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Romancing principles and human rights: Are humanitarian principles salvageable?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 January 2016

Stuart Gordon  and
Antonio Donini
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Abstract

“Classical” or “Dunantist” humanitarianism has traditionally been constructed around the core principles of neutrality (not taking sides) and impartiality (provision of assistance with no regard to ethnicity, religion, race or any other consideration, and proportional to need), plus the operational imperative (rather than a formal principle) to seek the consent of the belligerent parties. These principles, whilst never unchallenged, have dominated the contemporary discourse of humanitarianism and have been synonymous with or at least reflections of a presumed essential, enduring and universal set of humanitarian values. This paper offers a more dynamic and changing vision of the content of humanitarian action. It maps the origins and content of the “new humanitarian” critique of the humanitarian sector and principles and argues that this has both misrepresented the ethical content of neutrality and obscured what amount to significant operational adaptations that leave traditional humanitarianism well prepared for the contemporary operating environment.

Keywords

humanitariannew humanitarianismhumanitarian principlesneutralityimpartialityreformhistory
Type
Principles put to the test
Information
International Review of the Red Cross , Volume 97 , Issue 897-898: Principles guiding humanitarian action , June 2015 , pp. 77 - 109
Copyright
Copyright © icrc 2016 

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References

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124 Quoted in Mark Duffield, Development, Security and Unending War: Governing the World of Peoples, Polity, Malden, MA, 2007, pp. 15, 226–227.

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131 I. Wallerstein, above note 113.

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145 F. Fox, above note 142.

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147 D. Chandler, above note 41.

148 J. Macrae, above note 49.

149 D. Rieff, above note 18.

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151 J. Darcy, above note 91.

152 N. Stockton, above note 139, p. 355.

153 B. Leebaw, above note 133.