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Issue 17 Summer 2010
Greetings!

The Harvard Humanitarian is a monthly e-newsletter compiled by the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative (HHI) to publicize news, publications, and events in the Harvard community related to advancing responses to humanitarian crises of war and disaster. Please help us make this a robust resource by contributing your Harvard community news items via email.
 
HHI IN HAITI UPDATE


Klinik Lespwa, "Clinic of Hope," opens in Haiti
 
Klinik LespwaSince February 2010, HHI has coordinated the medical care of residents of Camp Hope, an HHI-Love a Child-American Refugee Committee partnership camp that is home to 1,700 Haitians displaced in the aftermath of January's earthquake. Klinik Lespwa serves more than 50 amputees, 700 children, and 170 individuals requiring medical assistance for independent mobility. In addition to providing medical leadership for the clinic, HHI's physicians are working closely with Haitian nurses to provide basic medical services for Camp Hope. The team is also implementing public health programming, medical education and training for local staff in order to strengthen the local medical network and build capacity in existing clinics.
 
To read more about HHI's work at Klinik Lespwa, visit our "Clinic of Hope" webpage.
 
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS


Students supported by the Cogan Travel Fund conduct research around the world

This summer, HHI sponsored 15 undergraduate and graduate students at Harvard University to conduct field research in international crisis affected settings through the Cogan Family Fund. The Cogan Family Fund enables students to obtain international field experience, while gaining an understanding of the complex, cross-disciplinary nature of humanitarian work.  Over the past few months, students traveled to Haiti, DRC, India, Bolivia, Romania, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Nepal, Kashmir and Mozambique.

Harvard students interested in advancing research, practice, and policy in the field of humanitarian assistance are encouraged to apply by November 15th for projects to be conducted during winter break. More information about how to apply can be found here.
 
 
HHI researcher returns from interviewing Mai Mai militants in DRC
 
HHI gender-based violence research coordinator Jocelyn Kelly recently returned from eastern DRC where she spent time interviewing Mai Mai combatants and former combatants. Her trip is part of a project in collaboration with the Open Society Institute that looks at Mai Mai experiences with the war and obstacles with reintegration. Jocelyn also traveled to gold mining communities in South Kivu to better understand the challenges that women living and working in these areas face. Results from the research with combatants will be published this fall.
 

HHI writes special report commissioned by the USIP
JK USIP Special Report

HHI gender-based violence research coordinator Jocelyn Kelly writes special report commissioned by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) entitled "Rape in War: Motives of Militia in the DRC."  The report is a qualitative analysis of interviews conducted with the Mai Mai militia in the DRC and looks at the experiences of armed combatants with the aim of revealing potential avenues for intervention.  Read the full report here.

IN THE NEWS: HUMANITARIAN HIGHLIGHTS

Recent rapes in Congo consistent with HHI's research
 
Between July 30 and August 3, Rwandan and Congolese rebels raped an estimated 150-200 women in Luvungi, North Kivu, DRC.  The Independent explored the issue of mass rape in eastern DRC, explaining that the cases of rape that occurred in Luvungi showed many of the same patterns as described in HHI's April report "Now the World is Without Me." Consistent with HHI's findings, the majority of the rapes on July 30-August 3 were initiated by militants, with many women attacked in front of their families before having their belongings pillaged.
 
 
Crisis mapping the Pakistan flood: the future of humanitarian aid?
 
Live crowdsourcing was employed again as a resource for aid workers following the flood in Pakistan this summer. PakReport.org was the latest Ushahidi platform website utilizing SMS technology and citizen reporting to help aid agencies respond to the most urgent needs of crisis survivors. With more than 18 million flood victims displaced, PakReport founder Faisal Chohan believes that PakReport could become one of the most ambitious uses of online and mobile phone technology in disaster relief yet. To read more about PakReport, click here. For information about the second annual International Conference on Crisis Mapping which will take place at Harvard and Tufts this fall, click here.  
UPCOMING EVENTS

 Event times, dates, and locations listed here are subject to change without notice. Please contact the event host for more information.

"Our World At War: Photojournalism Beyond the Front Lines"
ICRC Photo Exhibit Poster 
September 9 - October 14, 2010
CGIS South Concourse
1730 Cambridge Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
 
HHI will host the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) "Our World at War: Photojournalism Beyond the Front Lines" photography exhibit from September 9th through October 14th, 2010.  The exhibit is available to be viewed from 7am to 8pm Monday through Friday.

This traveling exhibit, created in partnership with the Newseum in Washington, DC, features the work of five award-winning photojournalists from the VII Photo Agency.  "Our World at War" offers powerful depictions of the impact of conflict on civilians in Afghanistan, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Georgia, Haiti, Lebanon, Liberia, and the Philippines.

