Overcoming inertia: Myanmar, Syria, Somalia and neglected crises
Description
This February marks three years since the military coup in Myanmar that has displaced millions of people, with over 18 million needing humanitarian assistance. It also triggered a dynamic people’s revolution that continues to make remarkable progress in dislodging decades of military violence and oppression. While early international solidarity has given way to inertia, the revolution continues gaining traction, offering hope in a world rife with intractable crises and injustice.
Syria faced similar dynamics approximately a decade ago and poses a cautionary tale; the country remains beset by atrocities and escalating violence, now removed from daily news cycles. If Syria illustrates the severity of human suffering when crises are neglected, Somalia presents a critical juncture for how the international community responds. Despite grappling with near-constant climatic shocks and roughly half its population requiring humanitarian assistance, Somalia is making major strides in governance and stability. But like Myanmar and Syria, critical international support for locally-led solutions to the country’s woes remains anaemic, putting recent transformative progress at risk.
This event casts a spotlight on neglected crises globally, exploring what it means for humanitarian systems at-large. It will also be an opportunity to hear from thought leaders, synthesising activist, academic and governance perspectives towards addressing neglected humanitarian and political crises.
Speakers
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Co-chair: Dustin Barter
Senior Research Fellow, HPG, ODI
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Minn Tent Bo
Independent Analyst on Human Rights & Democracy in Myanmar
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