According to Brendan Cahill, Executive Director of the IIHA, “Jamie brings a remarkable amount of wisdom and experience to this position. He has lectured to a generation of IDHA and other participants for over twenty years, and his personal insights into new and ongoing humanitarian crises will be invaluable to our students.”

Mr. McGoldrick contributes his extensive humanitarian experience, expertise, and insights to the Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs’ work. Most recently, he presented the fifth lecture during the Ireland at Fordham Humanitarian Lecture Series, a joint initiative between The Permanent Mission of Ireland to the United Nations and The Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs, on Humanitarian Access published in the A Skein of Thought by the Refuge Press.

About the IIHA
The Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs (IIHA) prepares current and future aid workers with the knowledge and skills needed to respond effectively in times of humanitarian crisis and disaster. Our courses are borne of an interdisciplinary curriculum that combines academic theory with the practical experience of seasoned humanitarian professionals. The IIHA also publishes on a wide range of humanitarian topics and regularly hosts a number of events in the New York area, including the annual Humanitarian Design for Humanity Summit.

For more information or media inquiries, please contact: Camille Giacovas, Communications & Research Officer, cgiacovas@fordham.edu

IIHA Welcomes Mr. Jamie McGoldrick as a Distinguished Fellow was originally published in HumanitarianPulse on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

“I wanted to increase our understanding of who migrants are, what forces them to take such extraordinary risks in travel, and put up with so much uncertainty and ill-treatment.”

Published by the Refuge Press and available for purchase from Fordham University Press and Amazon.

What is it like to run away from a bombing, lose your family, and work out how to care for yourself in a foreign country when you are 7 years old? What do you do when the woman who promised you a good job in Europe turns out to have sold you into prostitution? What is it like to almost drown in the Mediterranean and then be confined in a garbage and rat-filled settlement on a Greek island for years?

In this book, Lynne Jones addresses these questions by combining direct testimony from children with a blazingly frank eye-witness account of providing mental health support on the front line of the migrant crisis across Europe and Central America in the last 5 years. Her diaries shine a light on what it is like to be caught up on the front lines of the migrant crises in Europe and Central America. They show how people who have fled war, poverty, disaster, and are trapped in degrading living conditions have responded with resourcefulness and creativity. In the absence of most big professional humanitarian agencies, migrants and volunteers together have created a new form of humanitarianism that challenges old ways of working.

“These events are essential for us all to understand: we all have the ability to help address them and prevent vast unnecessary suffering. Lynne describes the attempts to help, the global structures that cause and exacerbate the problems and humanitarian attempts (good and bad) to assist people. I would recommend this book to everyone I know: it is essential reading to understand these events and the people caught up in them, and to start thinking about how to help.” — Dr. Alexander Van Tulleken, Associate Professor in Infection & Population Health at University College London.

“This book matters. The people Lynne Jones describes are human beings who were in these situations just because of bad luck. And when the outside world blocked us or forgot us, we refugees struggled against the odds to help ourselves. These stories need to be told and should not be forgotten.” — Housam Jackaly, Activist, Syrian Refugee living in France

Lynne Jones, OBE, FRCPsych, PhD, is a child and adolescent psychiatrist, writer, researcher, and relief worker. Jones has been engaged in assessing mental health needs, establishing, and running mental health services in disaster, conflict, and post-conflict settings since 1990. Jones has worked in areas of conflict or natural disaster including the Balkans, East and West Africa, South East Asia, the Middle East, Haiti and Central America. Most recently, she worked in the migrant crises in Europe and Central America, through which she has established a storytelling project for children: migrantchildstorytelling.org. It is this period of work that is recorded in the diaries alongside some of the children’s stories.

