ChinAfrica:HowcantheICRCshareitsexperienceandknowledgeandbringaddedvaluetotheBeltandRoadInitiative?PeterMaurer:
TheICRChassignificantandoftenlong-termoperationsin40countriesalongtheBeltandRoad.Ithasadeepunderstandingoflocalsecurityandhumanitariandynamics,aswellasfirst-handknowledgeofdevelopmentchallenges.ItcancontributetotheBeltandRoadInitiativebyfosteringsolidpartnershipswiththeRedCrossSocietyofChinaforlong-termcooperationwithinthisframework.
Inthefuture,alotwilldependonhowthestatesinvolvedintheBeltandRoadInitiativewanttointeractwithorganizationsliketheICRC,andwhatkindofplatformsofcooperationwillbefounded.Wehavealottoofferandtobringtosuchaplatform.
WhatrolewilltheICRCplayinconnectingpeopleincountriesinvolvedintheBeltandRoadInitiative?
Ouractivitiesarerootedinthepeopleinsociety,[and]whatwedoistorespondtotheneedsofpeople.Thebestwaytoconnectpeople,tobringthemtogether,isalwaystoworktogether-it鈥檚alwaysgoodtotalktogetherbutit鈥檚evenbettertoworktogether.WhattheICRCbrings[totheBeltandRoadInitiative]isabodyofexperiencewherepeoplefromdifferenthorizons,culturesandsocietiesworktogethertoaddresstheneedsofpeople.
WhatIsaytodayiswhatwearedoing,andhowweareworking-weareconnectingpeople,wearerespondingtotheneedsofpeople,wearebringingpeopletogethertoovercometheirdifferences.WehopeChinawillbeamoreimportantcontributortosomeoftheactivitiesoftheRedCrossandRedCrescent,theICRCinparticular.IhopetheBeltandRoadInitiativewill,firstandforemost,beatoolwhichwillbringChinaclosertotheworkthattheICRCisengagedin.
Whatlong-termhumanitarianassistancedoestheICRCoffer?
TheexperiencetheICRChasbuiltbyprovidinglongtermhumanitarianassistanceinthoseplacesis[theunderstanding]thatpreventingthetotalcollapseofbasicinfrastructureandservicesnotonlyhelpsrespondtourgentneeds,butalsopreventsdevelopmentreversalsthatwouldmakerecoveryandreconstructionharder.Ourlong-termassistanceissimilartodevelopmentwork,butimplementedinunstableandviolentcontexts.Ithastofollowaspecificmodusoperandi.Forexample,theICRCfixesandsetsupwaterandenergyinfrastructure,andwesupporthospitalsandorthopediccenters.Wetrainlocalstodevelopskills,andwehelppeoplestartsustainablesmallbusinesses.Indoingsowebuildstabilityandwepreparetheground,sothatwhenthefightingstops,recovery,reconstruction,developmentandeconomiescanrestartmorequickly.
Countriesaredifferentintermsoflanguage,culture,traditionandclimate.HowdoestheICRCoffertailor-madehumanitarianresponsestoaddressproblemsindifferentcountries?
Ofthe16,000ICRCstaff,13,000arelocallyrecruited.Additionally,wearepartofthelargerInternationalRedCrossandRedCrescentMovement,withmorethan17millionvolunteersin190countries.Soweare,toalargeextent,alocalandglobalorganization.Ourapproachhasalwaysbeenthatwewanttobeclosetopeople,readtheneedsoflocalpeoplecorrectly,andbewithsociety.Ithinkthishashelpedus-focusingonthespecificityofeachandeverycontext.
PeterMaurer,PresidentoftheICRCWedon鈥檛comewithatailor-madeapproach,weonlysayourstartingpointsaretheneedsofpeopleandwewanttolookateachandeverycontextspecificallyanddesignsolutionsdependingonwhatthecontextis.Inthatsense,abighelpisthatthenationalRedCrossandRedCrescentsocietiesarepartofthesamemovement,boundbythesameprinciples.Thisiswhathelpsusreadthenationalcontextsmoreaccurately.Weourselveshavebecomelocalora鈥済local鈥漮rganization,asmanysay,aglobalandlocalorganization.
ThisisalsoofstrategicimportancefortheBeltandRoadInitiative.Weneedcontextandspecificityandlocaladaptationofsolutions,butwealsoneedaglobalcommunitywhichisresponsiblydealingwiththoseissues.Youneedglobalandlocalperspective;youneedglobalstrategyandlocalimplementation.Localproblemsneedtofeedtheglobalstrategy.IthinktheICRCandtheInternationalRedCrossandRedCrescentMovementasawholearewellpositionedtorespondtothischallenge.
WhatarethemajorhumanitarianchallengesfacingAfrica?
Wearestrugglingtoday,firstandforemost,withthefactthatinAfrica,conflictandviolenceisdestroyingdevelopmentprogress.WhatweseenowinSomalia,SouthSudanandMaliarethecombinationofconflictsandnaturaldisastersintermsofclimatechangeandrainpatternchanges.Climatechangeandviolencearebuildinginanexplosivemix,andsocietiesareexploding.Inthefamine-strickencountries,thereisaviciouscircleinthedynamicwhere
violenceandnaturaldisasterscompound,leadingtowhatIcallhyperfragility.Hyper-fragilityisextremefragilitywherenaturaldisaster,violence,corruption,andlackofgovernanceandruleoflaw,allcometogetherandsuddenlyleaveahugepartofthepopulationindistress.
WhenwetalkaboutfaminetodayinAfrica,it鈥檚actuallymorethanfamine.It鈥檚famineplus-lackofwaterresources,livelihood,economicdevelopment,andcommunitydevelopment.ThereisanaiveperceptionthatifwecouldsendfoodtoAfrica,everybodywillbefine.Wehavetolookatthecomplexities.
Whatwouldyouexpecttheinternationalcommunitytocontributehumanitarianactivitiesinthefuture?
Iwouldsaythat,insomecontext,todohumanitarianworkmeans[giving]cash.
IhaveseenanastonishingexampleinMyitkyina,KachinStateinMyanmar,whereinternallydisplacedpeoplereceived$200credittwoyearsago.Allthe100peoplewhoreceived$200aretodayactiveinbusiness,cansustaintheirfamiliesandcansendtheirchildrentoschool.ThisisthebesthumanitarianassistanceI鈥檝eseeninalongtime,becausepeopledecidethemselveswhattheyneed.Youdon鈥檛decideforpeople.
Wehavetomakeanopendiscussiononwhatgoodhumanitarianismistoday.Thereareplaceswherecashisnotgoodhumanitarianism.AcoupleofweeksagowhenIwasinthesouthernpartofNiger,Isawhundredsofthousandsofpeopleinthemiddleofnowhere.Youcannotgivethemcashbecausethereisnothingtobuyandsell.Youneedtobringingoodsandyouneedtohelpthemsurvive.CA
HomelesspeopleinSouthSudanwaitingforassistancefromtheICRC