CISU/DIIS-seminar: The Humanitarian – Development Nexus

The seminar i co-organized by CISU – Civil Society in Development and the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS)

Reservation: here

The world faces crises of famine, displacement, conflicts and natural hazards today of a magnitude that requires a more constructive interplay between humanitarian and development efforts. The protracted and interlinked nature of these crises requires comprehensive and coherent solutions that can ensure progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

As a consequence, the humanitarian–development nexus is (re)emerging as a central aspect in international cooperation. But what does the nexus in fact mean and how is it applied at policy level and in the field? And can this renewed focus improve the synergies between the humanitarian and development spheres?

This seminar, co-organized by DIIS and the Danish Emergency Relief Fund (DERF), will look into the conceptual and practical linkages and boundaries in the nexus between development cooperation and humanitarian interventions. It brings together insights and lessons learnt of how the nexus is applied at policy level and at the field level through presentations by researchers and practitioners working at the intersection of humanitarian and development work.

Presenters:

• Jette Michelsen is Chief Advisor at the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the focal point for hum-dev nexus, will speak about how the ministry operationalizes the nexus agenda at policy and implementation level.

• Signe Atim Allimadi is the fund manager of the Danish Emergency Relief Fund at CISU, and will describe how linkages between the DERF and the Civil Society Fund promote the agenda of nexus through local capacity building.

• Ian Christoplos is an independent consultant at Glemminge Development Research AB and will talk about lessons learnt and not learnt, drawing on recent UN and Danish evaluations and research for the next State of the Humanitarian System report.

• Jakob Eilsøe Mikkelsen, Africa Area Representative at Save the Children Denmark. About nexus in fragile situations and the context of conflict: the work of Save the Children with education at the Horn of Africa.

• Rolf Hernø, Humanitarian and Programme Coordinator at CARE Denmark. He will present experience with linking climate change adaption and resilience building to disaster preparedness and risk reduction as an entry point to nexus programming.

• Nina Fredslund Ottosen is a voluntary project coordinator in the organisation Dreamtown and has experience with the humanitarian-development nexus in practice from working with the DERF funded humanitarian intervention ‘Building Skills – Saving Lives’ in Freetown, Sierra Leone. 

• Adam Moe Fejerskov, Researcher at Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS), will summarize the central topics presented during the day as an input for the panel discussion.

The seminar is open for all. Reservation is needed and can be done here

Links: You can read more on the websites of CISU or DIIS.