Week 4: Humanitarianism

Question 1

Hilhorst and Jansen

Answer 1

(2010) - Humanitarian space and Sri Lanka Tsunami vs Kakuma camp

8 points:

1. humanitarian space = based on humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality, humanity and ethics
2. Humanitarian language = used by agencies for legitimacy, own interests and power relations
3. Foucault: Discourse = close mix of knowledge and power and a structure imposed on reality
4. Aid recipients = active
5. Inclusion vs exclusion from humanitarian arena = competition
6. Pressure from media –> need visible results
7. Political economy of humanitarianism
8. Overlapping mandates and permissions = clash between NGOs

Question 2

Redfield

Answer 2

(2010) - Humanitarian response = less spectacular and more ambiguous than represented

4 points:

1. MSF on the ground constantly need to redefine its role
2. Humanitarian in practice vs. in representation
3. Situations on the verge of crisis = reveal tension between exceptional states and ordinary, long-term problems and inequalities
4. Degree of uncertainty of humanitarian –> many humanitarian actors, media observers and critics have favoured certain disasters

Question 3

Seckinelgin

Answer 3

(2012) - Decommissioning, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) camps of ex-combatants & HIV

Chap 4, 4 points:

1. Relation between conflict and HIV
2. impact of gender governance
3. DDR process = named and supported by international actors (World Bank)
4. Too focused on long-term, detrimental to short one

Chap 5, 3 points:

1. Reintegration = 2 ways: ex-combatants and community
2. Late reintegration package = gap between leaving camp and reintegration
3. Issues of returning long-term refugees (land)

Question 4

de Waal

Answer 4

(2007) - Politics and humanitarianism

8 points:

1. Humanitarianism has short institutional memory
2. Main challenge for relief work = providing suffering ppl with capability to seek their own solutions
3. Humanitarianism vs philanthropic imperialism
4. Mixing mandates of humanitarianism, HRs and politics can = problem
5. neutrality and impartiality = difficult with politics
6. changes: deepening professionalism, broadening mandates, democratising the aid encounter, converging with security agendas, sustained dominance of Northen NGOs, emergence of new solidarity politics
7. Consequentialism
8. Post 9/11: humanitarianism with national security

Question 5

Lecture:

Answer 5

1. Arendt and Agamben: Zoe (surviving) vs bios (living)
2. Redfield (2012): saving lives = just biological survival –> humanitarianism isn’t a comprehensive solution
3. Challenges for NGOs (staff, framing, acting)
4. Challenges in practice (different mandates, neutrality vs speaking up, prolonging vs saving)
5. Relief (more legitimacy) to development

Question 6

Extra

Answer 6

1. Muennig (2013): short-term aid raises awareness, need long-term dev after shot-term aid and empowerment of local communities
2. Agier (2008) humanitarian government, refugees = undesirables, humanitarian help isn’t always beneficial
3. McConnachie (2014) Refugees Community governance and Thai gov forbidded UNHCR to intervene in camp at beginning (good)