growing. One of the paediatricians said something I have never forgotten: “children are not little adults, they are little human beings.” They deserve their own special care, not just guesswork.

We should not lose interest and go in search of the next dramatic event. We should stay focused and support recovery.”

You are part of the team that put together the Paediatric Blast Injury Field Manual, which is available in up to seven languages. What should audience look forward to during your session at HX?

A historian’s perspective. I am not a clinician or a biomedical scientist but I have studied how this work has been done over the last century and so I take a very long view! I know what we don’t know, and what still needs doing if we are to offer hope to the injured children of today.

If you could change the world by doing just one thing, what would it be?

I would like everyone to appreciate that rehabilitation and recovery are very long processes for everyone, adult or child. Recovery that enables the best possible long term outcomes is not accomplished in days or even months. When we see a patient with complex trauma we should understand that life beyond survival is not the same thing as survival. We should not lose interest and go in search of the next dramatic event. We should stay focused and support recovery.

More on Emily’s hybrid session:

Title: Understanding Paediatric Complex Trauma, the Science, Medicine & Long-Term Outcomes.

Time: 11:00-11:55GMT

Format: Panel Discussion & Debate

Where: Humanitarian Hub & Online

See the full agenda

About Emily

Dr Mayhew is a military medical historian specialising in the study of severe casualty, its infliction, treatment and long-term outcomes in 20th and 21st century warfare. She is historian in residence in the Department of Bioengineering, working primarily with the researchers and staff of the Centre for Injury Studies. She is also a Trustee of the Advance Study Charity Board.

Humanitarian Xchange 2024 – The inaugural hybrid conference from Save the Children UK and the Humanitarian Leadership Academy will hold on February 20, 2024 online and at the Business Design Center in Islington, London.

HX will host valuable conversations and insights with humanitarians making real change in their areas of specialty. One of such conversations is with Hannah Wild, General Surgery Resident at University of Washington, Department of Surgery.

During her online session at HX, Hannah will share real life experiences from The Mine Action Trauma Care Collaborative. We had a chat with Hannah to learn more about her personal journey and what to look forward to in her session:

In your journey, what is one personal experience that drastically changed your humanitarian outlook and possibly the trajectory of your work?

Between college and medical school, I received a traveling fellowship to conduct ethnographic fieldwork with the Nyangatom, a group of nomadic pastoralists on the Ethiopia-South Sudan border.

At that time, I already knew I wanted to dedicate my life to humanitarian surgical care in conflict settings. As a college graduate without clinical skills, I felt the most useful undertaking I could pursue would be to gain an understanding of what life was really like for communities affected by conflict (in this case, violent cattle raiding) in areas rarely accessed by aid.

I lived with the Nyangatom and migrated with their cattle camps for over a year, building some of the most impactful relationships of my life. This experience gave me an indelible sense of how profoundly communities’ lived realities can differ from the narratives and perspectives available in more easily accessible places.

What informed setting up the Mine Action Trauma Care Collaborative?

Explosive weapons (EW) have a devastating impact on civilians in modern conflict, with a disproportionate impact on women and children.

Civilians comprised 97% of all barrel bomb deaths between 2011-2016 in Syria; approximately 66% of explosive deaths in Gaza before October 2023 were women and children – the list, heartbreakingly, goes on and on.

Humanitarian mine action (HMA) stakeholders address the threats posed by mines, explosive remnants of war, and improvised explosive devices through activities including clearance, explosive ordnance risk education, victim assistance, and stockpile destruction.

In some of the EW-affected conflict and post-conflict settings where they work, mine action operators may be the best-resourced medical capability present. Yet currently, few strategies exist for coordination between HMA and the health sector.

In 2021, the International Mine Action Standard (IMAS 13.10) on Victim Assistance was adopted, setting the stage for increased HMA engagement in strengthening trauma care for civilian EW casualties. In this context, I contacted Christelle Loupforest, Deputy Coordinator of the Mine Action Area of Responsibility. We agreed to establish a collaboration that leveraged the University of Washington’s expertise in trauma systems strengthening in low-resource settings with the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS’) expertise in mine action to try and reduce preventable death and disability among EW casualties. This collaboration has grown into the Mine Action Trauma Care Collaborative.

Your online session at HX will share how the Mine Action Trauma Care Collaborative is addressing a collaboration gap – creating partnership pathways between the humanitarian mine action sector and emergency health responders in conflict settings. What should the audience look forward to learning?

The audience will come away with an understanding of how humanitarian mine action stakeholders like the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) and Mines Advisory Group (MAG) can utilize their expertise to improve trauma care and reduce preventable death and disability among civilian victims of explosive violence.

If you could change the world by doing just one thing, what would it be?

I would change the emotional filter that allows some people to feel differently about the suffering of others than they do their own.

Will you join in the conversation? Join in person or online – registration is still open and the Humanitarian Xchange is free to attend.

About Hannah

Hannah Wild, is a General Surgery Resident at the University of Washington focused on humanitarian response for civilian casualties in conflict settings. Her clinical interests are in trauma surgery and critical care. She received her undergraduate degree from Harvard University and M.D. from Stanford University School of Medicine with a Scholarly Concentration in International Humanitarian Health. Her current work focuses on improving humanitarian surgical care for civilian casualties in conflict settings, particularly for victims of explosive weapons. In collaboration with the United Nations Mine Action Service, International Blast Injury Research Network, and Pediatric Blast Injury Partnership, she leads the Mine Action Trauma Care Collaborative, an effort to strengthen coordination between the mine action sector and trauma care for victims of explosive violence.

The humanitarian sector is witnessing a significant transformation in the approach to resource mobilisation, pivoting towards the empowerment of local capacities and initiatives.

In this article, guest contributor Alaa Albakour delves into the key insights, barriers and strategies for local resource mobilisation, drawing on experiences from these regions.

The emphasis on community empowerment, ownership, leadership, partnerships, technological innovation, and engagement underlines a new, more inclusive, and effective direction in humanitarian efforts. This shift is crucial in the context of regions like the Middle East and Africa, where local nuances and needs play a pivotal role in shaping effective humanitarian response.

The shift towards localisation in resource mobilisation

Traditionally, humanitarian efforts and resource mobilisation have been predominantly led by INGOs and donors.

However, this approach is increasingly being supplemented by a focus on local resource mobilisation.

This shift is driven by the recognition that local communities possess innate strengths, resources, and capabilities that, when harnessed effectively, can significantly contribute to more resilient and self-sufficient humanitarian responses.

Leveraging local community resources

Local communities are often a wellspring of untapped potential in resource mobilisation. For example, youth volunteers play a vital role in various aspects of humanitarian response, from raising funds and awareness to participating in early recovery activities.

The involvement of local resources, such as human capital, knowledge, and networks, is crucial in initiating and sustaining humanitarian efforts. These youth volunteers play a pivotal role not only in immediate emergency responses but also in leading early recovery efforts and more comprehensive nexus programming.

The involvement of local resources, such as human capital, knowledge, and networks, is crucial in initiating and sustaining humanitarian efforts.

Barriers to effective local resource mobilisation

Resource mobilisation faces several challenges:

Lack of strategy

A common issue among local and national organisations is the absence of a structured, organisation-wide strategy for resource mobilisation.

This often results in inconsistent messaging, internal competition, and fragmented efforts. A comprehensive strategy is key to fostering a sense of ownership, ensuring accountability, and aligning resources with the most pressing needs, ultimately leading to effective program delivery and impact.

Limited training

The training provided to resource mobilisation specialists is often inadequate and lacks structure, hindering the development of effective mobilisation strategies.

Limited coordination and networking

Lack of effective collaboration and communication among various stakeholders, such as local governments, non-profits, civil society organisations (CSOs), community groups, and businesses. This limitation affects the ability to identify, pool, and efficiently utilise available resources within a community or region.

Moreover, poor coordination causes duplication of efforts, missed opportunities for synergy, and inefficient use of resources.

Without strong networks and collaborative strategies, local organisations struggle to mobilise resources effectively, limiting their potential impact on community development and sustainability.

Limited capacity sharing

Capacity sharing involves the exchange of knowledge, skills, resources, and best practices among organisations and communities.

There is a lack of such exchanges, often due to barriers like competition, lack of trust, or simply the absence of mechanisms to facilitate this sharing.

This limitation prevents organisations and communities from learning from each other’s experiences and leveraging each other’s strengths, which is especially important in resource-scarce environments.

This leads to inefficiencies and a reinvention of the wheel, as each entity tries to solve problems independently rather than building on existing knowledge and resources.

Insights and strategies for effective local resources mobilisation

Empowerment through ownership in resource mobilisation

A crucial insight from Middle East and Africa is the empowerment of local communities through the ownership of capacity-building initiatives. This empowerment ensures that resource mobilisation strategies are tailored to the unique contexts and needs of the communities.

When local communities lead their developmental agendas, they generate solutions that are sustainable, culturally attuned, and widely accepted, leading to more resilient outcomes.

Local leadership: a cornerstone of community development

The cultivation of local leadership is a cornerstone of effective community development. By nurturing local actors who understand their community’s dynamics, initiatives gain not only a sense of community ownership but also relevance and sustainability.

Local actors play a critical role in mobilising resources, garnering support, and driving impactful outcomes, ensuring that interventions are not just effective but also resonate with the community’s aspirations and challenges.

Collaboration: strengthening partnerships for broader impact

The creation of partnerships between local entities and international organisations is vital for a balanced and effective resource mobilisation process.

These collaborations bring together a rich tapestry of perspectives, resources, and expertise, fostering a more integrated approach to humanitarian challenges. These partnerships, rooted in mutual respect and a commitment to enhancing local efforts, ensure that international support aligns with and bolsters local initiatives.