“Lynne Jones is one of the great witnesses on this planet. But in that word “witness,” as we usually use it, something is missing. It has about it something accidental, almost passive. Reading The Migrant Diaries, you begin to understand what true witnessing is capable of being: an act of humility and courage, of sharing and healing, but above all a form of action.” — Verlyn Klinkenborg, author of The Rural Life, and Timothy; Or, Notes of an Abject Reptile, Yale University, and former member of the New York Times editorial board

Her other published works include: Then They Started Shooting: Children of the Bosnian War and the Adults They Become (Bellevue Literary Press 2013), and Outside the Asylum: A Memoir of War, Disaster and Humanitarian Psychiatry (Orion 2017).

The Refuge Press is an independent imprint founded in 2020 with an emphasis on humanitarian and social justice issues. It publishes at least four books, and an equal number of art catalogues per year. Our books focus on humanitarian solutions as well as professional reflections on global crises.

About the IIHA

Fordham University’s Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs (IIHA) prepares current and future aid workers with the knowledge and skills needed to respond effectively in times of humanitarian crisis and disaster. It achieves this through undergraduate, graduate programs, through professional workshops, webinars, research and publications. Its courses are borne of an interdisciplinary curriculum that combines academic theory with the practical experience of seasoned humanitarian professionals. Its research addresses Education in Emergencies; Children and Armed Conflict; Hunger and Conflict; Design for Humanity; Climate Change and Migration.

About the CIHC

The Center for International Humanitarian Cooperation (CIHC) was founded in 1992 to promote healing and peace in countries shattered by natural disasters, armed conflicts, and ethnic violence. The Center employs its resources and unique personal contacts to stimulate interest in humanitarian issues and to promote and support innovative educational programs and publications.

For more information or media inquiries, please contact: Johanna Lawton, Managing Editor, jlawton3@fordham.edu

The Refuge Press Presents: THE MIGRANT DIARIES was originally published in HumanitarianPulse on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Dear Friends,

It gives me great pleasure to introduce you to The Refuge Press.

The Refuge Press is an independent imprint — founded in 2020 by Fordham University’s Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs (IIHA) and The Center for International Humanitarian Cooperation (CIHC) — with an emphasis on humanitarian and social justice issues. We publish at least four books per year, together with an equal number of art catalogues. Our books focus on humanitarian solutions, as well as personal and professional reflections on global crises. The art catalogues bring together the work that we are showing at our Refuge Gallery at the Institute headquarters at Fordham University in the Bronx, New York.

We are excited to share our recent publications with you and look forward to finding new voices and new volumes in the years ahead.

My warmest regards, as always,

Brendan Cahill

Publisher

The Refuge Press is an independent imprint founded in 2020 with an emphasis on humanitarian and social justice issues. It publishes at least four books, and an equal number of art catalogues per year. Our books focus on humanitarian solutions as well as professional reflections on global crises.

About the IIHA

Fordham University’s Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs (IIHA) prepares current and future aid workers with the knowledge and skills needed to respond effectively in times of humanitarian crisis and disaster. It achieves this through undergraduate, graduate programs, through professional workshops, webinars, research and publications. Its courses are borne of an interdisciplinary curriculum that combines academic theory with the practical experience of seasoned humanitarian professionals. Its research addresses Education in Emergencies; Children and Armed Conflict; Hunger and Conflict; Design for Humanity; Climate Change and Migration.

About the CIHC

The Center for International Humanitarian Cooperation (CIHC) was founded in 1992 to promote healing and peace in countries shattered by natural disasters, armed conflicts, and ethnic violence. The Center employs its resources and unique personal contacts to stimulate interest in humanitarian issues and to promote and support innovative educational programs and publications.

For more information or media inquiries, please contact: Johanna Lawton, Managing Editor, jlawton3@fordham.edu

IIHA Introduces The Refuge Press was originally published in HumanitarianPulse on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

April 19, New York — As a kid growing up in Tennessee, Benjamin Spicer was always exposed to the racial injustice prevalent in the U.S. “Each morning on my way to school, I passed a statue of Nathan Bedford Forrest, a Confederate general and the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan,” he explained. “We were taught that slavery was evil and racism was bad; however, there were clear contradictions between what we were taught in school and the actual actions of the state.” The unease of this discrepancy pushed Ben to join the Nashville chapter of Showing up for Racial Justice. Here, Ben discovered his passion for humanitarian work: “I [realized] I wanted to be a force of good in the world.”

