Co-Leaders:
Geoff Loane, Head of Delegation, ICRC United States regional delegation
Jennifer Leaning, MD, SMH, Co-director, Harvard Humanitarian Initiative
Sara Westrick Schomig, Public Affairs Officer, Regional Delegation for United States and Canada, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
Participants:
Frederick Burkle; Adrienne Fricke; Susan Bartels; Margaret Green-Rauenhorst; Henia Dakkak; Sheri Fink; Pierre Gentile; Steven Hansch; Elissa Schechter; Lynn Black Neil Boothby; Peter Moyer; Amyn Ahamed; Leonard Rubenstein; Sharon Russell; Ken Isaacs; Dale Buscher; George Devendorf; Margaret Bourdeaux; Anne Edgerton; Dorothy Sewe; Sherine Jayawickrama; Mey Akashah; Eugene Bonventre; Mary Anderson
State of the Art:
Modern day warfare can be characterized as asymmetric (with non-traditional military, assassinations, revenge killings), ubiquitously insecure, and often protracted (with subsequent institutional and public health collapse). Consequently, the civilian burden of conflict has risen dramatically in recent years. There also seems to be a blurring of roles among military and humanitarian actors, which serves only to heighten the importance of civilian protection within the humanitarian community. Despite the increasing importance of civilian protection, roles and responsibilities remain undefined, especially when compared to other response functions such as water and sanitation or health.
Objectives:
- Explore issues in documentation and transmission of information that relate to protection;
- Conceptualize an educational program for humanitarian health workers that addresses the intersection between medical ethics and population-based care;
- Identify and develop appropriate indices and methodologies for civilian protection;
- Define and describe successful models for civilian protection in field health programs; and
- Raise awareness of current coordination methods between program personnel and protection offices within organizations and with UN entities.
Potential Deliverables:
To be determined.