Instituto de Estudios sobre Conflictos y Acción Humanitaria
Institute of Studies on Conflicts and Humanitarian Action

http://www.iecah.org

The Institute of Studies on Conflicts and Humanitarian Action (IECAH), founded in 2000, is headquartered in Madrid. It is a private initiative that includes a group of expert analysts in the study of conflicts, humanitarian aid and development cooperation. IECAH benefits from a broad-based network of experience in theoretical areas of study as well as in specific geographical regions and countries, derived not only from academic perspectives but from field analysis from national and international academics and research institutions.
In order to accomplish our objectives, IECAH functions as a flexible and continuous network, maintained by a nucleus of Research Fellows as well as by a group of various institutions and Associate Fellows, depending upon the given issue. IECAH also relies upon an extensive Advisory Committee that regularly contributes its expertise and advice on the progress and daily maintenance of the Institute, while also maintaining continuous participation in other research institutions.

The multidisciplinary nature of IECAH directs its activities in four different areas: analysis, consulting, and distribution of information and training. Our frame of reference comes from the need to: explore the dynamics that produce current (inter- and intra-state) conflicts, determine the principal characteristics of global trends and problems of the international post Cold War system, examine the various methods in place for the prevention and resolution of conflicts and evaluate the international community's responses (humanitarian action and development cooperation) towards crises and conflicts. From a geographic perspective, IECAH has an enormous interest in the monitoring of the two regions most profoundly linked to Spain and to the European Union: Latin America and the Mediterranean; however, at the same time, also addressing other regions of the globe located in the South, like sub-Saharan Africa.

With the above in mind, IECAH emphasizes, as its main objectives, the production and distribution of information aimed towards governments, multilateral institutions, non-governmental organizations, private industry, the media and the academic sector. From its inception, IECAH attempts to provide up-to-date information of the thematic and geographic regions already mentioned in the following ways:

• Situation Reports, medium and long-term (national and regional).
• Emergency Reports or Briefs (at the outbreak of conflict).
• Conceptual or Thematic Reports ("state-of-the-art").
• Reports on humanitarian issues and about the experiences of international actors in the field (within the context of Complex Humanitarian Emergencies).
• Bibliographical references.
• Summaries of research and activities.
• Job announcements in Spain and international offers within the humanitarian sector.
• Training announcements of all levels: workshops, undergraduate degrees, graduate courses, Masters, etc. at European and North and South American institutions.
  

In order to spread IECAH's conclusions obtained through analysis and research, the Institute has a permanently updated website: http://www.iecah.org.

Amongst the activities already accomplished since its founding, IECAH highlights:

• Consultancy for the non-governmental organization (NGO) Médicos Sin Fronteras (Spanish section of Doctors Without Borders). Including carrying out geographical and/or field reports (e.g. Mediterranean region, Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Palestine, Kosovo), thematic reports (e.g. Weak States, Social Exclusion, Poverty, Humanitarian Aid), bibliographies and a weekly news service on conflicts and humanitarian crises.
• Organisation of a twelve-Conference Cycle on "Positive Alternatives to Globalisation" , with La Casa Encendida, during 2003
• Organisation of a Seminar on " Evaluation, Accountability and Good Practices in Humanitarian Action", with La Caixa, Barcelona, 7-9 July 2003
• Participation in the Project "Prevention of Armed Conflicts, Development Co-operation and Fair Integration in the International System: A Comprehensive Project on Prevention of Armed Conflicts", of the Centre of Social Studies of the University of Coimbra (Peace Studies Nucleus).
• Organisation of the "Humanitarian Action Meetings" (on Iraq, Colombia and Sudan), financed by the … Cordoba
  Report on "Spain's Role in the United Nations Security Council", for the NGO Intermon-Oxfam.
• Organisation of a Seminar on "Migration Flows in the Western Mediterranean", Ayuntamento de Cordoba, in may 2002
• Organisation of a specialisation course on "Conflicts and Development", with the Complutense Institute of International Studies (ICEI), in October 2002.
• Report on "Palestine Refugees", for the ONG International Rescue Committee
• Report on "Marroco's Civil Society", for the ONG IPADE
• Report on "The Forgotten Conflicts of sub-Saharan Africa", commissioned by the NGO, Intermon-Oxfam.
• omparative study between the Netherlands and Spain on immigration legislation, financed by the government of the Netherlands.
• Weekly analytical news service on conflicts for Radio Netherlands International's website.
• Partner of the Unit of Humanitarian Studies (UHS), in conjunction with both the University of Deusto (Bilbao) and Médicos Sin Fronteras.
• Carrying out projects for the Research Training Network (RTN) foreign policy and European defence issues, as Spanish representative. Tri-annual research and training project for young European researchers. Section on peacekeeping operations in the face of humanitarian crises.
• Project on Europe and its relationship with armed conflicts and drug-trafficking, in a collaborative network with the Transnational Institute (Amsterdam), the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) and Acción Andina (Colombia).
• Production of reports and articles for the Planning and Evaluation Office (OPE) of the Spanish Foreign Ministry regarding the Committee on Development Aid (CDA) of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and its policies related to conflicts, peace and cooperation development. (In collaboration with the Instituto Universitario de Desarrollo y Cooperación (Universidad Complutense de Madrid).
• Participation as lecturers in various training courses organized by NGOs (e.g. Intermon-Oxfam) and universities (Complutense of Madrid; Córdoba; Jaume I, Castellón; Valencia; Deusto; Coimbra, Portugal; etc.). IECAH's fellows and associates have a strong presence in the majority of the Master and graduate-level courses on humanitarian aid and development cooperation throughout Spain.
  

