Skills and Abilities

Humanitarian work comes with many personal and professional benefits. It also comes with challenges that can push a humanitarian professional to their personal limits.

Humanitarian work is not easy, but the end results of affecting change can be rewarding. What skills will you need to work collaboratively with others and to manage challenging times?

To prepare for this Discussion:

Review Chapter 6 in the course text. Think about the skills of humanitarian leaders.

Review the article, "Important Skills for Humanitarian Professionals Working in a Contemporary Conflict Environment." Consider the skills you need to develop and how you will develop them to be effective in your future role.

Post your perspective on whether you think there are problems in this world that cannot be solved despite the best efforts of humanitarian workers. Provide an example.

Explain whether it would keep you from trying to address the issue and why. Finally, explain the skills you would use as a humanitarian professional to address or cope in this situation.