January

BRCS INTERNATIONAL MONTHLY BULLETIN

Bulletin on International Humanitarian News, Events and Publications

(2007:1, January)

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
BRCS International Monthly Seminars begin 25.01.07!
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Challenge 2007 - Mainstreaming and Scaling-up HIV and AIDS response
Alyson Lewis & Catherine Mears
January 25th 2007, 1-2pm - Basement Room

Please join us to discuss:
- How do we mainstream HIV?
- How can we scale up our HIV response?
- How are we are going to operationalise our 2007 Divisional plans?
- What are the implications for the Division?

Future seminar dates:
--------------------------
February 22nd 2007, 1-2pm St. Pauls
Accountability of humanitarian organisations and NGOs - Global Accountability Project, OneWorld Trust (TBC)

March 29th 2007, 1-2pm Basement Room
The Politicisation of Humanitarian Action - Medecins Sans Frontieres

Full seminar programme forthcoming!

Suggestions for topics and speakers for these or future seminars are very welcome - please contact Laura Walker, HPP PA (x7533).

------------------------------------------------------

NEWS
-------

Jan Egeland's successor named

Sir John Holmes, FCO diplomat and outgoing UK Ambassador to France, has been appointed as Jan Egeland's Successor as Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.
http://www.alertnet.org/db/blogs/1564/2007/00/3-182150-1.htm

--

New Year, New Data

The Human Security Brief 2006 was launched in late December, presenting conflict trend data and analysis of trends in ending wars and organized violence against civilians. New data indicate that the trend of declining international conflict continues during 2002-5 from 66 to 56 armed conflicts, and that Sub-Saharan Africa sees the biggest decrease. On the other hand, organized violence against civilians and terrorist incidents has increased.
The Brief is online at http://www.humansecuritybrief.info/

--

Good Humanitarian Donorship examined

This HPG's December 2006 paper Good Humanitarian Donorship: Overcoming obstacles to improve collective donor performance by Sue Graves and Victoria Wheeler, HPG, considers how much efforts to provide guidance and measure performance through the GHD initiative have succeeded in overcoming common obstacles to implementation. The researchers have prepared an enhanced performance measurement framework, which aims to help clarify responsibilities and roles, strengthen guidance for donor staff and help monitoring and evaluation. The paper also makes recommendations for donors and humanitarian agencies to strengthen and improve overall engagement with GHD. Among other proposals GHD should adopt a performance measurement framework and clear indicators.
http://www.goodhumanitariandonorship.org/, http://www.odi.org.uk/hpg/GHD.html

--

The Right to Know: The Challenge of Public Accountability in Aceh and Sri Lanka

The Office of the Special Envoy published a report on the role of information and transparency to the affected populations in late December. 'The Right to Know' reviews some of the challenges and best practices in providing access to information to tsunami-affected populations. It also gives some very concrete recommendations, relevant to both the tsunami recovery and future recovery efforts. It is available at www.tsunamispecialenvoy.org.

--

HIV terminology

Recent guidance has been published on what terms should be used in our HIV work please see http://data.unaids.org/pub//InformationNote/2006/EditorsNotes_en.pdf.

Following this UNAIDS recently published an article entitled "Words are not neutral against HIV" describing why words such as 'HIV positive' and 'People living with HIV' are gradually replacing other terms, such as 'AIDS sufferers' and 'victims of the disease'. It discusses why we are witnessing such a transformation, and what this means. See http://www.unaids.org/en/MediaCentre/PressMaterials/FeatureStory/HIVprevention.asp

--

Humanitarian Practice Network (HPN) Website Relaunched

HPN has re-launched its website to improve dialogue, access to publications and site functionality. The network provides an independent forum for policy-makers, practitioners and others working in or on the humanitarian sector to share and disseminate information, analysis and experience.
http://www.odihpn.org/index.asp

------------------------------------------------------

RECENT EVENTS
-------------

Dispatches from Disaster Zones

On 13th December 2006 BRCS hosted a high-profile debate at the Foreign Press Association in partnership with the Department for International Development, ITV News and The Times which explored how and why the media report humanitarian crises, what influences the volume and content of their reporting, and the relationships between the actors - all firmly rooted in how this vital part of the humanitarian jigsaw can ultimately influence the support that beneficiaries receive. The debate coincided with the launch of the 2006 World Disasters Report which focuses on neglected crises. The British Red Cross is convening a task force to continue the dialogue amongst journalists, NGOs, academics and humanitarian agencies about the reporting of emergencies. Contact Leigh Daynes for further information (LDaynes@redcross.org.uk, x 7046).

