Partnerships

PARTNERSHIPS FOR HUMANITARIAN ACTION

No single organization can address all the diverse needs presented by the many emergencies taking place around the world. International Medical Corps (IMC) is committed to a variety of partnerships that support its mission. Here are a few.

GATES, GE, AND HESS SHOW LEADERSHIP IN RAPID RESPONSE

In the wake of last year’s acute humanitarian crises and natural disasters, the early commitment of IMC partners to support our rapid response to sudden onset emergencies saved lives during the critical “golden hours” of these emergencies, as well as enabled IMC to respond effectively to ongoing humanitarian needs.IMC partners making early commitments included the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Hess Corporation, and the GE Foundation, whose support made a difference to the timely mobilization of IMC disaster relief managers, health professionals, and supplies in Darfur, Chad, Pakistan, South Sudan, and Indonesia, among others.

INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL CORPS PARTNERS WITH STARBUCKS, ETHOS, AND HILTON FOR CLEAN WATER

In line with its community-based approach to integrated health care and the prevention of disease, IMC is committed to improving the overall health status of vulnerable communities — especially women and children — through the provision of clean water, hygiene, and sanitation services. Working with village water, sanitation and health committees, IMC helps control the spread of waterborne diseases and reduce severe illness, malnutrition, and other diseases of poverty. With support from the Starbucks Foundation and Ethos Water Fund, as well as the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, IMC delivers wider community solutions regarding access to and management of water resources in East Africa.

INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL CORPS AND PATH BRIDGE THE DELIVERY GAP

In an effort to bridge the delivery gap and enhance the quality of health care in some of the world’s most fragile environments, IMC is collaborating with PATH, an international non-profit organization that creates sustainable, culturally relevant solutions, enabling communities worldwide to break longstanding cycles of poor health. PATH and IMC are exploring how best to expand the partnership they established this past year, bringing together PATH’s innovative health technology and IMC’s unique health service delivery expertise to address high risk health problems in vulnerable communities. Working at national, regional, and local levels the collaboration strives to empower local health care workers with knowledge and materials to stabilize and sustain health systems. A variety of specific activities are being considered, with particular focus on DRC, Liberia, and Kenya.

INTER-AGENCY STANDING COMMITTEE

Over the past year, International Medical Corps has been actively involved in the work of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), a collaborative body of United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations and other humanitarian groups. As part of a broader humanitarian reform, the IASC established the cluster approach to emergencies and protracted crises, which encourages greater accountability and effectiveness of a response and includes representatives of the United Nations, non-governmental organizations, and other humanitarian actors. IMC is a standing member of the Health Cluster, with an aim to strengthen interrelated measures including: early warning, preparedness, capacity-building, assessments, and strategies. In 2006, IMC joined the UNICEF-led Nutrition and WASH (water & sanitation) clusters. IMC was also an active member of the IASC Task Force on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings chaired by the World Health Organization. This group developed new guidelines for mental health in emergencies. In addition, IMC staff served in a subgroup responsible for developing fi eld tested methodology. The guidelines themselves reflect an emerging consensus among practitioners on best practices.

NGO IMPACT INITIATIVE

International Medical Corps was invited by former President Bill Clinton, in his capacity as the UN Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery, to join an initiative designed to help non-governmental organizations (NGOs) reflect on their responses to the 2004 tsunami. The initiative focused on five key areas: accountability to affected populations, coordination, strengthening local capacity, human rights and recovery, and NGO professionalism. IMC served as a lead agency for two of these: coordination (in partnership with Save the Children US) and enhancing local capacity (in partnership with the International Rescue Committee). IMC President & CEO, Nancy Aossey, joined representatives of eight other humanitarian aid groups to present the findings to President Clinton at the United Nations headquarters in October 2006. The final report of this initiative is available on the IMC website, www.imcworldwide.org.

CLINTON GLOBAL INITIATIVE

The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) was founded in 2005 by former President Clinton and the William J. Clinton Foundation to help our world become an integrated global community of shared benefits, responsibilities, and values. Working primarily through partnerships with like-minded individuals, organizations, corporations, and governments, CGI often serves as an incubator for new policies and programs. A member since CGI’s inception, International Medical Corps deepened its commitment in 2006, pledging to broaden its groundbreaking efforts to bring mental health into the mainstream of health care in the developing world. IMC’s current commitment focuses on training primary health care providers to recognize, treat, and refer mental health cases, while also working with community members to rebuild social networks, foster resilience, and enhance coping mechanisms.

THE ONE CAMPAIGN

Supported by high-profile celebrities and respected humanitarian organizations across the country, the ONE Campaign is an effort to rally Americans – ONE by ONE – to raise awareness for the global fight against AIDS and extreme poverty. International Medical Corps is one of the 11 original founding members of the ONE Campaign and lends its expertise in many ways. In 2006, we participated in working groups on communications, grassroots organizing, policy, and development.

INTERACTION: AMERICAN COUNCIL FOR VOLUNTARY INTERNATIONAL ACTION

As a member of InterAction, the largest alliance of U.S.-based, non-governmental international development and humanitarian groups, International Medical Corps actively supports the organization’s mission to overcome poverty, exclusion, and suffering by advancing social justice and basic dignity for all. IMC co-chairs the UNHCR Partnerships Working Group and the Iraq Working Group. President & CEO, Nancy Aossey, was elected and served as its chair for three years. She now serves on the InterAction Board of Directors and Executive Committee.

GLOBAL HUMANITARIAN PLATFORM

The Global Humanitarian Platform (GHP) was created in 2006 as a forum to bring together three main entities of the humanitarian community: NGOs, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, and the United Nations and related international agencies. With the goal to boost the effectiveness of humanitarian action, GHP works to increase the impact of relief and development work based on the different mandates and missions of its members. International Medical Corps President & CEO, Nancy Aossey, participated in the inaugural meeting which constituted one of the most inclusive and representative gatherings of international humanitarian partners ever assembled.

UN STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT TO PREVENT SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND ABUSE

The United Nations has collaborated closely with non-governmental humanitarian groups over the past several years to develop a set of principles aimed at protecting the most vulnerable populations – particularly women, girls, and boys – from sexual exploitation and abuse. Taking into account that conditions resulting from conflict or disaster increase the risk for such abuse, the standards called for humanitarian groups to commit to eliminate all sexual exploitation and abuse. International Medical Corps considered this to be an important step for the community and for its own pledge to deliver quality care with integrity to those it serves. IMC was proud to be a signatory when the statement was issued in late 2006.

FELLOWSHIP IN INTERNATIONAL EMERGENCY MEDICINE

International Medical Corps partners with the Chicago-based Rush University Medical Center and Cook County Hospital to provide a Fellowship in International Emergency Medicine to U.S. physicians who are seeking to develop leadership roles in international emergency health care by acquiring appropriate clinical, academic, administrative, research, and field skills. The fellowship is a two-year program during which the fellows work overseas with IMC in addition to serving as part-time staff with the Rush/Cook County emergency medicine department. The fellows also earn a graduate degree in Public Health from the University of Illinois in Chicago. To date, Fellows in International Emergency Medicine have served with IMC teams in Darfur, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Iraq.

GLOBAL EQUITY INITIATIVE, HARVARD UNIVERSITY

In 2006, International Medical Corps continued its participation in the Global Equity Initiative, which seeks to advance the understanding and tackle the challenges of equitable global development by bringing together scholars, policy-makers, and practitioners from around the world to focus on these challenges. IMC President and CEO, Nancy Aossey, joined leaders from other relief and development organizations in meetings of the NGO Leaders Forum.