Ben is now a sophomore at Fordham University, majoring in Humanitarian studies. Accepted initially to Fordham as part of the 3–2 engineering program, he soon switched to Environmental Sciences. But, “after a semester of science classes and two weeks where I wanted to be a music major,” Ben opted for Environmental Studies instead. He thought this was the major for him.

That all changed when Ben attended a series of webinars with the IIHA during the spring of 2020. A webinar event particularly inspired him with Amali Tower, founder of Climate Refugees and Fordham University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences International Diploma in Humanitarian Assistance alumna. After that, he knew he wanted to pursue a degree in Humanitarian Studies.

Although this is only Ben’s first semester in the program, he is looking forward to expanding his knowledge on the Middle East, specifically the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. One of his favorite classes this semester is Refugee and Asylum Law with James Stillwaggon. Ben said the real-life experiences brought into the classroom by Stillwaggon, who has extensive experience representing asylum seekers and immigrants, make the class so valuable and insightful.

Ben’s passion for justice doesn’t stop with humanitarianism; he is also enthusiastic about sustainability. He is part of the Social Innovation Collaboratory’s Climate Impact Team, which works on various sustainability projects on Fordham’s campus, including selling reusable utensils and bringing composting to campus. Ben runs their Instagram account, raising awareness about current environmental issues, both on and off-campus. He described the experience as “incredible” and said, “It’s a wonderful way to be able to incorporate my interest in the environment and sustainability into my extracurricular life.”

Ben has also worked as an intern for Community Action for Safe Apartments (CASA), proving that his humanitarian focus transcends global issues. CASA is a nonprofit organization that advocates for the rights and safety of tenants in the South Bronx. Ben visited apartment buildings in the South Bronx to hand out informational flyers about tenant rights and see for himself the issues he was advocating for. The unique opportunity to talk directly with residents “further instilled the desire to help people fight for their rights.”

Although Ben isn’t yet sure what type of career he wants to pursue with this degree, he knows that he wants to work with refugees and advocate against human rights violations. For now, he looks forward to continuing his studies. He said being surrounded by students with so much passion for the same topics as him is encouraging.

“When I read and hear about conflicts across the globe and [about] refugees fleeing their homes, it can feel daunting, like I’m up against some unstoppable forces,” he said. “Having other humanitarian students [around keeps] me hopeful for the future because I’m not going at it alone. I have all of these great people here to help.”

Written by Allison Lecce, IIHA Marketing and Communications Intern

About the IIHA
The Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs (IIHA) prepares current and future aid workers with the knowledge and skills needed to respond effectively in times of humanitarian crisis and disaster. Our courses are borne of an interdisciplinary curriculum that combines academic theory with the practical experience of seasoned humanitarian professionals. The IIHA also publishes on a wide range of humanitarian topics and regularly hosts a number of events in the New York area, including the annual Humanitarian Design for Humanity Summit.

For more information or media inquiries, please contact: Camille Giacovas, Communications & Research Officer, cgiacovas@fordham.edu

Humanitarian Studies Undergraduate Spotlight: Benjamin Spicer was originally published in HumanitarianPulse on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

April 12, New York — When Michela Fahy searched for colleges, she thought she wanted to utilize a business degree to pursue her passion for nonprofit work. But when she found out about Fordham University’s Humanitarian Studies major through the Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs (IIHA), she knew it was the right program path for her.

Michela is now a sophomore at Fordham University with a double major in English and Humanitarian Studies. While just beginning this major, she said the course Humanitarian Systems with Pierrette Quintiliani was “quite rewarding.” In it, she learned about the different types of humanitarian organizations, the role these organizations play in crises worldwide, and the ripple effects their involvement can have.

