Partnership between the Prince's Government and the Sciences Po Paris: Awareness-Raising Week on the Theme of "Humanitarian Crises and Refugees"

Published on 20 January 2017 at 17:00 - Modified the 2 August 2024 at 03:01

The 2017 Winter School, the aim of which is to raise first-year students' awareness of international cooperation, and which is organised by the Department of International Cooperation (DCI), took place at the Middle East-Mediterranean Campus of the Paris Institute of Political Studies ("Sciences Po") in Menton from 16 to 20 January.

Sciences Po 2017

Remise du prix gagnant du Challenge solidaire par Mme Isabelle Rosabrunetto, Directrice Générale des Relations Extérieures et de la Coopération : une équipe d'étudiants marocains de Sciences Po Paris-Campus Moyen Orient Méditerranée se voit attribuer une subvention de 12 000 euros pour soutenir l'insertion professionnelle de jeunes handicapés au Maroc©DCI

The DCI brought together several of its high-level partners to speak to a hundred or so students of almost 40 different nationalities on the subject of "Humanitarian Crises and Refugees."

Representatives of United Nations Agencies (the High Commissioner for Refugees, the UNRWA and the World Food Programme) and major international organisations (the International Committee of the Red Cross) and renowned NGOs (Médecins du Monde, Handicap International and the Mérieux Foundation) gave lectures and led interactive workshops throughout the week.

The aim of this awareness-raising was to encourage students to reflect on international humanitarian law, the reality of humanitarian crises in Africa and the Middle East, the prevention of genocide and war crimes and the problems experienced by refugees in accessing basic services (health, food and education).

Gilles Tonelli, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, opened the week of teaching, emphasising that, "The students of theSciences Po, who come from forty or so different countries, are the future public and private decision-makers.  It is our duty to ask them to reflect on the difficult realities of humanitarian crises and inform them of the action that the Prince's Government is taking to help affected populations."

The results of the "Solidarity Challenge," a team competition to train students in setting up development projects, were announced at the official closing ceremony of the Winter School, in the presence of Isabelle Rosabrunetto, Director General of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. Three of the projects under consideration won awards, and will be implemented in 2017, with the support of the DCI, to benefit vulnerable children in Morocco.