Course Description
The “Humanitarian action all-round: foundations, challenges, trends” training course offers you a comprehensive and hands-on introduction to contemporary humanitarian action. Spanning over 6 half-days and 15 online thematic sessions, the course curriculum covers the ideological, legal, practical, and institutional foundations of Western humanitarianism; key policy frameworks and their implementation aspects; as well as cross-cutting issue areas of humanitarian action like gender or climate.
The course aims to complement theory with practical examples provided by guest speakers who have relevant work experience. Furthermore, the course offers you a critical perspective and includes a variety of interactive and participatory methods, including group discussions and case studies which take into account the current developments within the sector. In addition to dedicated sessions, the course aims to consider power dynamics with respect to all its content and this way seeks to avoid reproducing inequalities and the problematic knowledge gaps within the sector.
The training includes regular breaks and is part of the academy for humanitarian action’s certification scheme: It can be credited towards a Certificate of Advanced Studies in "Foundations of Humanitarian Action".
You will learn…
- about the history, legal frameworks, and principles of contemporary humanitarian action, including practical examples of situations where humanitarian principles are applied and/or challenged
- how humanitarian action is financed and coordinated, who the key actors are and what challenges they are (currently) facing
- about the humanitarian reform process and what it entails, including funding aspects, localization, and the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus
- about cross-cutting issues of humanitarian action, including gender, decolonization, anticipatory action, digitalization, and climate change
Time and Location
The course will take place online on 26, 27, and 28 May 2025 as well as on 2, 3 and 4 June 2025. The training will start at 10am and end at 2.30pm (CET) every day, with the exception of the last training day which will end at 1pm. A detailed schedule can be found on the course page.
Target Group
New employees or junior practitioners with little previous experience from international and national/local/diaspora humanitarian NGOs, UN agencies, and government institutions; humanitarian volunteers; as well as career changers from other professions.
Trainer
The training will be led by the Centre for Humanitarian Action (CHA). The CHA is an independent Berlin-based think tank, founded in 2019. It aims to strengthen local, international, and German humanitarian action in three ways: 1) by undertaking independent practice-oriented research; 2) by initiating debate; and 3) by imparting knowledge to humanitarian stakeholders and the broader public. CHA builds bridges between the academic analysis and practitioners’ experiences and needs, and thereby contributes to making contemporary humanitarian action more effective, efficient, inclusive, and fit for purpose.
CHA has extensive expertise in the areas of humanitarian system and its reform, the Grand Bargain, locally led humanitarian action and localisation, Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus, climate change and humanitarian action, Germany and European governments’ humanitarian policies and assistance, gender equality in humanitarian action, as well as digital technologies and accountability to affected populations.
CHA also has a broad network of humanitarian researchers and practitioners with substantial expertise in different issue areas, including place-based experts from contexts affected by humanitarian crises.
How to Apply:
You can find a detailed schedule and the registration form here: https://aha-trainings.de/courses/humanitarian-action-all-round-foundations-challenges
For questions, remarks or concerns, please consult aha-anmeldungen[at]akademie.ruhr-uni-bochum.de.
