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This article deals with an almost forgotten and recently ‘rediscovered’ story of the autonomous humanitarian operation of Diana Budisavljevic, an Austrian woman who initiated one of the largest and most complex humanitarian operations in Europe during the Second World War. Thanks to her extensive network of staff and helpers, she led a large-scale rescue operation of some 10,000 mainly Serbian children from concentration camps in fascist independent Croatia. She provided support and shelter and kept evidence of 12,000 abandoned children. Despite the success of Action Diana Budisavljevic, this extraordinary story remained hidden from the outside world for almost 60 years. Dit artikel behandelt een vrijwel vergeten en onlangs ‘hervonden’ verhaal van de autonome humanitaire operatie van Diana Budisavljević, een Oostenrijkse vrouw die gedurende de Tweede Wereldoorlog een van grootste en meest complexe humanitaire acties in Europa op touw zette. Dankzij het uitgebreide netwerk van medewerkers en helpers leidde ze een groots opgezette reddingsoperatie van zowat 10 000, voornamelijk Servische kinderen uit concentratiekampen in het fascistische onafhankelijke Kroatië. Ze zorgde voor ondersteuning en onderdak en bewaarde de bewijsstukken van 12 000 verlaten kinderen. Ondanks het succes van de Action Diana Budisavljević bleef dit buitengewone verhaal bijna 60 jaar lang verborgen voor de buitenwereld.

espanolEl presente trabajo se propone realizar un analisis de las principales cuestiones relativas a la toma en consideracion efectiva de la discapacidad en el ambito de la accion humanitaria, tanto desde un punto de vista sincronico (marcos conceptuales y normativos existentes, consensos alcanzados, principales necesidades y respuestas a las mismas) como diacronico (principios en transformacion en los ambitos humanitarios y de la discapacidad, perspectiva historica sobre los principales hitos internacionales en la materia, retos de futuro). Para ello, se llevara a cabo un repaso de los principales acuerdos multilaterales y documentos estrategicos, asi como de la literatura mas destacada sobre el tema, poniendo de relieve el papel destacado de la Convencion de Naciones Unidas sobre los Derechos de las Personas con Discapacidad y la Carta sobre la Inclusion de Personas con Discapacidad en la Accion Humanitaria, y senalando igualmente las carencias aun existentes para su plena implementacion. EnglishThis paper aims to carry out an analysis of the main issues regarding the inclusion of disability in the field of humanitarian action, both from a synchronic and a diachronic point of view (principles in transformation in the humanitarian and disability fields, historical perspective on the main international milestones in the matter, existing conceptual and normative frameworks, consensus reached regarding main needs and the responses to them, subsisting challenges…). To this end, a review of the main multilateral agreements and strategic documents will be carried out, as well as relevant literature on the subject, highlighting the prominent role of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Charter on the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action, while also pointing out the gaps that still exist for their full implementation.

United Nations, regional and domestic counterterrorism measures have generated a cascade of adverse effects for impartial humanitarian activities in areas where designated groups are present. Certain humanitarian activities, diverted supplies and incidental payments can fall foul of broadly worded counterterrorism regulation proscribing or criminalizing financial and other support to designated groups. Donors to humanitarian organizations set strict conditions and financial institutions decline transactions, hampering impartial humanitarian activities in the very instances in which international humanitarian law (IHL) requires that they be allowed. Recognizing this, United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions 2462 and 2482 adopted in 2019 have spelled out more explicitly than ever before the need for counterterrorism measures to comply with IHL and safeguard impartial humanitarian action in line with IHL. This article sets out those IHL obligations that govern humanitarian and medical activities and the types of safeguards that States have put in place to ensure their counterterrorism measures comply with IHL and allow for these activities. The UNSC's latest steer in resolutions 2462 and 2482 provides a foundation for States’ exclusion of impartial humanitarian and medical activities from the scope of application of their counterterrorism measures. This can be an effective way of averting adverse consequences for these activities where designated entities are present.

