Seminar Humanitarian Diplomacy: From Perspectives to Practices

Humanitarian Diplomacy: From Perspectives to Practices

 

Background

The world today witnesses an ever-increasing commitment toward humanitarian values, proven by the growth in the number of humanitarian organizations and group of people dedicated to address humanitarian issues. Nevertheless, some parts of the world are still far from being a good place to live for human being. People in places like East Africa and Syria have been suffering the consequences of wars and violence, while others in South and Southeast Asia are haunted by the threat of natural disaster. These humanitarian tragedies can no longer be considered as domestic problem of each state. Humanitarian crises triggered by man-made or natural disaster have shown the need of global solidarity in order to meet the solution.

International Migration Review elaborates four logics behind the engagement of countries into humanitarian values: 1) Humanitarian issues reflect the standards of civilization; 2) Humanitarian issues can threaten domestic and international order; 3) Multilateral forums are the legitimate means to handle these issues; 4) Multilateral organization provides burden-sharing mechanisms (Barnett p. 250). Consequently, humanitarian diplomacy is increasingly becoming an important part of international diplomatic agenda.

Indonesian President Spokesperson, Teuku Faizasyah, claimed that humanitarian diplomacy is a ‘flagship’ for Indonesian foreign policy (Minutes of Meeting at the Department of International Relations UGM March 2012). ‘Flagship Enterprise’ reflects active participation and significant contribution from Indonesia to increase its role in humanitarian action. Indonesian vision to raise its roles on humanitarian action relies on its current participation on peacekeeping operation, conflict resolution and disaster management.

Humanitarian diplomacy itself is understood as ‘persuading decision makers and opinion leaders to act, at all times, in the interests of vulnerable people, and with full respect for fundamental humanitarian principles’ (IFRC: Humanitarian Diplomacy). However, as Phillippe Regnier noted, humanitarian diplomacy as a concept still suffers from imprecision and unclear operational application (Regnier 2011). Such deficiency makes those who wish to engage in humanitarian diplomacy unable to determine the scope of action and, therefore, the strategies to achieve humanitarian objectives.

This problem calls for a more robust academic framework on humanitarian diplomacy. Program on Humanitarian Action (POHA), Department of International Relations, Universitas Gadjah Mada would answer this call by emphasizing its activities in 2013 under the theme ‘Humanitarian Diplomacy’. One of the event that POHA organize on this purpose is “Indonesian Humanitarian Action Forum (IHAF)”.

 

Date and Venue

This seminar will be held on October, 24 2013 at 5th Floor, 08.00 am – 01.00 pm, Graduate School, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

 

Registration

Registration fee

Registration for Participant

Public (include international participant)         50,000 IDR

Graduate Student                                               30,000 IDR

Undergraduate Student                                     20,000 IDR

Payment Details:

1.      Registration fee can be transferred to:

Name of Bank Account: PT. Bank Mandiri

Account number: 137-000-728-286-2

Account holder name: Institute of International Studies

Branch: Yogyakarta Gd. Magister

Please remember to send your payment proof in soft-file through email to:

humanitarianstudies@ugm.ac.id AND humanitarianstudies@yahoo.co.id

2.      Full Payment at :

Disaster Management and Humanitarian Action

Research Center Osaka University

RESPECT Satellite Office

Faculty of Social and Political Sciences

Universitas Gadjah Mada,

Jalan Socio-Yusticia No. 01 Bulaksumur Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Working hour: 09.00 am – 04.00 pm

 

Speakers

The speakers of this seminar are as follows:

1.      Teuku Faizasyah, Presidential Spokesman for International Relation

2.      Jerome Fontana, Deputy Head of Regional Delegation ICRC for Indonesia and Timor Leste

3.      Jacinta O’Hagan, Australian National University

4.      Stefano Toshiya Tsukamoto, Osaka University

 

For further inquiries, please contact us at:

Disaster Management and Humanitarian Action

Research Center Osaka University

RESPECT Satellite Office

Faculty of Social and Political Sciences

Universitas Gadjah Mada, Jalan Socio-Yusticia No. 01 Bulaksumur

Yogyakarta, Indonesia

T: +62274 563362 ext.115 F: +62274 563362 ext.116

Email: humanitarianstudies@ugm.ac.id

Contact Person:

Anggita Ludmila ( anggita.ludmila@yahoo.com )

Julian Lilihata ( lee_julian21@yahoo.com )