Raised in New Jersey, Michela went to Catholic school her whole life. She said her school was passionate to pursue its mission of “teach[ing] us to be strong and passionate young leaders in the causes that moved every student.” Her interest in humanitarian studies was heavily motivated by various service and community engagement activities, including Girl Scouts. One of her troop’s most successful projects was a shoe drive for the nonprofit organization Soles 4 Souls. In addition to Girl Scouts, she regularly traveled around the tristate area on service trips, volunteering locally in her free time, not just for a school requirement but because she genuinely enjoyed the work. At her high school graduation, Michela received the silver presidential service award for completing over 250 hours of volunteer work in just her senior year.

The idea to pursue a career in the humanitarian sector came to Michela when she applied to colleges. “I realized I felt more fulfilled when doing [service] work,” she said. “I think the culmination of all the volunteer and mission-driven work I did growing up really led me to realize how passionate I am about making positive impacts in any way I can.”

Michela first explored social entrepreneurship and social business programs that would allow her to work in the nonprofit sector but through a business lens. When she found Fordham’s program, however, she was swayed by the opportunity to “take advantage of a comprehensive liberal arts education by majoring in Humanitarian studies” while still exploring other fields of study, which she credited to Fordham’s vast core curriculum.

Part of the reason Michela enjoys Fordham’s Humanitarian Studies program so much is because of the students she has met through it. “I have found that fellow humanitarian studies majors are really down to earth and are driven by the passion for creating positive change in the world,” she said. “It is really motivating to have discussions both in and out of the classroom because we are all so passionate about making a difference.”

Written by Allison Lecce, IIHA Marketing and Communications Intern

About the IIHA
The Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs (IIHA) prepares current and future aid workers with the knowledge and skills needed to respond effectively in times of humanitarian crisis and disaster. Our courses are borne of an interdisciplinary curriculum that combines academic theory with the practical experience of seasoned humanitarian professionals. The IIHA also publishes on a wide range of humanitarian topics and regularly hosts a number of events in the New York area, including the annual Humanitarian Design for Humanity Summit.

For more information or media inquiries, please contact: Camille Giacovas, Communications & Research Officer, cgiacovas@fordham.edu

Undergraduate Humanitarian Studies Student Spotlight: Michela Fahy was originally published in HumanitarianPulse on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

March 18, New York — Fadia Mahdi still remembers the day the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)headquarters building next to her school was destroyed in an attack. Her school was shut down for three weeks to fix the shattered windows and broken doors. That was when she knew she wanted to become a humanitarian.

Born in Iraq during the 1990 Gulf War, Fadia said she witnessed too many wars and too much violence. “[Our parents] were worried about us going to school every day,” she recalled. “It was very hard to go, not knowing if you will be lucky enough to come home in one piece. As a kid, just like any other kid who grew up in Iraq, I was struggling from poverty and hunger do to the sanctions that were applied on Iraq in the nineties. I was lucky enough to inherit a Barbie doll from my elder sister, and that was an unbelievable dream to the little girls my age. When I become a teenager, it was during the 2003 war on Iraq. The post side effects that we are still struggling with. We didn’t live the normal teenage life. Our parents were not worried about us going out or neglecting our education. On the contrary, they were worried about us going to school every day because of the unlimited amount of explosions happening every single day, not to mention the kidnapping of people, whether if it’s for ransom, selling body organs, vengeance, and worst of all raping girls.”

Fadia went on “to defy all these horrors and make a future” by majoring in computer communication engineering, though she was always more interested in history and psychology. She said, “growing up in Arab countries puts pressure on you regarding the need to make your family proud despite what you are passionate about, and to Arab families, if you don’t major in Medical school, engineering, or law school, then it’s not really something to be proud of, and I was young back then only 18 years old, so I chose to make, my family proud, however, after graduation, I chose my own path, and I chose my own career even though it had nothing to do with engineering.”

