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AEGIS European Conference on African Studies
11 - 14 July 2007
African Studies Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
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The role of local organisations in global humanitarianism
| Panel |
79. African Humanitarianism
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| Paper ID | 782 |
| Author(s) |
Hilhorst, Thea
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| Paper |
No paper submitted
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| Abstract | Since the late 1980s, and accelerating after the Rwanda crisis in 1994, humanitarian aid has increasingly come under debate. Rapid changes in the field of intervention, devastating evaluations, the multiplication of humanitarian actors, and the eroding legitimacy of aid have thrown the sector in a crisis of identity (what is humanitarianism today?) and a crisis of legitimacy (who are trustworthy humanitarians?).
One of the continuing points of debate centre on the undervaluation of local capacities during humanitarian emergencies, concerning both local people's coping practices and relief and rehabilitation capacities among local governments and non-governmental organizations.
Debate starts with the nature of the basic humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence. It could be argued that these principles are Western-oriented while regions in Africa harbour their own humanitarian philosophical and practical traditions. It could also be stated that humanitarian principles are being abused to exclude local actors on account of their embeddedness in their own societies. This paper presents an overview of the debate and focuses on the interface between international and national actors in the delivery of services. |
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