scholarly journals (A119) Ethical Issues in the Review and Conduct of Research during Active Conflicts: Reflections from Darfur, West Sudan

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S1) ◽  
pp. s33-s34
Author(s):  
G.M.A. Hussein
Keyword(s):  
Armed Conflict ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Limited Resources ◽  
Ethical Review ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Rebel Groups ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
Humanitarian Interventions ◽  
International Attention

A crisis has been evolving in the region of Darfur following an armed conflict between rebel groups and the assumingly government-supported militia in 2003. It has attracted international attention and intervention where 13 UN agencies and around 100 national and international non-governmental organizations have been serving the affected populations. Research as methodological means of data collection is crucial to timely assessment of the affected populations' needs before humanitarian interventions, raising fund to fulfil these needs, and to assess the effects of the humanitarian aids that have been delivered. However, the factors of (1) insecurity; (2) limited resources; (3) vulnerability of the population; and (4) the potential cultural and moral differences among researchers and the surveyed populations make the research process methodologically and ethically challenging. The aim of this paper is to present the effects of these factors on the ethical review and implementation of research, with emphasis on the issues of benefit-risk analysis, conflict of interests, and informed consent. A practical framework for the ethical review that responds to the need of timely provision of information as well as promoting the adherence to the international ethical principles also will be provided.

International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights Law

1993 ◽  
Vol 33 (293) ◽  
pp. 94-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise Doswald-Beck ◽  
Sylvain Vité
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
United Nations ◽  
Armed Conflict ◽  
International Humanitarian Law ◽  
Humanitarian Law ◽  
Human Rights Law ◽  
International Affairs ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
The United Nations

International humanitarian law is increasingly perceived as part of human rights law applicable in armed conflict. This trend can be traced back to the United Nations Human Rights Conference held in Tehran in 1968 which not only encouraged the development of humanitarian law itself, but also marked the beginning of a growing use by the United Nations of humanitarian law during its examination of the human rights situation in certain countries or during its thematic studies. The greater awareness of the relevance of humanitarian law to the protection of people in armed conflict, coupled with the increasing use of human rights law in international affairs, means that both these areas of law now have a much greater international profile and are regularly being used together in the work of both international and non-governmental organizations.

Formulating professional identity

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin McKenzie
Keyword(s):  
Armed Conflict ◽  
Humanitarian Aid ◽  
Moral Legitimacy ◽  
Professional Activities ◽  
Palestinian Territories ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Moral Accountability ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
Conflicting Demands ◽  
Palestinian Population

Recent scholarly and practitioner research on the work of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) has been concerned with questions about the moral legitimacy of humanitarian aid in settings of armed conflict. At issue is the extent to which NGO activities are said to affect the conduct and outcome of warfare, thereby potentially implicating humanitarian aid in the partisan interests which it has traditionally eschewed as a condition of its legitimacy. This paper explores how such issues are taken up in the explanations offered by humanitarian aid operatives in descriptions of the work they carry out in settings of armed conflict. Drawing on a corpus of conversational material recorded in open-ended interviews with representatives of various NGOs that operate in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), I examine how speakers work to make themselves accountable to demands for sympathetic affiliation with the losing (or vanquished) parties in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict while maintaining a non-aligned stance relative to the partisan considerations that animate that conflict’s conduct. Both in first-hand narrative accounts of personal transformation and in descriptions of contrastive examples where professional colleagues are said to maintain a too-sympathetic affiliation with the partisan concerns of the Palestinian population whose needs they service, speakers work to provide for the legitimacy of their professional activities in the context of otherwise conflicting demands for moral accountability.

scholarly journals Ethics in Research

Management ◽  
2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward Wray-Bliss
Keyword(s):  
Research Ethics ◽  
Business School ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Ethical Review ◽  
Management Research ◽  
Research Practices ◽  
Organization Studies ◽  
Institutional Review