After graduation, Fadia began applying for jobs with the ICRC. Because of her lack of experience, it wasn’t easy to get an interview. When she finally did get one, she was accepted right on the spot. Fadia has been working with the ICRC for the last five years and most recently was promoted to the position of Supply Chain Planner for ICRC Iraq.

If she could give advice to her younger self before beginning this career in humanitarian aids, she notes three things:

1. Patience, good results requires patience.

2. Don’t wait for other people to create a healthy and friendly environment at work, you do it yourself.

3. Speak louder and ask more, don’t be afraid of having the wrong the idea or asking the wrong question.

Fadia joined the International Diploma in Humanitarian Assistance program in 2019 because she wanted to “grow more into the humanitarian world.” The only humanitarian work Fadia had ever been exposed to at that point was within her own country, and the vast majority of her experience only came from one place, the ICRC. She wanted to immerse herself in the international sphere of aid work. And it’s a good thing she did; Fadia said the program changed her view on the humanitarian world and revealed a more practical side. “IDHA gives you a thorough picture of the whole humanitarian process,” she said. “To be a good humanitarian, you have to understand the whole picture and how that impacts the people who are waiting for the aid that we are giving them.”

Fadia said the program significantly improved her collaboration skills. The program consists of teamwork meant to imitate real-life humanitarian situations, and she said this taught her to be patient and flexible when working with other people.

One of Fadia’s favorite parts of the program was the connections she made with her peers. She called her graduating class her second family and said that she met one of her best friends in the program. Despite coming from all different walks of life, she said they bonded over their ambition of “wanting change for the greater good.”

“Every one of us came from a different background, and to me, that was the beauty of it,” she explained. “It was very challenging because we all had our own perspective, but by the end of the day…you realize we are all basically the same. We all want to be heard, we all want to have an impact in this life, and we all want to be recognized by who we are and not by our nationality or religion.”

Written by Allison Lecce, IIHA Marketing and Communications Intern

About the IIHA
The Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs (IIHA) prepares current and future aid workers with the knowledge and skills needed to respond effectively in times of humanitarian crisis and disaster. Our courses are borne of an interdisciplinary curriculum that combines academic theory with the practical experience of seasoned humanitarian professionals. The IIHA also publishes on a wide range of humanitarian topics and regularly hosts a number of events in the New York area, including the annual Humanitarian Design for Humanity Summit.

For more information or media inquiries, please contact: Camille Giacovas, Communications & Research Officer, cgiacovas@fordham.edu

IDHA Alumni Spotlight: Fadia Mahdi was originally published in HumanitarianPulse on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

March 15, New York — Patricia Cole always had a calling for humanitarian work. She recalls fundraising as a kid — walking around with the popular penny boxes to raise funds for missionaries working abroad — and winning an award for an international humanitarian poster competition. Born in a small New England town, Patricia was raised in a community-oriented, Christian environment. Humanitarian values were part of her childhood, and as she worked her way through school, she became increasingly interested in global affairs, humanitarian causes, and social justice advocacy. Her passion fueled her travels and studies to Western Europe, Russia, and the Caribbean, and she spent time in Greece working on a farm for community agricultural work.

Patricia continued her professional advocacy work with the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary, an NGO affiliated with the UN, RSHM at the UN, and the UN NGO Committee to Stop Trafficking in Persons. After an advoacy work trip to Haiti in 2012, Patricia returned to the U.S., where she decided to pursue the International Diploma in Humanitarian Assistance. She said, “It was a perfect and timely opportunity for me to build upon my expanding advocacy and humanitarian contributions to supplement my learning with solid academic knowledge whilst benefitting from the practical experience of some of the greatest humanitarian professionals.”

Although Patricia said it was intimidating to work with such an exceptional group, she described the program as exhilarating and her classmates as “outstanding humanitarians.” She said of the program, “It was an in-depth immersion and orientation to the stark and challenging humanitarian-in-field reality.” Patricia can recall fond memories of creating group presentations within her cohort and working closely together through debates and field exercises.

