Russia’s footprint in Africa
Charlotte Hirsbrunner and Niklas Masuhr (Center for Security Studies - ETH Zürich) analyse current Russian strategies towards the African continent. This is a valuable background piece, especially for those seeking to understand the reactions of many African states to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Do people trust the UN? A look at the dData
Albert Trithart and Olivia Case (IPI-Global Observatory) compile studies on perceptions on the UN and find that despite “a slight overall decline in confidence in the UN since the mid-1990s […], confidence in the UN seems to have remained fairly steady over the past decade”. The rate varies considerably across different regions, and is particularly low in Middle East, Northern Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. The most striking finding is probably that “the people most likely to interact directly with the UN are mostly left out of the data.”
AFGHANISTAN - Analysis of localisation challenges
A current account by ACAPS on the progress and pitfalls of locally led humanitarian action in Afghanistan.
The international community is getting Afghanistan wrong, again
The TNH article is another informed contribution to the difficult question on how to deal with Afghanistan’s rulers after the withdrawal of Western troops in August 2021. IFRC’s Matheou opts against a minimalist, humanitarian-only approach, that some others are calling for now, especially after so-called female ban. Instead, he proposes implementing people-centred interventions and urges the NGO sector not to not abandon the Afghan people, particularly Afghan women.
Migrants in need report barriers to assistance and fragile trust in humanitarian organizations
In this study conducted in 2022 by the Red Cross and Red Crescent Society, the authors Magdalena Arias Cubas, Nicole Hoagland, and Sanushka Mudaliar reveal that many migrants across 15 countries in Africa, the Americas, the Asia-Pacific region, and Europe do not have trust in humanitarian organisations. They fear being detained and deported, and as a result, they are reluctant to seek help from humanitarian organisations. Furthermore, “migrants’ needs are often unmet throughout their journeys [...]” – a devastating account.
Passing the buck
Courtenay Cabot Venton's study highlights the cost effectiveness gains of locally-led humanitarian action. According to the study, “local intermediaries could deliver programming that is 32% more cost efficient than international intermediaries, by stripping out inflated international overhead and salary costs. Applied to the $54bn of ODA analyzed in this study, this would equate to a cost savings of US$4.3bn annually”. It also proposes a “Transition Fund” to achieve this potential.
The “Masters of perception” – Burkina Faso and the international committee of the red cross: Anatomy of amanipulation campaign
Cécile Andrzejewski investigates the ICRC disinformation campaign in Burkina Faso in 2020, and reveals how disinformation campaigns can have severe on humanitarian access, safety, and security. Misinformation, disinformation and hate speech (MDH) are potential harms that are on the rise, yet only a few humanitarian organisations openly talk about them.
Is Inoculation the Cure for Disinformation?
Melissa Fleming explores inoculation as an idea to address disinformation and build people’s media literacy skills. It prompts people to consider potential approaches to inoculation in a humanitarian context.
Upshift
The new book by Ben Ramalingam on transformation, innovation and creativity, especially when working in high pressure environments like humanitarian response. This resource provides valuable insights on the structures and nature of decision making, with insightful examples and explanations and is particularly useful for humanitarians.
Using emotions in migration policy communication
Dr James Dennison (ICMPD) analyses the use of emotions in public communication regarding displacement and migration, as well as the role they should play in policy communication.
The art of influencing: how to maximize impact in a complex, interconnected world and Five types of humanitarian influence
On the Humanitarian Law & Policy Blog, Nicholas Hawton and Hugo Slim analyse the different forms of influence in the humanitarian sector. They explore the art of storytelling and the concepts of quiet and loud power. This discussion is also available as a podcast.
When there are no words: Talking about wartime trauma in Ukraine
In this article, anthropologist Greta Uehling delves into the topic of wartime trauma in Ukraine and explores how people describe their experiences using their bodily sensations and material possessions.
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