Activities
Activity
1
(20
minutes)
Ask the participants
to refer to the individual exercise at the end of Handout 1.1.
Ask a volunteer to define "complex emergencies". Allow some
discussion on what is meant by this terminology, as well as what participants
think would be the answer to the question posed in the individual exercise.
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Individual
work
Consider
the political implications of using a term such as "complex
emergencies" instead of declaring a situation a war, or a
non-international armed conflict. Why would the UN and in particular
humanitarian agencies choose to use such an ambiguous term as
"complex emergency", which has no legal definition or
bearing in international law?
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Answer key
For political
reasons it has been very sensitive whether to call a situation an armed
conflict or not. When the term complex emergency first came into use,
the dichotomy between the East and West was still a reality. The use
of language was depending on who was fighting the war, which government
provided some type of aid to the government or the non-state entity
involved, and who was talking about that situation. In addition, calling
a situation an armed conflict may trigger a certain type of recognition
for those fighting the government. Giving them recognition would also,
under certain circumstances, give recognition to their claims, for example,
the right to self-determination. As a result, naming a certain situation
a complex emergency has little legal significance and is therefore less
political and sensitive.
Ask participants
to read Handout 1.1: "Definition of complex emergencies".
They should take approx. five minutes for the reading.
Activity
2
(15 minutes)
You can either
make a presentation on complex emergencies, using Overhead Transparencies
1.1 to 1.7, or you can distribute Reading 1.1: "Characteristics
of complex emergencies" and give participants ten minutes for silent
reading. If you make a presentation, be sure to cover the following:
Emergencies
are normally based on civil conflicts.
Since the end
of the cold war the nature of emergencies have changed dramatically.
Conflicts are increasingly of an internal nature, exacerbated by uneven
social and economic development, religious identities, lack of democratic
space, and ethnic versus national identity.
In the past
when most armed conflicts were international, i.e. between states, armies
fought each other, not individuals. While realities have changed, the
international legal frameworks still reflect the realities as they were
during the two World Wars. At that time, it was clearly a question of
an international war between several states and therefore a matter that
could be referred to the international arena.
It has been
much more challenging to "internationalize" civil wars. Some
call the trend "privatization" of war and relief, not only
because private actors rather than states are involved, but because
it is difficult to distinguish between political and criminal violence.
In today's internal conflicts, not only are individuals victims of warfare,
but they are also perpetrators of violence and genocide.
Typical
to complex emergencies is the lack of authority and security.
National authorities,
where they exist, are normally not in effective control of the territory,
or control only part of the territory. As a result, there is lack of
security both for the civilian population and the humanitarian community.
Working in complex emergencies means dealing with government authorities
as well as non-state entities, i.e. rebel movements and insurgent groups,
and this causes legal and political dilemmas.
In some recent
crises it has become a rather difficult task to keep track of which
party to deal with. In some situations there are so many different warring
parties and authorities to deal with, and the situation is so extremely
volatile there may be different authorities on different days.
Because
of lack of "responsible" authority, flagrant violations of
human rights and massive displacement are the result.
The type of
emergencies that are evolving today, are particularly horrific in that
human rights are being increasingly violated and the erosion of humanitarian
space is endemic. For example, humanitarian agencies are denied access
to groups of people who are in need of their assistance. Women and children
are not only the victims of war, they have become deliberate targets
of warfare. As a result, the numbers of displaced and victims of armed
conflicts are enormous, and humanitarian actors face not only financial
hurdles, but also legal, moral and political dilemmas. It has been estimated
that more than 80% of the victims in today's conflicts are women and
children.
It is clear
that in today's conflicts we are dealing with erosion of traditional
values. For example, in all societies children are accorded some level
of special protection, but during an internal conflict, those values
are eroded by the circumstances. This is also reflective of the changing
nature of conflicts.
Disruption
of infra-structure and economic system are likely to occur.
Political aspects
give complex emergencies their unique characteristics. Some situations
that are described as complex emergencies could also be argued to be,
in effect, deep and protracted political crisis engendered by profound
social change, or sometimes even the lack of it. Most emergencies stem
from the complex interaction among a wide variety of social, economic
and political factors.
