Harvard Humanitarian Initiative
Encyclopedia
The Harvard Humanitarian Initiative (HHI) is an interfaculty Harvard University
initiative dedicated to advancing research, practice, and policy in the field of humanitarian assistance. HHI’s mission is “to
relieve human suffering in war and disaster by advancing the science
and practice of humanitarian response worldwide.”
established a program on humanitarian crises and human rights
at the François-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights in response to growing interest in humanitarian response.
By 2002, the demand for technical expertise and educational and training opportunities
from NGO partners, professionals, and graduate students overwhelmed the capacity of
the existing program. In 2005, the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative was established as a
University-wide academic and research center to address issues of evidence-based humanitarian interest under the leadership of faculty directors Jennifer Leaning, MD, SMH and Michael VanRooyen, MD, MPH.
, Harvard Medical School
, Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences
, Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Harvard Business School
, Harvard Law School
, Harvard Graduate School of Education
, Harvard University Committee on Human Rights Studies, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study
, and major Harvard-affiliated medical centers including Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital Boston, and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
.
In addition, The Harvard Humanitarian Initiative maintains partnerships with major relief organizations and government agencies to improve the effectiveness of aid delivery worldwide. HHI serves as a source for technical, research, and training assistance to more than 40 humanitarian agencies and international institutions, including: American Red Cross
, AmeriCares
, CARE, International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC), International Rescue Committee
(IRC), Médecins Sans Frontières
, Oxfam America, Physicians for Human Rights
(PHR), Save the Children USA, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR), U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization
(WHO).
, Sudan
and Chad
HHI is one of the leading centers at Harvard University for research, analysis, and response to the humanitarian crises in Sudan and Chad. Researchers Alex de Waal
and Jennifer Leaning serve as a resource to policy makers, the media, and the general public on the issues facing Darfur, Sudan and Chad.
*Gender-based Violence Initiative
HHI’s Program on Gender-based Violence explores complex issues relating to women and war by addressing the health, human rights, and advocacy needs of women affected by conflict. HHI’s work has included collaboration with the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Panzi Hospital
and extensive research into the causes and impacts of mass rape as a weapon of war.
*Crisis
Mapping and Conflict Early Warning
HHI's current research seeks to identify innovative thinking and alternative approaches to community-based conflict early warning and response strategies,
crisis mapping and use of information communication technology in areas of conflict worldwide.
*Humanitarian Studies Initiative (HSI)
HSI is a rigorous humanitarian response curriculum taught by Harvard University professors and humanitarian experts to train the next generation of humanitarian leaders. The flagship course teaches students skills such as refugee camp management, water sanitation, sexual violence prevention, NGO management, and international humanitarian law.
http://www.theworld.org/?q=node/15673
Harvard Public Health Now, "Twelve Myths and Misconceptions in Disaster Response," by Michael Lasalandra, February 1, 2008.
Think Tank for Aid Workers, Harvard Magazine, November 2007.
Scientific American, The Science of Doing Good, by Sheri Fink, October 2007.
Koinange, Jeff (2006-05-26), "Rape, brutality ignored to aid Congo peace", CNN.com,. Retrieved on 21 April 2008.
Gettleman, Jeffrey (2007-10-07), "Rape Epidemic Raises Trauma of Congo War", The New York Times,. Retrieved on 21 April 2008.
Meir, Patrick. "Crisis Mapping and Early Warning," http://earlywarning.wordpress.com/2008/07/08/conflict-early-warning-and-crisis-mapping/>. Retrieved on 8 July 2008.
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
initiative dedicated to advancing research, practice, and policy in the field of humanitarian assistance. HHI’s mission is “to
relieve human suffering in war and disaster by advancing the science
and practice of humanitarian response worldwide.”
History and Beginnings
In 1999, Harvard UniversityHarvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
established a program on humanitarian crises and human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
at the François-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights in response to growing interest in humanitarian response.
By 2002, the demand for technical expertise and educational and training opportunities
from NGO partners, professionals, and graduate students overwhelmed the capacity of
the existing program. In 2005, the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative was established as a
University-wide academic and research center to address issues of evidence-based humanitarian interest under the leadership of faculty directors Jennifer Leaning, MD, SMH and Michael VanRooyen, MD, MPH.
Affiliations
The Initiative is supported by Harvard's Office of the Provost, and has faculty participation from the Harvard School of Public HealthHarvard School of Public Health
The Harvard School of Public Health is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University, located in the Longwood Area of the Boston, Massachusetts neighborhood of Mission Hill, which is next to Harvard Medical School. HSPH is considered a significant school focusing on health in the...
, Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....
, Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences
Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences
The Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences is the largest of the seven faculties that constitute Harvard University.Headquartered principally in Cambridge, Massachusetts and centered in the historic Harvard Yard, FAS is the only division of the university responsible for both undergraduate and...
, Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...
, Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
, Harvard Graduate School of Education
Harvard Graduate School of Education
The Harvard Graduate School of Education is one of the graduate schools of Harvard University, and is one of the top schools of education in the United States. It was founded in 1920, the same year it invented the Ed.D...
