United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Jan 2021
The UNHCR Regional Centre for Emergency Preparedness – eCentre held a webinar series from 11-20 January based on the long-running Basics of International Humanitarian Response (BIHR) workshop. The webinar was conducted with 29 participants enrolled from 11 different countries. InterWorks was asked to assist in the preparation and facilitation of the eight-day long webinar series, and to host the overall webinar platform.
The overall webinar series design, preparation, and facilitation of case-study presenters was done by InterWorks,LLC with ongoing administrative support and webinar invitation and participation monitoring provided by the UNHCR eCentre. The overall approach was to convert the traditional field-based face-to-face BIHR workshop to an online format. The workshop duration was shortened and many of the field-based hands-on exercise components were excluded (rather than trying to replicate them online). The training of the core elements of the BIHR workshop were accomplished:
- Increase overall emergency response capacity in the region by improving understanding of humanitarian emergencies and increasing participants’ ability and confidence to respond to them.
- Improve the quality of protection and assistance received by persons in need, by increasing awareness of standards of international humanitarian assistance.
- Facilitate more concerted responses by promoting an understanding of the importance of coordination among partners.
- Meet other humanitarian professionals, network and exchange ideas.
It was a great workshop to get the insight of humanitarian response. Also, through the group activities I got the chance to practice and apply my knowledge.
– Workshop participant