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Istanbul, May 23, 2016 – For its participation to the first World Humanitarian Summit, Medair has sent three of its leadership team to represent the organization and to participate in the advancement of the debate on humanitarian aid.
In line with Medair’s vision that the world’s most vulnerable and difficult-to-reach people should live in dignity, free from human suffering and with hope for a better life, and in support of the UN Secretary General’s call to action to deliver on his “Agenda for Humanity”, Medair has specifically pledged 15 commitments to six out of the seven core responsibilities.
Five of the commitments are focused on core responsibility number four (women and girls achieve gender equality) and four of them on core responsibility number two (upholding the norms that safeguard humanity).
Jules Frost, Medair’s International Director present at the Summit, tells us “change is required within the humanitarian ecosystem. Innovative and bold ideas are being discussed here in Istanbul. The question is whether there is true political will and effective leadership to execute these changes.”
The 2-day event, which has been holding true to its promise to be packed in intensity and debates, is the occasion for Medair to participate in two special events.
Today’s event on Religious Engagement was particularly relevant to the faith-based organization as explains Jim Ingram, Medair’s CEO: “This meeting was a first for the global faith community; all faiths came together to present the evidence for the role that faith plays in caring for vulnerable and suffering communities in the midst of crisis. It is in those times that faith helps these people hold on to hope. We need to move past the entrenched fear that faith-based organisations are proselytising missionary organisations, and move towards deepening our understanding of how faith, in all its forms, impacts different communities and affects humanitarian programming.”
Tomorrow’s focus for the Swiss emergency and relief agency will be on Humanitarian Principles.
Media: To get in touch for interviews, please contact Nath Fauveau, Press Relations, +41 (0)78 635 3095, nathalie.fauveau@medair.org