HHI will host an opening reception and two panel discussion events to showcase this exhibit. Stay tuned for details!



"Our World At War" Opening Reception

September 9, 2010
4:00 - 6:00 pm
CGIS South Concourse
1730 Cambridge Street
Cambridge, MA 02138

Join us for the opening celebration of the  "Our World at War: Photojournalism Beyond the Front Lines" photography exhibit.

Welcoming remarks:
Dr. Michael VanRooyen, Director, Harvard Humanitarian Initiative
Dr. Jennifer Leaning, Director, Fran�ois-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights
Dr. Steven Bloomfield, Executive Director, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs
Deborah Jackson, CEO, American Red Cross of Massachusetts Bay
Mary Werntz, Head of Delegation for US & Canada, ICRC

Keynote speaker:
Ron Haviv, (Featured Artist) Photographer, VII Photo Agency

Refreshments will be served. RSVP required.

Please RSVP to Margeaux Fischer at [email protected]

 
Open House at the Carr Center for Human Rights
 
September 8, 2010
4:30 - 7:00 pm
Malkin Penthouse (Littauer Center, Floor 4)
Harvard Kennedy School of Government
 
Interested in human rights? Join the Open House to learn about the many ways you can get involved with the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy. The Center has a variety of human rights programs, projects, initiatives and opportunities for student involvement.

Learn more about Carr Center Faculty, Fellows, our events agenda, study groups, grant opportunities, the HR PIC, student liaisons and much more.

Snacks and refreshments will be provided.
 
 
International Conference on Crisis Mapping (ICCM): Haiti and Beyond
 
Leveraging mobile platforms, computational linguistics, geospatial technologies, and visual analytics to power effective early warning for rapid response to complex humanitarian emergencies.

The second annual ICCM will take place at Harvard University and Tufts University October 1-3, 2010. The first day of the conference is open to the public and includes ignite talks, a keynote address, and a tech and analysis fair.


For more information and to register for the public event, please click here. 



Harvard Symposium: The Role of Surgery in Global Health

Role of Surgery Banner
 
November 5, 2010
8:00 am - 4:00 pm
The Harvard Club of Boston
374 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215

The symposium will bring together experts from global health, surgery, anesthesia, economics and public policy to discuss the important role of safe anesthesia, and emergency and essential surgery on population health.  Limited space is available. Register today.  Click here for more information.

Featured Speakers:
Atul Gwande, MD, MPH
Dean Jamison, PhD
Charlie Mock, MD, PhD
Angela Enright, MD
Kavi Bhalla, PhD
PUBLICATIONS & PRESS

  • Abolghasemi H, Radfar MH, Rambod M, Salehi P, Ghofrani H, Soroush MR, Falahaty F, Tavakolifar Y, Sadaghianifar A, Khademolhosseini SM, Kavehmanesh Z, Joffres M, Burkle FM, Mills EJ. "Childhood physical abnormalities following paternal exposure to sulfur mustard gas in Iran: a case-control study. Confl Health. 2010;4(13).
  • Burkle FM Jr. "Future humanitarian crises: Challenges for practice, policy and public health." Prehosp Disaster Med. 2010;25(3):191-198.
  • James JJ, Benjamin GC, Burkle FM, Gebbie KM, Kelen G, Subbarao I. "Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness: A Discipline for All Health Professionals." Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness. 4(2):102-107.
  • McQueen, K., et al. "Essential surgery: Integral to the right to health." Health and Human Rights: An International Journal. 12(1):137-52, 2010.
  • Moore, Jina, "Congo war leaves legacy of sexual violence against women," Christian Science Monitor, June 30, 2010
  • Nebanzahl, Donna. "Specialized skills for special places." The Montreal Gazette, August 7, 2010.
  • Smith EC, Burkle FM Jr, Archer FL. "Fear, Familiarity, and the Perception of Risk: A Quantitative Analysis of Disaster-Specific Concerns of Paramedics"  Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, July 12, 2010.
  • Smith, Stephen, "At a crossroad in Haiti," Boston Globe, June 27, 2010
  • Yu, Xi, "Six Months Later, Harvard Still Fights for Haiti," Harvard Crimson, July 17, 2010 

About The Harvard Humanitarian Initiative
HHI fosters interdisciplinary collaboration at Harvard University in order to improve the effectiveness of humanitarian strategies for relief, protection, and prevention; instill human rights principles and practices in these strategies; and educate and train the next generation of humanitarian leaders. In 2005, the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative was established as a University-wide interfaculty academic and research center, supported by the Office of the Provost and the Harvard School of Public Health with the participation of faculty from Harvard schools and affiliated hospitals. For more information, visit www.hhi.harvard.edu.