Latest Publications:

"Movimientos de Población: Consequencias Humanitarias", Unidad de Estudios Humanitarios (UEH), en prensa
"Synthetic Drugs Trafficking in Three European Cities: Major Trends and the Involvement of Organised Crime", Virginia Montañés, Grupo Abele/TNI/IECAH, Turin, 2003

"Inmigración y Gestion de la Diversidad en el Contexto Europeu. Informe Comparado sobre las Politicas Migratorias en los Países Bajos y el Estado Español", IECAH/TNI, Madrid, 2002

"El Debate Humanitario", Francisco Rey Marcos y Victor de Currea, Icaria, Barcelona, 2002

"Puertas Cerradas: El Acceso a las Víctimas en Acción Humanitária", UEH , Icaria, Barcelona, 2001

"Los Desafios de la Acción Humanitária", UEH , Icaria, Madrid, 1999

Research Fellows
Jesús A. Núñez Villaverde. Director of IECAH. Economist and expert in cooperation and security in the Mediterranean region.
Francisco Rey Marcos. Master of International Relations. Spanish Red Cross professional and expert on humanitarian action issues.
Sandra Gil Araujo. Sociologist and expert in migrations and European citizenship.
Virginia Montañés. Journalist and expert in international information and international policies on drugs. Researcher at the Transnational Institute, Amsterdam.
Allison M. Rohe. Political scientist and expert in US Foreign Policy, the Middle East and the Balkans.
Laurence Thieux. Pre-doc Researcher of the ESDP Democracy Project.
Alexandra Lages Miguel. Pre-doc Researcher of the ESDP Democracy Project

Associate Fellows

· José Manuel Martín Medem. Journalist (correspondent of TVE International in Havana, Cuba) and expert in children and human rights.
· Mabel González Bustelo. Journalist and expert in analysis of complex humanitarian emergencies.
· Robert Matthews. Historian (professor at the University of New York) and specialist in Latin America.
· Sofía Sebastián. Political scientist and expert in multilateralism.
· Rosa Meneses Aranda. Journalist (El Mundo, Spain) and expert in international information and the Middle East and North Africa.
· Verónica Sánchez. Psychologist and expert in post-conflict rehabilitation.
· Cecilia Bruhn. Political scientist.
· Jordi Raich. Master of International Relations. Expert on humanitarian aid issues.
· Víctor de Currea-Lugo. Doctor of Medicine. Former consultant of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Spanish Red Cross. Expert in humanitarian issues.
· Ana Ramos. Political scientist and lawyer.

Advisory Committee
· Teresa Filesi. Interpreter and editor. Italy.
· Francesco Perroni. Directorate General of Citizen Relations in the European Parliament. Belgium.
· Susan George. Fellow, Transnational Institute (TNI). France.
· Fred Halliday. Professor of International Relations, London School of Economics. UK.
· Saul Landau. Professor of Communications, University of California. Senior Fellow, TNI. USA.
· Paul Mylrea. Editor of the electronic network, AlertNet, Reuters Foundation. UK.
· David Sogge. International consultant to NGOs on issues related to sub-Saharan Africa. Netherlands.
· José Manuel Pureza. Professor of International Relations, School of Economics, University of Coimbra. Portugal.
· José Antonio Alonso. Professor of Economics, Instituto Complutense de Estudios Internacionales (ICEI), University Complutense of Madrid. Spain.
· Patrick Costello. Political consultant, European Parliament. Belgium.
· José María Tortosa. Professor of Sociology, University of Alicante. Spain.
· Elena Acín Aguado. Director of Canal Solidario. Spain.

Associated Institutes and Centers
· Transnational Institute (TNI), Amsterdam, Netherlands.
· Peace Research Center, Madrid. Spain.
· Fundación Cultura de Paz, Madrid, Spain.
· School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London University. UK.
· AlertNet, Reuters Foundation. UK.
· UNESCO Center of Bilbao. Spain.
· Instituto Galego de Análisis e Información Internacional (IGADI), Vigo, Spain.
· Latin American School of Social Sciences (FLASCO). Chile.
· Radio Netherlands. Netherlands and Costa Rica.
· International Security Information Service. Brussels and London.

Other Centers with which IECAH has an established collaborative relationship:
· HEGOA. University of Basque Country.
· IUDC. University Complutense of Madrid.
· ICEI. University Complutense of Madrid.
· Cátedra UNESCO de Paz. Barcelona.
· Centro Bancaixa de Paz y Desarrollo. Castellón.