Since September 11, 2001, the focus on health among relief workers has become an important issue. The focus on mental health has caught the attention of researchers and as a fairly new research area, there are still many issues that need to be answered. This study evaluates the preparation of relief workers in two Swedish organizations (Swedish Civil Contingency Agency and Swedish Red Cross) by investigating how these preparations contribute in avoiding stress-related disorders among relief workers. The organizations were evaluated by comparing data of preparations, collected from interviews and documents, with a criteria mostly based on Walsh (2009) and scholars from the Antares Foundation Guidelines (2012). Compared to the criteria the organizations' strengths are found in information of the operation with the score 9 out of 10 (which is the fulfillment of the criteria). SRC's weakness is the education of relief workers with the score 6 out of 10. MSB is relatively strong in that category, but weaker in requirements for employment with 2 out of 4 points. However, these weaknesses must not obscure the overall good results for both MSB and SRC. This study establishes that the preparation of relief workers, in two of the most important relief organizations in Sweden, is good. However, further research is necessary to facilitate the creation of generally recognized guidelines for how to prepare relief workers.

Humanitarian workers often operate in high-risk environments, including warzones, environmental disasters, and outbreaks of infectious diseases, amongst others. Research shows that the mental health of any worker is affected when exposed to high levels of negative stress for some time. Stress management and mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) are, on the other hand, used to counteract stress and the consequences of stressors. The aim of the study was to find out if MHPSS is different for international and national humanitarian workers within the investigated organizations and how the implementation of stress management, a vital part of MHPSS, can benefit the well-being of humanitarian workers. The author conducted the information for the research through semi-structured interviews with psychologists working with MHPSS of humanitarian staff in three organizations: IOM, ICRC, and MSF. The results were analyzed through the lenses of preventative stress management, a concept combining both organizational and individual approaches to stress management. The findings displayed a difference in accessing MHPSS because of stigma and awareness regarding mental health. Increased awareness granted more access for humanitarian personnel to MHPSS and increased their demands for more resources. The results of implemented interventions in the organizations showed favorable results. Therefore, the conclusion proclaimed the importance of continuing to raise awareness of mental well-being for all humanitarian staff since knowledge and a positive attitude towards stress management increase the possibility of enhancing the well-being of the humanitarian workers.

Like many former colonised countries, Haiti has been plagued by insecurity and conflicts caused by internal and external influences as well as natural disasters. In 1804, after a protracted conflict between slaves and French colonialists, Haiti became the first black country to gain its independence through a revolution. Today, Haiti is the poorest country in the Western hemisphere, ranking 153rd on the Human Development Index and a significant number of humanitarian organisations are present on the island aspiring at improving the standard of living of the population. The following study examines how the relationships of power emerging through the relationship between humanitarian and local leaders affect their perceptions of each other and identified the emotions emerging from these perceptions. The perceptions identified are the coloniality of power, corruption and distrust, the occurrence of conspiracy theories and the obstacles encountered in the implementation of a relief-development continuum model envisioned by general humanitarian policies. These perceptions create tensions between the humanitarian and local leaders, contributing to fuelling negative emotions such as regret, sadness, sense of failure, disappointment and anger. Negative emotions in this study affect the collaboration between humanitarians and local leaders, diminishing the positive influences and impact of humanitarian action on the well-being of the Haitian population. One of the components to increase these positive influences of humanitarian action is to lessen the asymmetricality of power between humanitarian and local leaders through the adoption of a Cultural Competence model by humanitarians.

Submitted by Renata de Oliveira Silva (reoliveir@gmail.com) on 2017-07-10T19:33:37Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Tese_Renata- VF.pdf: 2261411 bytes, checksum: ce479904ee8f6718fe1d41b3ec21528a (MD5) Tese_Renata- VF.pdf: 2261411 bytes, checksum: ce479904ee8f6718fe1d41b3ec21528a (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Pamela Beltran Tonsa (pamela.tonsa@fgv.br) on 2017-07-10T19:37:17Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Tese_Renata- VF.pdf: 2261411 bytes, checksum: ce479904ee8f6718fe1d41b3ec21528a (MD5) Tese_Renata- VF.pdf: 2261411 bytes, checksum: ce479904ee8f6718fe1d41b3ec21528a (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-11T13:09:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Tese_Renata- VF.pdf: 2261411 bytes, checksum: ce479904ee8f6718fe1d41b3ec21528a (MD5) Tese_Renata- VF.pdf: 2261411 bytes, checksum: ce479904ee8f6718fe1d41b3ec21528a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-12-14 / Esta tese objetivou mostrar o valor de adotar o trabalho institucional como uma lente teórica para melhor compreender o processo de construção de colaboração em operações humanitárias. Estudar o trabalho institucional envolvido por operações humanitárias e orientadas para a colaboração entre organizações humanitárias não governamentais internacionais e organizações locais pode esclarecer as estratégias e práticas que podem potencializar colaborações em contextos complexos e arriscados. Nesse sentido, o objetivo desta pesquisa é responder a seguinte questão: como o trabalho institucional pode contribuir para melhorar nosso entendimento sobre a colaboração entre as IHNGOs e as organizações locais em operações humanitárias? Para explorar esta questão, convidei vários participantes para compartilhar suas experiências, dificuldades e ideias sobre como a colaboração surge entre a IHNGO e as organizações locais. Realizei 30 entrevistas em profundidade com trabalhadores humanitários das maiores e mais influentes organizações humanitárias internacionais, pessoas com grande experiência que participaram das operações humanitárias mais desafiadoras nos últimos 10 anos. As principais contribuições deste trabalho são fornecer um repertório de trabalhos institucionais humanitários e destacar as formas em que o poder e a confiança - dois elementos conceituais sugeridos pela revisão da literatura - são mobilizados por atores sociais para se envolverem em colaboração em operações humanitárias. / This study aims to show the value of adopting institutional work as a theoretical lens to better understand the process of collaboration building in humanitarian operations. Studying the institutional work engaged by humanitarian operations and oriented toward collaboration between International Humanitarian Non-Government Organization and local organizations can shed light on the strategies and practices that have a potential to improve collaborations in complex and risky contexts. In this sense, the objective of this research is to answer the following question: How institutional work might contribute to improve our understanding about collaboration between IHNGOs and local organizations in humanitarian operations? To explore this issue, I invited a number of participants to share their experience, difficulties and ideas on how collaboration emerges between IHNGO and local organizations. I conducted 30 in-depth interviews with humanitarian workers from the biggest and most influence international humanitarian organizations, people with great experience that participated in the most challenging humanitarian operations in the last 10 years. The main contributions of this work is to provide a repertory of humanitarian institutional works and to highlight the ways in which power and trust – two conceptual elements suggested by the literature review – are mobilized by social actors to engage in collaboration in humanitarian operations.