Protecting Children in Humanitarian Settings

Hanna-Tina Fischer is an Instructor in the Program on Forced Migration and Health at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and a Doctoral candidate in the DrPH program on Leadership in Global Health and Humanitarian Systems. Fischer's research focuses on children's well-being and development amidst adversity and how families adapt to crises. Her experience in child welfare and protection spans across Asia, Africa, and Europe. Fischer led post-disaster needs assessments in Thailand and Bangladesh, implemented psychosocial support programs in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, and supported post-disaster family tracing and reunification programs in the Philippines. She has worked with various organizations such as UNHCR, Save the Children, and the IRC as well as national NGOs in India and Germany. Fischer earned a BA in Anthropology and Communication Studies from Goldsmiths', University of London and an MSc in Development Management from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Prior to her doctoral studies, she worked with the UNICEF-led Global level Child Protection Working Group of the Global Protection Cluster.

Mark Canavera is the co-director of the Care and Protection of Children Learning Network, an organization based at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. His primary responsibilities include coordinating research and advocacy efforts to protect and promote the health and development of children in complex settings globally. Mark is also a co-chair of the INSPIRE Working Group with the World Health Organization to reduce violence against children, and the co-lead of the Assessment, Measurement, and Evidence Working Group of the Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Settings. Additionally, he is part of the Expert Advisory Group of the Special Representative to the UN Secretary General on Children and Armed Conflict’s initiative. His current research focuses on improving social service workforces and national child protection systems in low- and middle-income countries, and preventing child labor. Mark has worked with numerous organizations, including Save the Children, UNHCR, and Oxfam, in more than 20 countries in Africa. He holds Master's degrees in Peace Studies and Public Policy from Notre Dame and Harvard, respectively.

Dr. Michael Wessells is a Professor in the Program on Forced Migration and Health at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. He has dedicated his career to the study of the psychosocial impact of war and political violence on children, having worked in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. He is an experienced practitioner in the field of child protection and psychosocial support, and his research has contributed to the development of guidelines for mental health and psychosocial support in emergency settings. Dr. Wessells leads inter-agency, multi-country action research on community-led action to enable children's protection and well-being in Sierra Leone, Kenya, and India. He advises UN agencies, governments, and donors on issues of child protection and psychosocial support, and emphasizes the importance of children's voice and agency, community resilience, prevention, and critical reflection.

Please note that there are no instructors or course assistants actively monitoring this course.