PHAP on World Humanitarian Day

World Humanitarian Day, 19 August, is a day set aside each year to recognize aid workers who have lost their lives in the course of their duty.

It marks the day on which then Special Representative of the Secretary-General to Iraq, Sérgio Vieira de Mello – an inspired and inspiring leader of humanitarian efforts – and 21 of his colleagues were killed in the bombing of the UN Headquarters in Baghdad.

It is also a day to #ShareHumanity and the impulse that drives people all over the world to help others who are in need – regardless of nationality, race, religious beliefs, class, or political opinions – even in the most difficult and dangerous of circumstances.

This year, the International Association of Professionals in Humanitarian Assistance and Protection (PHAP) is recognizing its members and others in the worldwide humanitarian community by sharing some of their own recent reflections on the issue of staff and volunteer safety, security, and wellbeing and the link with humanitarian effectiveness.

These practitioner contributions were gathered in the context of a recent online discussion and consultation, hosted by PHAP, on the topic of humanitarian effectiveness and staff wellness. The event gathered hundreds of aid workers from across the world and featured a diverse panel of experts and commentators, including Anne Willem Bijleveld, Chairman of the Sérgio Vieira de Mello Foundation. The event page on the PHAP website features links to a report of the 30 July discussion, a full recording, and numerous recommended resources that were highlighted by panelists and participants.

Moving forward, and picking up on a number of the challenges raised in this and other recent discussions among humanitarian practitioners, PHAP is now organizing a five-part series of live events on the principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence. The first event in the series, to take place on 1 September, will feature a presentation and discussion with independent expert Mark DuBois, looking at the practical implications of these four principles for humanitarian work, as well as the important interrelationships among them.

For more information and to register to participate in the upcoming series of discussions throughout September and early October, click here.

Article written by Angharad Laing, Executive Director of the International Association of Professionals in Humanitarian Assistance and Protection (PHAP)