Investing in local resource mobilisation: a catalyst for sustainable development

For local and national organisations, recognising that resource mobilisation necessitates initial investment is key. This investment should not be viewed merely as an expenditure but as a strategic catalyst that drives broader resource mobilisation efforts, laying the foundation for sustainable development and enhanced capacity building.

Expanding the horizons of local resource mobilisation

Further enhancing local resource mobilisation requires embracing additional strategies:

Community engagement and learning

Actively engaging community members in understanding the significance and methodologies of resource mobilisation fosters innovative and sustainable approaches.

Tailored workshops, training sessions, joint initiatives, and awareness campaigns can enlighten and motivate community participation, leading to a deeper and more active involvement in these efforts.

Building networks and partnerships

There’s a need for platforms or initiatives that facilitate better communication and collaboration. This might include regular stakeholder meetings, shared databases of resources and needs, joint planning sessions, and collaborative projects.

Building strong relationships and trust among different entities is also crucial for effective coordination.

Capacity sharing

Enhancing capacity sharing requires creating a culture of openness and collaboration, where organisations see the value in learning from and supporting each other. This can be facilitated through networking events, workshops, mentorship programmes, joint training sessions, and collaborative projects.

It also involves recognising and respecting the diverse strengths and contributions of different stakeholders.

Customising approaches to local needs

Resource mobilisation strategies must be adaptable to the specific cultural, economic, and social contexts of each community.

This customisation ensures that the efforts are relevant and effective in addressing the unique challenges and leveraging the specific strengths of each community.

Conclusion: the path ahead in humanitarian efforts

In summary, developing capabilities for local resource mobilisation necessitates a shift from theoretical models to practical, community-centered strategies.

This process involves navigating various challenges, including the lack of a cohesive strategy, inadequate training for specialists, and competition within the NGO sector.

The path forward lies in empowering local communities, cultivating leadership, and nurturing partnerships. Lessons learned from diverse contexts such as the Middle East and Africa region offer valuable insights into effectively mobilising local resources.

These insights underscore the importance of involving local communities and investing in their capacity-building efforts. Such an approach promises not only greater efficiency and sustainability but also ensures that resource mobilisation strategies are closely aligned with the unique strengths and needs of local communities.

About the author

Alaa Albakour is a passionate community mobilisation and capacity-strengthening expert with more than ten years of experience amidst the Syrian crisis and fragile contexts through his work both as a team member and consultant in I/NGOs.

As a certified PMD Pro and PgMD Trainer, he coaches and mentors grassroots civil society organisations in building a response that matches their community needs – both individual organisations or a network of civil society actors. He specialised in mobilising community resources, such as youth volunteers to avoid funding dependency.

He has worked with teams of different backgrounds and has solid intercultural skills. Alaa holds a degree in Business Administration and is currently pursuing his PhD. He served on the HPass Steering Committee to contribute to improved learning across the humanitarian sector.

Alaa is speaking at the Humanitarian Xchange 2024 – the inaugural hybrid conference from Save the Children UK and the Humanitarian Leadership Academy taking place on 20 February at the Business Design Centr in London, UK and online.

Will you join in the conversation? Join in person or online – registration is still open and the Humanitarian Xchange is free to attend.

The views expressed in this HLA Community opinion piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Humanitarian Leadership Academy.

Our panel: Whose skills do we recognise and why?

Along with Stella Porto from the IDB and Dominic Orr from GIZ / atingi.org, I was at ICDE to talk about ‘open recognition’, a mini-movement which aims to acknowledge that we learn in many different ways throughout our lives, and that there is a society-wide need to broaden the range of the skills and experience we value and formally recognise.

If this sounds vague, the humanitarian sector provides an excellent illustration.

Arguably the most valuable humanitarian work is done by first-line responders in crisis-affected communities, the very same people that are least likely to be recognised in any formal way for their skills and expertise.

Whilst 90 percent of humanitarian workers in crisis-affected areas are nationals (ALNAP, SOHP, 2022), these are not the people that predominantly receive recognition, either to support career goals and future employment, or in the media.

As in many areas of work, there is a very real question in the humanitarian sector about whose skills we value and why.

During our panel, Stella, Dominic and I shared why open recognition is important for each of our respective sectors, the challenges we have faced in implementing it in practice, and what has worked well so far.

In relation to the humanitarian sector, I shared three long term dreams for what open recognition might achieve:

1. Recognition of the valuable knowledge and experience frontline humanitarians gain through action and practical work.

As mentioned, 90 percent of humanitarians in crisis-affected areas are nationals (ALNAP 2022). No amount of academic study can substitute for practical skills and characteristics required to respond in crisis, but these skills are largely unrecognised.

2. In an innately fast-changing sector where people are constantly required to learn and adapt, promotion and recognition of commitment to lifelong learning.

3. The ability to easily access verifiable evidence of a person’s skills and experience, enabling them to be quickly deployed into the right role in a crisis, minimising paperwork and the requirement to duplicate training.

At the HLA, we are committed to working towards these dreams, across our work and particularly through our HPass platform (find out more below).

The wider conference: How do we keep up with an accelerating pace of change?

During the wider conference it was fascinating to hear from a cross section of open and distance learning aficionados, and note the many parallels between the challenges faced by higher education, and humanitarian learning. For example:

Recognising that new technologies and AI are game-changers for lifestyles and labour, how do we ensure we have sufficient digital understanding in our organisations to make effective decisions about tech? And how do we build staff and learner digital literacy?
How do we combat institutional inertia and ensure our organisations can continuously adapt to meet learners’ needs? What roles should more traditional institutions take on within the ecosystem, and what new competencies do we need from leaders to provide inspiration and direction in times of change? This is a huge agenda in the humanitarian sector, with increasing numbers of more protracted crises in recent years, and a proportionally shrinking budget.
How can we ensure that we maintain and cultivate human connection in a digital world, for example in terms of facilitating social learning and networking, and looking after learner and staff mental health? How do we focus on the increasing importance of cognitive and interpersonal skills as technical tasks become automated?

Given the topic of our own panel, it was interesting for me to note that micro-credentials and open recognition were a huge theme across the conference, pointing to the implementation of more flexible, tailored learning as a key response by higher education to a world in which the labour market and its skills requirements are changing fast.

In any case, it is reassuring to remember that both the open and distance education and humanitarian learning communities are founded on the principle that educational approaches need to be continuously adapted to keep learning relevant and accessible to all. Evolving to meet needs is what our sectors are good at, and it was great to be among so many people who are passionate about that, and ready to rise to these new challenges.

Big thank you to Stella Porto and the IDB for sponsoring my attendance at the conference.

Find out more

Esther attended the ICDE World Conference 2023 in San José, Costa Rica between 6-10 November. Esther’s attendance was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Inter-American Development Bank.

To find out more about HLA’s skills recognition work, visit our HPass platform. Create your own account, then click ‘Explore’ to view digital credentials you can earn.

You can contact the HPass team on info@hpass.org

This is based on the HLA Eastern Europe Regional Team’s experience and the findings of the report by the LSE Department of International Development: Transformational Humanitarian Response: The Example of Poland commissioned by the Humanitarian Leadership Academy and Save the Children.

Read the full report in English and Polish on our website.

We are going to discuss transformational and localised humanitarian response and the findings of the report with Pawel Mania and Kamila Wujec.

About our experts

Pawel Mania, Deputy Director for Transformational Response.

Pawel has more than 15 years of experience working across the international development and humanitarian sectors. In his current role with HLA, he is accountable for impact, advocacy and strategic engagement to ensure quality delivery of the HLA’s humanitarian responses, including Ukraine Regional Response. Pawel is an expert in research, evaluation and strategic communication, having worked previously at the British Council and Committee on Foreign Affairs at the European Parliament across various research, Research, MEAL, policy and advocacy roles. He has directly supported humanitarian programming in Mozambique, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Syria, Türkiye, Poland and Ukraine.

Kamila Wujec, Regional Lead – Eastern Europe.

Kamila’s work is focused on whole systems consulting and leadership development as well as organisational capacity building. As the Regional Lead, Kamila delivers the HLA Centre’s mandate of supporting capacity building and capacity strengthening of local actors related to the Ukraine response, involving systemic change, digital content delivery, face-to-face training, remote training delivery, content production and coaching and mentoring. Before joining our team, Kamila worked across government and international development in Poland as a certified coach, trainer, and group dynamics consultant.

One of the key findings of the report, and something we often hear from local partners, is that effective cooperation and collaboration between local and international actors is still one of the biggest challenges. Why do you think that is? What are the obstacles to establishing constructive cooperation?

K.W.: One of the reasons for that struggle to establish cooperation, especially in the early stage of the response, is rooted in both culture and psychology. We could observe the lack of a widely acknowledged and recognised humanitarian culture code in Poland, including standards, norms and meaning that apply to the particular actions that ultimately form the aid system in the historically understood humanitarian system setting.

The challenge is that people cannot refer new terms to previous experiences. There are no guidelines on how to get things right. That requires decision-making with a limited understanding and foresight of where this might be heading.

That also applied to the notion of partnership and collaboration in a humanitarian setting, which was understood very differently by local and international organisations. In intercultural settings, people often do not have the same concept, even if they use the same word. It gets even more complicated when actors are not very confident in their command of English. A few of the national and local responders and support organisations have had any humanitarian experience before, especially on an international level. A lack of commonly shared understanding of sector-specific language made communication more challenging and sometimes caused misunderstanding.

