Track I: Humanitarian Aid and Post-Conflict Development

January 28, 2006 by admin 

Panel I: The Four R’s of Post-Conflict Recovery: Rehabilitation, Reconstruction
PANELISTS
Coming Soon…
Panel II: The Professionalization of Humanitarian Aid
Humanitarian crises of the past decade reflect a changing political dynamic, in which the end of the cold war and the declining role of superpower regulation of regional and ethnic conflicts have contributed to the increasing prevalence of intra-state conflict and civil war. These crises, which typically occur in areas of grave underdevelopment or impoverishment, have trapped large numbers of people in environments torn by war, famine and disease. As evidenced in Afghanistan, Angola, Bosnia, Chechnya, Kosovo, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, and elsewhere, these crises are characterized by targeted attacks on civilians, mass population dislocation, widespread human rights abuses, and a high level of insecurity for responders.

Humanitarian studies represent a new and evolving interdisciplinary arena. To cover the diverse topic areas in adequate depth at the graduate level requires expertise and curriculum offerings in a broad range of disciplines. Additionally, the debate in practitioner and academic circles over how to improve the effectiveness of humanitarian aid and development assistance is ongoing and intense. With the increasing professionalization of humanitarian and development assistance, and more and more academic institutions offering it as a field of study, now is an important time for the subject’s development. This panel will outline some of the major challenges facing the humanitarian aid field and discuss how to improve the effectiveness of aid, as well as asking probing questions about the role that humanitarian agencies play in conflicts.

PANELISTS
  • Frederick Burkle, Senior Scholar, The Center for Refugee and Disaster Response
  • Peter Walker, Director, Feinstein International Famine Center, Tufts University
  • Richard Brennan, Health Unit Director, International Rescue Committee
  • Anysia Thomas, DFritz Institute Managing Director
Panel III: Islam and Human Rights: Implications for Development
The Muslim World makes up 24% of the world’s states. The status of human rights within this region is very volatile. While human rights violations occur on a daily basis in every part of the world, special attention must be focused on the Muslim world itself. Tenuous rights guarantees across Muslim nations carry significant implications for various factors related to development: from social to political to economic. Declining social conditions, political tensions or poor living conditions make exploring the topic more relevant and immediate. Additionally, many argue that securing human rights is important for the security and development of other nations. The rise of global terrorism is often linked to a lack of human rights guarantees within an Islamic framework. This panel will explore some of the reasons for human rights violations within the Muslim world, and will discuss their implications for the world at large.

This panel is cosponsored by Islamica magazine.

PANELISTS
  • Ann Elizabeth Mayer, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
  • Maliha Chisti, OISE, University of Toronto
  • Jack Donnelly, Graduate School of International Studies, University of Denver
MODERATOR
  • Amina R. Chaudary, MPP, Harvard University
Panel IV: Afghanistan State-Building
The panel will discuss what the international community’s successes and failures in post-conflict Afghanistan, with a particular emphasis on private sector development issues.
PANELISTS
  • Neal Donahue, Director, the OTF Group
  • Mariam Naawabi, Senior Advisor, Afghan/American Chamber of Commerce
  • Steve Solter, Director, Center for Health Systems and Services at Management Sciences for Health
Track II: Environment, Natural Resources and International Development
Track III: Health and Growth
Track IV: Trade for Development
Track V: Bottom Up Planning

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