International Webinar: Humanitarian Affairs in Asia
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Sanata Dharma University (SDU), Yogyakarta-Indonesia, and the Jesuit Conference of Asia-Pacific (JCAP) will launch a series of webinars on Humanitarian Affairs in Asia. The webinars will be held from October to December 2020 and will highlight major themes in humanitarian action in Asia today.
The webinars aim to build dialogue and create a space for sharing expertise, experiences and practices between the ICRC and the networks of the Jesuits and Jesuit universities in Asia. The webinars build on the ICRC and Sanata Dharma's work together on teaching and dissemination of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and Humanitarian Principles.
Three crucial humanitarian issues will be discussed: detention, forced displacement, and access to education in the context of armed conflict.
1. Detention in Asia and the Pacific: 26 October 2020, 2pm-4pm Bangkok time (GMT+7)
The first webinar will address key issues that detainees and their families in Asia and the Pacific face on a daily basis. The COVID-19 pandemic has made crucial aspects such as regular visits from family members even more complicated. The presenters will discuss humanitarian considerations when dealing with detention facilities in the region.
The speakers will also explore the ways that they can exchange expertise, experiences and practices among humanitarian organisations and academia in the future to better respond to the humanitarian concerns of detainees and their families.
Speakers:
- Julie Edwards, CEO Jesuit Social Service, Australia
- Fr. Eli Rowdy Y. Lumbo, SJ, Executive Director, Philippine Jesuit Prison Service Foundation, Inc. (PJPS), the Philippines
- Terry Norris Hackett, ICRC Regional Prison System Adviser, The Philippines
Moderator: Lany de la Cruz, ICRC Davao, The Philippines
2. Displacement in Asia: the Humanitarian Perspective: 20 November 2020
The second webinar will address the issue of forced displacement across Asia. The speakers will discuss the plight of people forced to flee their homes because of conflict, including IDPs, migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers, highlighting the added strains caused by the current pandemic.
It aims to understand the specific vulnerability of displaced people in different stages of their journey, identify the availability of legal, social and humanitarian protection in the region and promote cooperation among humanitarian actors, civil society, governments and academia to better protect displaced people.
3. Access to Education in armed conflict setting: 11 December 2020
The third webinar will address access to education for populations affected by armed conflict in Asia. What are the challenges faced by people in making sure their children can safely go to school? What opportunities are there to improve access to education in the region? What role can humanitarian organisations play? The speakers will address the topic from their own perspectives and field experiences.
To register for the first webinar held from 2pm-4pm Bangkok time (GMT+7) on 26 October 2020 about "Detention in Asia and the Pacific", please follow this link to the registration form: https://forms.gle/kVn8SSiByNDGAxEG9
In addition, you can follow the webinar via YouTube live streaming (and a recording will be made available here afterwards): http://bit.ly/theotalk_ICRC1
