Celebrating 25 Years of IECAH

Last Friday, we celebrated in Madrid the 25th anniversary of the Institute of Studies on Conflicts and Humanitarian Action (IECAH), a milestone marking a quarter-century dedicated to critical analysis, independent research and the support of policies and actors working in contexts of crisis, conflict and transformation.

Over these 25 years, we have listened, analysed, proposed… and, above all, learned alongside a community of people committed to a more just humanitarian action, a cooperation that truly transforms, and a people-centred peacebuilding approach. Today, we remain driven by the same conviction that guided us from the beginning: to conduct independent research, provide rigorous training, engage in meaningful advocacy, and accompany key processes in the fields of humanitarian action, disaster risk reduction, and peacebuilding.

The commemorative event included two dialogue spaces. First, a conversation took place between Josep Borrell Fontelles, former High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and IECAH’s founders and co-directors, Jesús Núñez Villaverde and Francisco Rey Marcos, focusing on the lessons learned throughout the Institute’s 25-year trajectory.

In addition, a panel discussion was held with the participation of Manuel Sánchez Montero (General Director of Action Against Hunger), Raquel González Juárez (Coordinator of Médecins Sans Frontières Spain), and Vicente Raimundo (Director of International Programmes at Save the Children), moderated by Mabel González Bustelo (Senior Peacebuilding Advisor at IECAH). The panel offered a space to reflect on the sector’s current challenges, the transformations required, and the role humanitarian organisations can play in an increasingly complex global context.

We would like to express our gratitude to all those who have accompanied us on this journey —our team, collaborators, partners, students, institutions and friends in the sector— for their support and trust. This trajectory would not have been possible without them.

We now look to the coming years with renewed commitment and enthusiasm.
Thank you for joining us.