In this case, there was a different understanding of the concept of partnership and collaboration. While the local actors interpreted these concepts through the filter of interpersonal relations, network collaboration, trust and communication, the international humanitarian actors saw accountability, implementation and risk avoidance as the most essential factors. Concepts and frameworks clashed with the need for trusting the local expertise and connection to the local community embedded in a high-speed environment.

Moreover, local actors reported that as they were not familiar with the procedures standard for the international humanitarian sector, following them was often overwhelming, and they found them demanding and frequently changing. The representatives of the INGOs were also rotating quite often, which made building trusting relationships difficult. The standardised ways of working were not helpful for local actors performing under immense stress, emotional drain and time pressure.

I believe we can learn a lot from this response. Some of the immediate lessons learnt are the need for longer contracts for surge staff in the beginning phase of a response (minimum 6-12 months), training for staff contracting implementing partners, training for local organisations on the introduction of the basic principles of a humanitarian response setting and the implications of collaborations with donor organisations, to create better accessibility to donor funding for smaller organisations and volunteer-based groups, and to ease the due diligence process.

P.M.: The report sheds some light on key challenges and obstacles, though it would require in-depth analysis for us to better understand this particular context.

Having supported a number of global responses, what I find both striking and disheartening is that the issues and challenges sound very familiar. Initially, it felt like a missed opportunity. Here we are, responding in a high-income country, with a high level of political and social support for the refugees, a very engaged and invested civil society, and yet it doesn’t seem like we have fully capitalised on that. As if all the lessons learned and thorough studies from across the globe haven’t been utilised, and the INGO sector went into a default mode.

However, reflecting more on this, and this report was very helpful here, I’m cautiously optimistic. I know first-hand that currently, most organisations have full-time local staff leading their work, very often coming from civil society or other local organisations, or at least very familiar with various local networks and interdependencies. This has reshaped the perception of the international sector as ‘other’ from the local perspective. I believe there is some collective understanding of the way forward as long as we enable further dialogue and share both ‘power’ and resources. We are all working for the common good, and the aid sector in Poland is still very small, so I’m very hopeful we can strengthen and improve this collaboration.

This is needed not only for the current response to the Ukrainian crisis but also for other current and future humanitarian needs, like the dire situation on the Belarussian border. The starting question should always be how we can collaborate most effectively (and including refugees themselves!) to ensure we achieve the desired impact for the affected populations. I love seeing Save the Children Poland, with the support of the Humanitarian Leadership Academy, enabling that dialogue.

Is the lack of trust in smaller, new, and/or not well-known organisations the reason? If so, how can these organisations raise their profile, get a positive reputation in the sector and achieve the mentioned mutual respect and equal partnership?

P.M.: It feels like the humanitarian system has been grappling with this dilemma for a very long time. The UN agencies and other key donors prefer to work with the usual suspects (i.e., INGOs) to avoid financial risks. The INGOs continue this path by funding national NGOs that are already established so they can identify some local partners that will lead on the implementation. However, I don’t think it’s just a matter of lack of trust. All actors need to work at speed and scale, so they chose a tested solution to minimise risks, as these are often the public funds we are talking about.

In Poland, this has been even more complex as apart from a few established relief organisations, the sector was totally unknown to the INGO world. Even though there might be justification to operate this way in an immediate response when there is not enough time for a strategic approach, this is not sustainable in a long-term perspective. Therefore, thorough but straightforward assessment must be considered from the get-go to provide relevant coaching and mentoring and other forms of capacity sharing. We see it coming up in every real-time review and evaluation across the Ukraine regional response, but also all the others I’ve read in the last few years from other responses.

The Humanitarian Leadership Academy has been supporting that transition for ten years now, which also includes preparing individuals and organisations before a crisis happens. But I dare to say, there has never been momentum quite like now. I think the whole sector realises this, and it’s also due to the Ukraine crisis. It’s not only about trusting local organisations but also one another to avoid any additional requirements from our local partners in terms of training, due diligence etc., so soon the funding can go directly to those closest to the response.

K.W.: The exclusion of smaller or informal organisations in the first six months of response is presumably rooted in the imperatives of administrating public and donor funding and meeting requirements to ensure accountability. The humanitarian sector distinguishes partnerships that include subgrant transfer, where donor funding will be administered by the local partner. Then, the international and local NGOs jointly implement a certain project to reach their joint objectives, which aim at other activities that do not require a transfer of funds.

The early stage of responses is typically the time when INGOs are looking for organisations that already have the capacity to absorb and administer donor funding to respond to the massive needs of the affected population. The mapping processes of potential partners are often conducted by staff who do not know the local context well and have to rely on recommendations and information available online and in coordination groups. Inevitably, only organisations that have worked professionally for decades and already have an institutional capacity, including established websites, a certain level of foreign language skills, etc., can be seen as reliable and able to comply with requirements.

However, we have seen clearly in this response that the current system excludes the driving force of this response, which is very context-specific. We have an impressively strong civil society movement consisting of informal community groups, individual volunteers and small entrepreneurs in both Poland and Ukraine. So far, the sector has failed to recognise this and adapt to the contextualisation.

But the opportunity is still there. The response is still active, and as the conflict unfolds, future scenarios in this part of the world are unknown. Senior decision-makers and sector leaders can still take steps towards change in the mindsets as well as in the rigorous system of public grant administration. For example, as required by local NGOs, it can be a common and unified due diligence process for local organisations, based on the systems they are used to, e.g., the Erasmus+ funding, in combination with a locally-led accreditation process, taking local law and realities of armed conflict into consideration. That would speed up humanitarian aid a lot.

Of course, over time, with the onboarding of national staff and better orientation in the ecosystem we operate in, even smaller organisations are recognised and acknowledged for their irreplaceable expertise. Yet, these are still rare examples as they usually do not stand for scale but for solutions to specific needs.

The involvement of the private sector in the refugee crisis response in Poland was unprecedented. Can you tell us about how humanitarian and private sectors can cooperate and if we have success stories from such cooperation?

K.W.: Indeed, the report articulates what we have observed across the country on a daily basis, e.g., transportation companies and catering services support, hotels transformed into shelter and housing, and various digital solutions helping the response. Although the report specifically showcases Poland’s response, there is evidence across the region, too.

To name a couple of examples: as a result of a joint Lublin response coalition, the city council in Lublin shared a building with their leading forces in civil society, e.g., the well-known Homo Faber Association, similarly, to Wroclaw city and their close collaboration with KOMM – a coalition of formal and nonformal groups of minority and migrant organisations. The collaboration between Ashoka Poland and Google jointly established pooled funding to support initiatives for refugees’ integration. Internationaler Bund in Krakow has entered a collaboration with Shell with the intention of developing a centre for education and support. Ikea is engaged with sector organisations to explore and support the professional integration of Ukrainian refugees into the labour market.

These excellent examples showcase that there is a huge space for the sector and business to enter jointly and potentially fill the gap of INGOs scaling down their funding or leaving the response. It also highlights the impact of cross-sector collaboration, which the HLA is especially committed to.

There is potential for more business sector collaboration, for example, through the establishment of strategic partnerships and a long-term commitment (ranging from 3-10 years), which allows both partners to achieve social and economic impact through focused and targeted solutions, ideally rooted in their region. Another area of win-win cooperation is corporate volunteering projects for impact, as well as the exchange of competencies and services, such as technological companies offering the humanitarian sector organisations their know-how, agile approach to tech solutions such as software, platforms, web design, and more. Consulting companies can offer management strategies and template solutions for large-scale operations.

In addition, the business sector can support the humanitarian response with flexible funding for projects that are far easier and faster to access and roll out, being able to decide freely on the priorities.

The humanitarian sector organisations are a safe space for refugee employment. However, they can lack long-term opportunities due to restricted funding periods, which are essential to refugees’ psychological safety and integration into society. Access to stable professional employment will remain at the forefront of the needs of refugees, to be able to be financially independent, psychologically safe, and able to create a stable situation for their own and their children’s integration. This is another area where local businesses can massively support the refugee crisis response.

P.M.: Just watching the crisis unfold, I was really inspired by how the whole Polish society engaged in supporting the refugees from Ukraine. This includes big and smaller local businesses that tried to play their part.

I found it both encouraging and disappointing that Polish local organisations preferred to collaborate with businesses rather than INGOs, but perhaps for different reasons than Kamila. I absolutely believe that the future of the humanitarian system needs to include businesses. The social and climate impact is more and more important for many businesses, as customers pay attention to that. Equally, public funds are becoming increasingly scarce, and the re-imagined humanitarian system must include all actors and their solutions. Organisations like Tech to Rescue are a great example of that.

However, what was more unsettling to read is that local organisations preferred to collaborate with businesses because our (INGOs’) systems are too complex and too slow. We can do better. The UK’s Disaster Emergency Committee is soon launching a pooled fund that will directly fund smaller organisations in Ukraine. This is led by Start Network, supported by HLA and soon a local host for the fund. The fund run by Ashoka in Poland is a great example of how such funds can be set up in partnership with the private sector.

Data and graphics from the LSE Department of International Development: **Transformational Humanitarian Response: The Example of Poland**

The report raises rarely discussed issues such as burnout of volunteers and the rising anti-refugee sentiment. Have you witnessed this, and what are the ways to prevent this? Is burnout something the humanitarian response actors experience as well?

K.W.: Absolutely! Let’s not forget that we have just faced a global pandemic and are still recovering from its social aftermath.

