On Sunday, August 18, 2024, the official launch of the Institute for Leadership and Humanitarian Action (ILEAH) took place in Jérémie with the aim of strengthening local capacities in humanitarian crisis management in the Grand’anse department. ILEAH aims to train humanitarian workers who are better able to transform Haitian populations into models of humanity and resilience.
Souvenir photo © Flavien Janvier
Under the initiative of Dr. Yvon Janvier, a human rights researcher, the official launch of the Institute of Leadership and Humanitarian Action (ILEAH) took place on Sunday, August 18, 2024, at the auditorium of the Sténio Vincent municipal library in Jérémie. In the presence of the mayor of Jérémie, the departmental director of the Office for the Protection of Citizens (OPC) and representatives of the departmental delegation, GOAL, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the press and civil society, Dr. Janvier presented the context justifying the creation of this training center, based on the study carried out by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) after the earthquake on the lack of skills of those involved in humanitarian assistance in Haiti.
“Less than 20% of those involved in humanitarian assistance had the qualifications required to provide certain support to disaster victims and people affected by disasters,” said the human rights researcher. According to him, the creation of a center like ILEAH dedicated to developing skills in humanitarian action in Haiti is essential to strengthen the humanitarian response in the country, with an emphasis on specialized training and strengthening local expertise.
The institute does not intend to replace the institutions working in the field. “On the contrary, we propose to assist, through our knowledge, through our research, local institutions. And we propose to establish with them, a form of collaboration” continued the initiator of the training center.
ILEAH is made up of a group of specialists in human rights, international cooperation, risk and disaster management and humanitarian aid. The institute says it is ready to welcome its first cohort of students by next October. It offers specialized training over a period of ten (10) months in the following areas: Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Emergency Care and First Aid, Leadership and Humanitarian Coordination, Resilience and Disaster Risk Reduction, Humanitarian Project Management, Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law.
Marc Henry BEAUCHAMPS Student in Journalistic Communication at ECOJ
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