CERAH-Genève (Geneva Centre for Education and Research in Humanitarian Action) organized a lovely interview that explores how I got into working on human rights in China, the “white savior complex” challenge facing humanitarian organizations today, and the short course for managers on sexual violence in conflicts and emergencies which I offer at CERAH. Read more here.
From Health and Human Rights, January 16, 2020
By Sara L. M. Davis, Kenechukwu Esom, Rico Gustav, Allan Maleche, and Mike Podmore
In 1994, when Health and Human Rights was launched by editor Jonathan Mann, it appeared-in print-in a very different world: one in which the internet had just been created, and could only be accessed through dial-up telephone lines paid for by the minute; cell phones were heavy, clunky, and unaffordable for most. Our thinking about health and human rights, formed before the digital age, must now advance to keep pace with its new risks and opportunities. Continue reading
It’s really an honor to moderate this upcoming panel discussion: Justice denied? Access to justice for victims of sexual violence on September 11, 2019 at the ICRC Humanitarium. The event is free and open to all. Continue reading
Copyright Sara Davis
March 18 – 22, 2019, GENEVA
September 9 -13. 2019, GENEVA
November 25- 29, 2019, ENTEBBE, UGANDA
We are pleased to announce the 2019 dates for the CERAH (Geneva Center for Education and Research in Humanitarian Action) much-in-demand one-week short course on sexual violence in conflicts and emergencies. Combining cutting-edge research and practical experience from experts in the field, the course is tailored to emergency program managers, and one of the few courses to address male and female survivors of sexual violence. Participants in the Uganda session meet with activists from the Refugee Law Project to hear about their experiences first-hand. Continue reading
Conflicts around the world are fueling sexual violence against men, women and children. It was an honor to moderate this roundtable at ICRC’s Humanitarium in Geneva on September 10th, with a group of experts who are working in these crises to advocate for, and support the rights of migrants and refugees who experience sexual violence.
Peter Maurer, president of ICRC, gave opening remarks. The panelists included Hillary Margolis (Human Rights Watch), Fouzia Bara (Médécins Sans Frontières), Alexandra MacDowall (UNHCR), and Sophie Sutrich (ICRC). The conversation was enriched by interventions from Karla Avelar and Chris Dolan in the audience, speaking to the challenges faced by male survivors and LGBT survivors in accessing services. Doris Schopper (CERAH) wrapped up the discussion.
A full video of the discussion is online here: https://www.icrc.org/en/event/sexual-violence-against-migrants-time-action
Sky Bridge, Kingdom Center in downtown Riyadh © Davis 2018
In February, I gave a talk about the course I teach on sexual violence at the first Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum. I’ve been remembering that trip since learning of the recent arrest of women’s rights activists in Saudi Arabia.
For the past year, I’ve been coordinating a series of short courses on sexual violence in conflicts and emergencies. There is a profound stigma around the issue, so I’m pleasantly surprised if you even click on this link and keep reading. If you do, you’ve taken the first step, breaking the internal stigma that makes addressing the problem so difficult.
Sara (Meg) Davis 