For some time, the impact of counterterrorism (CT) measures and sanctions on humanitarian action did not attract the attention that it merited. However, owing to a surge in awareness of this issue over the past two years, the fact that CT measures and sanctions can have negative consequences for principled humanitarian action is now widely accepted by a broad range of actors, and is supported by a strong body of research identifying and analyzing these impacts. This article adds to this existing work by examining recent developments related to this issue. It looks at the impact of growing risk aversion in relation to CT measures and sanctions among donors, humanitarian organizations and other actors on principled humanitarian action, and highlights recent efforts to address and mitigate these impacts. The central argument is that CT and sanctions risks cannot be eliminated from humanitarian action. As such, policy change is needed to protect principled humanitarian action from further detrimental impacts and to ensure that people can access the assistance they need, regardless of where they are located.

This article examines how notions of solidarity, social justice, and faith guide humanitarian work at the U.S.-Mexico border. Based on interviews and participant observation in three regions, it examines the narratives of lay and religious actors serving migrants, refugees, and asylum-seekers, to understand the moral and political resonance of their work in the context of border surveillance, migrant detentions, and mass deportation. Different notions of solidarity and justice jostle one another, espousing political and structural dimensions, whilst faith inspires the conviction that change can be enacted. A radical message for social action is, notably, fuelled by anger and courage, and used to confront pain and fear in the humanitarian and political sphere. This article contributes to a better understanding of how notions of human dignity, justice, and advocacy are articulated by humanitarian actors at the border, a site of striking civic and faith-based resistance to the criminalization of refugee and undocumented communities.

Humanitarian action, in the broad sense, including global outreach missions by ENT physicians, has been effective for many years. These volunteer missions have not had any specific regulatory framework, be it medical, social or above all ethical. The testimony of ENT physicians in certain "recipient" countries, in particular during the 2017 Paris Congress of the International Federation of Otorhinolaryngological Societies (IFOS), revealed the importance of adequate coordination between "provider" and "recipient" teams. Several ethical reports have been made, but few specifically focused on ENT outreach. The present review is based on feedback from several missions given to the French Society of OtoRhinoLaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery (SFORL) and IFOS, and on a review of the literature. A specific charter of global outreach and humanitarian missions in ENT has been drawn up. This review is essential for optimizing the sharing of knowledge and training in otorhinolaryngology across the world while respecting mandatory sociocultural and ethical rules.

En la historia de la humanidad, multitud de epidemias han marcado su evolución en términos sociales, demográficos, económicos y de salud pública. La actual, producida por el SARS-CoV-2, ha desencadenado una crisis sanitaria global. Las medidas de salud pública aplicadas han contribuido a la aparición de una crisis social y económica. La COVID-19 afecta desproporcionadamente a las personas más pobres y vulnerables, ya que, en su transmisión y grado de afectación, repercuten los DSS. Estas crisis tienen mayor alcance en los países en vías de desarrollo y en aquellos lugares donde es necesaria la acción humanitaria. Está demostrado que la eficacia de las intervenciones se incrementa con la puesta en marcha de redes comunitarias que favorecen la disminución de la transmisión y el impacto social asociado, además de mejorar la comunicación. En paralelo, se ha vivido una infodemia, una pandemia de desinformación y noticias falsas; al mismo tiempo que se han evidenciado las desigualdades en comunicación. Se han desarrollado numerosas iniciativas para combatirla por parte de OMS, UNICEF, OCHA, UNESCO, ONGs y de comunicadores científicos. Es fundamental efectuar una buena comunicación de riesgos adaptada al contexto y con la implicación directa de la población, sin dejar a nadie atrás y abordando el estigma. Es crucial para ello la labor de los trabajadores comunitarios de la salud. En este trabajo se exponen y analizan las estrategias de comunicación de riesgos y de participación comunitaria en la primera fase de la pandemia, con énfasis en aquellas desarrolladas en países del sur global., In the history of humanity, many epidemics have marked its evolution in social, demographic, economic and public health terms. The current one, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has triggered a global health crisis. The public health measures implemented have contributed to the emergence of a social and economic crisis. COVID-19 disproportionately affects the poorest and most vulnerable people, since the Social Determinants of Health have an effect in its transmission and degree of impact. These crises are most far-reaching in developing countries and in places where humanitarian action is needed. It has been shown that the effectiveness of interventions increases with the implementation of community networks that favour a decrease in transmission and the social impact associated to it, in addition to improving communication. At the same time, there has been an infodemic, a pandemic of misinformation and fake news; while inequalities in communication have also become evident. Numerous initiatives have been developed to fight it by WHO, UNICEF, OCHA, UNESCO, NGOs and science communicators. Good risk communication adapted to the context and with the direct involvement of the population, leaving no one behind and addressing stigma, is essential. The work of community health workers is crucial to this. This paper presents and analyses risk communication and community participation strategies in the first stage of the pandemic, with emphasis on those developed in countries of the global south., Máster Universitario en Acción Humanitaria Sanitaria (M161)