, Harvard University Committee on Human Rights Studies, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study
Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study
The Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard is an educational institution in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and one of the semiautonomous components of Harvard University. It is heir to the name and buildings of Radcliffe College, but unlike that historical institution, its focus is directed...
, and major Harvard-affiliated medical centers including Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital Boston, and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts is a major flagship teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. It was formed out of the 1996 merger of Beth Israel Hospital and New England Deaconess Hospital...
.
In addition, The Harvard Humanitarian Initiative maintains partnerships with major relief organizations and government agencies to improve the effectiveness of aid delivery worldwide. HHI serves as a source for technical, research, and training assistance to more than 40 humanitarian agencies and international institutions, including: American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
, AmeriCares
AmeriCares
AmeriCares is a non-profit disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization providing immediate response to emergency medical needs and supporting long-term health care initiatives for people in the United States and around the world. Since its founding in 1982, AmeriCares has provided more than...
, CARE, International Committee of the Red Cross
International Committee of the Red Cross
The International Committee of the Red Cross is a private humanitarian institution based in Geneva, Switzerland. States parties to the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977 and 2005, have given the ICRC a mandate to protect the victims of international and...
(ICRC), International Rescue Committee
International Rescue Committee
The International Rescue Committee is a leading nonsectarian, nongovernmental international relief and development organization based in the United States, with operations in over 40 countries...
(IRC), Médecins Sans Frontières
Médecins Sans Frontières
' , or Doctors Without Borders, is a secular humanitarian-aid non-governmental organization best known for its projects in war-torn regions and developing countries facing endemic diseases. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland...
, Oxfam America, Physicians for Human Rights
Physicians for Human Rights
Physicians for Human Rights was founded in 1986 by a small group of doctors who believed the unique scientific expertise and authority of health professionals could bring human rights violations to light and provide justice for victims...
(PHR), Save the Children USA, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees , also known as The UN Refugee Agency is a United Nations agency mandated to protect and support refugees at the request of a government or the UN itself and assists in their voluntary repatriation, local integration or resettlement to...
(UNHCR), U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
(WHO).
Current projects
*DarfurDarfur
Darfur is a region in western Sudan. An independent sultanate for several hundred years, it was incorporated into Sudan by Anglo-Egyptian forces in 1916. The region is divided into three federal states: West Darfur, South Darfur, and North Darfur...
, Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
and Chad
Chad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
HHI is one of the leading centers at Harvard University for research, analysis, and response to the humanitarian crises in Sudan and Chad. Researchers Alex de Waal
Alex de Waal
Alexander William Lowndes de Waal is a British writer and researcher on African issues. He was a fellow of the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative at Harvard University, as well as program director at the Social Science Research Council on AIDS in New York City...
and Jennifer Leaning serve as a resource to policy makers, the media, and the general public on the issues facing Darfur, Sudan and Chad.
*Gender-based Violence Initiative
HHI’s Program on Gender-based Violence explores complex issues relating to women and war by addressing the health, human rights, and advocacy needs of women affected by conflict. HHI’s work has included collaboration with the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Panzi Hospital
Panzi Hospital
Panzi Hospital was founded in 1999 in Bukavu, the capital of the Sud-Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It specializes in treating survivors of violence, the large majority of whom have been sexually abused.Director Dr...
and extensive research into the causes and impacts of mass rape as a weapon of war.
*Crisis
Crisis
A crisis is any event that is, or expected to lead to, an unstable and dangerous situation affecting an individual, group, community or whole society...
Mapping and Conflict Early Warning
HHI's current research seeks to identify innovative thinking and alternative approaches to community-based conflict early warning and response strategies,
crisis mapping and use of information communication technology in areas of conflict worldwide.
*Humanitarian Studies Initiative (HSI)
HSI is a rigorous humanitarian response curriculum taught by Harvard University professors and humanitarian experts to train the next generation of humanitarian leaders. The flagship course teaches students skills such as refugee camp management, water sanitation, sexual violence prevention, NGO management, and international humanitarian law.
Further Reading and Resources
Mullin, Lisa. Public Radio International’s The World, “Interview with Dr. Julia VanRooyen, a surgeon with the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative,”http://www.theworld.org/?q=node/15673
Harvard Public Health Now, "Twelve Myths and Misconceptions in Disaster Response," by Michael Lasalandra, February 1, 2008.
Think Tank for Aid Workers, Harvard Magazine, November 2007.
Scientific American, The Science of Doing Good, by Sheri Fink, October 2007.
Koinange, Jeff (2006-05-26), "Rape, brutality ignored to aid Congo peace", CNN.com,
Gettleman, Jeffrey (2007-10-07), "Rape Epidemic Raises Trauma of Congo War", The New York Times,
Meir, Patrick. "Crisis Mapping and Early Warning," http://earlywarning.wordpress.com/2008/07/08/conflict-early-warning-and-crisis-mapping/>. Retrieved on 8 July 2008.