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Free Online Course: Negotiating for Humanitarian Access

Learn essential strategies for negotiating humanitarian access to vulnerable populations and communities.

This online course was designed by Mercy Corps and DisasterReady for humanitarians, development professionals, and peace-builders who engage in negotiations with state actors, non-state actors, or peer organizations.

This online course is free and available in English and Arabic.

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About DisasterReady

DisasterReady.org is an online learning platform built to better prepare humanitarian and development professionals for the critical work they do by providing high-quality, relevant online learning resources at no cost. DisasterReady is provided in English, Arabic, French, and Spanish.

What You Will Learn

As you go through this free online course, you will explore different scenarios based on first-hand experiences of frontline humanitarian staff and navigate through common negotiation issues involving state actors, peer organizations, restricted access, and checkpoints.

This course will help you better understand how to:

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Apply tactics for back-and-forth communication to gain safe access to vulnerable populations while adhering to humanitarian principles, donor requirements, and laws.
Use the 'Seven Elements of Negotiation: Circle of Value' to reach agreements based on trust and respect.
Understand when to walk away and when to stay involved during negotiations.
Conduct stakeholder mapping and develop an influence strategy.
Follow the five pillars of negotiation when dealing with armed groups.

Meyer/Mercy Corps

This course was created in partnership with Mercy Corps as part of the ISHA Online Learning Program which provides courses in Arabic and English to help strengthen the skills and knowledge of humanitarians in Syria and the region.