Invite Trio 4-6

Trio 4: 1 August 2014

We wanted to invite you to an informal gathering on Tuesday, 19 August 2014 (15:00—17:00). This gathering will commemorate World Humanitarian Day. We will be meeting to watch and interact over a live video event from ODI on safety and security for humanitarian personnel. This ODI event will feature Larissa Fast and launch her new book 'Aid in Danger: The Perils and Promise of Humanitarianism.' More information is on the ODI website: http://www.odi.org/events/3992-aid-danger-violence-against-aid-workers-future-humanitarianism

We plan to keep the gathering small (12 people) and meet at our home in Cessy, France. Refreshments provided and feel free to stay until 18:00 for more interaction. If more people want to come or a location in Geneva is preferred, we’ll keep you posted. So please confirm asap. (142 route de Tutegny, Lotissement les Peupliers, 01170 Cessy; tel: +33 450 28 37 65)

Directions to our house:

https://sites.google.com/site/virtrios/home/directions

Note: if you are aware of a similar event in Geneva on World Humanitarian day, please let us know!

Warm greetings,

Kelly and Michèle

Some related resources:

UNHCR’s Mental Health and Psychosocial Support for Staff (2013), UNHCR

Health Care in Danger (ongoing project), ICRC

Operational Security Management in Violent Environments (2010), Humanitarian Policy Group

Approaches to Staff care in International NGOs (2009), People in Aid and InterHealth

“The security, good health and safety of our staff are a prime responsibility of our organisation. We recognise that the work of relief and development agencies often places great demands on staff in conditions of complexity and risk. We have a duty of care to ensure the physical and emotional well-being of our staff before, during and on completion (Pof their period of work with us.” People in Aid, Code of Good Practice in the Management and Support of Aid Personnel (Principle 7)

“Effective pre-mission training must begin with instilling awareness of the need for security and psychosocial support in the culture of organizations. Patched together, ad hoc, or solely programatic efforts will have only minimal impact. Security and support must be integrated, both structurally and functionally, into the mainstream of pre-field mission operations: mission planning, staffing, and budgeting.” Yael Danieli, Sharing the Front Line and the Back Hills (2002), p. 383

Trio 5: Saturday, 6 September, 10:00-12noon. Support for Global Mental Health and Suicide Prevention

This gathering will continue the interactions from two events in the week: a) the two-day WHO mhGAP Forum (4-5 September, focusing on global mental health and suicide prevention); and b) the NGO Forum for Heath’s Global Mental Health Briefing (3 September, focusing on “human dignity and advocacy/access to mental health care). There will be two short videos on mental health around the world and a special group exercise to identify your personal/professional support network. Some reference documents are: WHOMental Health Action Plan 2013-2020, Mental Health and the Post 2015 Development Agenda (MGMH), and the World Suicide Report(launched 5 September). Refreshments provided.

Note: World Suicide Prevention Day is 10 September World Mental Health Day is 10 October.

Trio 6: Saturday 20 September, 10:00—12noon. Security for All People and the Sustainable Development Goals

This gathering will include updates from the UN General Assembly’s High Level Meeting on the Post 2015 Development Agenda with a focus on human security and peace along with personal/professional applications (e.g., see concept note and programme for 12-13 September). The initial document for reference is the Open Working Group’s recommendations for the sustainable development goals(July 2014, 17 proposals and 159 targets) and a short video TBA (e.g., human security). Refreshments provided.

Note: More reference docs will be forthcoming.