Transcript NGOs and Disaster Response

NGOs and Disaster Response—
Who are These Guys and What Do
They Want Anyway?
Melinda Hofstetter
Center for Disaster Management and
Humanitarian Assistance
Tulane University, Washington D.C.
www.cdmha.org
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The CDMHA
is a joint program of:
Tulane
University
and the
University
of South Florida
in partnership with
United
States Southern Command
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Mission of the CDMHA
Facilitate civil-military operations and
cooperation

Develop and implement education and training
programs in disaster and crisis management

Facilitate collaborative education, training,
research and information and communication
services between disaster response and
humanitarian assistance agencies (e.g. the military,
NGOs, PVOs, etc.)
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Objectives
 Make
sense of the NGO universe so that
you will find it easier to work with them
 Standards of Conduct
 Discuss NGO concerns about working
with the military and why
 How NGOs fit into the disaster relief
equation
 The civil and military relationship
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NGOs and PVOs
“An extraordinarily complex
system which makes medieval
Europe look centralized and
ordered by comparison.”
John Paul Lederach, director of the
Mennonite Central Committee and the
Conflict Analysis and Transformation Program
of the eastern Mennonite University
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Definitions
No
distinction between NGOs
and PVOs
Does not include professional
associations, businesses, and
foundations
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Who Are They?
Working Definition:
 Non-profit organizations or associations
of private citizens with any common
interest
 The common interest, for our purposes, is
international humanitarian assistance
activities (development and relief)
 May be international or local
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Characteristics
 NGOs
vary greatly
 Organizational structure is similar to
businesses
• Non-rigid hierarchy; significant
flexibility and authority at the field
level
 International NGOs often team up with
local NGOs
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What do They Do?
 Operational
vs Advocacy
 Grassroots, long-term projects,
development work
 Willing to work in high risk areas; not
constrained by sovereignty
 Emphasis on sustainability
 Full integration with local population
 Good positioning for disaster response
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Who Pays Them?
Funding
Sources
• Private Donations (citizens and
foundations)
• International Organizations (UN)
• National Governments
• Importance of Media
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Core Values
 Neutrality
• Aid will not be used to further a particular
political or religious standpoint.
 Impartiality
• Aid is given regardless of race, creed, or
nationality.
• Aid is based on need alone.
 Independence
• Aid agencies shall not act as instruments of
government foreign policy.
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INCREASED THREAT TO AID
WORKERS
Increased Range of Conflict since Cold War
•
•
•
•
•
Civil Wars
Ethnic conflicts and genocide
Complex crises
Identified as symbols of western values
Increased banditry and crime
Ignorance, indifference and indiscriminate
violence
Core Values

Should offer access and protection from
attack; not always true anymore

Core values will impact NGO willingness to
work with the military.
• Even perception of value violation will be
avoided.
PERCEPTION
IS REALITY!
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Who Monitors These Guys?
Little External Monitoring
 Self-Control: NGO Standards

• Red Cross Code of Conduct
• InterAction PVO Standards
• Sphere Minimum Standards in
Disaster Response
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Seize the High Ground!
THE KEY TERRAIN
is the six inches between the other guy’s ears
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PERCEPTIONS THE MILITARY
HAVE OF NGOs
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PERCEPTIONS NGOs HAVE OF THE MILITARY
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NGO and Military Cultures: Differences
NGOs
Military
Independent
 Decentralized
Authority
 On-The-Job Training
 Few Field Manuals
 Long-term
Perspective


