Virginie Troit is the General Director at Fondation Croix-Rouge française pour la recherche/ The French Red Cross Foundation
Why am I running:
Dear members of the General Assembly,
I have decided to apply as board member of IHSA driven by the conviction that a strong, global, and inclusive research network is - as never before - essential to rethink and accompany the mutations of humanitarian action. My decision is also motivated by the intuition that research and innovation, that have been under-funded and hard to implement the last decades in the humanitarian sector, are becoming a priority. I have been able to observe this trend in the Red Cross Movement but it seems also true for other INGOs and international donors.
IHSA was the first to bring together so many researchers around the study of humanitarian crisis. It has now the opportunity to build upon its networks and excellence. To achieve its goals as a structured academic organization, IHSA will need to integrate much more Global South research networks, deal with linguistic diversity, develop a strategy towards its different publics (which should open up to donors and other actors of the humanitarian sector) and makes sure its economic model provides the means of its ambitions.
I would be pleased to join and help. My three professional itineraries in the management of new initiatives (private sector and non-profit), in development of INGOs in the humanitarian field (Handicap International, MSF) and in research (political science) should help to serve the aims of IHSA at this very special turning point of becoming a formal global association. IHSA is needed and I am motivated to help.