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| Live Q&A: Amateur aid workers - what can NGOs learn from them? | Live Q&A: Amateur aid workers - what can NGOs learn from them? |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| Libby Freeman, a 33-year-old set designer from London, arrived in Calais earlier this summer with a van full of donated clothes and camping equipment. At one time the efforts she went to to help migrants and refugees on the border would have seemed extraordinary, but today she is one of a growing number of Europeans with no prior aid experience who have made the trip to the camp. | Libby Freeman, a 33-year-old set designer from London, arrived in Calais earlier this summer with a van full of donated clothes and camping equipment. At one time the efforts she went to to help migrants and refugees on the border would have seemed extraordinary, but today she is one of a growing number of Europeans with no prior aid experience who have made the trip to the camp. |
| More recently, hundreds of aid initiatives sprang up across the continent following the release of shocking images of three-year-old Aylan Kurdi’s body on a Turkish beach. | More recently, hundreds of aid initiatives sprang up across the continent following the release of shocking images of three-year-old Aylan Kurdi’s body on a Turkish beach. |
| The response is from people tired of waiting for a political solution to the Syrian crisis and desperate to do whatever they can to help. But without professional experience do these good samaritans risk doing more harm than good? Concerns have already been raised about groups overwhelmed by donations and aid convoys at Calais turning distribution into a logistics nightmare. | The response is from people tired of waiting for a political solution to the Syrian crisis and desperate to do whatever they can to help. But without professional experience do these good samaritans risk doing more harm than good? Concerns have already been raised about groups overwhelmed by donations and aid convoys at Calais turning distribution into a logistics nightmare. |
| For NGOs, the sight of civilian aid workers rushing to do what they can in response to a tragedy is not new. In the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake, independent do-gooders flocked to the country with the best of intentions, but instead diverted the resources and time of trained professionals. Alan Henning’s death last year further raised questions about who should provide aid in hostile environments. | For NGOs, the sight of civilian aid workers rushing to do what they can in response to a tragedy is not new. In the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake, independent do-gooders flocked to the country with the best of intentions, but instead diverted the resources and time of trained professionals. Alan Henning’s death last year further raised questions about who should provide aid in hostile environments. |
| But does this phenomenon symbolise a disconnect between long-established NGOs and the public? How can the aid sector channel public goodwill to be most effective? And how can civilian aid workers better coordinate with NGOs? | But does this phenomenon symbolise a disconnect between long-established NGOs and the public? How can the aid sector channel public goodwill to be most effective? And how can civilian aid workers better coordinate with NGOs? |
| Join an expert panel on Thursday 17 September, 1-3pm BST, to discuss these questions and more. | Join an expert panel on Thursday 17 September, 1-3pm BST, to discuss these questions and more. |
| The live chat is not video or audio-enabled but will take place in the comments section (below). Get in touch via globaldevpros@theguardian.com or@GuardianGDP on Twitter to recommend someone for our expert panel. Follow the discussion using the hashtag #globaldevlive. | The live chat is not video or audio-enabled but will take place in the comments section (below). Get in touch via globaldevpros@theguardian.com or@GuardianGDP on Twitter to recommend someone for our expert panel. Follow the discussion using the hashtag #globaldevlive. |
| Panel | Panel |
| Libby Freeman, founder of Calais Action, London, UK @calaisactionLibby set up grassroots organisation Calais Action this summer, taking aid to refugees in Calais and further into Europe. | Libby Freeman, founder of Calais Action, London, UK @calaisactionLibby set up grassroots organisation Calais Action this summer, taking aid to refugees in Calais and further into Europe. |
| Gareth Walker, international programme manager, Doctors of the World UK, London, UK @DOTW_UKGareth has been working in the humanitarian sector for the last nine years, providing primarily medical support in a variety of different contexts. | Gareth Walker, international programme manager, Doctors of the World UK, London, UK @DOTW_UKGareth has been working in the humanitarian sector for the last nine years, providing primarily medical support in a variety of different contexts. |
| Imran Madden, head of humanitarian department, Islamic Relief Worldwide, Birmingham, UK @madden_imran @IslamicReliefUKImran covers the key first responses within Islamic Relief. | |
| Elaine Ortiz, grassroots aid worker for The Hummingbird Project, Brighton, UKElaine fundraised and set up an initiative to bring aid, first aid and support to refugees and migrants in and around Calais. | Elaine Ortiz, grassroots aid worker for The Hummingbird Project, Brighton, UKElaine fundraised and set up an initiative to bring aid, first aid and support to refugees and migrants in and around Calais. |
| Mike Noyes, head of humanitarian response, ActionAid UK, London, UK @MikeNoyesUK @ActionAidUKMike has over 20 years experience working with humanitarian and development organisations in the UK and Africa. With ActionAid since 2013. | |
| Stephen Cox, disaster management coordinator, British Red Cross, London, UK @BritishRedCrossStephen has nine years experience in international development and humanitarian operations. He has worked in disaster management with BRC since 2012. | |
| More panelists to be announced. | More panelists to be announced. |