A lecturer in CERAH since January 2011, Nathalie Herlemont-Zoritchak is Head of the Strategic Policy Unit of Handicap International.

Nathalie Herlemont heads this unit which is located in the Office of the Director of Handicap International since 2002. The purpose of the unit is to direct, advise and assist decision-making on subjects involving Handicap International at an ethical, political or strategic level. Taking into account operational challenges, its task is also to analyse the environment in which Handicap International is acting.

Before taking up her position with Handicap International, Nathalie Herlemont-Zoritchak was in charge of international relations for Coordination Sud (an umbrella of 140 French NGOs) from 1998 to 2002. She has also made regular field visits to Albania, the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Kenya, Mozambique, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Ivory Coast amongst others.

After completing a PhD in Political Science, she has oriented her research towards the involvement of NGOs "without borders" in conflict situations (during the period 1971-2001), global changes in ideology and their effect on trying to preserve the “humanitarian space” of NGOs, as well as protection issues related to vulnerable groups and the implementation of human rights and humanitarian law.

Nathalie Herlemont-Zoritchak has also lectured at the University of Lyon II on "public policies and non-governmental action" within the Master on Humanitarian and Solidarity Action (2002-2008). From 1996 to 2002 she taught in the « practical approach to multilateral diplomatic negotiations » module of the DESS (Master) degree « Diplomacy and Strategic Negotiation » of the University of Paris XI, Sceaux. From 2005 to 2011 she was a member of the editorial team of the journal Humanitaire, Enjeux, Pratiques, Débats.

Fields of interest :

• Ethics and humanitarian law
• Stakeholders and context analysis
• Conflict/crisis dynamics
• Humanitarian and development strategies
• Protection of vulnerable groups
  

Recent publications :

2011 (to be published) (in collaboration with A. Shivji): « Nouvelles tendances dans l’aide humanitaire : la prise en compte des personnes vulnérables et personnes handicapées dans les situations d’urgence », in Nouvelles tendances dans l’aide humanitaire (temporary title), Presses Universitaires de Laval/Québec.

2011 (to be published) (in collaboration with T.Calvot and S. Rizk): “Nouveaux regards sur le handicap : une belle manière de réinventer l’avenir », in Haïti : Réinventer l’avenir, CERAH/Maison des Sciences de l’Homme/Université d’Haïti.

2009: « Droit d’ingérence et droit humanitaire, les faux amis », Revue Humanitaire, Enjeux, Pratiques, Débats, N° 23, Paris : Médecins du Monde, hiver 2009.

2008: « Les ONG, mouches du coche des Etats », Enseignement Catholique Actualités, N° 322, mars 2008, p. 14.

2007: « Islam et Solidarité », Revue Humanitaire, Enjeux, Pratiques, Débats, N°17, Paris : Médecins du Monde, Eté 2007.

2007: « République Démocratique du Congo : réadaptation à base communautaire en contexte instable », Revue Humanitaire, Enjeux, Pratiques, Débats, N° 16, Paris : Médecins du Monde, printemps 2007, p. 62-68.

2005: What rights for mine victimes ? Reparation, compensation : from legal analysis to political perspective, Lyon : Handicap International, avril 2005, 61 p.