Humanitarian Assistance Institute Created

NEW YORK- The Rev. Joseph A. O’Hare, S.J., University president, will host a news conference to announce the creation of the Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs on Wed., Dec. 5 at 3 p.m. on Robert Moses Plaza next to the Leon Lowenstein building at the Lincoln Center campus at 113 W. 60th St. Participants at the event include Larry Hollingworth, CBE, a consultant to the U.N. High Commission for Refugees, who will soon leave for Afghanistan to assist in humanitarian aid planning; and Michel Veuthey, an internationally known humanitarian law expert and the academic director for the CIHC. At a time when terrorism and war are at the forefront of world affairs, the institute will train humanitarian workers in crisis negotiation, international human rights law, and health and human service issues. In 2002, more than 100 workers from the Red Cross, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees and other agencies will return from Afghanistan and other countries in crisis to participate in the International Diploma in Humanitarian Aid (IDHA) program. The month-long program, sponsored by Fordham, the CIHC, the University of Geneva and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, simulates a humanitarian crisis, with lectures, workshops and the exchange of field experiences. DATE: WED., DEC. 5 TIME: 3 P.M. PLACE: ROBERT MOSES PLAZA FORDHAM UNIVERSITY LINCOLN CENTER CAMPUS 113 W. 60th ST. NEW YORK CITY