Representatives of the Fraternity – International Humanitarian Missions (FIHM) participated in the activities of the Humanitarian Network and Partnership Week (HNPW), which took place from May 2 thru May 20, in a hybrid format.
The first and last weeks were done remotely (online), while the second week (May 9 to 13, 2022) was done in person at the Conferences International Center (CICG) in Geneva.
The members of the Fraternity – Humanitarian Missions (FIHM) team who participated in person at the event were the following: Friar Luciano (General Manager), Leda García da Eira (Council Secretary), Friar Esteban (Europe Mission Financial Coordinator and Assistant to the General Manager), Friar Juan de Dios (Assistant to the General Manager), Rafael Gama Corbetta (Europe Mission Coordinator), and Anderson Santiago (Education in Emergencies Director).
About the Week
The Humanitarian Network and Partnership Week (HNPW) is an annual humanitarian conference, one of the more important events of this kind, which offers a place for collaboration among professionals and experts from a wide variety of humanitarian actors, including UN agencies, NGOs, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movements, academia, the military, initiatives of the private sector and State members.
During the event, the networks and associations have meetings and annual consultations, share knowledge, and collaborate in improving practices to resolve common problems.
Participation of the Fraternity – Humanitarian Missions (FIHM)
The Fraternity – Humanitarian Missions (FIHM) participated as a listener in the sessions, taking advantage of the relevance of updates on the main debates in today’s humanitarian scenario. In addition, it also fostered networking with some of the organizations with which it has the prospect of working directly within the scope of the Europe and Africa Missions.
According to the manager of the Education in Emergencies Sector, Anderson Santiago, through this participation at an institutional level, “it was possible to perceive points where the organization needs to continue to mature, most especially in terms of practical actions from the perspective of the Intervention Sectors, in addition to the practical possibilities of a greater interrelationship of actions among the Humanitarian, Development and Building Peace Sectors.”
Anderson Santiago also points out that: “It is only when these Sectors act in a more unified and cohesive way that humanitarian emergencies can be faced with greater efficiency and resolvability in relationship to the needs experienced by affected populations. At the same time, there is a certain tendency – widely recognized by the humanitarian sector itself – to a high degree of theorization, an excessive collection of information which doesn’t necessarily lead to an expansion in the actions [and their execution] and programs that aim to directly take care of affected populations.”
So it is clear to the Fraternity – Humanitarian Missions (FIHM) that there is a need for keeping the focus and the priority on concrete actions that can effectively meet the needs experienced in crises in which its humanitarian workers are active.
Among the main topics addressed in the more than 200 sessions held during the event, the following stand out:
- Civilian-military coordination in emergency situations
- Solutions based on nature
- Climate changes
- Preventive actions
- Location and participation of affected communities and local actors
- Links between Humanitarian, Development and Building of Peace sectors.