Patricia highly recommends the program to other mid-career humanitarians, saying, “It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn and be mentored by some of the best of humanity.” It is so unique, she said, because it combines academic theory with practical experience to give students a fresh perspective on humanitarian work.

Patricia graduated from the IDHA 37 program in 2012 and now serves as a UN representative for ECPAT-USA, an anti-trafficking policy organization. Her work consists of advocating and promoting ECPAT’s mission to member states and various various UN specialized agencies such as UNICEF, UNODC and UN Women. Patricia is currently prepping for the 65th session of the NGO Commission on the Status of Women, where ECPAT-USA will present an expert panel entitled “No Child Left Behind: Ending Social Discrimination that Makes Children Vulnerable to Trafficking.”

When asked what advice she has for people entering the humanitarian sector, Patricia said it is possible to pursue humanitarian work within the lens of one’s expertise. Within the UN, for example, it is possible to pursue a job in finance, development, policy coordination, advocacy, and more. She also pointed out that many NGOs and other civil society partners, such as ECPAT-USA, are critical players working within the UN system, enaged in the international humanitarian sphere.

“One can build a career in your field of expertise while also contributing to peace and security, human rights, and sustainable human development agendas and goals.”

Patricia also said the ability to “think global but act local” is an important part of humanitarianism. “It all makes a difference no matter how minor or insignificant it may seem in the big picture,” she said. “All words and acts count.”

As a seasoned professional in the humanitarian field, Patricia has developed many of the skills and competencies necessary to carry out advocacy-centric work. And yet, she is always moved by the commitment she sees in so many humanitarian professionals, IDHA classmates, and coworkers alike. It is this passion for a greater cause that moves Patricia to continue striving towards ECPAT-USA’s vision A world in which no child is bought, sold, or used for sex, with their mission to protect every child’s human right to grow up free from the threat of sexual exploitation and trafficking.

Learn more about ECPAT-USA and their influential work here.

Written by Allison Lecce, IIHA Marketing and Communications Intern

About the IIHA
The Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs (IIHA) prepares current and future aid workers with the knowledge and skills needed to respond effectively in times of humanitarian crisis and disaster. Our courses are borne of an interdisciplinary curriculum that combines academic theory with the practical experience of seasoned humanitarian professionals. The IIHA also publishes on a wide range of humanitarian topics and regularly hosts a number of events in the New York area, including the annual Humanitarian Design for Humanity Summit.

For more information or media inquiries, please contact: Camille Giacovas, Communications & Research Officer, cgiacovas@fordham.edu

IDHA Alumna Spotlight: Patricia Cole was originally published in HumanitarianPulse on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

March 16, New York — Aidan Auel lives by the quote, “One person can make a difference, and everyone should try,” and try he might. A Humanitarian Studies major, Aidan knew he wanted to pursue a career in the humanitarian sector after working for a defense investigator in highschool.

“Although this was an amazing opportunity, I decided I wanted to learn about issues and inequalities on a larger global scale,” Aidan explained. “So many people in the United States and abroad need humanitarian attention because of the political policies that are in place.”

Aidan grew up in Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C. He was part of the Global Ecology Program at his high school, where he learned about the environment’s impact on his community and others worldwide. Aidan was also an Eagle Scout and president of the Leo Club, a service organization in his town. He attributes these activities to recognizing and understanding his community and the issues facing it.

While looking through the majors that Fordham University offers, Aidan discovered their Humanitarian Studies program, and it “immediately piqued” his interest. One of his favorite classes in the major was “Evolution of Development and Humanitarian Aid Systems” with Anna Levy. He worked with a group to create a policy brief about welfare and economic inequality in the U.S.

Aidan described the class as “extremely difficult” but said it “allowed us to understand the complexity of engaging humanitarian systems and the importance of all members of society in policy decisions.”

His interest continued to grow after joining Rose Hill’s Humanitarian Student Union (HSU); he said, “I loved the weekly discussions they held. We talked about real issues and their complexity. I learned so much from these meetings and loved attending them.” Aidan is now the Communication Director of HSU.

