The MSc module on Managing Humanitarianism at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) held a final lecture that invited panellists to answer the question: "Is humanitarianism worth defending?" Simon Levine served as one of the panellists.
John Holmes, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, holds a meeting at the refugee camp in Chad
License: Creative Commons
Credit: UN Photo/Olivia Grey Pritchard
Source: UNmultimedia
In conversation with the BBC’s Mike Wooldridge, Sir John Holmes, former UN Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC), will be discussing some of the most controversial episodes of his tenure as ERC and the morally complex choices confronting those responsible for the provision of humanitarian aid to people in need of assistance and protection.
The ‘Non-state Humanitarianism’ network seeks to examine the myriad dimensions of humanitarian action in a transnational historical context. This workshop sought to develop a broad research agenda for the network and understand what questions to ask, what research themes to prioritise, and how to maximise its future impact. Eleanor Davey spoke on the Humanitarian Policy Group's Global history of modern humanitarian action’ project.
On the face of it makes sense. You are more likely to be able to reduce poverty in a country that isn’t at war than you are with bombs and bullets flying over your head, right?
As international troops withdraw from Afghanistan, aid agencies will experience a titanic shift in their security infrastructure and be forced to reassess how they access those in need. Though the Taliban have a complex and predominantly hostile view of such agencies, those that wish to continue working in Afghanistan must learn to understand and negotiate with them. Yet, until now, little substantive research has been conducted on the Taliban to understand how to effectively engage with them.
Key Conclusions
Cambodian refugee with her child at the Ban Mai Rut refugee camp near Klong Yai, Thailand.
License: Creative Commons
Credit: UN Photo/John Isaac
Source: UN Multimedia
A major conference about the history of humanitarianism in East and Southeast Asia will take place at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies on 29-30 January 2013. It will bring together diplomats, ministers, senior figures from the humanitarian sector and academics to explore a range of historical aspects of Asian humanitarianism.
As international troops withdraw from Afghanistan and prepare to hand over security in 2014, HPG’s newly published research based on scores of interviews with the Taliban provides a rare insight into their relationship with aid organisations.
Afghanistan: An ICRC team at a Kabul checkpoint manned by one of the numerous armed groups active in the city in 1994
License: ODI given rights
Credit: © ICRC / Thierry Gassman
Source: ICRC website
This event launches a new report into how aid agencies engage with the Taliban to gain access to Afghans in need of assistance. It offers a valuable and rare insight into how the Taliban view humanitarian and development assistance. The report draws on dozens of interviews with Taliban militia and leaders and conversely, investigates the approaches used by aid agencies to gain access to populations in Taliban-held territory.
