Germany: Community Participation and Mobilization in Humanitarian Response 7

The humanitarian aid community must cooperate with the national authorities to build or rehabilitate the basic infrastructure needed for access, shelter and the provision of life-sustaining services. This work often has to be carried out on an emergency basis in far from ideal circumstances. This course equips students with advanced knowledge of the technical requirements for the infrastructure needed in humanitarian emergencies. Students are exposed to vital managerial decisions they must consider as they supervise teams of technical experts. After implementing immediate infrastructure needs, humanitarian agencies are responsible for providing a range of basic services until the service is no longer required, the population has returned to its place of origin, or governmental agencies develop the means and manpower to provide the services. This phase is often known as “care and maintenance”. Students acquire a clear understanding of the implications of these “open ended commitments” to a population and potential exit strategies.

Throughout this course, students will develop essential critical thinking skills, applying theoretical frameworks to analyze specific emergency situations, depending on the socioeconomic, political and cultural context of the situation, as well as the infrastructure/resources available. Students will gain a comprehensive understanding of humanitarian response phases, from preparedness to relief, and of the meaning, complexity, challenges and dilemmas of community participation. Students will learn to identify the emotional implications of disasters on communities and humanitarian aid workers and develop an in-deph understanding of the concepts of help and self-help as they apply to humanitarian aid workers

The course fee is $1,600. Upon completion, students will earn two-credit hours through Fordham University's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. These academic credits can be applied towards Fordham’s Master in International Humanitarian Action. For those who do not wish to receive formal academic credit, the cost is $913 USD. Participants who choose not to take the course for academic credit will receive a certificate of attendance.

About the IIHA:
The Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs (IIHA) at Fordham University offers humanitarian training courses in various locations around the world. With the creation of a Masters in Humanitarian Action (MIHA), the Institute offers a flexible yet academically rigorous training model for aid practitioners looking to further their knowledge and skills in the humanitarian sector.

All of the IIHA courses can be taken for academic credit and counted towards Fordham University's Masters in International Humanitarian Action (MIHA) or taken individually, independent from the MIHA at a reduced cost.

To take this course, please apply here: http://bit.ly/IIHA-Apply-Now