Twenty Years On: Challenges to the Civilian/Military Distinction in the Aftermath of the Iraq War
Panel 1
• Dr. Les Roberts – Professor Emeritus, Program on Forced Migration and Health at Columbia University
• Fabrizio Carboni – Regional Director for Near and Middle East, International Committee of the Red Cross
• Sahr Muhammedally – Expert on Human Rights and Armed Conflict, Former Director of the MENA and South Asian Program, Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC)
• Monette Zard – Associate Professor and Director, Program on Forced Migration and Health at Columbia University (moderator)
In 2003, the US-led the invasion of Iraq following the attacks of 9/11 served as a key turning point in the global geopolitical landscape with far-reaching implications for humanitarian action. To mark the 20th anniversary of the invasion and reflect on its enduring impacts on the humanitarian landscape, the Program on Forced Migration and Health at Columbia University, in collaboration with the Columbia Global Center in Amman, will convene a series of four virtual panels throughout 2023.
The Iraq war, following on the heels of the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan, saw the US government increasingly and overtly link military and strategic objectives with the work of humanitarian and development NGOs, raising profound questions around principles of humanitarian independence and neutrality, and ushering in an era in which the lines between military and humanitarian operations have become increasingly blurred.
This panel will explore the implications of these trends over the last two decades, including the accelerating number of attacks on humanitarian workers by state and non-state actors, and challenges to the operational presence of humanitarian organizations in insecure settings. The panelists will also explore how the increasing shift to “remote operations” on the part of international humanitarian actors in a bid to address staff safety and security raises new ethical and logistical challenges for humanitarian efforts.
Register via Zoom.
Hosted by the Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health, Program on Forced Migration & Health, and Columbia Global Centers - Amman
More upcoming webinars: https://twitter.com/ColumbiaPopFam/status/1648742676890812416
