Humanitarian Action and Peacebuilding: Incompatible or Complementary?

The State of Peacebuilding in Africa ◽

10.1007/978-3-030-46636-7_15 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 257-275

Author(s):

Jens Pedersen

Keyword(s):

Peace Operations ◽

Humanitarian Relief ◽

Conflict Zones ◽

Major Powers ◽

Contested Space ◽

Humanitarian Action ◽

Humanitarian Organizations ◽

Changing Role ◽

Hearts And Minds

Abstract This chapter examines the changing role of humanitarian organizations in Africa’s conflict zones and how humanitarianism has become a highly contested space on the battlefield. Through an analysis of several ongoing peace operations in Africa, this chapter demonstrates how the principles of humanitarian relief have been undermined by the major powers and the UN in their pursuit of ostensibly noble objectives. Organizations and donors have become complicit in compromising humanitarianism, especially in multi-mandated UN missions, by inserting humanitarian workers into the realm of both service delivery (associated with the process of building a state) and as a political tool to win “hearts and minds.” Peacebuilding will be better served, the chapter concludes, by restoring humanitarianism to its original role and ethos.

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Asymmetrical warfare from the perspective of humanitarian law and humanitarian action

International Review of the Red Cross ◽

10.1017/s1816383100181238 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 87 (857) ◽

pp. 149-174 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

Toni Pfanner

Keyword(s):

International Terrorism ◽

Humanitarian Law ◽

Humanitarian Relief ◽

Humanitarian Action ◽

Humanitarian Organizations ◽

Geneva Conventions ◽

Armed Violence ◽

The Law ◽

Covert Operations ◽

Special Rules

AbstractWarring parties are increasingly unequal and the principle of equality of arms does not apply to them. This asymmetry in warfare has many ramifications. The militarily weaker party is tempted to have recourse to unlawful methods of warfare in order to overcome the adversaries' strength. The expectation of reciprocity as a fundamental motivation for respecting the law is often illusory and replaced instead with perfidious behaviour; covert operations substitute for open battles, “special rules” are made for “special situations”. The fight against international terrorism seems to constitute the epitome of this kind of warfare. “Elementary considerations of humanity” as enshrined in article 3 common to the 1949 Geneva Conventions however constitute universally binding rules for all — even unequal and asymmetrical — parties to any situation of armed violence. Furthermore, attacks on humanitarian organizations have showed that humanitarian relief may be contrary to belligerents' interests, or, even worse, that attacks on humanitarian workers may be part of their agenda. Humanitarian actors must be aware of these facts and adapt their working methods so as to be able to continue to provide impartial assistance, based solely on the needs of the victims of armed violence.

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Humanitarian organizations in the light of the Holy Quran and Sunnah: التنظيمات الإنسانية في ضوء القرآن الكريم والسنة النبوية

Journal of Islamic Sciences - مجلة العلوم الإسلامية ◽

10.26389/ajsrp.h081019 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2 (7) ◽

Author(s):

Hassan Ali Hassan Ananzeh, Feras Ali Alhamad Ananzeh

Keyword(s):

Civil Society ◽

Civil Society Organizations ◽

Humanitarian Relief ◽

Humanitarian Organizations ◽

Holy Quran ◽

The Holy Quran ◽

Awareness Raising ◽

Shed Light ◽

Of Greece

This study aims to shed light on the humanitarian organizations in light of the growing role of civil society organizations, including constructive and destructive, in addition to dealing with its emergence and development and the role that can play on the local and international arenas in the light of the guidance of the Koran and the Sunnah. The researcher has followed the inductive fundamentalist approach through the use of verses from the Koran supported by the interpretation of the interpreters and try to drop these interpretations on the lived reality through reference to the evidence from the Koran explicit, as well as the researcher inferred the Prophet's Sunnah, coupled with the explanations of the hadith Hadith as well as his biography In the publication of the Islamic call, the researcher reached many results, the most important of which are the different philosophers of Greece and the Greeks in their contemplation of human organizations through their freshness to society and the extent of enrichment provided by Arab and Muslim philosophers in the conceptualization. The researcher reached the legitimacy of constructive humanitarian organizations such as advocacy, liberation and humanitarian relief and awareness- raising organizations and the fight against organizations with destructive orientations that target the nation and its unity as Zionist and atheistic organizations. In contrast, the study recommended that all constructive humanitarian organizations should be encouraged. The study recommended that the role of civil society organizations should be activated in parallel with government institutions so that they are of no help to them, as explained in the conclusion of the search.

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From Theory to Practice: A Study of Remotely Managed Localised Humanitarian Action in Syria

Journal of Peacebuilding & Development ◽

10.1177/1542316620922503 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (2) ◽

pp. 235-249

Author(s):

Ghassan Elkahlout ◽

Kareem Elgibali

Keyword(s):

Humanitarian Relief ◽

Conflict Zones ◽

Local Staff ◽

Humanitarian Action ◽

Remote Management ◽

The Social ◽

Local Access ◽

Potential Risks ◽

Principles And Standards

With unique strengths, problems, and challenges, localisation is an increasingly important modality for humanitarian relief. Based on the primary research including interviews with practitioners who are expert and experienced in localisation and remote management in Syria, the article offers an important case study of remote management during conflict, with analysis of local staff adherence to humanitarian principles and standards, local access and acceptance in conflict zones, the dynamics between international and local organisations and staff, the transfer of decision making from international nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) to local NGOs, and the potential risks involved. It argues that localisation has inherent strengths due to the social advantages of local staff but lacks sufficient institutional support from the international humanitarian system and that there are ethical and legal problems with transferring risk and security considerations for local NGOs.

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