--

ALNAP Meeting in Rome in December

The ALNAP 19th Biennial meeting took place in Rome on 6-7 December 2006, hosted by FAO/WFP. Meeting addressed TEC recommendations relating to the regulation/accreditation of humanitarian actors. Some lively discussion, as this is a move perceived by some as inevitable and urgent, given the lack of improvement in the humanitarian sector since the 1996 Joint Evaluation of Emergency Assistance to Rwanda. Recognition of need for improvements, but regulation may not be the best way forward. There are real dangers with this sudden push: for example, most regulatory systems focus on processes (ISO standards, SGS audits, etc.) and do not automatically guarantee the quality of the programmes. The future role of ALNAP was also discussed. Two key points: first, there are various accountability initiatives (often challenged by donors who support several of these initiatives) which at times may overlap. ALNAP, SPHERE, HAP-I, URD, and People in Aid Coordination Sud, ECB have commissioned a study looking at the complementarities, competition and convergence of quality and accountability initiatives. Secondly, there are serious concerns about the fact that ALNAP remains a particularly Western-led initiative, despite efforts to reach out and (since recently) to have meetings in the South.
Minutes and related documents on the ALNAP website (www.alnap.org).

--

Strategy Meeting on Infant Feeding in Emergencies (IFE) - 1-2 November, Oxford.
Organised by the Emergency Nutrition Network (ENN).

The IFE Core group (made up of the ENN, WHO, UNHCR, UNICEF, IBFAN-GIFA, CARE USA, and Fondation Terre des hommes, and coordinated by ENN since 2004) have produced policy guidance, embodied in Operational Guidance on Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies for programme and emergency relief staff, and developed two training modules. However, difficulties in putting guidance and training modules into operation have lead to poor co-ordination and policy awareness, and evidence of limited technical know-how in recent emergency responses. This strategy meeting, therefore, identified key constraints to supporting and protecting appropriaite infant feeding practises in emergencies, and developing strategic directions and practical steps to address them.
IFE Code and Guidance material, plus meeting minutes are available at http://www.ennonline.net.

--

Sahil Working Group meetings

The Working Group, which is attended by BRCS, is seeking a commitment from DFID to fund longer-term support in Sahil, and has presented a paper to DFID identifying and justifying hoped-for interventions. They are also planning research around chronic vulnerability and DRR. BRCS continue to attend and share information with the Irish Red Cross (with whom we are in the process of developing a partnership for longer-term support in Niger).

------------------------------------------------------

FORTHCOMING EVENTS
-----------------------------

On Friday 2nd February, ICVA will hold a one-day conference in Geneva on "How Compatible are UN Coherence and Humanitarian Partnership?"

With the publication of the report of the UN Secretary-General's High-Level Panel on UN System-wide Coherence, it seems that there will be increased efforts to work towards "one UN". Efforts focused on UN coherence will potentially have huge impacts on humanitarian action, as well as on non-UN humanitarian actors. System-wide coherence may mean that the UN will have to pursue a peace and development agenda under which humanitarian principles risk being sacrificed. The Conference will bring together NGOs, the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement, the UN, other inter-governmental organisations, and governments to reflect upon an issue that has major implications for humanitarian action: UN coherence.