Resumen Desde hace un tiempo se ha venido señalando la necesidad de incluir el enfoque de participación y la perspectiva de género en los proyectos de intervención humanitaria dirigido a mujeres y niñas en situación de crisis; sin embargo, hasta el momento no hay una herramienta efectiva que se hayan creado al respecto. En este ensayo se presenta como instrumento de acción humanitaria la propuesta de Naciones Nómadas Feministas de Riesgo Cero o lugares seguros de enunciación, capaz de construir una respuesta válida y efectiva a las necesidades de esta “comunidad de sobrevivientes”. Partiendo de la teoría crítica poscolonial y decolonial, se reflexiona sobre el discurso que justifica la creación de estos tipos de espacios y se analizan, a su vez, los beneficios que este instrumento aporta a las mujeres y niñas que se encuentran en esta condición, además de proporcionar inestimables ventajas a los programas de ayuda humanitaria a la hora de hacerlos más efectivos. Finalmente, se reflexiona sobre las implicaciones de este cambio discursivo en los programas de la respuesta humanitaria internacional. Abstract For some time now, the need to include the participatory approach and the gender perspective in humanitarian intervention projects aimed at women and girls in crisis situations has been highlighted. However, until now there has not been created an effective tool to deal with in this regard. This essay presents the Zero Risk Feminist Nomadic Nations proposal, or safe places of enunciation, as an instrument of humanitarian action, capable of building a valid and effective response to the needs of this "community of survivors". Having as a basis the postcolonial and decolonial critical theory, this paper reflects on the discourse that justifies the creation of these types of spaces and, in turn, analyzes the benefits that this instrument brings to women and girls who find themselves in this condition, in addition to providing invaluable advantages to humanitarian aid programs in terms of making them more effective. Finally, a reflection on the implications of this discursive change in the international humanitarian response programs is proposed.

BackgroundHumanitarian non-governmental organizations provide assistance to communities affected by war, disaster and epidemic. A primary focus of healthcare provision by these organizations is saving lives; however, curative care will not be sufficient, appropriate, or available for some patients. In these instances, palliative care approaches to ease suffering and promote dignity are needed. Though several recent initiatives have increased the probability of palliative care being included in humanitarian healthcare response, palliative care remains minimally integrated in humanitarian health projects.MethodsWe conducted a qualitative study using interpretive description methodology to investigate humanitarian policy-makers’ and health care professionals’ experiences and perceptions of palliative care during humanitarian crises. In this article, we report on the analysis of in-depth interviews with 24 participants related to their perceptions of obstacles to providing palliative care in humanitarian crises, and opportunities for overcoming these obstacles. Among the participants, 23 had experience as humanitarian health professionals, and 12 had experience with policy development and organizational decision-making.ResultsParticipants discussed various obstacles to the provision of palliative care in humanitarian crises. More prominent obstacles were linked to the life-saving ethos of humanitarian organizations, priority setting of scarce resources, institutional and donor funding, availability of guidance and expertise in palliative care, access to medication, and cultural specificity around death and dying. Less prominent obstacles related to continuity of care after project closure, equity, security concerns, and terminology.ConclusionOpportunities exist for overcoming the obstacles to providing palliative care in humanitarian crises. Doing so is necessary to ensure that humanitarian healthcare can fulfill its objectives not only of saving lives, but also of alleviating suffering and promoting dignity of individuals who are ill or injured during a humanitarian crises, including persons who are dying or likely to die.

