Active discussion on violence and displacement in LAC in PHAP online consultation event

On 9 April 2015, more than a hundred humanitarian practitioners and others attended PHAP’s first Spanish-language online event in support of the World Humanitarian Summit. The discussion, on the issue of violence and displacement in Latin America and the Caribbean, was led by a panel of four experts on issues related to humanitarian action, human rights, and displacement in the region.

The event began with a general overview of the region’s security problems by the Regional UNHCR Representative for Central America, Cuba and Mexico, Fernando Protti-Alvarado. Protti-Alvarado offered his suggestions for how humanitarian organizations could improve their collaboration with local governments in order to tackle the root causes of the humanitarian issues. This was followed by an intervention by Professor Walter Kälin, former Representative of the Secretary General for the Human Rights of the Internally Displaced, who gave valuable insights into those root causes and the effects of criminality, poverty, and natural disasters on the displaced. In her introductory remarks, Marisa Soberanis, IFRC Country Coordinator for Guatemala, highlighted social exclusion and the importance of involving victims in decision-making processes. The initial panel presentations ended with the Director of World Vision International in El Salvador, Laura del Valle, speaking on the impact of violence and displacement on families, and especially on children, stressing the need for child-specific policies and protocols for organizations and governments working with young victims.

Many of the participants then joined in the discussion, offering their questions and opinions to the group. This resulted in a dynamic exchange, helping to examine the issues at hand from a broad range of perspectives. In case you missed the event, a report of the discussion among panelists and participants is available, as well as a recording of the event at phap.org/9apr2015