On Tuesday 20 February 2024, the Humanitarian Xchange organised by the Humanitarian Leadership Academy and Save the Children UK will be held at the Business Design Centre in London and online.
Seventy speakers with 5,000 attendees online and 600 in-person from 145 countries will hold thought-provoking conversations and test existing ideologies and practices in global humanitarianism with workshops and sessions such as one titled: “Is localisation another fad headed for the scrap heap?”.
The inaugural hybrid conference will navigate challenges in today’s humanitarianism while advancing the call to inspire one million humanitarians to face in to an era of crisis.
Baroness Amos, former UK Secretary of State for International Development and UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs & Relief Coordinator and keynote speaker at the Humanitarian Xchange, notes the importance of this platform in this age of poly-crises from Ukraine to Syria and to the Horn of Africa. She said:
“The world is changing rapidly. Crises are on the rise, and they cannot necessarily be predicted, be they related to climate change, civil unrest, or conflict. So how do we work together to address these challenges? Are we doing enough, and can we do things differently?
How can we learn the lessons from areas which have had positive outcomes and adapt them to apply elsewhere? How can businesses and humanitarian organisations best work together? And what can we do to best equip and prepare the next generation of humanitarian workers?
The Humanitarian Xchange will discuss these and other questions. I look forward to engaged debate and specific outcomes.”
The inaugural conference has a prolific agenda. Online and in-person attendees will join more than 80 speakers in workshops and sessions that tackle key topics covering leadership in the humanitarian system, exploring effective collaboration and partnerships, leading developments and emerging issues in technology, data, and finance. The day will also include practical sessions that share knowledge, experiences, and best practices.
Humanitarian Xchange 2024: we’re on countdown…
Be a part of this milestone moment on 20 February in London and online. www.humanitarianxchange.org
Rachel O’Brien, Director of the Humanitarian Leadership Academy remarks:
“The world is changing fast, and the humanitarian sector must keep up, must think & act differently and collaborate more effectively. We need a new generation of leaders who will take up this cause and turn hope into purposeful action.
It is both heartening and exciting to see the growing momentum for the event and I am looking forward to both the invigorating and challenging conversations at HX but, more importantly, to the outcomes for achieving the change we need.”
In another enlightening session, ‘Is truth always the first casualty? Managing the media narrative in a multi-channel world’, panelists will explore the failures of the humanitarian system to effectively engage with local communities in these times when reliable information can be a lifeline for people affected by a crisis.