Despite increasing attention to gender issues in the humanitarian sector, the notion of gender equality as a humanitarian goal remains largely rejected, as some argue it would require interfering with cultural values and practices, and thus lie beyond the remit of humanitarianism. This paper questions this by examining the close relationship between certain humanitarian goals, and cultural values and practices. It ultimately calls for a gender-transformative humanitarian action that recognises and supports local feminist actors, in an effort to transform gender relations both in local communities and within humanitarianism itself.

As an image and location sharing platform, Instagram offers intimate visual access to events, experiences and situations in a manner that is mobile and contextual. Partnering with Australian Red Cr...

This article documents humanitarian action undertaken by Chinese troops in six UN peacekeeping missions and shows that Chinese peacekeepers engaged in very similar types of humanitarian action rega...

Cash transfers have changed the way the humanitarian sector delivers assistance, and at the same time, digitalization is changing the way our world works in fundamental ways. The digitalization of cash means that the simple click of a button can put money in the hands of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people within minutes. Digital payments have been a game changer, opening the door to faster and more efficient delivery of life-saving assistance. Although physical currency will not disappear with the rise of digital payments, it is essential to balance the benefits of these digital processes with the risks. As humanitarians, we need to articulate what “do no harm” means in the digital age, applying this equally to the way we use digital payments to support people affected by armed conflicts and other situations of violence.

En los últimos años una serie de normas, estándares, y certificaciones se han puesto en marcha en el sector de las organizaciones no gubernamentales con el fin de garantizar que desarrollan su trabajo con transparencia y calidad a sus principales grupos de interés (socios, donantes, titulares de derechos y a la sociedad en general). Al mismo tiempo, cada vez más donantes vinculan el cumplimiento de determinadas normas y estándares con la financiación. En este artículo se presenta la Norma Humanitaria Esencial en material de calidad y rendición de cuentas y se justifica la decisión de Médicos del Mundo de analizar si sus acciones en el ámbito de la acción humanitaria cumplen con los compromisos que esta norma establece., In recent years, a series of norms, standards, and certifications have been launchedin the non-governmental organizations sector to ensurethat they carried outtheir work with transparency and quality totheir main stakeholders (partners, donors, rights holders and society in general). At the same time, more donors link compliance with certain rules and standards with funding. This article presents the Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability and justifies the decision of Doctors of the Worldto assess whether their actions in the field of humanitarian action comply with the commitments established by the standard.

From August 2017 to September 2018, IOM (International Organization for Migration) experimented for the first time, participatory video methodology integrated in the activities of its Global Migration Film Festival (GMFF). The main purpose was to innovate and enable communities in the frontlines of displacement and different humanitarian action settings into creating through film their own narratives with their own hands and style. Their videos would then integrate the film festival that traditionally curates professionally produced movies. Amongst the six countries and areas with displaced population reached by the project is Roraima, Brazil, that has been hosting thousands of Venezuelans that crossed the Brazilian border fleeing from degrading living conditions. In May 2018 the authors spent a week at Pintolândia Indigenous Shelter located in the capital Boa Vista, facilitating displaced Venezuelans of the ethical groups of Warao and Eñepas make their own films to be screened locally and around the world. Furthermore, the facilitators would observe the potential benefits of the method to generate some level of social cohesion and integration between the participating displaced communities that came from different regions of Venezuela.