--

Conference: Rights based development and humanitarian action in conflict situations
08 - 09 February 2007, DfID, 1 Palace Street, London SW1E 5HE

Organised by UK Inter-Agency group on Rights Based Approaches (IAG), and hosted by DfID. The purpose of this exploratory conference is to learn, challenge our thinking and improve the impact of our rights based programme and policy work in conflict situations through the creation of space for issue-raising, debate and analysis of emerging challenges, tensions and questions as well as areas of complementarily. There will be a publication capturing the challenges and tensions, and areas of complementarity between human rights and conflict prevention.
Although the deadline for registration has passed (12.01.07), you may still be able to participate - contact Magdalene Lagu on lagu@careinternational.org.

------------------------------------------------------

PUBLICATIONS
------------------

ALNAP Review of Humanitarian Action

The latest edition of ALNAP's RHA has just been published, together with a separate Key Messages booklet available in English, French and Spanish. Chapter 1 was written by Hugo Slim and offers a reflection on what the humanitarian system can realistically be expected to achieve; Chapter 2, the annual evaluation synthesis was written by Tony Vaux and focuses on the distortions and imbalances in the provision of humanitarian assistance; and Chapter 3, written by Peta Sandison, provides an analysis on the utilisation of evaluations in wHiCh BRCS participated as part of the Advisory Group for the study. The chapter provides some useful thoughts for our wn internal practice.
Download report from http://www.alnap.org/publications/rha.htm

--

The Global Accountability Report launched December 2006

This index is the first to measure and compare the accountability of transnational actors from intergovernmental, non-governmental, and corporate sectors. The good practice of thirty of the world's most influential organisations (including the IFRC) are assessed on four dimensions of accountability: do they ensure participation through equitable member control and engage communities in decision-making processes that affect them?; do they evaluate their work and integrate learning into future planning?; do they provide safe channels for affected communities to voice their grievances and concerns, and do they offer them a response?
Download a summary or the full report at http://www.oneworldtrust.org/.

--

The Future of Humanitarian Action

Humanitarian organisations are going global, but are they creating an inclusive, global community which makes the most of diversity or an exclusive, Northern-style club? Peter Walker of the Feinstein International Center explores this question in a recent paper, The Future of Humanitarian Action. He argues that overcoming organisational inertia, maximising learning and encouraging innovation will be as important to humanitarianism as it is today to the corporate sector. Walker challenges the post-WWII construct of an international humanitarian community and says it's time for greater diversity. Key is to grow by embracing a diversity, which goes much beyond that of today, yet retaining the fundamental principles. Walker claims a need to deepen the "cause campaigning" of the 80s and 90s and suggests a much more intensive, involved, informed and often quieter process of working to find levers of change wherever they may be, a methodology which partly challenges the RC principle of neutrality. Finally, he suggests that it is time for this greater diversity of actors to act with more coherence and more contribution to the common good. Download the seven-page paper from
http://nutrition.tufts.edu/pdf/research/famine/the_future_of_humanitarian_action_peter_walker.pdf

--

Field Exchange,December 2006

Exit strategies in OVC programming in Namibia - Experiences from Namibia, where the WFP and the Namibian Red Cross are working with the Government to develop a welfare grant system capable of supporting 156,000 chronically food-insecure OVC.

Improving food security in vulnerable households in Swaziland - Lessons learned from a small-scale communal agriculture pilot implemented by the Baphali Swaziland Red Cross and supported by the Finnish Red Cross and the IFRC.
Both available at: http://www.ennonline.net/fex/current/index.html

--

Disasters - Special Edition on Cash Transfers

Emerging evidence on the role of cash transfers in poverty reduction means that they are on the agenda in emergency and developmental contexts across the developing world. Development Policy Review and Disasters have published simultaneous theme issues on cash transfers, covering issues including cash for work programmes in post-tsunami Aceh, cash-based interventions in southern Somalia, and cash transfer to ex-combatants in disarmament, and demobilisation and reintegration processes.
September 2006 - Vol. 30 Issue 3 Page 273-379
SHORT-TERM LINK: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0361-3666&site=1

