The Routledge Companion to Humanitarian Action

487 Pages·2015·2.06 MB·English

by  Roger Mac Ginty

‘This is a superb Handbook. A brilliant one-stop synthesis of modern humanitarianism with
contributions from leading thinkers and practitioners, it is jam-packed with invaluable insights
on the great humanitarian challenges, dilemmas and debates of our time. An absolute must-read
for all.’
Gareth Owen OBE, Humanitarian Director, Save the Children, UK
‘This is an exceptional compilation: broad in range, deep in analysis, endlessly fascinating,
consistently lucid. Humanitarian studies has become one of the most vibrant areas of inter-
disciplinary research, theorization and engagement with policy and practice – and The Routledge
Companion to Humanitarian Action does full justice to the current state of the science and its
debates. It is the essential resource for the student of humanitarian action today.’
Alex de Waal, Research Professor and Executive Director of the
World Peace Foundation at the Fletcher School, Tufts University, USA
‘If you can only aff ord one book on humanitarianism, buy this one. It does what a companion
volume should do: cover the breadth of the fi eld with up-to-date chapters by the recognized
lead thinkers in each sub-fi eld. It’s the humanitarian version of picking your own fantasy
football team.’
Peter Walker, Dean, Falk School of Sustainability, Chatham University, USA
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THE ROUTLEDGE COMPANION
TO HUMANITARIAN ACTION
The Routledge Companion to Humanitarian Action addresses the political, ethical, legal and practical
issues that infl uence reactions to humanitarian crises. It does so by exploring the daily dilemmas
faced by a range of actors, including policy-makers, aid workers, the private sector and the
benefi ciaries of aid, and by challenging common perceptions regarding humanitarian crises and
the policies put in place to address these. Through such explorations, it provides practitioners
and scholars with the knowledge necessary to both understand and improve upon current forms
of humanitarian action.
The Companion will be of use to those interested in a range of humanitarian programmes,
ranging from emergency medical assistance, military interventions and managing refugee fl ows
to the implementation of international humanitarian law. Rather than addressing specifi c
programmes, it will explore fi ve themes seen as relevant to understanding and engaging in all
modes of humanitarian action. The fi rst section explores varying interpretations of
humanitarianism, including critical historical and political-economic explanations, as well as
more practice-based explorations focused on notions of needs assessments and evaluation.
Following this, readers will be exposed to the latest debates on a range of humanitarian
principles, including neutrality and sovereignty, before exploring the key issues faced by the
main actors involved in humanitarian crises (from international NGOs to local community-
based organizations). The fi nal two sections address what are seen as key dilemmas in regard to
humanitarian action and emerging trends in the humanitarian system, including the increasing
role of social media in responding to crises.
Whilst not a ‘how to’ guide, the Companion contains many practical insights for policy-
makers and aid workers, whilst also off ering analytical insights for students of humanitarian
action. Indeed, throughout the book, readers will come to the realization that understanding
and improving humanitarian action simultaneously requires both active critical refl ection and
an acceptance of the urgency and timeliness of action that is required for humanitarian assistance
to have an impact on vital human needs. Exploring a sector that is far from homogenous, both
practitioners and scholars alike will fi nd the contributions of this book off er them not only a
deeper understanding of the motivations and mechanics of current interventions, but also an
insight into current changes and progress occurring in the fi eld of humanitarian practice.
Roger Mac Ginty is Professor of Peace and Confl ict Studies at the Humanitarian & Confl ict
Response Institute, and the Department of Politics, University of Manchester, UK. He has
extensive editorial experience including three edited books, four special issues of journals and a
book series ‘Rethinking Political Violence’. With his colleague Oliver Richmond he has
established a Taylor & Francis journal titled Peacebuilding. He has published approximately 40
journal articles and two monographs: No War, No Peace: The Rejuvenation of Stalled Peace Processes
and Peace Accords (2006) and International Peacebuilding and Local Resistance: Hybrid Forms of Peace
(2011). His co-authored books are Guns and Government: The Management of the Northern Ireland
Peace Process (2003) and Confl ict and Development (2009).
Jenny H Peterson is a Lecturer of Political Science at the University of British Columbia,
Canada. She has recently published in International Studies Quarterly (2013), Journal of Peacebuilding
and Development (2013) and Disasters (2010). Her fi rst monograph Building a Peace Economy:
Liberal Peacebuilding and the Development Security Industry (2014) is also now available.
THE ROUTLEDGE
COMPANION TO
HUMANITARIAN ACTION
Edited by Roger Mac Ginty and Jenny H Peterson
First published 2015
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2015 Roger Mac Ginty and Jenny H Peterson
The right of the editor to be identifi ed as the author of the editorial
material, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been asserted
in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in
any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identifi cation and explanation
without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Routledge companion to humanitarian action / edited by Roger Mac
Ginty and Jenny H Peterson.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Humanitarian assistance. 2. Humanitarian assistance--International
cooperation. 3. Disaster relief. 4. Disaster relief--International cooperation.
5. Non-governmental organizations. I. Mac Ginty, Roger, 1970- editor of
compilation. II. Peterson, Jenny H., editor of compilation. III. Title:
Companion to humanitarian action.
HV553.R68 2015
363.34’8--dc23
2014039305
ISBN: 978-0-415-84442-0 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-203-75342-2 (ebk)
Typeset in Bembo
by Saxon Graphics Ltd, Derby
CONTENTS
List of illustrations xi
List of contributors xiii
List of abbreviations and acronyms xxiii
Introduction 1
Jenny H Peterson
PART I
Interpretations 11
1 Wonderful work: Globalizing the ethics of humanitarian action 13
Hugo Slim
2 From protection to disaster resilience 26
Mark Duffi eld
3 Critical readings of humanitarianism 38
Ryerson Christie
4 Gender analyses 49
Dyan Mazurana and Keith Proctor
5 Humanitarian history? 62
Bertrand Taithe
6 Humanitarian motivations 74
Travis Nelson
vii
Contents
PART II
Principles 85
7 Neutrality and impartiality 87
Laura Hammond
8 Universal rights and individual freedom 98
David Chandler
9 The principle of ‘First Do No Harm’ 109
David N Gibbs
10 Legitimacy 120
Michael Aaronson
11 Altruism 131
Judith Lichtenberg
12 Humanitarian space 141
Francois Audet
13 The Responsibility to Protect 153
Alex J Bellamy
PART III
Actors 165
14 The United Nations 167
Thomas G Weiss
15 The Red Cross and Red Crescent 179
Mukesh Kapila
16 Regional humanitarian organizations 191
Susanna Campbell and Stephanie Hofmann
17 ‘Non-DAC’ humanitarian actors 204
Emma Mawdsley
18 Military and humanitarian actors 215
Karsten Friis
viii
Contents
19 Private military and security companies 228
Andrea Schneiker and Jutta Joachim
20 The private sector and humanitarian action 241
Alastair McKechnie
21 News media and communication technology 254
Piers Robinson
22 National NGOs 267
Gëzim Visoka
23 Religion and humanitarianism 279
Jonathan Benthall
24 Medical NGOs 290
Johan von Schreeb
25 Refugees and internally displaced persons 298
Phil Orchard
PART IV
Dilemmas 311
26 Securitization and threats to humanitarian workers 313
Larissa Fast
27 Non-state armed groups and aid organisations 324
Michiel Hofman
28 Dealing with authoritarian regimes 337
Oliver Walton
29 Humanitarian action through legal institutions 349
Michael Kearney
30 The humanitarian impact of climate change 360
Holly Schofi eld
31 Exit strategies 372
Sung Yong Lee and Alpaslan Özerdem
ix