Workshop syllabus

The WS aims at analysing the challenge of humanitarian intervention vis-à-vis the violation of IHL and unstable context. The case of Yemen, where INTERSOS works since long time as the sole Italian NGO, with operations in both fields will help the students to have an overall comprehension of the dynamics, actors, approaches and mitigation measures, that a humanitarian organization needs to take in order to fulfil its engagements without renouncing to its humanitarian principles. At the same time, the real experience (with a simulation and a working group) will facilitate the comprehension of best practices and lesson learnt. At the end of the workshop the students have deepened their knowledge and understanding of a complex humanitarian crisis and the challenges that humanitarian actors need to face. They also have more clear understanding about the strategies an INGO can apply in order to implement its mission in those type of contexts.

Instructors' bio profiles

• Davide Berruti has a degree in Arabic Language and Literature from the University of Naples "L'Orientale". Expert in peacebuilding and nonviolent conflict transformation, he was national coordinator of the Association for Peace from 1999 to 2005. As a trainer, he has collaborated with numerous university masters and professional training courses throughout Italy for the preparation of personnel employed in international missions. From 2011 to 2016 he was head of mission for INTERSOS in South Sudan, Jordan, Central African Republic and Cameroon. He currently works as personnel development coordinator at INTERSOS.

• Fabrizio Cavalazzi is deputy regional director Western Africa (Nigeria, Cameroun, Tchad, CAR) at INTERSOS. Previously, he served as emergency specialist and national WASH cluster coordinator for UNICEF – DRC (Kinshasa) (2017-2018). Fabrizio has experience in designing, planning, organizing and monitoring regional strategies, as well as, emergency and cluster interventions; and in managing relations with donors, stakeholders, authorities and representatives of beneficiaries.

INTERSOS

Founded in 1992, INTERSOS is an independent humanitarian organization, which enjoys consultative status in the United Nations Economic and Social Council. INTERSOS is the Italian humanitarian organization in the forefront of humanitarian emergencies and helps people victims of wars, violence and natural disasters, with particular attention to the most vulnerable groups, such as women and children.
Since its foundation in 1992, INTERSOS has implemented humanitarian aid projects in 42 countries and four continents. INTERSOS takes its first steps in Somalia, supporting the Jowhar regional hospital, where it has remained uninterrupted until today. In the following years it was present in the main humanitarian crises, from the war in the former Yugoslavia to the genocide in Rwanda, the conflicts in Angola, Afghanistan, Iraq, Sudan up to the Syrian crisis and Libya, with a constant commitment to bring help to the populations in danger and, in particular, to the most disadvantaged. In natural disasters, such as El Niño in Central America, the earthquakes in Haiti and Nepal, typhoon Hayan in the Philippines, INTERSOS intervened in the first emergency response, with more than 30 cargo airplanes helping people in need.
The sectors of intervention concern the distribution of essential goods for survival and emergency shelters; health and nutrition, ensuring access to vital, primary and secondary medical services, and treating malnutrition through nutritional therapies and intervening to ensure clean water and sanitation and to educate them to their proper use; migration, bringing relief to people fleeing their countries in search of security and dignity; protection, engaging in the physical and psychological protection of the most fragile sections of the population; Education, promoting the right to education and building schools, training teachers and promoting educational activities. INTERSOS has also developed specific programs for brides-girls and child soldiers and managed reclamation programs for anti-personnel mines.
The School of International Studies (SSI) signed a partnership agreement with the humanitarian organization INTERSOS, to promote knowledge in the field of international cooperation and in particular in the field of humanitarian and emergency assistance. The agreement provides for a series of common activities in the field of training, research and dissemination as well as the possibility for students of the University of Trento to carry out training periods at the headquarters of the organization in Rome, in assistance projects that INTERSOS has in 17 countries, especially in the African and Middle Eastern context.