January 26 at 9:30AM-12:15PM ET (Washington, DC)--The global humanitarian system is stretched to its limits. The world faces the greatest flood of refugees since World War II, and the United Nations is handling an unprecedented number of simultaneous crises. Join USIP and Oxfam America on January 26 for a discussion of how the international community can strengthen the humanitarian system and increase the ability of constructive national leaders and civil society organizations to withstand catastrophic events that can spur a cycle of crisis, conflict and violence.
The humanitarian system has been weakened by shocks of growing intensity and frequency. The gap between humanitarian needs and the system’s capacity to respond is likely to widen as climate change triggers natural disasters that disproportionately affect the world’s poorest people. Without the tools and support to recover from such events, vulnerable populations risk getting caught in a vicious sequence of calamity, conflict and collapse.
The approaching U.N.-sponsored World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul in late May will give the global community – including public and private donors, assistance professionals, and national and local leaders in affected areas – a chance to address and respond to the growing number of conflict-related and other humanitarian crises. The panelists will highlight innovations that could broaden the current toolkit during crisis and strengthen the international system for aid in the face of its expanding challenges.
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Location:
U.S. Institute of Peace
2301 Constitution Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20037 | Directions
The event will feature two panels:
Panel I: Reforming the Humanitarian System
- Jemilah Mahmood: Under Secretary-General, Partnerships, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and former Chief, World Humanitarian Summit Secretariat
- Ray Offenheiser: President, Oxfam America
- Thomas Staal: Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development
Moderator: Scott Stearns, Voice of America, managing editor of Africa Division and former State Department correspondent.
Panel II: Strengthening Response: Resilience, Conflict & Refugees
- H.E. Reem M. Abu Hassan: Minister, Social Development, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
- Fadi Hallisso: CEO and Co-Founder, Basmeh and Zeitooneh
- Anne C. Richard: Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, U.S. Department of State.
Moderator: Joyce Karam, Washington Bureau Chief AL-HAYAT Newspaper and weekly columnist for Al-Arabiya English.
Pre-registration for this event is required. To request credentials for this event, contact Paul Johnson at [email protected]. All credential requests must be submitted by 4:00pm on January 25, 2015.
Security requirements: Additional security procedures will be in place for this event, including early camera pre-set time, parking restrictions near USIP, and early door closures for all attendees. Information will be provided to registered attendees.
Video photography: Due to limited space, outlets requesting camera space must contact Paul Johnson at [email protected]. Outlets will be notified on January 25 if space is available. Additional logistical information will be shared with confirmed camera crews. Video cameras must remain fixed on a tripod for the duration of the event.
Still photography: Outlets requesting to send still photographers must pre-register.
Credentialing policy: USIP media credentials are available to reporters, editors working as reporters, producers, camera operators and still photographers who work for legitimate media organizations and who present their official government-issued press credentials. Due to the limited space for media at “A World on Fire: Strengthening Humanitarian Response” USIP reserves the right to limit the number of representatives of each media outlet attending the event. Media representatives who violate guidelines for coverage of an USIP event, whether written or oral, may have their credentials withdrawn.
