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The Renewal of Humanitarianism
By Dr. Jim Whitman, Editor,
Journal of Humanitarian Assistance
It is compelling and moving to witness international cooperation for the
rescue, defense or support of people who are the victims of violence or
repression. Many feel that large-scale humanitarian intervention of this
kind gives shape and meaning to the phrase "international community" and
take justifiable pride in the men and women who undertake this work, often
at serious personal risk. In particular, the sight of armed forces
protecting the weak is sometimes viewed as a positive outcome of the
centuries-long struggle to bring force within the orbit of law and to make
power accountable. Indeed, some would argue that humanitarian intervention
is the most visible and dramatic instance of the much deeper drive to
establish and defend human rights.
However, despite the heroic efforts of so many individuals and
organizations, and the countless thousands of lives saved, few would argue
that acting in support of dispossessed or threatened populations is a
triumphant, culminating expression of humanitarian ideals. We must not
forget that these relief initiatives are themselves the symptoms of a
crisis of humanitarian ideals, rather than an historically momentous
expression of them. Genocide shames us all, however swiftly and effectively
we respond to it; and so too does the less dramatic but no less pernicious
impact of poverty.
For every emergency which does meet with a response there are others which
do not, less visible, less convenient but no less urgent. The strain on our
psychological and practical resources has been characterized by the phrase
"donor fatigue." Our responses to the worst outrages against human life and
well-being have been inconsistent, frequently belated and all too visibly
shaped by national interest. Even as living conditions and human security
in many parts of the world worsen, available funding for emergencies, no
less than for development initiatives, continues to contract. It would seem
that in addition to a number of humanitarian crises, we now have a crisis
of humanitarianism.
Crisis of Humanitarianism
This crisis of humanitarianism arises from two related trends. The first is
visible in our intermittent response to a proliferation of militarized
humanitarian emergencies, and the worsening of the conditions in which the
largest part of humanity must live. It is alarming how our collective
resolve is weakening. While the number of malnourished people in the world
has risen to 800 million, the international community has moved from a
declared intention to eradicate hunger to a professed determination to
reduce it.
The second development is that in the last decade, humanitarian
intervention has absorbed so much humanitarian goodwill within an
emergency
/charity ethos rather than the less glamorous, longer-term work of
supporting development initiatives through committed partnerships. This can
prevent us from facing the real underlying issues and has the effect of
distancing most observers from dreadful events in distant lands; it binds
the enactment of humanitarian impulses much more closely to national
calculations of interest and risk; and it dilutes humanitarian principle to
humanitarian impulse. Hence we have the grim irony of peacekeepers facing
weapons exported by their own governments to despotic regimes for profit;
and even as a lively debate ensues as to whether there is a right to
humanitarian intervention, few ask aloud whether there are any
corresponding obligations.
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We are failing to address the inadequacy of "crisis response
humanitarianism" to the scale of human need, and, perhaps as importantly,
to the humanitarian ideals so deeply felt and so widely shared.
These shared values create and sustain norms which in our time have found
legal and institutional expression. We can see in the 20th-century
codification of human rights a bridge between the ancient, spiritual
traditions of humanity and modern, secular politics. Across centuries and
cultures, spiritual traditions and formal religions have had as common
concerns the inalienable dignity of the human person, the right to life and
the importance of justice. This is not merely our distant heritage, but an
essential foundation for a peaceful and equitable world. Moreover, the
spiritual foundations of humanitarianism can also be the primary source of
its renewal.
Chance for Renewal
"Renewal" might seem a thin hope against the extent of human need,
particularly since large-scale and seemingly remote emergencies will
continue to make serious claims on us, as individuals and communities.
But we should not forget that the institutional expression of shared values
can only come about through individual effort. This is one of the most
important messages of the long march toward human rights. Our current
global culture of human rights did not arise through unvoiced conviction,
but through the dedication, principled behavior and bravery of millions of
men and women standing up to daunting odds. We should regard their legacy
as a trust, rather than as a gift--with an awareness that the preservation
and extension of human freedom is now the task of our generation. If in our
time this work will best find expression in public policy, it nevertheless
remains rooted in the human heart. The task before each of us is to find
the most effective means of expressing our own humanitarian ideals.
