Humanitarian and Development professionals trained in protection mainstreaming

A training on Protection Mainstreaming in the Context of forcibly displaced persons was conducted in Bangkok, Thailand from November 28^th to December 2^nd, 2022. This was organized by Caritas Asia for the 25 participants from Caritas Asia members and partner organizations from India, Nepal, Pakistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Mongolia took part in the training. The training was facilitated by Ms. Helen Nic An Ri, a Protection Mainstreaming Specialist from Troicare (Caritas Ireland).

One of the foremost objectives of the training was to build the capacities of Caritas Member Organizations in Asia on protection mainstreaming to equip them with the skills and knowledge to address the protection aspects in their programs. The training also aimed to generate learning through the exchange of experiences among member organizations and partners about the strategy and lessons learned from dealing with the forcibly displaced persons in their respective countries.

Through the course of the training, participants were given an in-depth understanding of the key components of the Caritas Internationalis Protection Mainstreaming Framework including Analysis, Targeting and Diversity of Need, Information Sharing, Community Engagement, Feedback and Complaints Mechanism, Staff Conduct, Mapping and Referral and Coordination and Advocacy and its indicators, through various theoretical sessions as well as group exercises and activities. The application of SAD-SAD or Safety, Access and Dignity and Sex, Age and Diversity in programs emerged as one of the key takeaways about the concept of “protection mainstreaming”, by the end of the 5-day program.

The training helped participants create a clearer understanding of the difference between stand-alone protection programs and the integration of protection mainstreaming in the overall programs. It also shed light on the distinction between the concepts on “safeguarding” and “safe programming” which are overlapping and interlinked but not one and the same. A session by the ECHO team in Bangkok on their perspectives on protection mainstreaming highlighted the importance of prioritizing safety and dignity and avoiding causing harm, providing meaningful access, and ensuring participation and empowerment in forcibly displaced person response programs.

As many of the member organizations work with forcibly displaced persons and/or Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in their respective countries, the training involved rich sharing of experiences, case studies and challenges across different contexts.