Executive SummaryThe growing numbers of vulnerable migrants seeking shelter and refuge in the United States and Europe are finding increased racism and xenophobia as well as renewed efforts by humanitarian volunteers to offer them aid, sanctuary, and protection. This article sets forth a typology to better understand the motivations of volunteers working to help migrants in need of humanitarian assistance. Why do people go out of their way to offer humanitarian aid to someone they do not know and, in some cases, they will never meet? What are the drivers of altruistic behavior of humanitarian volunteers in the face of rising injustice, nationalism, and xenophobia?In answer to these questions, we offer a typology centered on empathic concern, differentiating secular/faith-based motivations, and deontological/moral-virtue motivations, with particular behaviors in each of the four resulting categories: the Missionary Type, the Good Samaritan Type, the Do Gooder Type, and the Activist Type. We also suggest four additional self-centered (non-altruistic, or not-other-centered) types (Militant, Crusader, Martyr, and Humanitarian Tourist).The nuances offered by this typology can help organizations working with migrants and refugees better understand and channel the enthusiasm of their volunteers and better meet the needs of the vulnerable populations they serve. This is especially important at a time when migration is being criminalized and when humanitarian aid is deemed unpatriotic, if not outright illegal. In the face of increased nationalistic and xenophobic messages surrounding migration, we need to articulate the altruistic humanitarian motivations of volunteers in the context of migration aid.Our typology may also be used to understand altruistic behaviors in other contexts such as disaster relief, community organization and activism, international adoptions, or organ donations to strangers, among others, in which altruistic empathic concern can be an important motivation driving people to act for the well-being of distant others.

3.1. Accountability mechanisms stemming from the UNCRC and its related protocols The UNCRC and its related protocol establish several legal provisions on how to hold state parties accountable to the Convention. I highlight the main dispositions that pertain to my research question and first hypothesis. I first analyze the UNCRC itself, and then examine the three additional protocols. In the UNCRC, articles before article 42 focus on the rights of the child strictly speaking, while in those ...

This research analyzes mechanisms fostering states’ compliance to international treaties. It argues that a treaty accountability network surrounds states when they commit to an international covenant and that actors belonging to the network have leverage on states to hold them accountable. This study is particularly interested in the role NGOs and IOs play as actors within this network. It identifies two main ways for holding states accountable: direct and indirect. Indirect accountability is conceptualized as mechanisms where aid recipients are empowered by organizations and will henceforth hold their states accountable. This research provides a small-N case-study on the UNCRC, maps the treaty accountability network surrounding it, identifies accountability mechanisms developed by one OI (UNICEF) and one NGO (Terre des Hommes Suisse) and examines pathways used by one state (Switzerland). We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Vahabzadeh Foundation for financially supporting the publication of best works by young researchers of the Graduate Institute, giving a priority to those who have been awarded academic prizes for their master’s dissertations.

2.1 Conceptualization In order to give my study a strong basis on which to build an analysis, a clear definition and conceptualization of the core concepts of the research is required. Thus, I identify the concepts here as ideal-types that I then confront with reality. I have created an “analysis sheet” (appendix 1) that enables me to carry out my research while referring accurately to the theoretical aspects as defined. 2.1.1. Accountability I use the definition of accountability as given by...

1.1 Introduction Thirty years ago, nations joined together to make an unprecedented promise to the children of the world. They pledged not only to proclaim children’s rights, but to uphold them and be accountable for them. The Convention on the Rights of the Child was a landmark achievement. Antonio Guterres This statement by the Secretary General of the United Nations was proclaimed at the 30th Celebration of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 2019. This celeb...

4.1. IO: UNICEF UNICEF fits with my conceptualization of an international organization because it is autonomous and independent from governments. UNICEF is present in 190 countries and executes programs in 151 of them. It is also composed of 34 UNICEF National Committees which are established as NGOs with regional offices in countries where it works. Moreover, it cooperates with governments and various NGOs (UNICEF, 2019d, pp. 2–3). I have identified mechanisms and evidence corresponding to ...

5.1. State: Switzerland This chapter aims to demonstrate the role of the state and how it can develop avenues for diverse actors to improve its own accountability and compliance to its commitments. Switzerland represents a typical case study, yet it is able to demonstrate the relationship between a democratic country and non-state actors pertaining to child rights. This section assesses the pathways provided by the federal state to allow for accountability to be demanded by organizations and ...

6.1. General synthesis In this section I synthesize all the data analyzed in my research and provide a general reflection on my hypotheses with regard to my empirical results. A) Thanks to my analysis, I have been able to identify the TRAN surrounding the UNCRC. The principal actors emerging from the research are states (whether they have ratified the Convention or not), intergovernmental bodies (such as the Committee on the Rights of the Child established by the Convention), IOs (such as UN...