The threat of burnout is real and is expressed explicitly as the response continues. Firstly, we have to be aware that local organisations are undertaking multiple tasks at the same time and are much more exposed to stress and overwork, which is rooted in the proximity to seeing people suffer. Moreover, local actors are often overwhelmed with the need to learn about the humanitarian sector and its principles, ways of working, and requirements, as well as to handle many stakeholder relationships and do continuous recruitment to hold on to the bureaucratic demand of the system. This is paired with the task of suddenly managing largely scaled-up organisations, continuing to respond to crises and being accountable to the groups they directly work with daily. But the scale of needs leaves no time to process this emotionally.

We have also witnessed the despair and helplessness of frontline humanitarian leaders.

Whilst the international funding opportunities shrink, the needs of the refugee population change and do not vanish.

To prevent burnout on both sides, a critical thing for international actors is the awareness and responsibility of being accountable in stakeholder relations and working on clear, transparent communication, giving local organisations credit and a clear foresight of timeframes, next steps, and outlining the whole process. A clear overview of how long and how time-consuming the process of assessment, proposals and contracting given the current resources of the INGO, including potential delays or negative decisions, is another key thing.

For local organisations, setting boundaries, knowing what they do or do not want to engage with, and a critical self-assessment of their capacity are crucial to prevent burnout and overwhelmingness.

But foremost, we must put effort into human relations and interpersonal connections. As one of my Ukrainian colleagues recently put it: “We survive because we support each other. Today I am helping somebody, and I will get help from somebody when I am in need.”

Another critical topic raised in the report is child protection. I would expand this to the prevention of human trafficking in general, as the majority of the refugees were women and children. Can you share your insights on this? Tell us about the HLA’s impact by providing safeguarding training in the region.

P.M.: I let Kamila explain more on this subject, but I want to emphasise that child protection still remains a big concern within the response in Poland. In May this year, Save the Children, together with the International Rescue Committee, called for an immediate stop to the return of children in institutional care centres from Poland to Ukraine with concerns around lack of coordination and planning putting children at further risk.

K.W.: Safeguarding is non-negotiable, that’s why the HLA always starts with this critical work first. Our regional team has trained over 500 local actors in Child Safeguarding so far, and this remains one of the top priorities.

One of the first things we approached was translations of the essential learning resources covering Safeguarding into local languages. All these resources are now available on our free online platform Kaya and the Response Learning Hub, and we actively promote them to our partners and across the response.

We also share expertise and capacity building within the Capacity Strengthening Task Force and collaborate and exchange experience with our partners, such as the Safeguarding Academy with the Safeguarding Response Hub, A21, and others.

In line with the recommendations of the LSE report, the HLA team in Poland contributes to the Ukraine refugee crisis response in alignment with the localisation agenda. HLA continues strengthening the capacity of local actors by providing essential and advanced learning opportunities, for example, in-person training and workshops on Education in Emergencies, Humanitarian Operations Programme, and webinars on such crucial topics as proposal writing and managing data in humanitarian response in Polish and Ukrainian.

Learn more about our work in Eastern Europe

I am the Humanitarian Director at Save the Children UK. I have spent the past 30 years working in humanitarian aid.

I studied civil engineering and fell into the humanitarian profession by good fortune a couple of years after graduation.

It was a big leap of faith, but one that I have never regretted.

The human spirit is incredibly strong and can overcome so much.

This is needed more than ever so I want to talk to you about the humanitarian of the future.

Modernity has led to amazing gains in knowledge, life expectancy, healthcare, cosmopolitan urban lifestyles, alongside inhuman industrial scale wars, huge inequality, deprivation, mental health epidemics and most importantly a biodiversity and environmental catastrophe that threatens our very existence.

The number of refugees and displaced persons is the highest since the second world war at over 100 million.

1 in 6 children on the planet are living in a conflict zone.

Today almost two billion have an inadequate diet and a hunger crisis is raging across the globe.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us that we are only ever as safe as the least safe place on earth.

Meanwhile the war in Ukraine is a watershed moment for international relations and the spectre of inter-imperial conflict looms large once more.

These are ‘wicked problems’ – socially and culturally complex, interconnected and very difficult to solve. They require collaborative solutions practised on a planetary scale if we are to free all humanity from unnecessary hardship and discrimination.

We will have to look beyond narrow self-interest and discover a new progressive internationalism.

So it is a time for big thinking and big collaboration, a time for being brave and a time for being the best possible version of you.

Humanitarians today are confronted with a world that is fast changing.

We are faced with major upheavals in global affairs and chaotic and constantly changing dynamics that render the convenient, rational constructs of traditional managerialism almost redundant.

As the aid sector has professionalised and industrialised over the past half century, so it has built thick walls of technocracy and a regime of risk management and compliance that has increasingly distanced it from those it seeks to help and its core identity.

I have learned through experience that at its most fundamental level, the soul of humanitarian aid can be boiled down to just four words: ‘hope and human connection’; this is then turned into purposeful action as a form of powerful solidarity that challenges humanity to be better for all our futures and those of generations to come.

Through experience, I have discovered ways to make a strategic virtue out of operating at the collaborative ‘outer edges’ of the aid eco-system, a place where influence through inspirational vision can flourish by raising ambition above the confines of individual agency mandates to a sense of higher collective purpose for humanity.

The art of collaboration lies in harnessing an organisation’s goodwill and support. This is not done through unproductively railing against the perceived injustices and constraints of the dominant managerial culture, but through recognising it as inevitable in the present, while finding ways to edge organisation towards a more critically reflective, eco-systemic leadership approach in the near future.

Questioning the institutional forms and the political tendencies historically associated with liberal humanitarianism is necessary to thinking through how politics of life can be part of building a more just and equal world.

Of late, the aid sector has been heavily criticised as Western centric, top down and still encumbered with the uncomfortable legacies of colonialism and white saviourism.

Indeed, in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd, the aid sector is trying to come to terms with its own deep rooted structural racism and the need to be much more locally led in terms of agency and decision making.

As we agitate for a faster pace of reform within the traditional sector, so must we search for new ways to foster disruption and positive social change from the outside.

Therefore, for the aid sector to remain relevant in these radical times, it needs new thinking, a new leadership mindset and a much more soulful way of relating to the world it inhabits.

As individuals, we must all learn to temper the cognitive overload that so disorientates our technologically colonised minds with the rediscovery of emotional reasoning and relating.

We have to become more comfortable with holding the discomfort of ambiguity and uncertainty and learn to cherish the imperative to get somewhere different.

This will require us to step off the familiar safe path and pioneer new trails. In a world in transition, we need to constantly explore and experiment and practice persistence. This takes courage because the journey is not without fear.

But it is possible. 15 years ago a group of us set out to create the Humanitarian Leadership Academy. It was an idea that stated on a piece of paper in a coffee shop, but today it is a community of more than 700,000 users in 193 countries and more than fifty partner organisations.

Big collaboration is possible folks!

So I envisage a future in which all humanitarians are more critically reflective, self-compassionate and adept at eco-systemic leadership.

I see a new kind of adaptive constellation behaviour emerging among the next generation of humanitarian leaders.

They are agile operators with a strongly humanistic mindset who give themselves permission to organically ‘grow into the unknown’ and become the vital connective tissue the future humanitarian system needs.

They are versatile, sociable and creative; politically and philosophically engaged; instinctive networkers supportive team players and energy givers.

Are you one of them? Could you become one of them? I hope so, because the world needs you more than ever.

Resources

Books

Byung Chul Han (2015). The Burnout Society. (Stanford: Stanford University Press)

Juliano Fiori et al (2021). Amidst the Debris, Humanitarianism and the End of the Liberal Order. (London: Hurst)

Mark Fisher (2022). Capitalist Realism, Is There No Alternative? (London: Zero books)

Gemma Houldey (2021). The Vulnerable Humanitarian, Ending Burnout Culture in the Aid Sector. (Abingdon: Routledge)

Gabor Maté (2022). The Myth of Normal – Trauma, Illness & Healing in a Toxic Culture. (London: Vermillion)

Gareth Owen (2022). When the Music’s Over, Intervention, Aid and Somalia. (London: Repeater)

Michael Power (2004). The Risk Management of Everything – Rethinking the Politics of Uncertainty. (London: Demos)

Rebecca Solnit (2016). Hope in the Dark, Untold histories, Wild Possibilities. (Edinburgh: Canongate)

Bessel Van Der Kolk (2014). The Body Keeps the Score. (London: Penguin Random House)

Websites

The Alameda Institute

Oxford University Study on INGOs

Dr Simon Western, Eco-Leadership Report for The Humanitarian Leadership Academy

Podcasts

Edgy Ideas

Trumanitarian

You may also be interested in

Humanitarian Xchange 2024: an event to address global humanitarian crises and solutions

Fresh Humanitarian Perspectives: podcast from the Humanitarian Leadership Academy

Gareth joined Save the Children in 2002 as an Emergency Adviser and became Humanitarian Director in 2007.

Read Gareth’s blog posts for SCUK

As part of our education in emergencies (EiE) series, we shine the spotlight on our work that we undertake around the world. Together with Save the Children International and partners, we work to help uphold the universal right for children to access good quality education.

*Celebrating HLA/Save the Children International’s EiE training successes in 2023. Featured images (clockwise from top left): EiE training in Nepal, Mozambique,* Jordan and Kenya.

Our EiE Professional Development Programme forms a core part of the HLA’s Technical Expertise Pillar work where we prioritise local and national organisations to ensure that all those affected by emergencies are included and equally participate in and benefit from humanitarian action.

Ka Man Parkinson (HLA Communications Advisor) caught up with Casey Pearson, the HLA’s EiE Learning Specialist, to learn more about the work that has taken place so far in 2023 and a look ahead to upcoming developments.

Could you give an overview of what has been achieved so far this year?

