Effective Practices of International Volunteers in Disaster Relief: Implications for the EU Aid Volunteers Program

On April 10, 2015, Professor Ben Lough (School of Social Work, UIUC) and Chris Jackson (European Union Studies, UIUC) presented a lecture entitled "Effective Practices of International Volunteers in Disaster Relief: Implications for the EU Aid Volunteers Program."

From the abstract:

This presentation explores results from pilot stages of the EU Aid Volunteers (EUAV) program, and how lessons learned have enhanced the roll-out of the full program in 2015. The presentation first sets the context of EUAV within the larger EU humanitarian aid and development agendas. It describes the history of the program and some of the immediate and intermediate implementation challenges encountered during the pilot phases. The presentation then provides an overview the role of volunteers in different phases of disaster management, and how EUA Volunteers intend to intersect at these various phases. Emergent concerns about creation of the EUAV program are then presented, including issues of labour replacement, access and fairness, and how the program interfaces with EU member state policies. The presentation ends with a discussion of initial implications and the potential benefits of the program—particularly for EU13 states.

Professor Ben Lough earned his BS in Sociology in 2000 and his MSW in 2003 from Bringham Young University, and his PhD in 2010 from the George W. Brown School of Social Works at Washington University in St. Louis. In addition to working as a clinical social worker in the past, Dr. Lough has extensive international research experience, serving as consultants for the United Nations in Germany, the Department of Human and Social Services of American Samoa, and many others.

Chris Jackson is in his second year in the MAEUS program. Prior to the University of Illinois, Chris earned a BA in history from Centre College in Danville, KY in 2012. His research interests include the EU foreign policy, ethnic relations, and rule of law structures. His current project involves primary research on the EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo.

A video of the lecture is available to view below or on the EUC's video library: