Register here | 5 pm Amman (10 am EST)
The Iraq war, following on the heels of the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan, saw the US government increasingly and overtly link military and strategic objectives with the work of humanitarian and development NGOs, raising profound questions around principles of humanitarian independence and neutrality, and ushering in an era in which the lines between military and humanitarian operations have become increasingly blurred.
Join Columbia Global Centers | Amman and the Program on Forced Migration and Health at Columbia University for the first in a four-part virtual seminar series marking the 20th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. The series will highlight the repercussions of the war on humanitarian action, with the first seminar focusing on challenges regarding civilian/military distinction.
The first panel will explore the implications of these trends over the last two decades, including the accelerating number of attacks on humanitarian workers by state and non-state actors, and challenges to the operational presence of humanitarian organizations in insecure settings. The panelists will also explore how the increasing shift to “remote operations” on the part of international humanitarian actors in a bid to address staff safety and security raises new ethical and logistical challenges for humanitarian efforts.
The speakers for Panel 1 are:
- Dr. Les Roberts – Professor Emeritus, Program on Forced Migration and Health at Columbia University
- Fabrizio Carboni – Regional Director for Near and Middle East, International Committee of the Red Cross
- Sahr Muhammedally – Expert on Human Rights and Armed Conflict, Former Director of the MENA and South Asian Program, Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC)
- Monette Zard – Associate Professor and Director, Program on Forced Migration and Health at Columbia University (moderator)
UPCOMING WEBINARS IN THIS SERIES
June 20, 2023
Twenty Years On: Geopolitical Reverberations of the Iraq War and Repercussions for the MENA Region
Fall 2023
Twenty Years On: Combating Violent Extremism and Navigating Constraints to Humanitarian Aid Stemming from the Iraq War
Winter 2023
Twenty Years On: Shifting Technologies and the Nature of Warfare – Implications of the Iraq War for the Protection of Civilian Populations
