Introduction
Eleanor Davey and Eva Svoboda
The richness, power and variety of humanitarian cultures outside of Europe and North America are regularly overlooked and poorly understood in comparison to the formal humanitarian system, which is often perceived as being predominantly Western in its origins and values. The lack of a more genuinely global understanding is increasingly appearing as a limitation to the international system’s conception of and engagement with its interlocutors and counterparts across the world. It is hoped that a better historical understanding of global cultures of humanitarianism will help shape more appropriate and effective responses to crises today.
This collection of papers offers an introduction to the history and concepts of humanitarian action in the Middle East and North Africa. It does not aim to be comprehensive or even representative, but rather to highlight themes and issues with a bearing on current concerns and to provide an example of the historical perspectives that might shed light on humanitarian action today. Based on a joint conference with the Arab Thought Forum (ATF) in Amman in April 2013, this Working Paper is part of HPG’s project ‘A Global History of Modern Humanitarian Action’, which promotes the use of history to improve humanitarian policy and practice.
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