How we work
Crisis Action works behind the scenes to support a diverse range of partners to campaign against conflict and for the protection of civilians. We aim to amplify the impact of collective campaigning and enhance partners’ efforts to avert conflict, prevent human rights abuses and ensure governments fulfil their obligations to protect civilians.
Crisis Action operates in a flexible manner with partners choosing to engage in temporary ‘opt-in’ alliances on specific crises. The support we provide is determined by the specific circumstances of each crisis and may include warning of emerging crises and prompting early responses; sharing information and analysis; researching and analysing government policy; facilitating partner dialogue; negotiating joint policy platforms; coordinating joint action; planning and executing joint campaigns and evaluating the effectiveness of joint responses.
Crisis Action designs and delivers a wide variety of activities for partners that take place mainly in Europe, Africa, the US and the Middle East. These are designed to raise awareness about the plight of civilians and create political space for prompt and effective action. They range from high-level advocacy, targeted media work, joint work with civil society affected by conflict, collaboration with high-profile individuals and coordinating mass mobilisation. Click through for examples.
Coordinating high-level advocacy with key policymakers
Each Crisis Action office is able to help partners engage directly with high level decision-makers, from key advisors to foreign ministers and heads of state.
Picture: Meeting for partners with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Mali
Working with communities affected by conflict
Crisis Action amplifies the voices of those directly affected by conflict, working closely with local NGOs and organises for them to meet key policy-makers and speak directly to the media.
Picture: Afghan civil society delegation in Berlin. A member of the delegation, Abdul Rahman, said “The quality and level of the meetings Crisis Action arranged for us was exceptional… We were able to present our messages and recommendations directly to the people in Europe shaping policy affecting the communities we work with every day.”
Publishing joint NGO reports
Crisis Action facilitates the research and publication of joint NGO reports by our local and international partners to provide policymakers with concrete recommendations on how best to protect civilians from conflict.
(left) South Sudan: The Cost of War – a joint NGO report coordinated by Crisis Action highlighting the financial cost of war for South Sudan and the wider region. January 2015
(right) Trading Away Peace – a joint NGO report facilitated by Crisis Action to raise awareness of how Europe helps sustain illegal Israeli settlements.
Targeted media work
Crisis Action supports partners to secure media coverage of the plight of those trapped in conflict. This helps increase public pressure for action to provide essential humanitarian relief and prevent further violations of human rights. Crisis Action has a long track record of collaborating with world experts, former leaders and celebrities to secure their support for media work around joint campaigns.
Picture: Thandie Newton, an English actress, blow-torching a child’s doll, symbolising the suffering of young people in Darfur
Popular mobilisation and online campaigns
When necessary, Crisis Action helps partners mount peaceful protests in multiple locations around the world and coordinates targeted social media campaigns to call on governments to act.
Picture: Donna McKay, Syrian Oscar nominee Waad Al-Kateab, Director of International Policy and Partnerships Susannah Sirkin and health professionals protest hospital bombings in front of the United Nations in New York City (Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images for Physicians for Human Rights)