User:3113N3113N/sandbox

Man-made crisis management by NGOs
There are multiple actors involved in situations of humanitarian crises and emergencies, which creates a challenging environment to establish efficient cooperation and management of the crisis. Actors to consider are the host country's government and authorities, the aiding organizations, as well as civilians who are the exposed entities put at risk. In order to manage the crisis and coordinate actors involved in the situation, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are common non-state actors aiming to arrange such clusters. NGOs do not operate under international law but are rather administered by the domestic legislature in the state where the organization is based. The NGOs are impartial to traditional governmental politics, allowing them to focus on solidarity efforts in serving human needs and protecting human rights. Their work also includes preventive efforts of serving as experts to deliver knowledge on management practices to the other actors. Additionally, by centering their work around a vision of establishing long-term peace by conflict prohibiting manners and reconciliation measures, they seek to efficiently fulfill their role in humanitarian crisis management.

The 2017 humanitarian crisis in Myanmar is an example that recognizes the unique position NGOs have and the responsibilities they serve in the international community. The crisis was acknowledged internationally when the ethnic group of Rohingyas had suffered from violent discrimination and denial of human rights for an extensive period. The Myanmar government prevented aid from both the UN and neighboring countries to support the ongoing crisis. Instead, the Indonesian government established a strategic cluster of cooperation between both Indonesian NGOs and local ones positioned in Myanmar. The alliance fell under the name of The Indonesian Humanitarian Alliance (AKIM) and was able to provide relief to the exposed Rohingyas. In this case, the NGOs were able to get around the barriers put in place by the Myanmar government to efficiently assist in the crisis.

The case of Rohingyas in Myanmar projects the advantages NGOs are provided with because of their detachment from government and international law. On the other hand, such diffusion challenges the partnership and coordination of the many actors involved in humanitarian crisis management. To address such issues, there are three main areas for organizations to operate within to appropriately manage a humanitarian crisis. First, the internal workplace considers the diverse environment of employees within the organization, consisting of local government officials, volunteers, and advisors. Second, the interorganizational forum addresses the coordination between aiding organizations in their crisis management, as well as establishes communication with both the host government and UNHCR. Lastly, community relations recognize the multicultural communication between aiding organization employees and the refugees. The coordination and communication between the various actors in a humanitarian crisis is an essential component for ensuring security, limiting the conflict, and overall delivering efficient crisis management.

In addition to the recognition of various environments of cooperation within and  between the NGOs, another significant component of their work is to incorporate the theory of continuum in their practices. A continuum approach addresses a crisis by intending to reach beyond short-term assistance and comfort, instead, it ought to establish a long-lasting structure of restoration and growth (Gomez). The issue with this theoretical framework is the lack of a shared and overarching understanding of what a continuum approach implies in humanitarian crisis management. However, it does allow for organizations like NGOs to prioritize management strategies for crises instead of temporary relief solutions (Gomez). With the continuum framework and efficient communication and coordination between the several actors involved in the crisis, NGOs attempt to provide adequate humanitarian crisis management with the primary focus on serving human needs and protecting human rights.

Questions for peer review:

- I'm not satisfied with the subheading, if you have any suggestions feel free to give suggestions.

- There is a lot to say about this topic, I want to keep it concise, are there any pieces missing or any other issues you think I should add?

- How is the transition between paragraphs and between the information?

I appreciate feedback so don't hesitate to point out something that does not make sense.

Thank you!

* All of the above is my contribution - Ellen