One more tragedy and the biggest loss of life since the European Union took over patrols in the Mediterranean in January

The latest tragedy in the Mediterranean – in which as many as 300 migrants are feared dead after trying to cross rough seas from Libya to Italy in inflatable rafts — has reignited debate over Europe’s response to the migrant crisis. Late Sunday, two Italian Coast Guard patrol boats braved gale force winds and 25-foot… continue

Opportunities to humanitarianism of the Network Age

(source: Humanitarianism in the Networking Age) The networking age offers a variety of opportunities to humanitarianism, but what kind of risks does it pose?… continue

The Role of Social Networks in the Philippines

“On 6 August 2012, Kassy Pajarillo issued an urgent appeal on the social network Twitter: her mother and grandmother were trapped by surging floodwaters in the Filipino capital, Manila, could anybody help? Within minutes, emergency responders hat dispatched a military truck, and her family was saved. Kassy was one of thousands of people that day… continue

Social Media & Humanitarian Response

8 key uses of professional social networking include: Creating new real-world contacts Building communities (interest groups, communities of practice, virtual centres of excellence) Crowd-sourcing (using knowledge held in the broader network to solve problems- Ushahidi is an example of a humanitarian platform which taps into the network as a resource) Information Management Information Sharing (Twitter… continue

What is Humanitarian Space?

The concept of humanitarian space means different things to different people. Despite over 20 years of use, it remains poorly defined and understood. The term appears to originate in the Cold War conflicts in Central America, where it was reportedly used by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to describe a space for humanitarian… continue

What speakers say about “Humanitarian Aid & Politics”

Kyung-wha Kang Deputy Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, United Nations “…Humanitarian workers must be permitted, to mount search and rescue operations, to assist in repair of essential infrastructure, to assist the wounded and retrieve bodies.” (source: www.ohchr.org) Read More about Kyung-wha Kang. Yves Daccord Director general, International Committee of the Red Cross “…On the one hand,… continue