Tuesday 13 October 17:00 - 18:00

Haldane Room, Wilkins Building
Gower Street,
London
WC1E 6BT

Tickets Unavailable

IRDR Special Seminar: Humanitarian Action in a Transformative Age

Government & Politics

As the new academic year begins, we welcome Dr Randolph Kent to give this special seminar on humanitarian action in a transformative age.

Transformative change all too often occurs at the brink of chaos. Decision-makers, strategists, policy planners adjust for the evident, but all too rarely choose to explore the what might beโ€™s โ€“ factors that have transformative consequences beyond the immediately obvious. This is certainly the case for what is generally referred to as โ€˜the humanitarian sectorโ€™ โ€“ those institutions and individuals who have roles and responsibilities for preventing, preparing for and responding to disasters and emergencies.

This special seminar, Planning from the Future: Humanitarian Action in a Transformative Age, will warn that the types, dimensions and dynamics of humanitarian crisis drivers are and will continue to change dramatically. Yet, the sorts of strategies, operational modalities and underlying assumptions that have defined humanitarian action to date are becoming less and less relevant to meet such challenges.

Dr Randolph Kent will identify what needs to be done to meet these new challenges and also warns that failure to anticipate and prepare for such challenges will have unprecedented and potentially existential consequences. The seminar will look at strategic and operational ways forward, as well as how failing to heed these lessons could well plunge millions of lives, social and economic systems and governance structures from the brink into chaos.

There are limited spaces available to attend this event in person due to current social distancing regulations, but the seminar will also be livestreamed on our YouTube channel.

Please note this event will be filmed for promotional purposes and will be available on YouTube after the event.

About the speaker

Dr. Randolph Kent is a Visiting Professor at the African Leadership Centre at Kingโ€™s College, London, and a Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute.

At present, he is also a member of the OECDโ€™s โ€“ Mobilising Science in Global Emergencies Scoping Group, and Chair of the Humanitarian Passport Initiative, Humanitarian Leadership Academy.

Prior to those appointments, he directed the Humanitarian Futures Programme at Kings College, London, where he and his staff worked from 2004 to 2016 with a wide range of multilateral, bilateral and non-governmental organizations to strengthen their strategic and planning capacities for dealing with longer-term disaster threats.

Dr. Kent accepted his post at Kingโ€™s College, London, after completing his assignment as UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia in April 2003. Prior to his assignment in Somalia, he served as UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Kosovo [1999], UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Rwanda [1994โ€“1995], Chief of the UN Emergency Unit in Sudan [1989โ€“1991] and Chief of Emergency Prevention and Preparedness in Ethiopia [1987โ€“1989].

Since leaving the United Nations much of Dr Kentโ€™s attention has also been focused on projects dealing with organisational and systems behaviour. These interests have led to appointments on a range of governmental and non-governmental committees in Denmark, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. In the private sector, he had served on the policy committees of DHL Deutsche Post Sustainability Advisory Council and Deloitteโ€™s Humanitarian Innovation Panel.

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