UAI in France
In October 2019, at the 10th anniversary of the Forum Espace Humanitaire held at the Centre des Pensières in Annecy, Jean-Baptiste, Antonio and Severine had discussions with the following organisations about United Against Inhumanity: Fondation de France, Secours catholique/Caritas, Plan International, Action Contre la Faim, Care and Première Urgence. These organisations are very supportive of UAI and some hinted they could fund specific requests when it fell within their priority concerns. A follow up on these discussions is currently taking place.
UAI in Germany
In 2019, UAI in Germany organised a series of events addressing the criminalisation of asylum seekers and those assisting them in Europe. By highlighting the EU’s restrictive policies towards migration and the growing trend among politicians and parts of the population to discriminate against asylum seekers, refugees and migrants in several European countries, UAI seeks to raise awareness of the inhumane consequences of this approach.
UAI in Italy
UAI in Italy is currently organising an event on Common Article 1, which will take place in Rome at the end of March (date tbc), in collaboration with the Sapienza University. Preliminary meetings between UAI members and some professors of the Sapienza University have already taken place for the planning of the event.
On October 28 2019, Kostas Moschochoritis and Antonio Donini participated to the presentation of the 9th edition of the Atlas of Wars and Conflicts, at the Civic Aquarium of Milan. The main topics discussed during the presentation included: the importance of the Common Article 1 and the concept of war, how crises have evolved and changed in the last decade becoming more and more protracted.
We are working on expanding our network in Italy, with the aim of including journalists and professors in the UAI in Italy network group.
UAI in the UK
In October 2019, IEC member Martin Barber represented UAI at the 2nd World Humanitarian Action Forum (WHAF) in Istanbul. He took part in a plenary panel discussion at the opening event alongside IFRC Under-Secretary-General Jamila Mahmood under the title “Dignity in Humanity”. UAI was also represented at the event’s partnership forums and the working groups on the subject of Localisation.
UAI in the UK concluded a project agreement with the London Business School, under which a team of MBA students will work under the supervision of UAI in the UK’s Vice-Chair Saba Al Mubaslat and Sarah Beeching to evaluate different approaches to providing children with educational opportunities in conflict situations. The project will run from February to May 2020.
In the margins of a global meeting of Charter for Change in Copenhagen on 11-12 December 2019, IEC member Martin Barber and UAI in the UK Committee member Michael Mosselmans met with leaders of humanitarian NGOs from Africa, Asia and the Middle East to discuss their possible participation in the UAI movement.
During the same visit, Martin met with leading civil society human rights and humanitarian activists in Denmark, who agreed to meet again in February to consider a Danish initiative to join the UAI movement.
On 11 December 2019, IEC member Lul Seyoum and UAI in the UK Committee member Amina Khalid represented UAI and its affiliated group, UAI in the UK at an event hosted by Initiatives of Change in London to commemorate Human Rights Day, under the title “Building Trust in Challenging Times”.
