Rethinking western humanitarian ideology: let’s rise to the challenge together

The French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs (IRIS) is one of the main independent European Think Tanks on geopolitical and strategic issues.

IRIS, a public-interest association created in 1991, is a French think tank on geopolitical and strategic issues. It is the only international think tank to have been set up as a totally private initiative in an independent approach. IRIS activities can be divided into four fields: research, organisation of events and meetings, publishing and training.

Under the direction of Michel Maietta, Senior Research Fellow at IRIS and Head of the Strategy and Analysis Unit at Action Against Hunger France. This space of reflection aims to be an open forum for dialogue and research on humanitarian space’s evolution and the role of its stakeholders.

The humanitarian sector is going through an identity crisis; discussions about its west centric orientation, interventionist nature and more recently the resilience agenda have stirred new thinking but not revolutionary change. This is perhaps because serious consideration of these issues could radically challenge the established models, question our set of values and redefine the balance of power between the humanitarian actors.

This observatory aims to facilitate discussions which will bring together the perspective of actors in the humanitarian field and contribute to the thinking around a new generation of humanitarian organisations.Abstract:

When a group of French doctors and journalists launched the ‘French doctors’ movement in 1971, based on a “without borders” approach, with a combination of direct action and media coverage, a new, modern humanitarianism was created. The founders of this movement are still admired by the new generation and are seen as models of humanitarianism, but the humanitarian world is changing and the ‘French doctors’ model is losing momentum. This paper advocates change in the humanitarian way of thinking, and a new cultural and intellectual approach “without borders”.