Harrell-Bond Lecture 2002
27 November,
Oxford
'Human trafficking and smuggling:
implications for the refugee protection system', to be given by Professor Vitit
Muntarbhorn of the Law School, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand.
International Summer School in Forced
Migration
July 2003, Oxford
The Refugee Studies Centre's
three-week residential summer school is designed for upper and middle managers
of intergovernmental organisations, non-governmental organisations and
government organisations and researchers involved with assistance and
policy-making for refugees and other forced migrants. Through lectures, group
work, simulations, debates, individual study, and discussion, participants will
examine contemporary responses to displacement at institutional and ground
levels. The course will be held at Wadham College, University of Oxford.
Forced Migration Online
A world of
information on human displacement
Launch: November 2002
Forced
Migration Online (FMO) will provide instant access to a wide variety of online
resources concerning the situation of forced migrants worldwide. Designed for
use by practitioners, researchers, policy makers, students or anyone interested
in the field, FMO aims to give comprehensive impartial information and to
promote increased international awareness of human displacement issues. FMO
will offer a host of key published and unpublished literature (both current and
historical); specially commissioned guides written by subject experts; selected
web resources; an organisations directory and other useful resources. Content
will include:
FMO will be hosted by the Refugee Studies Centre but
will rely upon a network of international partners to make it a truly global
resource. Funding has been provided by from the Andrew W Mellon Foundation and
the EU. For further information, please contact:
fmo@qeh.ox.ac.uk
The FMO
Digital Library was launched on 21 June 2002 and is available at
www.forcedmigration.org
ReliefSim
FMO together with Technology
Assisted Lifelong Learning (TALL), University of Oxford, and the Columbia
Center for New Media Teaching and Learning (CCNMTL) at Columbia University have
received major funding from the Andrew W Mellon Foundation for two-year joint
pilot study which began in January 2002. This study will evaluate, design and
ultimately deliver simulation models for training humanitarian workers in the
procedures needed for the management of complex emergencies, in particular in
refugee situations.
Effective emergency relief demands fast and informed decision making, in-depth knowledge of the needs and problems of affected populations, strict prioritisation of key tasks and implementation of acknowledged minimum standards in healthcare, often in the direst of circumstances. With so much at stake, practical, professional and comprehensive training of humanitarian workers is essential. With this in mind and taking into account the current shortfall in training of this type, FMO, TALL and CCNMTL plan to develop computer simulations of emergency settings. These will provide practitioners and students with the opportunity to solve problems, analyse situations, recommend future actions and deal with complex environments such as establishing new relief camps.
ReliefSim is the first of its kind to apply complex modelling technology to relief settings. It will both adhere to best pedagogic practice in eLearning and support the minimum standards as described in existing publications such as the Sphere Project, Médicins Sans Frontières' Refugee Health and the UNHCR's Handbook for Emergencies.
Contact Marion Manton at marion.manton@conted.ox.ac.uk