Essay on "International Rescue Committee and International Security and Conflict Resolution"

Essay 6 pages (1904 words) Sources: 7

[EXCERPT] . . . .

International Rescue Committee is a leading non-denominational, non-profit and non-governmental international relief and development organization. With operations in more than 40 countries across the globe, the organization is based in the United States. Through its work in these countries and 22 cities in America, the organization restores safety, hope and dignity to millions of people who are struggling to persevere and are uprooted. The international Rescue Committee was founded in 1933 following Albert Einstein's request and provides life-saving care and life-changing help to refugees who are victims of war or disaster. Moreover, this organization responds to the worst humanitarian crises across the globe by assisting people to survive and restructure their lives ("The IRC at a Glance" par, 1).

History of the International Rescue Committee:

As previously mentioned, the International Rescue Committee was founded in 1933 following the recommendation of Albert Einstein. This organization was not only the American branch of the International Relief Association that was based in Europe but it was also formed to help Germans suffering under Adolf Hitler. During the same year, the International Rescue Committee also helped refugees from Mussolini's Italy and Franco's Spain. During its formation, funds were solicited and sent to Mayor Charles Hueber of Strassbourg, France, the then treasurer of the European-based International Relief Association. The International Relief Association had been in existence for almost two years and was assisting victims of civil oppression in many places without reference to any political group or religious faith.

In 1940, the organization established the Emergency Rescue Committee to assist European refugees who were trapped in Vichy, France. Through the support from its founding fathers, the International Rescue Committee assisted more than two thousand academic, cultural, political and union leaders within a period of 13 months. Two years later, the International Relief Association and the Emergency Rescue Committee merged to form International Relief and Rescue Committee that was later shortened to International Rescue Committee. Following the end of World War II, the IRC initiated emergency relief programs in addition to setting up hospitals and children's centers in 1945. After establishing refugee resettlement efforts in Europe, the organization initiated resettlement programs for East European refugees following the descent of the Iron Curtain in 1946 that continued until the end of the Cold War. IRC's assistance programs were intensified in Europe in 1950 under the Berlin Project.

In 1954, the International Rescue Committee extended its operations to Asia by initiating a program to assist one million refugees in South Vietnam after the French were defeated by the North Vietnamese. The program developed into an enormous, long-range relief and resettlement campaign for Indochinese refugees in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. This was followed by another extension into the Caribbean Basin in 1960 where the IRC began resettlement programs for Cuban and Haitian refugees. While the resettlement program in Cuba was aimed at those who were escaping the Castro dictatorship, the Haitian program focused on refugees fleeing the Duvalier regime ("History of the International Rescue Committee" par, 7).

In 1962, IRC's programs in Asia were extended to include helping Chinese escaping to Hong Kong from the mainland. During the same year, the operations of the International Rescue Committee were extended to Africa at a time when 200,000 Angolans escaped to Zaire. The operations of this organization in South America began in 1975 when it helped refugees from Guatemala, Paraguay and Uruguay. Its operations in the Middle East region were launched in 1980 when IRC initiated emergency relief programs for refugees from Afghanistan fleeing to Pakistan resulting in long-term education, health, job and self-reliance training programs.

Some of the other significant developments in the history of the International Rescue Committee include the establishment of the Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children to serve the rights and interests of women and children in 1989. This commission was established to assist women and children who account for 80% of refugees across the globe. This affiliate of the International Refugee Committee was later modified to become the Women's Refugee Commission in 2004.

Mission of the International Rescue Committee:

The mission of the International Rescue Committee is to offer emergency relief, post-conflict development and resettlement services. Moreover, this organization seeks to work for the protection of human rights as well as campaigning for the uprooted or victims of violent conflict and oppression. The organization is committed to liberty, human dignity and self-reliance which are reflected in its well-organized emergency relief, resettlement assistance, rehabilitation and advocacy for refugees ("International Rescue Committee" par, 1). The International Rescue Committee's staff and volunteers provide education, training, shelter, medical and public health assistance as well as income-generating programs to refugees.

In addition to leading the way from harm to home, the International Rescue Committee arrives at the scene of an emergency within 72 hours with urgently needed resources and knowledge that safeguards victims in the midst of chaos. In its work, IRC commits to stay for as long as it is needed in order to assist survivors to heal, improve and restructure their communities to be stronger, steadier and more democratic. In order to accomplish its mission, the organization works towards lasting solutions from the moment it hits the ground. These lasting solutions include developing local capacity and self-reliance, promoting human rights as well as promoting participation and accountability.

Accomplishments of the IRC:

Since its inception in 1933, IRC has made several accomplishments in helping millions of people across the globe through its humanitarian relief workers, first responders, health care providers, international development professionals and educators. While the organization's work is usually carried out at lower costs through volunteer participation and leadership, it has historically made uniquely effective, innovative and valuable accomplishments. These accomplishments have made it to be recognized as one of America's effectively managed and efficient voluntary agencies. IRC is considered as the most efficient relief and development charity through its quick responses to refugee emergencies. Throughout the United States, the organization has continued to carry out a comprehensive resettlement program through its 22 resettlement offices.

In the year 2000, IRC provided a wide range of services to 10,000 refugees from Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America that enabled them to attain self-reliance and integration into the normal American life (Kastner, p. 20). Through new dimensions of its overseas work, the organization has contributed to the increased focus on community-based programs, cross-border teamwork and regional cooperation. Consequently, long-lasting solutions for war and internally displaced refugees were sought with greater emphasis being given to building of consortiums.

One of the recent accomplishments of IRC is that it restored hope and opportunity for millions of victims of conflict across the globe in 2010 ("Our Impact" par, 2). For example, the IRC provided clean drinking water and sanitation to more than 4.4 million people in 2010. As reflected in its rich history, the International Rescue Committee has made several accomplishments in assisting refugees and victims of civil oppression in many places within Asia, Africa, Latin America, Europe and the United States.

Relation to International Security and Conflict Resolution:

The International Security and Conflict Resolution major at San Diego State University is an inventive and detailed program developed with the aim of providing students with a complex interpretation of cultural, moral, political and socio-economic dimensions to global conflict (Graubart par, 1). This program is not only supervised by the Institute for International Security and Conflict Resolution (IISCOR) but it's also administered by the ISCOR curriculum committee. The focus of the program is exploration of the causes, nature, results, control and resolution of conflict. It's explores the history, psychology, politics, sociology, techniques of cooperation, economics and conflict resolution.

This program enables students to gain an understanding of how to tackle issues related to nationalism, ethnic hostility, civil war, war and peace, civil war, terrorism and human rights along with their impact on global security. Furthermore, it also involves providing information to students on the multifaceted dimensions of international conflicts and the various top-down and bottom-up techniques of promoting peaceful resolution of conflicts and a fairer global order.

There is a great relation between the San Diego University program on security and conflict resolution with the International Rescue Committee. One of the major relations is that the International Security and Conflict Resolution emphasizes on three major areas which are Conflict Resolution, Global Systems as well as Environment and Security. It's upon these three areas that the mission of the International Rescue Committee is founded particularly on global systems and environmental safety. The IRC ensures that there is environmental safety by resettling or relocating victims of conflicts to better environments and helping them to restructure their lives. This safety is provided through life-saving care and life-changing help to refugees in areas of civil oppression across the world.

The second major way with which the IRC relates ISCOR major at San Diego State University is the focus of this program on protection of human rights. The International Security and Conflict Resolution major delves in-depth into the area of human rights among others as it emphasizes… READ MORE

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