There is no shortage of inspiration. The campaign to relieve the poorest
and most impoverished countries from the crushing burden of debt has seen a
diverse range of actors finding common cause across familiar national,
professional and institutional boundaries. In countries where debt
repayments are 10 times greater than budgets for health care and other
primary social provision, the "cascade" effects from debt relief will be
considerable. There is also growing opposition to the odious trade in
weapons. In this as in other humanitarian initiatives (such as the campaign
to ban land mines), what creates and sustains the momentum of these efforts
is the expression by individual men and women of their humanitarian values.
The underlying goal and the cumulative impact of these and other shared
endeavors is to create normative change--to alter not only our institutional
cultures, but also the moral climate of our time.
If "high politics" is truly to reflect our shared humanitarianism, then we
had best begin to take "low politics" seriously. Nor must we forget to
nurture the roots of humane ideals in our own lives, in whatever ways seem
most appropriate.
Our Common Humanity
The imperative to stay sensitive and responsive to human need is not a
simple task in view of the numbing most of us experience over reports of
genocide and other outrages. In the face of acts so bewilderingly awful,
revulsion against the barbarism of the "distant other" can easily supplant
considerations of our common humanity; and our humanitarianism can shrink
to the compass of charitable giving and the hope that "political will" at
the national level will conceive some constructive response.
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| The fickle attention of the world's media has a direct impact on levels of funding available for refugees in less "newsworthy" places. Refugee children from Burundi study in a camp in Tanzania. |
These events can crowd our hearts as well as our television screens, and
distance us from an awareness of the ways in which our lifestyle is
directly and indirectly linked to much of the structural injustice and
impoverishment in the world. But humane ideals cannot be reduced to or
replaced by charity; and a globalizing humanity cannot hope to find peace
and justice outside of an encompassing humanitarian ethos. That is why the
work on the renewal of humanitarianism is both spiritual and political; and
why practical work and the exercise of conscience strengthen each other. We
should not think of "saving" the world, as though from the outside, but
rather in terms of renewing it, from our hearts and minds outward.
The Journal of Humanitarian Assistance was founded as an on-line journal in
1995 by three researchers at Cambridge University who had spent a year
investigating the complexities of relief efforts in war-torn areas. Between
them, Jim Whitman, David Pocock and Chris Alden had conducted research in
Rwanda, Angola, Bosnia and Mozambique. On every occasion, they saw that the
many professions, organizations and nationalities involved had a great deal
of trouble coordinating their efforts, despite their deep commitment to
relieving human suffering. Even more striking was the fact that the
considerable growth in emergency humanitarianism had given rise to a rich
and detailed literature, but that communication between the involved
organizations was often very poor.
Seeing the need for a single source of information and for the rapid
dissemination of materials which could benefit all concerned, the Journal
was born. Although every form of communication has limitations, the editors
decided that the quickest and broadest distribution could be achieved by
utilizing the internet. Without prior training-and at a time when web site
skills were more scarce than they are today-the three had to learn very
quickly.
Today, the Journal contains more than 2,000 items, to a length of
approximately 150 standard-size books. Its contents include academic
articles, background information on specific countries and emergencies,
policy statements from NGOs and a host of other information. Because it is
updated routinely, often daily, the Journal has also become a source for
those seeking work with humanitarian organizations; in addition,
individuals also advertise their expertise and availability. After nearly
five years of operation, the Journal now receives a million "hits" per
year, from the complete range of individuals and organizations dealing with
every aspect of humanitarian emergencies. The editors are particularly
delighted that the readership is truly international. The Journal continues
to grow, with its latest initiative an "on-line book" under the title The
Future of the African Great Lakes Region.
The Journal of Humanitarian Assistance can be viewed at
www.jha.ac |
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