Humanitarian Business

Beschreibung

With some 50 million people living under duress and threatened bywars and disasters in 2012, the demand for relief worldwide hasreached unprecedented levels. Humanitarianism is now amulti-billion dollar enterprise, and aid agencies are obliged torespond to a range of economic forces in order to 'stay inbusiness'. In his customarily hard-hitting analysis, Thomas G. Weiss offerspenetrating insights into the complexities and challenges of thecontemporary humanitarian marketplace. In addition to changingpolitical and military conditions that generate demand for aid,private suppliers have changed too. Today's political economyplaces aid agencies side-by-side with for-profit businesses,including private military and security companies, in a marketplacethat also is linked to global trade networks in illicit arms,natural resources, and drugs. This witch's brew is simmeringin the cauldron of wars that are often protracted and always costlyto civilians who are the very targets of violence. Whilebelligerents put a price-tag on access to victims, aid agenciespursue branding in a competition for 'scarce' resources relative tothe staggering needs. As marketization encroaches on traditionalhumanitarianism, it seems everything may have a priceÑfromaccess and principles, to moral authority and lives.

Autor*in

Thomas G. Weiss

Themen in »Humanitarian Business«

Global Politics Political Revolution / Violence / Terrorism Political Science Politikwissenschaft Politische Revolution, Gewalt, Terrorismus Weltpolitik

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"Weiss provides important information and insight into the changingnature of humanitarian ism. Recommended [for] all readershiplevels" Choice "Extremely well written and clear, Humanitarian Business isan excellent introduction to modern humanitarianism." Stephen Hopgood, School of Oriental and African Studies,University of London "Thomas G. Weiss exposes the increasingly competitive nature of thehumanitarian world as well as the ways in which states and otheractors seek to manipulate emergency relief. An essential analysisof the contemporary aid industry." Jeff Crisp, Office of the UN High Commissioner forRefugees "Thomas G. Weiss has made an outstanding contribution to theunderstanding and policymaking of humanitarian action for more thantwenty-five years. In this new book, he continues to do so bychallenging international humanitarians and their government donorsto think about their profession as a business." Hugo Slim, Institute for Ethics, Law and Armed Conflict,University of Oxford
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