EAN: 9783847117414

TO HELP OR NOT TO HELP - HUMANITARIANISM IN THE...

Today  humanitarianism  as a moral imperative to help  is prevalent  especially in the
so-called Western world. The public reacts to natural disasters  war  or medical emergencies
with a desire to alleviate suffering. But in recent decades historians have begun to critically
assess this moral perspective and examine humanitarian organizations  politics  and the motives
of humanitarian actors. They highlight how helping people relieve their suffering is just one
side to every humanitarian story. Humanitarian actors themselves have their own reasons for
helping. Humanitarian aid evolves in a tense dialectic between people in need and the
individual agendas of the 'benevolent saviors.' This special issue approaches humanitarianism
and humanitarian aid from the perspective of such 'benevolent saviors' and their agendas and
covers different moments in history and geographical regions in the 20th century. The papers
analyze humanitarianism as a reconstruction mission according to civilizing desires  as an
enabling factor for individual professionalization  as a power struggle  and as a tool for
domestic and international policymaking.

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