One of Aidan’s favorite things about the program is how engaged and caring the students are. “They are some of the best people I know,” he said. “Humanitarian students don’t just look at the surface level of issues, but dig deeper and look for the complexity of international and political situations…I love being surrounded by people who are trying to help others.”

Written by Allison Lecce, IIHA Marketing and Communications Intern

About the IIHA
The Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs (IIHA) prepares current and future aid workers with the knowledge and skills needed to respond effectively in times of humanitarian crisis and disaster. Our courses are borne of an interdisciplinary curriculum that combines academic theory with the practical experience of seasoned humanitarian professionals. The IIHA also publishes on a wide range of humanitarian topics and regularly hosts a number of events in the New York area, including the annual Humanitarian Design for Humanity Summit.

For more information or media inquiries, please contact: Camille Giacovas, Communications & Research Officer, cgiacovas@fordham.edu

Undergraduate Humanitarian Studies Student Spotlight: Aiden Auel was originally published in HumanitarianPulse on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

February 16, New York — From an early age, Elizabeth Doney spent a lot of time learning about social justice. Now a soon-to-be-graduating senior, she is ready to use her educational experiences towards helping others in the real world.

Elizabeth is a senior at Fordham College at Lincoln Center, majoring in Political Science with minors in Peace and Justice Studies and Economics. She also serves as the Vice President for the Humanitarian Student Union at the Lincoln Center campus. While she is not part of the Humanitarian Studies program, she has been part of the IIHA’s HSU club since her first year at Fordham and continues to serve others through her commitments both in and outside school.

HSU wasn’t Elizabeth’s first immersive experience in the humanitarian sector. Her early education growing up was “incredibly service-oriented.” Her school in Florida had a long-standing partnership with a school in Papoli, Uganda, where she was given the opportunity to delve into discussions on issues concerning global poverty. By late middle school and high school, Elizabeth’s coursework solidified her interest in social justice.

Throughout high school, Elizabeth began to recognize her true niche for policy work. She participated in an organization called Youth in Government, a national program of the YMCA that engages with local communities’ issues through policy proposals. There, she was able to gain hands-on experience drafting amendments to Florida’s constitution and present them in a mock government environment. During her junior year, one of her most memorable accomplishments was when her amendment for more just and equitable sex education was passed and forwarded to Florida’s governor.

Elizabeth’s commitment to serving impacted communities can also be seen through her research on Women, Peace, and Security. Her current Honors thesis focuses on improved policy options to hold perpetrators accountable for using sexual violence as a tool of violent conflict. She has learned while writing her thesis that when dealing with content that may be difficult to process, it’s essential to step away and recharge to help prevent burnout. Whether that time is spent chatting with loved ones or simply reading a good book, “getting into a practice of self-compassion enables you to sustain energy for this long-term work,” she says. Amidst a growing global pandemic, this advice can be useful for many as we navigate our new online course environment.

Upon graduation from Fordham, Elizabeth intends to further her studies by pursuing a Master’s in International Relations to pursue a role in the non-profit sector, foreign service, or perform research at a foreign policy think tank. When asked what drives her passion for this work each day, she responded with knowing that there is a duty to help others, even in minor ways.

“I think my sense of purpose comes from having been taught at a very young age that being in a position of privilege means you have a responsibility to help others. Life isn’t fair, and I’ve been so lucky, so it’s my job to do what I can to make a tiny dent in the injustice and hardship other people experience.”

Written by Lena Rose, IIHA Marketing and Communications Intern

About the IIHA
The Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs (IIHA) prepares current and future aid workers with the knowledge and skills needed to respond effectively in times of humanitarian crisis and disaster. Our courses are borne of an interdisciplinary curriculum that combines academic theory with the practical experience of seasoned humanitarian professionals. The IIHA also publishes on a wide range of humanitarian topics and regularly hosts a number of events in the New York area, including the annual Humanitarian Design for Humanity Summit.