On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization declared a pandemic of the COVID-19 coronavirus disease that was first recognized in China in late 2019. Among the primary effects caused by the pandemic, there was the dissemination of health preventive measures such as physical distancing, travel restrictions, self-isolation, quarantines, and facility closures. This includes the global disruption of socio-economic systems including the postponement or cancellation of various public events (e.g., sporting, cultural, or religious), supply shortages and fears of the same, schools and universities closure, evacuation of foreign citizens, a rise of unemployment, changes in the international aid schemes, misinformation, and incidents of discrimination toward people affected by or suspected of having the COVID-19 disease. The pandemic has brought to the fore unpreparedness in critical areas that require attention, amid prospects and challenges. Moreover, considerable reorganization efforts are required with implications for assets, resources, norms, and value systems. COVID-19 is challenging the concept of globalization and stimulating responses at the levels of local and regional socio-economic systems that lead to the mobilization of assets that have been unrecognized earlier on, such as various forms of economic capital, social capital, cultural capital, human capital, and creative capital. For example, through digital channels, local groups are forming to create schemes of support for physical and mental wellbeing. These emerging exchanges lead to various social and technological innovations by building on skills and assets that are less important in the free-market economy, such as empathy, skills for crafts, making and fixing; locally grown microgreens; and micromanufacturing. Isolation and local living are also making it much harder to ignore the civic responsibilities towards communities, meant as individuals, vulnerable groups, and local businesses. Whilst the pandemic is limiting physical participation, this challenging time is uncovering alternative ways of mutual support, which may create long-term benefits for socio-economic systems, including environmental and biodiversity protection, reduction of the air pollution, and climate action. The pandemic’s threat to public health will hopefully be overcome with implications for disruption for an extended period that we are unable to forecast at this stage. It is key to focus on studies recognizing the activities and interventions leading to the recovery of socio-economic systems after the pandemic. Reflecting and planning on how societies and economies will go back to “business as usual” requires new forms of communication and cooperation, imaginative design thinking, new styles of management, as well as new tools and forms of participation in various public policies. Many questions related to the care of the vulnerable, economic restart, and the risk of future pandemics, to mention but a few, are already occupying the academic, scientific, experts, and activist communities, who have started to imagine the “new normal.”

En este capítulo, extracto del libro “Antropologie médicale. Ancrages locaux, défis globaux”, Didier Fassin muestra las líneas de fuerza de lo que llama “el territorio de la Antropología de la salud”. Propone exceder teóricamente y empíricamente el campo de la antropología médica clásica, reflexionando sobre algunos interrogantes atinentes a cuestiones políticas y morales, para el desarrollo de una “antropología de las políticas de la vida”. A partir de varios ejemplos, particularmente el análisis del doble mecanismo de producción y de construcción social del saturnismo infantil en Francia muestra de qué manera esta perspectiva permite abordar de manera crítica las nuevas formas de legitimidad sanitaria o humanitarias que parecen imponerse en detrimento de otras en los espacios locales de la salud pública, como en las escenas mundiales de la acción humanitaria, en donde las economías moral, economía y política se contrabalancean en las decisiones con respecto a las vidas humanas. Traducción del artículo "Le sens de la santé. Anthropologie des politiques de la vie" de Didier Fassin realizada por Violetta Cesanelli en colaboración con Tomás Kierszenowicz y Susana Margulies (Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina) Publicado originalmente en Francine Saillant y Serge Genest (dir.), Anthropologie médicale. Ancrages locaux, défis globaux. Capítulo 14, pp. 383-399. Québec: Les Presses de l’Université Laval; París: Anthropos, 2005, 467 pp. Disponible en "Les classiques des sciences sociales", biblioteca digital fundada y dirigida por Jean- Marie Tremblay, profesor de sociología en Cégep de Chicoutimi. Sitio web: http://classiques.uqac.ca/ En colaboración con la Bibliothèque Paul-Émile-Boulet de la Université du Québec à Chicoutimi. Sitio web: http://bibliotheque.uqac.ca/