--

Humanitarian Exchange Magazine 34: Humanitarian action in urban contexts

This publication from HPN focuses on the fact that by 2007, more than half the world's population will be living in cities; as urbanisation gathers pace, this proportion will grow. For humanitarian actors, urbanisation will increasingly shape old and new vulnerability and risks, and will increasingly define disasters in the future.
http://www.odihpn.org/documents/humanitarianexchange035.pdf

--

ODI Study - Providing Aid in Insecure Environments: Trends in Policy and Operation
By: Abby Stoddard, Adele Harmer and Katherine Haver

This study, based on field research in Afghanistan, Iraq, North Caucasus, and Somalia and Somaliland, examines how perceptions of increased risk to aid organisations have influenced operational security measures and have led to increasing reliance on local aid actors and national staff, allowing operations to continue, but also creating a number of challenges and ethical concerns. It recommends that international humanitarian actors engage in prior strategic planning and adopt guiding principles on how these approaches can best be undertaken.
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/lib.nsf/db900SID/OCHA-6UPGE5?OpenDocument

--

The 'protection crisis': A review of field-based strategies for humanitarian protection in Darfur

This paper analyses field-based strategies employed by humanitarian actors in Darfur to protect civilians affected by conflict. It is part of a study on 'protection in practice' which aims to examine current practice in humanitarian protection and explore efforts undertaken in different contexts to support the protection of civilians. Focusing on roles, outcomes and the internal and external limitations of humanitarian actors, the purpose of the research is to draw lessons and elicit best practice. This Discussion Paper on Darfur will inform a comprehensive HPG report due for publication in mid-2007.
http://www.odi.org.uk/hpg/protection_practice.html

------------------------------------------------------
Contribute to this bulletin by e-mailing submissions and feedback to Laura Walker, HPP PA (x7533).

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

What is the point of the Bulletin blog?
The blog is intended to be a resource for International Division staff and others, bringing together newsletters, announcements and new publications on international aid and related topics from as many sources as possible.

What on earth is a blog?
Wikipedia says that a blog is ‘a website where entries are written in chronological order and commonly displayed in reverse chronological order.' Problogger has a fairly user-friendly and non-scary introduction to blogs if you would like more information.

What is a blog 'post'?
The left-hand column contains 'posts', individual news items, most recent first. Each 'post' has a title, a main block of text, a list of 'labels' (keywords) attached to it, and a 'comments' function.

Forthcoming events?
...are listed in the top right-hand column, in date order - these are both internal and internal, and include seminars, talks and film showings. Click on the event you are interested in for more information.

How do I comment on a blog entry?
If you click on the title of a post, you will go to a separate page dedicated to it. The comments section appears below the main post. By clicking on 'post a comment' (or by clicking on the number of comments on the main page of the blog), you will go to a page where you can enter your comment. Type it in the box at the top right-hand side. By selecting 'other' under 'choose your identity', you can type your name and (if you wish) your email address. Alternatively, you can leave your comment anonymous.

Why isn't it branded?
The Bulletin blog is currently in its pilot phase. After a successful first eight months in email form (reproduced as the first posts on this blog), it was felt that a more interactive, user-friendly format was needed. If the blog is a success, it may be possible in future to produce a branded version, perhaps integrated with RedRoom. The future of the bulletin blog is in your hands!

Who produces this blog?
The Bulletin is produced by the Humanitarian Policy & Partnerships (HPP) department of the International Division. Contact them by clicking here.

Anything else I need to know?
The site includes all sorts of clever things which (hopefully) enhance your experience as a reader:

• live updating newsfeeds from the Reliefweb and Alertnet websites;
• links to enable you to contact us, to subscribe to an email update and install an RSS feed on your Google toolbar or in your web browser
• links to other websites - please email us if you have any suggestions.
• a list of 'labels', keywords which enable you to see all the posts on a specific topic. Let us know if there is a label you don't see here and which you would like.
• the website Archive - old posts, sorted by date;
• sometimes there is also a 'poll', which we can change as often as we wish - let the editorial team know if you have an idea.

Like the rest of the Bulletin blog, this FAQ is under development. If you have unanswered questions or observations to make, we'd value your thoughts - email us, or leave a comment below!