New Executive Course on Global Health Diplomacy
Organised by the Global Health Programme at the Graduate Institute
Apply before Friday, 15 May 2015
HEALTH DIPLOMACY AND HUMANITARIAN SPACE
22 – 24 June 2015
The Graduate Institute, Geneva, Switzerland
Effective humanitarian health responses in disasters, conflict, and health crisis situations require practical skills and an applied understanding of humanitarian health diplomacy principles and actions. Health interventions in the humanitarian space involve engaging in multiple levels and fora of diplomacy and therefore necessitate an awareness of the relevant systems and methods of humanitarian health diplomacy involved. Through this, the humanitarian space can be widened in order to address humanitarian imperatives through direct health interventions.
The field of humanitarian health diplomacy is an emerging one, representing an evolving paradigm of theory and practice not limited to the juxtaposition between humanitarian diplomacy and global health diplomacy. Indeed, the importance of health diplomacy is increasingly recognised at the practitioner, academic, and institutional levels for its interface with foreign policy, its use in fostering relationships, and ultimately, its ability to influence the humanitarian space. The humanitarian landscape is constantly changing due to new challenges, actors, and situations and therefore, practitioners must learn and adapt their skills and competencies as ‘humanitarian health diplomats’ in order to maximise the efficacy of future humanitarian health responses.
Course Content
This three-day course is designed to increase the understanding of participants on the intersection between health diplomacy and the humanitarian space. Examples of session topics include:
• The system and method of humanitarian health diplomacy
• Health as an instrument of relationship building
• Challenges of health diplomacy in the humanitarian space
• The interface of health diplomacy in the humanitarian space and foreign policy
• Ebola, health diplomacy and humanitarian space
The course is highly participatory, drawing on the national and international professional experiences of participants through a multi-disciplinary learning process. It includes lectures by internationally-renowned experts and negotiators, case studies, and working groups. Skill-building activities will complement the learning experience.
The course is aimed at individuals whose primary expertise is related to the design and implementation of humanitarian health responses in natural disasters, health crises, and conflict situations. This includes representatives from governments, multilateral institutions, non-governmental or philanthropic organisations, as well as diplomatic, humanitarian, and public health experts with responsibilities in humanitarian negotiations or the management of humanitarian responses.
Course Faculty
The course will be directed by:
• Michaela Told, Executive Director, Global Health Programme, the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies
• Daniel Lopez-Acuna, former Director, Health Action in Crisis, World Health Organization
• Mesfin Teklu Tessema, Vice President, Health and Nutrition, World Vision International
Download the course flyer in pdf.
Find out more information on the course content, fee, and application process.
Or contact for further inquiries.