When compared to a number of other areas of the social sciences—sociology and anthropology being perhaps the best examples—discussions and debates around research ethics in the field of management are quite limited, both in number and scope. This is likely the consequence of a number of interrelated factors. It may speak to issues of the constitution of management faculty, the frequent separation of the business school from other parts of the university, or the historic construction of what is considered to be the role of the business school and management research in society. For whatever other reasons it has occurred, one of the factors must be the relatively homogenous nature of the field of management and organization studies—a field dominated by positivist research and a broadly functionalist, managerial orientation. In any field of inquiry largely constituted by conventional epistemological and ontological approaches, assumptions about “normal science” emerge and the impetus to question and debate, or indeed to defend, the ethics of normalized research practices is diminished. For many, the field of research ethics in management remains a formal process of compliance, requiring little discussion or reflection; it is a process of following a predefined code and satisfying the ethical review committee or institutional review board of one’s institution. Understood thus, ethics in management research is seen as something akin to a hurdle to be overcome by requisite form filling at the start of a research project. This is a limited—and limiting—understanding of ethical issues in management research. As the contributions cited in this bibliography attest, issues of ethics span the entire research process—from conception, through execution, to publication, and beyond. Assumptions regarding the purpose and value of research constitute an ethical warrant, legitimizing the very conduct of research in the first place. Additionally, the constitution of the management academy itself and its process of publication, citation, and review raises a number of ethical issues and concerns. Finally, management scholarship that draws on explicitly critical theoretical traditions and nonpositivist or antipositivist research approaches has heightened the questioning of conventional research practices and assumptions—generating critiques and some defenses of research ethics in management. This article maps out a significant proportion of the work and resources in the management academy that engage with such issues and debates.

Keeping Camouflage Out of the Classroom: The Safe Schools Declaration and the Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use During Armed Conflict

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marten Zwanenburg
Keyword(s):  
International Organizations ◽  
Armed Conflict ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Safe Schools ◽  
Humanitarian Law ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations

Abstract This article discusses the ‘Safe Schools Declaration’ and the ‘Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military use during Armed Conflict’. The latter are set of non-binding guidelines that aim to improve the protection of schools and universities during armed conflict. The former is a political declaration through which States can endorse the Guidelines. The article looks at the drafting process of the two documents, which involved non-governmental organizations (NGOs), international organizations and States. The article argues that the involvement of NGOs can be seen as reflective of a trend in which NGOs are increasingly involved in normative International Humanitarian Law (IHL) development. The role of international organizations was less pronounced, but nevertheless notable because international organizations traditionally do not have an active role in the field of IHL. The article contains an analysis of the Declaration and Guidelines, against the background of the applicable legal framework to the protection of schools and universities during armed conflict. It concludes that the principal focus of the Guidelines is the prevention of the use of schools and universities by armed forces in support of the military effort. IHL does not contain a rule prohibiting such use, but it can have far-reaching negative consequences for education. Other guidelines relate to, inter alia (limitations to), destroying or attacking schools and universities. These guidelines, while sometimes using phraseology from provisions of IHL treaty law, also largely go beyond existing obligations under IHL.

Financial reporting in non-governmental organizations - legislation versus business practice

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 0-0
Author(s):  
Dorota Jegorow
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Third Sector ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Business Practice ◽  
Volunteer Work ◽  
The Third ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
The Third Sector

The analysis presented in the pages of this paper is focused on identifying new dimension of quality of financial reporting entities NGOs. The research process is based on the literature studies, analysis of existing legal acts and opinions of specialists practitioners - representatives of the third sector. Contrary to the expectations and assumptions of the architects of new solutions entered in the amended in 2015. Accounting Act in practice translate into significant decrease in the reporting obligations of NGOs. The scope of financial reporting, although formally been reduced, in practice, the solutions adopted have not been adapted to the specific NGOs, especially those based on the volunteer work and aimed at realization of socially useful.

Various mechanisms and approaches for implementing international humanitarian law and protecting and assisting war victims

2009 ◽  
Vol 91 (874) ◽  
pp. 279-328 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toni Pfanner
Keyword(s):  
Armed Conflict ◽  
Armed Conflicts ◽  
Political Agenda ◽  
International Humanitarian Law ◽  
Humanitarian Law ◽  
Regional Organizations ◽  
Humanitarian Action ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
War Victims

AbstractThis article presents an overview of the various mechanisms to improve the situation of people affected by armed conflict. Some are anchored in international humanitarian law, but numerous actors are increasingly contributing to its implementation outside the original framework established for that purpose. Human rights monitoring bodies, the diverse organs and agencies of the United Nations and regional organizations, and governmental and non-governmental organizations are seeking to address situations of armed conflict. However, humanitarian action unattached to any political agenda and combining protection and assistance is often the only remedy for the plight of the victims of armed conflicts.