For more information or media inquiries, please contact: Camille Giacovas, Communications & Research Officer, cgiacovas@fordham.edu

Humanitarian Student Union Student Spotlight: Elizabeth Doney was originally published in HumanitarianPulse on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

February 9, New York — Rawan Chaaban’s passion for humanitarian work hit close to home. Rawan was a second-year student at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon, when war broke out in 2006. The work she did to help displaced families in her community — including distributing food and other necessities, organizing fun activities for the children and contacting volunteer doctors on behalf of the displaced who were sick or pregnant — fueled her passion for community work, specifically with people affected by armed conflict. After she finished her undergraduate studies, Rawan pursued a Master’s degree in Public Health and joined the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Missing Field Officers’ team in Lebanon.

But Rawan’s educational pursuit did not stop there. As fulfilling as her work as a field officer was, Rawan said she wanted to develop “a strong holistic academic background in the field of humanitarian assistance and at the same time find a space where professionals from different disciplines and contexts can share their experiences and learn from each other.” Drawn to the IIHA’s International Diploma in Humanitarian Assistance (IDHA) because it provides a space for aid workers from around the world to learn together and from each other — she found what she was looking for.

Though Rawan was one of the youngest participants and one of the few without international experience, she formed last connections with her peers. “The passion for learning and serving people in better ways was common to all of us,” she said. “Everyone was eager to learn something new regardless of their age.”

The intensive one month program is intended to equip students with the skills to function efficiently and effectively under pressure. Under such conditions, many of Rawan’s favorite activities from the IDHA are responsible for some of the extensive skills she now possesses. Rawan can recall meeting with her group every night to prepare for weekly presentations. She said the tight deadlines taught her team to split up the work based on each member’s strengths. Debates were another popular part of the program. “They allowed us to tackle a complex problem from different perspectives and to think ahead of the potential counter-arguments,” she said.

Rawan has since risen to the Forensic Program Assistant position at the ICRC in Lebanon and is part of the Forensic Humanitarian Action of the ICRC, where she is working on two main projects. She oversees the collection and storage of buccal swabs to collaborate with the National Commission of Missing Persons and Forcibly Disappeared. She also works on expanding forensic capacities in the country, such as supporting the police DNA lab.

When asked what advice she would give her younger self, Rawan said that self-care is a critical part of the humanitarian sector. She described the work as, at times, “psychologically draining” and said it is essential to take care of yourself to ensure that you can care for others.

Rawan also said to remember the human connection when providing aid. “Do not assume that because you took some courses and had some training that you are the one who can independently decide what the people’s needs are,” she said. Listening, being culturally sensitive and engaging, and collaborating with those affected is crucial to understanding the problem and finding the best ways to solve it.

“Disasters and conflicts make people feel vulnerable and out of control,” she said. “Do not exacerbate this feeling by keeping them out of the decision-making process.”

And perhaps most importantly, Rawan emphasized the power of listening. As someone who works with families of missing persons, she said many people are just grateful to have someone willing to hear their stories, especially for relatives of those who have been missing for years. “Having someone listen to their stories after three decades means the world to them,” she said. “Never underestimate the impact of kind words and gestures.”

Written by Allison Lecce, IIHA Marketing and Communications Intern

About the IIHA
The Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs (IIHA) prepares current and future aid workers with the knowledge and skills needed to respond effectively in times of humanitarian crisis and disaster. Our courses are borne of an interdisciplinary curriculum that combines academic theory with the practical experience of seasoned humanitarian professionals. The IIHA also publishes on a wide range of humanitarian topics and regularly hosts a number of events in the New York area, including the annual Humanitarian Design for Humanity Summit.

For more information or media inquiries, please contact: Camille Giacovas, Communications & Research Officer, cgiacovas@fordham.edu

IDHA Alumna Spotlight: ICRC Forensic Program Assistant, Rawan Chaaban was originally published in HumanitarianPulse on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.