Abstract
The overarching theme of this book, the complex ‘relationship between legal standards and the lives of civilians caught up in conflicts not of their own making’, goes to the heart of social work practice throughout the world. In this book political scientist Elizabeth Ferris explores the evolution of the international community’s understanding of protection and how this has particularly manifested in the humanitarian aid community. She explores the historical and political events that have shaped the modern provision of humanitarian aid. This book would be of interest to a wide range of readers from international non-profit professionals, students of international relations and development, social workers of all levels, policy-makers and international law specialists. Its strengths lie in the author’s explanation of an international humanitarian system that developed within the context of and continues to be influenced by international politics. Her final chapter, in which she discusses her recommendations, is also thought-provoking at a time when the international aid community is under increased scrutiny to perform and often held to unrealistic and complicated expectations.
The first two chapters review the modern historical creation of the concept of protection, in particular, when governments are not able to protect their citizens and the organizations that have taken form from these concepts. The idea of protection is examined through the multiple lenses of emerging humanitarian principals, international humanitarian law (as most notably manifested by the International Committee of the Red Cross), refugee law (as carried out by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees) and further expanded by international human rights law (as expressed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights). This analysis gives a thorough overview of the history of and the state of the modern humanitarian system.
An important theme stressed by the author is the emergence in many fields towards a ‘holistic focus on protection’ that moves beyond a concern with physical protection of the individual to a more expansive understanding to uphold rights, provide for security and address social, economic, cultural and political needs. The author points out that due to the expansion of the concepts of human rights to include security and protection these concepts have also become vague and difficult to put into action. Ferris is careful to point out that although the efforts of humanitarian actors to mitigate the harm experienced by civilians in conflict zones is substantial their ability to fully protect will always remain limited when there is an ‘absence of will and cooperation from the parties to the conflict’.
Ferris looks at the increasing proliferation of actors involved in protecting civilians and the multifaceted situations created by armed conflict (Chapters 3 and 4). She examines the complex provision of aid through the foreign policy and other priorities of donor governments, the confusing roll of using military personnel performing what is normally associated as civilian work, and the leadership of the United Nations as the most visible part of the international humanitarian system through its agencies and non-governmental organizations.
Later, the author explores the complexities of the issue of protection in its larger political contexts (Chapter 5). The topic of global governance is discussed especially in regards to the effects of pivotal humanitarian crises in the 1990s which prompted re-evaluation of UN engagement in protecting people in danger and led to reform processes at the UN. The author explores the attempts by the UN to unify global efforts at aid provision into a holistic approach as well as the movements to bring perpetrators of genocide to justice through newly created international forums. The author continues to discuss the ongoing political dilemmas that NGOs face in their roll of providing protection and aid (Chapter 6). She further raises central questions regarding the ability to provide humanitarian action with impartiality, neutrality and independence and the shift towards expectations of humanitarian actors to increasingly provide for the long term development needs of communities served and the unintended cultural divisions that may result from foreigners intervening in these complex cultural settings.
Remaining chapters explore issues of protection in the events of natural disasters (Chapter 7) and further discuss the challenges of funding humanitarian and development work when the majority of funding is provided through a handful of mostly Western governments (Chapter 8). In the final two chapters (9 and 10) the author discusses future challenges to humanitarian organizations such as changes in warfare, urbanization and climate change. In summary, she recommends redefining the limits of protection from humanitarian actors as unable to protect people from physical violence but as able to prevent assistance programs from worsening conflict for civilians and keeping them alive while political actors find solutions to conflict.
This detailed examination of the modern humanitarian aid system is a thorough analysis that anyone involved in the provision of humanitarian aid especially in complex political climates or anyone considering such involvement or just interested in the topic should read for a realistic understanding of the complexities such action encompasses. Ferris blends her passion for protection of people put in harm’s way due to political conflict, grounded in her own experience, with a political scientist’s analysis of the reality of providing protection in the complicated scheme of international relations. Her insights are compelling and inspiring and never lose focus of responding compassionately to those most in need within a larger human rights perspective.