Prepare for Humanitarian Action

The academy for humanitarian action (aha) provides advanced training courses for the humanitarian community. It combines unique insights from humanitarian practice and academic research. Join us on our mission to spread the skills we need when crises hit – start today.

Upcoming courses

Humanitarian Action All-Round: Foundations, Challenges, Trends

Already over

© Aktion Deutschland Hilft / Thorsten Thor

The “Humanitarian action all-round: foundations, challenges, trends” training course offers you a comprehensive and hands-on introduction to contemporary humanitarian action. Spanning over 6 training days of around 4.5 hours each and 17 online thematic sessions, the course curriculum covers the ideological, legal, practical, and institutional foundations of Western humanitarianism; key policy frameworks and their implementation aspects; as well as cross-cutting issue areas and possible humanitarian “game changers”.

The course aims to complement theory with practical examples provided by guest speakers who have relevant work experience (shared, for instance, in the “deep dive” format). Furthermore, the course offers you a critical perspective and includes a variety of interactive and participatory methods, including case studies, group discussions, quizzes, and roleplays. In addition to dedicated sessions, the course aims to consider power dynamics with respect to all its content and this way seeks to avoid reproducing power imbalances and the problematic knowledge gaps within the sector.

The training includes regular breaks and is part of aha's certification scheme: It can be credited towards a Certificate of Advanced Studies in "Foundations of Humanitarian Action". Staff of Aktion Deutschland Hilft member organizations can have their course fee reimbursed.

Enhancing CO2 Emissions Tracking in Humanitarian NGOs

English

December 2024

© Alice Smeets / Aktion Deutschland Hilft

This interactive online workshop explores challenges and best practices in tracking CO2 emissions within humanitarian NGOs. Based on research findings from a literature review, a year-long emissions tracking pilot project, and insights from interviews with practitioners, the workshop aims to foster peer exchange and practical learning. Participants will gain an understanding of the current state of emissions tracking, including barriers such as data quality, resource constraints, and standardization issues.

The workshop includes presentations of research findings, breakout sessions for collaborative discussions, and expert input from a leading NGO practitioner. Participants will have opportunities to share their experiences, identify common challenges, and co-develop actionable recommendations to improve CO2 tracking processes.

WASH in Emergencies 2024

English

December 2024

1 ECTS

Certificate of Advanced Studies: Foundations of Humanitarian Action

© Thorsten Reckerzügl

In the 3-day course "WASH in Emergencies" you will receive a comprehensive overview on the field of WASH in humanitarian and transitional assistance, technical and non-technical options of intervention as well as specifics and challenges in the WASH sector. The course covers the basics of humanitarian assistance in the WASH sector, including the related humanitarian principles and WASH standards. Approaches and technologies for water, sanitation and hygiene provision in humanitarian crisis settings will be presented. WASH-specific project planning approaches and cooperation structures in humanitarian aid will be discussed. Experienced speakers from the German WASH network and external experts will give technical inputs and contribute up-to-date practical examples to the course.

The training is part of aha's certification scheme and can be credited towards a Certificate of Advanced Studies in "Foundations of Humanitarian Action". Staff of Aktion Deutschland Hilft member organizations can apply for reimbursement of the course fee. Please note: The course language is English or German depending on the participants. Materials will be provided in English. Individual sessions by international speakers may be only feasible in English.

Who we are

The academy for humanitarian action (aha) is an institution for further education in the humanitarian sector. It is located at the intersection of humanitarian practice and research and pools the expertise from over 25 years of work in the humanitarian sector. The aha carries out high quality trainings and offers a platform for other training providers in the field of humanitarian action. Our trainings are based on internationally established initiatives to systematize and standardize education in humanitarian action. Visit the about us section to find out more!

What we aim for

Our work is inspired by the desire to create a positive impact and advance the professionalization of humanitarian action in Germany and beyond. Our aim is to support humanitarians in their continuous effort to further improve the quality of their work, address new challenges and meet important requests for reform, such as the commitments that were made in the course of the World Humanitarian Summit. A special emphasis of our work is on anticipatory humanitarian action and community-led response. Visit the about us section to find out more!

What we offer

The academy for humanitarian action offers a wide range of different training courses on topics related to humanitarian action and international collaboration. The trainings are carried out by aha members and by external providers who have proven expertise in selected areas. Our curriculum is based on the indicated needs of target communities and will be continuously updated and adapted in collaboration with experts from different practical and academic disciplines. Click here to get an overview of our current course offer or here to download a pdf version of our course curriculum for 2024. Participating in several courses of the curriculum will allow you to gain a “Certificate of Advanced Studies” (CAS).

Aktion Deutschland HilftRUBInstitut für Friedenssicherungsrecht und Humanitäres VölkerrechtFH MünsterKompetenzzentrum Humanitäre HilfeAkademie der Ruhr-Universität Bochum

Your tailor-made certificate

The academy for humanitarian action offers flexible and tailor-made certificates that can be adapted to your purpose. You may opt for a simple certificate of attendance, a course certificate or a “Certificate of Advanced Studies” from one of the core tracks: Foundations of Humanitarian Action, Anticipatory Humanitarian Action or Locally-led Humanitarian Action. Each “Certificate of Advanced Studies” comprises five course certificates. To get a more detailed overview of our modular certification scheme, click here.