From words to action

1993 ◽  
Vol 33 (296) ◽  
pp. 355-358
Author(s):  
Yves Sandoz
Keyword(s):  
United Nations ◽  
Armed Conflict ◽  
Secretary General ◽  
Red Cross ◽  
International Conference ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
High Commissioner ◽  
To Come ◽  
War Victims

Eight hundred and fifteen delegates from 160 States, 39 Ministers, 20 Deputy Ministers and 12 Secretaries of State, the United Nations Secretary-General, the High Commissioner for Refugees and the Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement represented by the Presidents of the ICRC and the Federation and the Chairman of the Standing Commission, and all the major governmental and non-governmental organizations active in the sphere of armed conflict the Swiss government succeeded within the space of a few months in arranging for all these to come together in Geneva for a three-day meeting to discuss the protection of war victims and adopt a substantive declaration on the issue. The International Conference for the Protection of War Victims was undeniably a success.

The humanitarian imperative under fire

2009 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 333-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin McKenzie
Keyword(s):  
Armed Conflict ◽  
Humanitarian Assistance ◽  
Aid Workers ◽  
Professional Activities ◽  
Palestinian Territories ◽  
Humanitarian Aid Workers ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
Competing Demands ◽  
The One

This paper explores how speakers manage the dilemmatic tension between competing demands for accountability in mundane explanations of humanitarian assistance in settings of armed conflict. Taking as analytic data talk recorded in interviews with the personnel of aid agencies and various non-governmental organizations (NGOs) who work in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), we examine how demands for both non-partisan impartiality, on the one hand, and sympathetic alignment with the victims (or losing parties) of armed conflict, on the other, feature in the explanations that humanitarian aid workers formulate to account for their professional activities. While non-partisanship features as a source of legitimacy given that humanitarian assistance is regarded as a response to universal human suffering, the source of that suffering in armed conflict necessitates recognition of the antagonist-protagonist and victim relationship in order for aid recipients to be identified. Everyday accounts of aid work function to mitigate the otherwise mutually exclusive relationship between competing assumptions that inform the logic of humanitarian assistance.

scholarly journals Evaluating the prospects for university-based ethical governance in artificial intelligence and data-driven innovation

2021 ◽  
pp. 174701612110227
Author(s):  
Christine Hine
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Human Subjects ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Data Driven ◽  
Ethical Review ◽  
Effective System ◽  
Human Autonomy ◽  
The University ◽  
Ethical Governance

There has been considerable debate around the ethical issues raised by data-driven technologies such as artificial intelligence. Ethical principles for the field have focused on the need to ensure that such technologies are used for good rather than harm, that they enshrine principles of social justice and fairness, that they protect privacy, respect human autonomy and are open to scrutiny. While development of such principles is well advanced, there is as yet little consensus on the mechanisms appropriate for ethical governance in this field. This paper examines the prospects for the university ethics committee to undertake effective review of research conducted on data-driven technologies in the university context. Challenges identified include: the relatively narrow focus of university-based ethical review on the human subjects research process and lack of capacity to anticipate downstream impacts; the difficulties of accommodating the complex interplay of academic and commercial interests in the field; and the need to ensure appropriate expertise from both specialists and lay voices. Overall, the challenges identified sharpen appreciation of the need to encourage a joined-up and effective system of ethical governance that fosters an ethical culture rather than replacing ethical reflection with bureaucracy.

scholarly journals Hazy Boundaries: Virtual Communities and Research Ethics

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 86-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helena Kantanen ◽  
Jyri Manninen
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Expert Knowledge ◽  
Human Subjects ◽  
Research Participant ◽  
Ethics Committees ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Ethical Review ◽  
Institutional Review Boards ◽  
Online Forums

This paper examines ethical issues specific to research into virtual communities. Drawing on an empirical case with online forums of education experts, we identify the following key issues: publicity versus privacy of the community; the definition of human subjects research; participant recruitment; informed consent; and ethical questions associated with observing virtual communities, and with reporting and disseminating research results. We maintain that different research cultures in different countries can present challenges when studying global forums. Acknowledging the ephemeral characteristics of Internet contexts, this paper argues that ethical considerations should be more case-based, instead of relying on one model for all solutions. We suggest that local ethics committees or institutional review boards could, with their expert knowledge of ethics, provide valuable support for researchers operating in the complex and dynamic terrain of Internet research, as well as in fields and research settings where an ethical review is not a standard part of the research process.

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