Fall 2014

Training Course Schedule

Amman, Jordan

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Training
Humanitarians
Around the World
The Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs (IIHA) was created at
Fordham University in December 2001 to forge partnerships with relief
organizations, offer rigorous academic and training courses at the
graduate and undergraduate level, host symposia, and publish books
relating to humanitarian affairs.
The IIHA enables humanitarian workers to
develop relationships with the University
and the international community in New
York City, in addition to being a university
wide center reporting directly to the
President of Fordham. With the creation
of a graduate Masters and
undergraduate Minor and Major degree
programs, the IIHA offers an academic
base for the study and development of
international health, human rights and
other humanitarian issues, especially
those that occur in periods of conflict.
Through multi-disciplinary coursework in
humanitarian assistance, negotiations,
and disaster management, offered at
both the graduate and undergraduate
level, the IIHA trains students to find
practical solutions to crises through the
initiation of discourse and
cooperation. The IIHA trains students for
careers in the humanitarian field by
combining an advanced academic
approach with the shared practical field
experience of both students and faculty.
Courses offered by the IIHA can be taken
as stand-alone training courses in subjects
of importance to the participants, and
can also be taken in pursuit of the Masters
in International Humanitarian Action (MIHA)
offered by the Institute of International
Humanitarian Affairs (IIHA) and the
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
(GSAS) at Fordham University.
The IIHA is organizing five courses in
Amman, Jordan, hosted by the Jesuit
Refugee Service (JRS) in the period
September October 2014.
The IIHA encourages all interested
applicants to review the available
courses and apply on the IIHA website by
visiting the respective course pages listed
on the Course Calendar. For more
information, including course fees and
registration procedures, please visit the
IIHA website or contact Alexandra
DeBlock, IIHA International Programs
Coordinator, at +1 212-636-6294 or
miha@fordham.edu.

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September 7 - September 13:
ETHICS AND ADVOCACY IN
HUMANITARIAN ACTION
Fulfills course requirement for
IDMHA module of MIHA (2 Credits)
Humanitarian aid professionals are
confronted with ethical questions
in every area of their work. This
course explores these ethical
questions, examines alternative
ethical grounds for action, and
provides humanitarian aid workers
with a framework for evaluating
practical ethical issues that arise,
especially through current and
past case studies.
September 14 - September 20:
ACCOUNTABILITY IN
HUMANITARIAN ACTION
Fulfills course requirement for
IDMHA module of MIHA (2 Credits)
The ability to handle external
relations successfully has a growing
impact, particularly at higher levels
of management, on the ability of
organizations to deliver
humanitarian assistance. Students
are given the knowledge and skills
to respond to the various external
relationships that enable
humanitarian agencies to operate
successfully in a competitive and
often hostile environment. Through
case studies, the course teaches
techniques for dealing with
politically motivated and highly
stressed interlocutors.

September 21 - September 27:
LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT
OF HUMANITARIAN ACTION
Fulfills course requirement for
IDMHA module of MIHA (2 Credits)
Despite humanitarian agencies'
not-for-profit status, they must be
managed and administered on
sound business principles. Students
learn the managerial methods
and skills required to become
senior managers and directors of
humanitarian organizations. Within
these roles, such individuals need
to work with and manage skilled
specialists in various fields.


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October 5 - October 11:
EDUCATION IN EMERGENCIES

Fulfills a course elective for the IDOHA and IDMHA modules of the
MIHA (2 Credits)
With close to 30 million children living in conflict-affected countries,
and hundreds of thousands of families displaced by natural disasters
and the effects of climate related events, education in times of crisis
and conflict is indispensable in order to achieve the goal of universal
education. The Education in Emergencies course provides tools to
design and implement educational projects from the emergency
phase, to post-conflict situations as well as through protracted
situations, with a special emphasis on the mechanisms required to
improve the quality of education during and after humanitarian
crises. This course also focuses on the main challenges children face
during forced displacement, from child recruitment to food scarcity.
Applicants interested in the Education in Emergencies course are
encouraged to email miha@fordham.edu in order to apply.
September 28 - October 4:
COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION AND MOBILIZATION
IN EMERGENCY RESPONSE

Fulfills course requirement for IDOHA module of MIHA (2 Credits)
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 offers 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 either 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.