This year has been an extraordinarily busy year for HLA/Save the Children International’s EiE Professional Development Programme (EiE PDP)!

We have expanded from running in two core regions – East and Southern Africa (ESA) and the Middle East and Eastern Europe (MEEE) – to increase our reach to cover two more regions: Asia and most recently West and Central Africa (WCA).

The EiE Regional Managers are the driving force behind the many capacity sharing and training opportunities which we provide within the EiE PDP.

Since its launch in 2015, the EiE PDP has been supporting in-country EiE and education practitioners from all organisations – including UN, INGOs, local and national organisations and governments – to develop a core set of technical competencies relevant across the sector through delivering a series of connected blended EiE courses.

The EiE PDP aims to strengthen the capacity of EiE stakeholders to deliver quality timely and adapted education in emergencies programmes in humanitarian settings. 

Engaging and bringing together learners from a range of organisations involved in the EiE ecosystem not only helps create a community of practice which endures after their direct engagement in the programme, but also promotes intra-sector collaboration and response coherence.

With a minimum of 50 percent of facilitated course spaces targeting local and national organisations and government, this programme aims to improve national and regional EiE skills to promote more localised responses.

To meet the learning and professional development needs of different EiE practitioners working in different capacities and levels of the system, and in different locations, the EiE PDP has developed and delivered a series of interconnected EiE professional development products which also link to the INEE (inter-agency) Competency Framework. These range from self-directed online courses, face-to-face facilitated courses to blended 450-hour EiE Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) accredited by the University of Geneva.

Would you like to share any milestones or notable achievements from this year?

Milestone 1: successful EiE CAS residential training

In both the ESA and MEEE regions, 49 participants came together from across the respective regions to participate in residential training sessions as part of the EiE Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) – 24 in Jordan and 25 in Kenya.

Kenya

Casey and fellow facilitators at the EiE CAS Residential in Kenya (ESA Region), May 2023.

The EiE CAS is a sector-facing course targeting mid/senior level EiE and education practitioners working and based in emergency-affected or prone regions.

Participants spend the majority of the residential participating in an EiE simulation where they apply the learning gained across the six modules of the CAS to a range of scenarios in the fictional land of Galania.

An EiE CAS residential training participant from Ethiopia said:
“It was amazing…we gained substantial skills and knowledge that will contribute massive inputs to our professional development. Personally, I learned a lot from the session and interactions I had with my colleagues from East, West, and South Africa. I was impressed by the smile and sympathy of the entire team. They were spectacular and inspiring days that will remain in my heart and mind forever.”

An EiE CAS residential training participant from Jordan said:
“As someone who is passionate about promoting access to quality education in crisis situations, I found the course to be challenging and rewarding. I’ve learned a lot and I’m excited to take what I’ve learned and apply it in my work and daily life. Let’s continue to advocate for access to education during emergencies so that everyone, no matter where they are in the world or what crises they’re facing, can have the opportunity to learn and grow.”

These students are now in the final module of their course where they are designing and delivering context-specific training utilising the newly gained knowledge and skills whilst continuing to provide professional development opportunities for others.

The simulation is full-on and pretty intense, but the participants really bond with each other and learn with and from each other in ways which are much more difficult to achieve using more traditional training methodologies.

Jordan

Celebrating the successful completion of the EiE CAS residential in Jordan (MEEE Region), June 2023.

Milestone 2: the launch of EiE Fundamentals in Nepal

Another huge achievement was seeing the EiE Fundamentals launch in Nepal earlier this year, as this is a new region for the programme to be expanding in and we are so happy to have Efren Lubuguin in post as Regional Manager to grow the programme there – you can hear Efren talk about his work in the region in this recent EiE podcast episode he recorded for the HLA.

The training included staff from Save the Children Nepal, local partners, INGOs as well as government officials. By the end of the week-long training, participants developed an action plan to localise the EiE Fundamentals course and to promote EiE across the provincial and local levels of the Education Cluster in Nepal.

We are also launching the EiE CAS programme for Asia this year – so lots of exciting professional development opportunities on the horizon for EiE practitioners across the region!

Nepal

The inaugural EiE Fundamentals Nepal training, May 2023.

Milestone 3: our workshop with the Education Cluster in Ukraine

The two-day Reflection and Learning workshop held in collaboration with Save the Children Ukraine and the Ukraine Education Cluster was definitely another key milestone.

Ukraine

Representatives of the Education Cluster in Ukraine gathered in Kyiv to discuss the foundational concepts and standards of EiE, August 2023.

The workshop provided a safe learning space to share experiences and challenges, identify areas of learning, and celebrate successes. The effect of the armed conflict on the education system has a long-lasting effect on society, so it needs to be addressed holistically and comprehensively.

This workshop is the start of a three-month programme of creating a community of practice around EiE best practices and challenges in Ukraine. Through reflection on their everyday work in overcoming barriers in education, Education Cluster members aim to contextualise international knowledge accumulated around EiE and spread it further as trainers.  

Even though part of the session was conducted in a basement due to the air raid siren, Education Cluster members found the opportunity to participate valuable and took it positively. 

Margaryta Rymarenko, Save the Children Ukraine, Ukraine Education Cluster Coordinator said:

“In cooperation with HLA, we managed to create a blended learning programme that combines an online course on Kaya with face-to-face sessions, facilitated by local experts. This allows us to critically reflect on both the course content and our up-to-day practice to create a new iteration of the course, which is perfectly adapted for the situation on the ground.”

Milestone 4: launch of new online courses

Alongside our in-person workshops and training sessions, online self-directed learning also plays a huge part of the professional development programme. We have a growing catalogue of online courses for EiE in the HLA’s digital learning platform Kaya. The HLA Digital Learning team has done an incredible job in building new courses which we have been able to release this year.

Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) is a growing approach in the sector so being able to develop and launch a new CVA course was a big achievement!

We have also released online courses in Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) in EiE and Safeguarding in EiE and are excited to almost have EiE Foundational Concepts and Frameworks course available in Ukrainian, meaning this will be available in five languages alongside English, French, Arabic and Spanish!

What kind of planning and coordination together with Regional Centres and partners does this take behind the scenes to bring this work to fruition?

The Regional Programme Managers for EiE PDP really take the lead in prioritising country and capacity needs within their regions. They liaise very closely with Save the Children International’s Technical Advisors and Education Clusters or working groups already established within countries. These are the entry points to understanding the professional development needs within a response and to reach the relevant potential participants.

Translation and language needs are also very much at the forefront of the planning stages ensuring that both materials and facilitation meet the needs of the participants.

We also rely heavily on our incredibly supportive training and course alumni. We regularly engage with students who have participated in our trainings to organise, develop and often deliver training sessions. They are fundamental in creating a global community of EiE professional development which will only enhance outcomes for children and young people experiencing education in a crisis.

Although we are based across the globe, I – as the HLA Learning Specialist – and EiE Regional Managers work very closely together. This is to provide technical support and share experiences across regions, but also to gather evidence and data on the EiE PDP from a global perspective exploring its reach, impact and continuously-evolving needs.

Creating a sense of team whilst being so dispersed really makes you feel supported in your work. We have lots of cross-region support where we help each other out, for example we might facilitate a specific online session in a region which is different to where we are based, and we all come together to help run the simulations as they require a lot of human power to do the facilitation, grading, and the general organisation of it!

What emerging themes/priorities can you see in terms of professional development needs for educators/EiE practitioners?

The core competencies outlined in the INEE EiE competency framework continue to underline the key areas and stages of professional development for an EiE practitioner, but there are constantly growing areas and topics to be further explored.

Although the learning areas of gender, disability, language and inclusion in general have developed a lot over recent years, this is still an area which is critical for practitioners to continue to update their skills and practices in – as is MHPSS and wellbeing for children, teachers and staff in a crisis. This is because we still have a lot to learn about how to maximise inclusion and wellbeing in EiE and stay up to date as new knowledge, terminology and understanding is gained globally in these areas.

Climate change education, preparedness and anticipatory action, schools under attack and Cash and Voucher programming are all areas which are relatively new in the EiE sphere and topics which are thus also emerging as areas for development.

What’s coming up next?

We will be launching the EiE CAS programme in three regions this year, and we also have a range of EiE Fundamentals training sessions planned as well as the launch of Inclusive EiE and Child Participation online courses. We are looking forward to these next steps.

Thank you for sharing these reflections and behind the scenes insights with us, Casey! Thank you to you and the EiE team for your work and we wish you all the best for the next phase of activity.

About Casey Pearson

Casey holds 10 years’ experience in education and professional development across national and international contexts. She is a qualified teacher with a first class honours degree in Education, and a distinction in MSc Humanitarianism, Aid and Conflict. Since starting her career as a teacher in the UK, Casey transitioned into Education in Emergencies (EiE) and has worked for a range of NGOs in a range of contexts.

Casey says: “I am passionate about evidence-driven learning and have also conducted and presented my own research focused on teacher training and child protection in emergencies in Sub Saharan Africa. Most recently I returned from Bangladesh where I worked as an Education Officer and unit manager with UNHCR on the Rohingya refugee response.”

Acknowledgments

This EiE work is made possible thanks to the financial support from the People’s Postcode Lottery Education Trust, Save the Children Norway/Ministry of National Foreign Affairs, and the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC).

Esther Grieder was recently selected to present at eLearning Africa which took place between 24-26 May in Dakar, Senegal. Here she shares her reflections from the event.

A few weeks ago I returned from eLearning Africa, hosted this year in Senegal, in the Abdou Diouf Conference Centre just outside Dakar.

The conference brings together a huge range of companies, organisations and individuals with an interest in how the power of technology can best be applied to education, training and skills development on the African continent, and elsewhere.

