Webinar on evaluation of child friendly spaces

Queen Margaret College in Edinburgh is hosting a series of webinars about research in psychosocial support this autumn. The first very special seminar this year is by Dr Alastair Ager on: Impact Evaluation of Child Friendly Spaces in Humanitarian Emergencies, with Insights from Ethiopia, Uganda and Jordan. The event will take place online on 20 September 2013 at 15:45 British summer time (UTC+ 1hr) To participate, please go to http://qmu.adobeconnect.com/r89717973/  You can either participate in real time or access the recording of the webinar after the event. Establishing Child Friendly Spaces (CFSs) has rapidly become the standard response of humanitarian agencies seeking to protect the well-being of children affected by crisis. However, the evidence-base for such interventions is very weak, leading some to question the value of investment in such interventions. This paper reports on an ongoing series of impact evaluations of CFSs conducted in collaborating with World Vision, Save the Children and UNICEF. Against a background of the resilience of children commonly demonstrated in crisis settings, preliminary findings suggest the contribution of CFSs in stabilizing children's psychosocial well-being in adverse circumstances and in moderating the stresses faced by caregivers. Dr Ager was IIHD's first Director, and has worked in the field of international health and development for nearly 25 years. He now works at Columbia University, as the Executive Director of the Global Initiative at the Mailman School. In 2012 he was appointed Director of Academic Programs in the Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health, and Director of the new DrPH program in Leadership in Global Health and Humanitarian Systems. There will be further seminars on 16th October and 28th November 2013 ( details to be confirmed). Hope you can join us at QMU and online!