Instability
is extremely disruptive to any effort in maintaining an infra-structure
that supports society. Roads, movement of services and goods, cash flow,
etc. -- all are affected by warfare. In some emergencies it may even
be the humanitarian community which lays the basis for an infra-structure
and an economic system. This fact carries with it certain responsibilities
and duties to act so that the affected population can benefit in the
longer term perspective as well.
Activity
3
(20 minutes)
Divide participants
into groups of five to six people. Refer to the Opening Session for
different ways of breaking into groups. Distribute Handout 1.2:
"Exercise on protection concerns arising in the context of complex
emergencies". Ask each group to discuss the questions, and to list
their conclusions on VIPP cards or a flipchart. Each group should select
a chairperson and a rapporteur to present their answers to the plenary.
(See Opening Session for explanations of these functions. Remind participants
that the "terms of reference" are included in Handouts
0.1 and 0.2.)
Inform the
groups that they have 15 minutes to complete the task.
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Group
work
First,
look at the list of the characteristics of complex emergencies
mentioned in Reading 1.1 and then consider the following
questions. List as many concerns as you wish under each question,
using different colored VIPP cards or separate pieces of paper
on the flipcharts.
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Ask the rapporteurs
of each group to present their answers to the plenary. Allow 5 minutes
for plenary discussion.
Answer key
For the facilitator,
it may be useful to cluster the concerns that come out of the discussion
on protection issues in plenary. You can cluster them under the headings
of the characteristics of complex emergencies, i.e. make four groups
under which most, if not all, concerns should fit. The following are
just some examples of frequently occurring protection concerns in complex
emergencies, and they are listed in no particular order:
- humanitarian
aid does not reach those most in need, i.e. women and children;
- recruitment
as soldiers, or to carry equipment or cook food for armed forces;
- increased
level of violence and sexual exploitation, child labour, etc.;
- displacement
and separation from family;
- particularly
traumatizing experiences such as witnessing killings, loss of social
network, and so on;
- witnessing
human rights violations, including how women and children are the
targets of warfare, and not knowing how to act/react;
- lack of
access to those in need of humanitarian assistance;
- in situations
where sanctions are imposed, those who suffer the most are the civilians,
women and children in particular.
With regard
to constraints in addressing protection concerns, these examples will
provide the basis for the presentation on protection in the context
of emergencies that follows. Listed below are some concerns that may
arise in relation to constraints encountered:
- difficulty
in mobilizing political support at the global level in response to
humanitarian needs;
- difficulty
in working with both government and non-state entities and finding
the right balance;
- lack of
funding for the type of activity that appears to be most needed;
Activity
4
(20 minutes)
Explain to the participants
that you will address these during the workshop, and then move on to
the following presentation using Overhead Transparencies 1.8 to
1.11.
Protection
in the context of complex emergencies
There are a
number of definitions of "protection", and in the context
of complex emergencies and this manual, we will be using the following
definition:
The term "protection"
entails all activities aimed at ensuring respect and fulfilment of human
rights as expressed in international human rights instruments (including
refugee law) and international humanitarian law (see also Unit 7).
It is important
to note, that all activities aimed at protecting the rights of civilians
in armed conflicts, must be conducted in accordance with universally
accepted humanitarian principles.
For our purposes
it will be useful to distinguish protection activities in two different
categories, namely those activities seeking to address immediate effects
of a specific human rights violation (responsive action) and activities
which seek to create an environment conducive to respect for human rights
(environment building). While the first set of activities are short-term
in perspective, they would include preventive action, as well as special
protection measures aiming at restoring human rights. The second set
of activities are long-term in perspective, and comprise activities
such as initiating new pieces of legislation, or training of enforcement
officials. It is important to include both types of activities in a
holistic manner, although one and the same organization may not be involved
in all relevant areas.
Activity
5
(5 minutes)
If you did not yet
distribute Reading 1.1, hand it out now. Then, refer back to
the session objectives on Overhead Transparency 1.1 to wrap up
the session, and to make sure that you met the objectives.
PowerPoint:
Protection in the context of complex emergencies