The sessions I attended included everything from artificial intelligence (AI) and the metaverse, through to the use of radio waves to transfer visual and audio content, through to the very real challenges of implementing any kind of education technology (EdTech) initiative without internet connectivity.

I was also part of a panel which presented on ‘How digital credentials are transforming skills recognition in the workplace’ (read about HPass, our digital credentialling programme for humanitarians).

Esther with fellow presenters Eiman Elmasry (ITCILO), Rita Fennelly-Atkinson and April Williamson (Digital Promise) and Mike Feerick (Alison), and Chair Rolf Reinhardt (ICoBC).

Here are my overarching conference takeaways…

The global pace of technological change versus the speed of progress towards universal internet access

Globally, the pace of technological change is now faster than most of us can keep up with, as blockchain, the metaverse and AI each take their turn as the next big thing and promise to reshape our lives.

However, in Africa where internet penetration is 43 percent (source: Statista, 2021), the priorities in terms of educational technology centre more around internet coverage, and how to ensure that children and young people have the equipment and support to develop digital skills which will facilitate their access to the modern workplace. Getting the basics in place is still very much top of the agenda.

There were some interesting presentations on technological solutions in internet-less settings. These included using digital radio to send audio and visual content (Aldred Dreyer, Digital Radio Mondiale), and the possibility to create a collaborative document on multiple devices without internet using Web 3.0 technologies (Sebastian Zug, Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg).

The digital divide

This discrepancy between the pace of technological change, and access to the internet, is creating what’s known as the digital divide.

Across Africa, capital cities typically have great internet coverage whilst in smaller towns and rural areas it’s sporadic. This means that in richer urban areas people are benefitting from each new technological innovation as it arrives and rapidly improving their quality of life, whilst rural areas lag behind.

Likewise, private schools are quick to pick up new technologies made available by start-ups and non-profits, whilst public schools are hugely hindered by red tape and administration.

Digital skills

Given the above, digital skills are clearly a priority and needed at all levels. Governments require digital skills to be able to make policies to facilitate and regulate digital industry, employers require digital skills of their recruits, and teachers require digital skills to be able to impart them to their pupils.

Digital Africa’s Penelope Terranova reported that 230 million jobs requiring digital skills will be required to be filled in Africa by 2030, with only 690,000 professional identified. 60 percent of the continent’s digital talent is concentrated in six countries.

Soft skills

Across the conference ‘soft skills’ (or interpersonal skills, power skills) was one of the strongest themes. The term ‘soft skills’ refers for example to the ability to communicate effectively, build relationships, work in teams and adapt to new situations, which for many employers are the difference between being able or unable to do a job.

Across the board, soft skills were seen as one of the key challenges that must be addressed to prepare young people for work and to enable employees to perform in their roles, with a lot of interest in how tech could be mobilised in support of the task.

Digital Africa had conducted research suggesting that for EdTech start-ups, soft skills were consistently the most sought after skills.

Sovereignty and self-determination

As we all know, the technology that is taking over our lives, for better or worse, is primarily developed by a handful of privileged individuals in Silicon Valley.

At the closing debate entitled ‘The House believes AI will do more harm than good on the African continent’, it was interesting to hear the presentation of Francisca Oladipo of Thomas Adewumi University in Nigeria, who argued that AI is a threat to African culture. She argued that the data used by AI is gathered from the most active users of the internet, i.e. those in the Global North, and therefore its intelligence is a Northern rather than an African one.

In addition as more data is gathered from the African continent and commodified, technology can be seen as yet another extractive industry making use of African resources for Northern profit.

What does all this mean for HLA and the humanitarian sector?

As an organisation focused on the provision of learning and training in the humanitarian sector, it’s clear that we need to continue to embrace the power of new technology to deliver learning. EdTech increases our reach and can provide our learners with simulations of humanitarian situations before they face them in real life.

However, it remains important for us to recognise that internet connectivity is not a given in the areas in which we operate, and that we should continue to provide learning opportunities for humanitarians in the remotest regions.

It’s also clear that we need to be preparing humanitarians for a digital future, providing them with the skills they need to navigate the rapidly changing technological landscape.

We need to support them to be able to use technology to provide better humanitarian response, as well as understand the threats posed by technology itself (cybersecurity threats, new kinds of weapons used in conflict) which humanitarians may face.

Doing so will require the humanitarians of the future to have advanced leadership and transferable skills, to be able to analyse and adapt to an ever-more rapidly changing technological context.

Ferhana Dostmohamed’s session on leadership identified five facets of leadership including ‘Embraces Agility’, a characteristic of increasing importance in a fast-changing technological landscape, and particularly for humanitarians.

Of course, it wouldn’t be an edtech conference for me without a finding related to digital credentials! Joshua Lange of Digital Financial Aid Corporation tells us that we will soon be able to attach Bitcoin to a digital credential, meaning you could potentially reward somebody’s course completion with funds for further study, or reimburse them on completion of a paid-for course. Wow!

Esther with Lucile Batiano from our West and Central Africa (WCA) Regional Centre, based in Dakar.

To support the Humanitarian Leadership Academy’s vision for a localised humanitarian sector, we work to promote and prioritise diverse and inclusive leadership practices.

One of our initiatives to help address the gender imbalance at leadership levels is the Across Organisational Mentoring Programme (AOMP), harnessing the expertise of Lis Merrick and Jacki Mason at Coach Mentoring Ltd together with Save the Children UK and the HLA.

We provide and develop opportunities for the professional development of under-represented groups – including women – across the whole leadership pipeline to drive a step change in the social agenda.

Over the past decade, we have seen coaching and mentoring become vital capacity-strengthening tools that have enabled individuals and teams to achieve their full potential and further develop their resilience in increasingly complex and ambiguous environments.

The AOMP was established to connect individuals across participating humanitarian and development organisations, drawing on experience across the sector to support professional development through mentoring.

The Women in Leadership version of the AOMP (WIL AOMP) focuses specifically on supporting women – both current and developing leaders – in their professional development and aspirations to develop further as leaders in the sector.

Mentees from around the world are matched with experienced senior leaders from the humanitarian and development sector, and work together for approximately 9 to 12 months to discuss and work together on the mentee’s individual learning goals.

In the lead-up to International Women’s Day, Ka Man Parkinson from the HLA caught up with four of our mentors to hear their experiences as a leader and as a mentor on the Women in Leadership Programme.

Paula Brennan is an experienced coach and leader in the humanitarian sector, working at organisations including Save the Children UK and the Centre for Humanitarian Leadership.

Irene Jucker is a consultant, facilitator and coach; formerly a managing director for Swiss NGOs and a leadership coach at Greenpeace.

Anne-Sophie Lois is Senior United Nations Representative – New York and Geneva at Plan International.

Fiona McSheehy is a coach and mentor with a background in the emergency aid sector including at Save the Children UK and the British Red Cross.

You all have a wealth of experience gained over many years in the humanitarian or NGO sector. What kind of changes have you seen in the role and contribution of women in the sector, particularly at leadership levels?

Fiona McSheehy: I have seen more women at more senior levels since I started, and more women across more roles. When I started the majority of females held positions in HR, finance, or fairly administrative posts. Now I see women holding positions relating to fleet management, construction, and country directors.

This is seen across the organisations involved in humanitarian response. Also, there has been a change in the make-up of senior management teams at country, regional and international levels. There are more women holding senior positions within UN agencies as well.

Paula Brennan: Women are increasingly being appointed to leadership positions in the sector. This is great news because by having women in senior positions we can expect a more gender-balanced approach to decision-making and policy development which ultimately influences how we deliver aid. At every level, and in every type of role, women’s huge contribution is now being acknowledged.

But we still have a long way to go – although we see a better gender balance in the UN and INGOs, that’s not always the case in smaller organisations. Also, those occupying the top jobs are often not representative of the communities they serve and smaller organisations and women of colour don’t always have a voice.

Anne-Sophie Lois: Over the years that I have been working in the sector, I have seen more women coming into the workforce in the humanitarian and human rights sectors. But unfortunately, our sector has still a long way to go to be equal.

Many times we will find more men in leadership position and with higher salaries than female peers. Women are often facing the so-called glass ceiling in particular around the age of ‘the child bearing years’.

Our sector rarely takes into account that it’s difficult to juggle children and work. As a feminist leader, I’m very aware of that and provide support to those within my team. We have developed family-friendly polices so that men and women can have a strong family/private life outside work.

Do you think being a woman leader in the humanitarian/NGO sector has presented any particular challenges that you had to work to overcome?

Irene Jucker: Absolutely. I had the feeling that I had to work twice as hard as my male colleagues to be accepted. It took me quite a while and needed a lot of good reviews to build enough self-confidence.

But this is not particularly related to the NGO sector, I believe. It was more working in a campaign organisation that made it difficult. Campaign organisations had a very ‘macho’ environment. That has changed a great deal over time, but there is still a ‘hero culture’ lingering on.

Fiona McSheehy: I think it is difficult sometimes to distinguish between challenges specifically because I am a woman, as opposed to challenges due to other factors.

In the aid sector, I have been challenged by men in some of the responses I have been involved with. For example, in some countries the government officials have directly refused to speak with me as I am a woman.

An area that has not specifically affected me – but I know has affected other women – is the biological differences between men and women, and the associated reproductive cycle, the monthly periods and the menopause. While this is now being discussed more openly in the western world, this issue still impacts negatively on many women globally.

We are delighted to have you work with us on our Women in Leadership programme. Could you tell us a little about your experiences as a mentor on this programme?

