Climate change has brought increasing numbers and changes in climate and weather extremes that may cause disasters. Anticipating climate change impacts and taking appropriate actions to manage the risk of extreme events has become necessary within humanitarian action. This module provides the foundations and a basic understanding of climate change adaptation. It discusses causes, scenarios and impacts of global climate change and associated extreme events, as well as relevant concepts, strategies, and measures available to deal with the impacts of climate change. The course will take place on 29 October from 9 am to 3 pm and builds the foundation for further specific courses of climate change adaptation. It is possible to complete three additional specific CCA courses, like, for example, the course on "Climate Resilient Agriculture: climate change adaptation approaches and strategies", in order to gain an ECTS credit point for a Certificate of Advanced Studies in "Anticipatory Humanitarian Action", under prerequisite of passing the exam in form of individual work after completion of all - introductory and three specific - courses. You will learn:  Causes, scenarios, and impacts of climate change based on actual reports and research findings Existing strategies and measures to deal with the impacts of climate change Main concepts and terminologies of climate change adaptation and its cross-cutting fields (e.g. disaster risk reduction, sustainable development) Target group: Young and senior professionals in humanitarian action and other practitioners in relevant fields, who would like to learn basic knowledge of climate change adaptation and implement the gained knowledge in own field.  

Anticipatory Humanitarian Action is an innovative approach within the humanitarian system connecting forecasts of predictable extreme events with often predefined humanitarian measures to get “ahead of a shock”. To do so, it critically hinges on (quantitative and / or qualitative) information indicating that an extreme event is likely to happen and pre-agreed thresholds or rules for decision-making to induce action – the so-called “trigger”. While developing and monitoring triggers often involves external expertise, e.g., from meteorologists or data scientists, this workshop introduces humanitarian practitioners to the broad field of trigger models for Anticipatory Action. A special emphasis is on the role of local actors and local knowledge in the development, monitoring, and potential institutionalization of trigger models, thus making sure that triggers are as context-specific, locally-owned, and sustainable as possible. Learn more

Get ready for the 2024 Advanced ELENA Course on International protection in Europe! This year the course will take place on Friday 22 November and Saturday 23 November at the HF Ipanema Park Hotel in Porto, Portugal. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about the latest developments in European asylum and migration law and to engage with practitioners, academics and decision-makers from all over Europe. This year’s course will explore recent jurisprudence and practices of the Court of Justice of the European Union and the European Court of Human Rights as well as how to engage with the UN Treaty Bodies. Increasingly relevant topics such as Artificial Intelligence and external agreements with third countries will also be discussed. Three workshops will offer participants the chance to gain practical knowledge of crucial topics such as access to legal aid in detention, the Pact on Migration and Asylum and national security. Please find a draft agenda here. Please note that timings may be subject to change and the agenda will be updated over the coming weeks.   Who should you attend? The course is open for registration for human rights specialists, lawyers working in the field of migration and refugee law, EU and national officials.   Learn more   Photo: Nick Karvounis / Unsplash

Looking to sharpen your proposal writing skills? Join us for this informative session to gain top tips and ideas for effective proposal writing. In this webinar, hear expert insights on crafting effective proposals to help turn your ideas into funded humanitarian initiatives. This one-hour interactive session will be held on Zoom and will be delivered in English. You will be able to turn on Zoom captions including autogenerated translations. Live webinar attendees will have the chance to ask questions via Zoom Q&A feature, and will able to claim an HPass digital badge in recognition of their learning and engagement in this forum. This session is expected to be highly popular so make sure you sign up to secure your place!

Volunteers are essential to driving change across various fields, from humanitarian response to resettlement efforts to climate action and beyond. As smaller volunteer-based initiatives expand, effective volunteer management becomes critical. This session introduces the Volunteer Management Cycle and provides essential tools to recruit, organize, and retain volunteers, fostering sustainable, long-term impact.  This workshop is especially relevant for leaders and coordinators seeking to build sustainable, community-driven initiatives, and for diaspora organizations seeking to engage volunteers in their humanitarian response efforts.  Main learning outcomes: Enhanced volunteer management skills: participants will gain practical knowledge on recruiting, onboarding, and retaining volunteers, ensuring alignment with the mission and values of their diaspora organizations.  Effective role definition and engagement strategies: participants will learn to clearly define volunteer roles and responsibilities, develop engagement strategies, and foster a sense of belonging among volunteers.   Facilitator: Nataliia Kalantaienko, Head of Partnerships, Ukrainian Volunteer Service  Nataliia applies resources and implements socially important projects to develop the culture of volunteering and mutual assistance in Ukraine. With expertise in volunteer management and coordination, Nataliia coaches volunteering, volunteer management, and fundraising to activists and representatives of the public sector. She also manages the volunteer community on the frontline and in eastern Ukraine.