Highly Disciplined
 Hierarchical
Command
 Extensive Branch
Training
 Doctrinal Pubs
 “End-State”
Approach
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NGOs AND THE MILITARY
Tradition
 Clear separation of
missions and
operations
 POW monitoring
 Medical aid
 Single neutral agenda
Humanitarian
aid to soldiers
and sailors
Today
 Overlapping
humanitarian
missions
 Chaotic complex
environments
 Neutrality concerns
 Security concerns
Complex
inconsistent
“partnership”
NGO and Military Cultures:
Similarities
Motivation:
Adrenaline
Junkies and Idealists
Desire to See the World
Separation from Family and
Friends
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Both are mission driven.
Both are synergistic.
They shouldn’t be antagonistic.
But attitudes can cause them to be so.
It’s the PERCEPTION!!!
LTC M.M. Smith, USA
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Humanitarian Emergencies
 International
assistance required
 Donors rely more on NGOs, because of
their access to the populations in need
• And again, their access is dependent on their
neutrality
 Most
humanitarian emergencies do NOT
involve the military
• The need for civ-mil cooperation may be the
exception rather than the rule
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Review of Emergency Response
Emergency Responders
Affected Country’s Government
National Bilateral donors: OFDA, ECHO
UN Agencies: OCHA, UNHCR, WFP,
WHO, UNDP
Religious Organizations
NGOs
Military Forces (on rare occasions)
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The Fog of Disaster
Relief
NGO
NGO
UNHCR
Donor
NGO
NGO
NGO
UN
Agencies
UNICEF
WFP
UNDP
Donor
NGO
USG
Affected Country/
Government
Red Cross
Other
Governments
ICRC
NGO
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Do They Coordinate?
US Embassy Country Team
Other USG Agencies (OFDA "DART")
UN Coordination Entities [UNHCR, WFP,
UNDP, UNICEF, OCHA, Special Humanitarian
Coordinator]
NGO-Only Coordination Bodies/Field-level
coordination meetings
Host Government Ministries / Authorities
Civil-Military Cooperation or Operation
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Centers
NGO Role in Disaster Response
NGOs, as implementing
partners of donor
organizations,
are the legs on which disaster
response stands.
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NGO Fears About Working
With the Military
 Perceived
Violation of Core Values
• Kosovo
• Chechnya
 Military
Domination of
Humanitarian Response
 Appropriate Military Role: Refer to
Humanitarian Community
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Common Mistakes
Assuming
Control of
Humanitarian Response
Intelligence / Information
Exchange
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NGO INFORMATION
 Best
source of refugee information
 First hand observation and knowledge
 Situational/non-threat focus
 Direct access to local leaders and
factions
Sensitive to association with
government/military agencies!
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Local Situation
 Environment
 Health and Medical Issues
 Religion
 Clan/tribe relationships & hierarchy
 Dialects
 Psychological Profiles
 Personality Profiles
 Local Organization
 Effects of Local Weather and Terrain on
Equipment and Personnel

Civ-Mil Services Typically Requested
by NGOs
Security Services
 Landmine Locations
 Security Briefings
 Convoy Support
 Guidance on Local Security
 Technical Assistance
 Access to Remote Areas, Ports, and Airfields
 Logistics Assistance

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Avoiding the Common Mistakes
in Humanitarian Response
Intelligence/information exchange
Sustainability
Proportionality
Target populations
“Warlord photo ops”
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INDIRECT CONTACT
Functional
military counterparts
State Department/other agencies
Other third parties
“Virtual contact”- the internet
Civil Affairs and Intelligence
Learn about them before you deploy!
DIRECT
CONTACT
Basics
• De-mystify information
sharing
• Be honest and open
• Build rapport
Discretion
• What and Why
•Cooperative
•Non-intrusive
•Give and Take
Coordination
at JTF Level
CINC
HACC
Agencies at
Strat. Theater
Level
CJTF
CMOC
HOC
NGOs and IOs
UN Relief Agencies
OFDA / DART
Regional
CMOC(s)
Command
Coordination
35
Military:
U.S. + ?
UN
NGO
Agencies
IO
PVO
CMOC
US Gov’t
Agencies
ICRC
HN/Local
Populace
36
USG
DOD
UN/IOs
Host
Nations
NGOs
Religion
Business
Zone of Collaboration/Coordination
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Alphabet Soup
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Cooperation as Vector Analysis:
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Cooperation: “Unity of Effort”
IO/NGO
Activities
Military
Efforts
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Overview of Intervention
Political / Military Response
Complex
International
Community
Emergency
Humanitarian Response
Humanitarian Space
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