Paula Brennan: I love this programme and having benefitted from mentors throughout my career it was a great chance to give back. I’ve mentored several women and really look forward to our conversations: I can honestly say that I gain more than I contribute. It might sound corny but it’s such a privilege to work with amazing women from around the world and see them flourish in their careers.

Irene Jucker: It is incredibly enriching! I get an insight into different NGOs and find it super interesting to find patterns across NGOs when it comes to organisational culture, strategy and leadership. And I love to get to know so many wonderful, dedicated women in so many different countries. To build a trustful relationship is so rewarding.

At first, I was worried that cultural differences could be an issue, but I realised that it is not a barrier as the topics and the way women feel about their work is the same everywhere. When we talk from our hearts, and explore a situation through our feelings too, cultural differences do not matter.

Finally, what advice would you like to share for women and girls who are interested in developing a career in the humanitarian sector or cause-based organisations like NGOs?

Anne-Sophie Lois: I believe that people need to ask questions that are relevant for themselves and then seek answers for them. Most answers are inside ourselves – but we may not know how to access them.

Coaching and mentoring can support you on your career journey. Potential questions to reflect on could be: What’s my purpose? Why am I interested in this line of work? What could my contribution be? What strength do I bring? How do I manage challenges like uncertainty and complexity?

Irene Jucker: You need to be interested in the cause, not just in working for an NGO. Because values are so important in NGO’s, you need to be able to identify with the cause.

Oftentimes, I applied for a job in an organisation I really wanted to work for that I found not to be super interesting, but I wanted to be ready when the right job was available. I always gave my best in every job which helped me to get the dream job in the end. I guess what I want to say is this: be humble – but dream big!

Paula Brennan: Women, given a supportive environment, can usually work out the best way forward in a way that suits them. So I would say do all you can to create that supportive environment for yourself – surround yourself with people who will lift you up, network, connect with women who are already in leadership positions, get a mentor, be clear about who you are and what you stand for.

Once, I was promoted into a senior role and I requested a coach to support my transition. She asked me what I stood for and what values I’d prioritise above all else. When I didn’t have a convincing answer she said: “You can’t blow an uncertain trumpet.” It’s such a great line and I still think of it now – once you’re clear on your purpose and your values, the rest falls into place: you can communicate with impact and inspire people to follow your leadership.

Fiona McSheehy: Do it! It is satisfying, rewarding, and is part of the process for changing the lives of women and girls globally. Be the role model that you want others to follow, and challenge the culture that exists when men are treated more positively than women in many places around the world.

With thanks to Paula Brennan, Irene Jucker, Anne-Sophie Lois and Fiona McSheehy for their contributions, and to Lis Merrick from Coach Mentoring Ltd.

Read more about our work in coaching and mentoring:
View our Coaching and Mentoring webpage
Visit our NGO Coaching and Mentoring website

By Pawel Mania, Deputy Director for Transformational Response, and Kamila Wujec, Regional Lead for the HLA Eastern Europe Regional Centre

As we approach one year of armed conflict in Ukraine, the same questions keep echoing: How many more months? How much more aid? The war situation and the information reaching the public are constantly evolving. In this chaotic state of rapid changes and ever more complexity, there are two things that have remained constant: Ukrainian resilience and European solidarity.

As those focused on supporting the Ukraine response at the Humanitarian Leadership Academy, or HLA, we know that the response to the conflict in Ukraine receives a level of aid and a profile that is unmatched elsewhere, from the famine in East Africa to conflict in West Africa and the Sahel. However, is there a threshold for the resilience and solidarity we continue to count on when it comes to Ukraine?

Civil society in Ukraine as well as in neighboring countries has overwhelmingly carried the burden of the humanitarian response since the beginning of the war, witnessing about 7.1 million internally displaced persons in Ukraine and 8 million individual refugees from Ukraine recorded across Europe fleeing conflict.

This is clear to our colleagues at the HLA Eastern Europe regional center as well as to other international actors. It has been fully recognized by the Disasters Emergency Committee, or DEC, where Save the Children UK and the HLA are partner organizations that have been delivering an extraordinary response — which has predominantly been implemented through and with local partners.

The need for strengthened local-international collaboration

Findings from a recent DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal Report — in English and Ukrainian — show what has worked well so far, but also reveal how this local-international collaboration can be strengthened to better address the growing needs.

Is this a model for success? Potentially, yes, in many ways. But is it currently a fully sustainable response that is being replicated across the region? This does not appear to be the case, as not all local organizations have been as fortunate as some of those supported by DEC partners. These local organizations made it very clear in two recently published strongly worded open letters, addressed to the humanitarian system from NGOs in Ukraine and Poland. As stated in one of them:

“You bring extraordinary, much-needed knowledge and we are more than willing to learn from you. At the same time be open to learn from us. Only in a true partnership, using the local resources and the knowledge of local NGOs, combining it with international experience and capacity, we all are able to bring about quality change.”

This message is not surprising — according to a report by Humanitarian Outcomes, “national Ukrainian NGOs received a scant 0.003%” of the millions of dollars raised for support by the international humanitarian sector. HLA, together with Save the Children UK, have heard their voices loud and clear and now we are working tirelessly to ensure national Ukrainian NGOs remain at the center of the aid debate on Ukraine. Our previous experience with other global crises tells us that the only sustainable response is one led by local actors.

When setting up our plans for this response, we were also aware of both the tremendous responsibility and the opportunity we have in our hands: the incredibly strong civil society, generous funding, and reassuring political will. Our programming has focused on supporting local organizations and communities, which nearly a year after, remain at the forefront of the response, and are unsurprisingly exhausted and bruised.

Addressing the issue

The DEC partners, including HLA/SCUK, will be addressing issues raised in the report, by setting up a pooled funding initiative. Learning from the experience of HLA, which is currently rolling out a capacity strengthening fund in Ukraine, local organizations can decide themselves what they want to invest in to continue saving lives and livelihoods but also to repivot their work for when the war ends and reconstruction starts.

To enable this level of support we have set up a regional center in Poland, building on our global delivery model. The newly created regional center allows us to collaborate with other local and international actors within already existing networks or drive new initiatives where there is a gap and need identified by local actors.

In Poland, through the Capacity Strengthening Task Force and with the support of the NGO Forum, we have created the Response Learning Hub, which will soon be fully launched in the region. The hub contains 50 digital courses translated into Ukrainian, Polish, and Romanian. These are humanitarian essentials that have been tested and quality assured for those new to the humanitarian response or who need to improve their knowledge and skills.

This digital learning is complementary to the much wider offer we are delivering through our regional center in Eastern Europe. Local and international leadership must work hand-in-hand in order to successfully deliver localized action to support those in need. By doing so, we are building a bridge toward new models of working based on the huge solidarity we have witnessed.

At HLA we believe that by working with the local civil society we can build the most agile response model. Our partners can adapt their delivery to ever-changing needs and to the complex, multi-layered, and overlapping stages of the humanitarian response. To ensure continued success, we have made focusing on learning from results and evidence nonnegotiable.

In order to maximize the impact of our efforts in the Ukraine crisis, as always, we want to understand what works in this context and what local solutions we should replicate in other responses. While we will be providing direct research funding grants, we are also concurrently developing transformative ways of thinking that drive innovation across the sector through our new thinking project called Alameda. This will promote research and strategy from a non-Western perspective.

Feb. 24 is not an anniversary the Ukrainian people would ever wish to celebrate, but it is a critical moment in the evolution of humanitarian aid. The legacy of this moment for Ukraine and the world at large must therefore be one of radical change toward future responses built on genuine self-determination and effective international solidarity.

Author: Gareth Owen OBE, Humanitarian Director, Save the Children UK

One has only to heed the clamor for change and observe the yawning gulf between global need and available financing to realize it is time for a radical new leadership mindset in humanitarian aid.

The foundations of world order are being rocked by events in Ukraine and a global hunger crisis of unprecedented dimension. Humanitarian leaders are confronted with a major upheaval in international affairs, creating conditions vastly different from those in which traditional aid agencies developed their premises for intervention.

It demands an aid system that is more inclusive and equitable, where humanitarian citizenship is not bounded by self-limiting and self-serving institutional forms and intransigent power dynamics. Future humanitarian endeavor must therefore be reframed within a far larger, complex political struggle: the fight to resurrect international solidarity and promote genuine self-determination. The necessity of this is no longer in question, rather it is a matter of how it will be achieved.

A new attitude to leadership and alliance-building is required, more critically reflective and eco-systemic in outlook. There are positive signs that this is emerging. Adaptive, constellation behaviors are already developing among the next generation of humanitarian leaders. They are politically and philosophically engaged; creative lateral connecters who reject the inadequate status quo. They are the vital connective tissue the future humanitarian system needs; the coming generation of “eco-leaders” upon which the collaborative success of the sector depends.

A new leadership paradigm

The term “eco-leadership” describes a new leadership paradigm for today’s networked and interdependent global environment in which the form and purpose of organizations is reframed to emphasize connectivity, ethics, human spirit, and belonging. For many potential leaders, the full power of these natural behaviors remains untapped. This is where the Humanitarian Leadership Academy, or the HLA, comes in — to help hone and unleash this new wave of future-facing leadership spirit. In Ukraine, the HLA is developing a new kind of leadership program in partnership with the Eco-Leadership Institute to empower local leaders.

First mooted in 2007 as a collaborative partnership between governments, civil society, multilateral organizations, and the private sector, the HLA was fully established in 2013 as an early prototype of a new kind of international humanitarian institution. Its mandate is to operate from the systemic periphery in support of locally-led humanitarian action, with a different business model and organizational culture to that of mainstream aid that seems so stuck. Its core purpose is to enable people around the world to prepare for and respond to crises in their own countries with a unique offer of support.

The HLA works with 60 partner organizations to curate and propagate high-quality learning opportunities, tailored to the specific needs of individuals and organizations. It encompasses everything from conventional capacity-strengthening activities to self-guided e-learning, virtual reality, and simulations. The evidence gathered through research and data analysis is used to inform new innovations.

Far-reaching content

Almost a decade on and the model is proving highly successful. Since 2016, the HLA’s Kaya online platform has grown to become a learning community of more than 600,000 across 190 countries, helping humanitarians all over the world to discover their true potential. Uptake of its services soared during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a 104% increase in new subscribers worldwide. Such is the enormous global interest in its services that the HLA’s social media profiles now boast over one million followers.

The numbers for 2022 show that HLA has reached more humanitarians than any previous year. Eight out of the top 10 countries accessing HLA’s learning portfolio are crises-affected, which shows that the content is reaching those who need it most.

The work of the HLA goes further still. Recognizing the urgent need to resource future humanitarian eco-leaders with a vibrant, provocative, politically-orientated discourse, the HLA is hosting a new kind of thinking project called Alameda. It will develop challenging ideas and promote the dissent and innovation that is crucial to ethical practice but so often repressed. In this way, we believe the old, outmoded ways of thinking and acting will quickly be rendered obsolete as a quiet leadership revolution transforms humanitarian action for the betterment of humanity.

Author: Stephanie Heath, Partner Experience Specialist

Reflections on the Meta Changemakers Summit

This summit presented an immersive glimpse into our digital landscape. One where augmented reality avatars pop up to greet you, where the new quick-media-age of storytelling is presented in 20 second videos and one where you have the freedom to build your own peaceful environment. Is there more to the enticing promises of the metaverse and how can it be applied to the humanitarian or charitable sector?

Let’s start with the basics; augmented reality and virtual reality offer immersive options for all sectors, we’ve seen virtual concerts, games, museum tours and even open houses in this medium for quite some time. There are clearly different offers on the table, from one side you have augmented reality scenarios for learning such as; virtually building a car or conducting a medical procedure (as you do) and on the other side you may have a series of virtual spaces grouped together by quizzes, games, or global communities ready to explore.

Virtual Reality (VR) simply means a simulated digital environment which can include interactive content.

Augmented Reality (AR) projects a digital simulation, character, or item through the lens of the real world.

The Metaverse refers to a collective space that combines both AR & VR features to allow users to interact with one another through avatars.

This virtual summit included a chat function and the ideas that were presented by the NGO attendees were incredibly thought provoking. Some organisations mentioned that they were regularly attending virtual conferences to hold booths and networking sessions, others said that they had already trialled virtual learning scenarios for specific projects, and some liked the idea of building a more inclusive community online. Each of these examples demonstrate the fundamental principle of using a digital tool not as a novelty, but if it is fit for purpose. For instance, one could create a space for users to profoundly empathise and relate to one another in the immersive scenario whether that is; understanding someone’s cultural background, or experience of the world, crisis, or a natural disaster (see articles from Orant Charities of Africa / United Nations / 1MD Nutrition).

While the concept of the metaverse continues to reign supreme in our perception of the future, we need to be wary and look out for those that may be left behind. This utopian landscape built on avatars, safe havens and endless possibilities could have a dark side. Think of a typical online chat room, you have a range of users with unique accessibility needs, from diverse backgrounds, speaking different languages and holding opposing views, all hoping to connect with one another (see article on Wired.com). As attendees flagged during the summit, if you create an open space, there will always be users that are willing to disrupt it and take advantage of the vulnerable (Metaverse – Stop Child Abuse, this article has a trigger warning). In addition, some argue that representation through an avatars online could be mentally damaging due to an enhanced separation from reality (see this article on Time). There are ways to address these issues; you could build a learning environment restricted to a select group of users to prevent members of the public from participating, you could moderate content and you could provide mental health support and guidance. The issue remains the same, the creator needs to ask what benefit does appearing as an avatar in this space give the user verses a traditional forum and do the benefits outweigh the risks?

The metaverse may take a long time to catch up in comparison to real time developments in society and therefore it may be unable to meet our expectations however, there are positive signs that we are heading in the right direction. We have already seen a rise in VR optimisation on a range of devices, allowing us to retire our expensive, heavy, claustrophobic headsets to one side. Improvements are also being made to address varying internet connections, content lags, accessibility tools and user experience enhancements even so more needs to be done. Despite this, it is important to remember that digital footprints inherently pose an increased risk of tracking, data breaches, cybercrime, targeted advertising, and cultural exclusion (see this article from the World Economic Forum).

When we are focusing on the freedom of building an escapist reality where all are treated equally, we tend to forget that an online community can also replicate the aspects of our world that is the very antithesis of that. I can truly see the benefits of creating a space where users can collaborate in real-time and engage with immersive scenarios, but I have an underlying hesitation of its limitations…at least for now.

Viewing archives for Articles

Five ways to kickstart your humanitarian learning in 2025

1. Start where you are 🏁

2. Get curious – step out of your comfort zone 🔎

3. Join a network or learning community 👨🏿‍🤝‍👨🏻

4. Focus on your Professional Development 👩‍🎓

5. Watch and listen back 🎧

BONUS

Make time ⌚

Opinion | Navigating the Due Diligence Debate – A View from Ukraine

Due Diligence as the Hot Topic of the Day

The Impact on Civil Society

International Responses, in Ukraine and Beyond

Ukraine’s Due Diligence Task Force

A Call to Action

About the author

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of their organisations.

Top 5 courses for your crisis response, your story, your language

الاستجابة الخاصة بزلزال تركيا – سوريا

SURİYE DEPREMİ SONRASI MÜDAHALE

ВІЙНА В УКРАЇНІ

How to use Story Maps

What you will find

In support of World Breastfeeding Week

This week is World Breastfeeding Week, a global initiative supported by WHO and UNICEF, marked between 1-7 August every year.

“When breastfeeding is protected and supported, women are more than twice as likely to breastfeed their infants. This is a shared responsibility.”

How can I help?

1. Microlearning guide: Key advantages of breastfeeding

2. Animation: Infant feeding

3. Course: Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies during Infectious Disease Outbreaks

4. Course: IYCF Remote Counselling: How to support caregivers during infectious disease outbreaks and other settings

Find out more

Reference

Visit the World Breastfeeding Week website

For further public health and technical learning resources, please visit kayaconnect.orgFor further information on how HLA can support your organisation’s capacity strengthening needs around breastfeeding, please contact R.Guhadasan@savethechildren.org.uk

HLA Learner Survey express learning collection: 9 bite-sized resources to explore today

We know that lack of time is a barrier to humanitarian learning – 16.8% of respondents in our recent HLA Learner Survey told us that they find it difficult to fit training and learning into their busy schedules.

1. Food security and livelihoods

2. Protection, diversity and inclusion

3. Health

4. Project Management

5. Education

6. Monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL)

7. Peacekeeping and peacebuilding

8. Nutrition

9. Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)

We’d love to hear your feedback on any of these featured resources. Please contact us via social media or by email on info@humanitarian.academy

Bitter and sweet lessons from the “accelerated course in humanitarian response participation”

Burnout – the “bitter lesson”

Cooperation – the “sweet lesson”

HX24: University of Derby attendee reflections

What were you looking forward to most about HX24?

What were you hoping to gain from the event?

What were your top three highlights from HX24?

What was your key takeaway from HX24?

Do you have any follow-up actions or ideas after attending HX24?

Could you sum up your HX24 experience in one sentence?

Thank you Dolapo and Tyler for joining us for HX24 and sharing your reflections!

About Dr Dolapo Fakuade

HX24: inspiring the next generation of humanitarians – post-event insights from HCRI students

The Humanitarian Xchange 2024 (HX24) on 20 February marked a milestone moment, bringing together 600 attendees at the Business Design Centre in London, with thousands more joining online, creating a truly global platform for the humanitarian sector.

What were you looking forward to most about HX24?

What were you hoping to gain from the event?

What were your top three highlights from HX24?

What was your key takeaway from HX24?

Do you have any follow-up actions or ideas after attending HX24?

Could you sum up your HX24 experience in one sentence?

There are a limited number of On Demand spots available to provide access to the HX24 sessions. Visit the HX event website for details and to express your interest.

Celebrating women leaders in the humanitarian sector through coaching and mentoring

Find out more

HX 2024 – In conversation with James Denselow

In the lead up to Humanitarian Xchange 2024 – the inaugural hybrid conference organised by Save the Children UK and the Humanitarian Leadership Academy, we have been speaking with panelists and speakers to learn more about them and what to expect from their HX platform.

In your journey, what is one personal experience that drastically changed your humanitarian outlook and possibly the trajectory of your work?

What should the audience look forward to during your session at HX?

More on James’ hybrid session:

About James

HX 2024 – In conversation with Cathy Riley

Humanitarian Xchange 2024 – The inaugural hybrid conference from Save the Children UK and the Humanitarian Leadership Academy will hold on February 20, 2024 online and at the Business Design Center in Islington, London.

In your journey, what is one personal experience that drastically changed your humanitarian outlook and possibly the trajectory of your work?

Flowminder will discuss data mapping on a panel with Humanitarian OpenStreetMap (HOT), What3Words, and Esri UK. What should HX attendees look forward to?

For further public health and technical learning resources, please visit kayaconnect.org

For further information on how HLA can support your organisation’s capacity strengthening needs around breastfeeding, please contact R.Guhadasan@savethechildren.org.uk