The Opening of Vision

"Understanding the Humanitarian World is an informed and intelligent analysis of the complexities of humanitarian action today. Dan and Kirsten have done an excellent job in providing a resource that is equally valuable for students who aspire to humanitarian careers, whether academic or operational, as well as for experienced practitioners and policy makers who work at the sharp end of humanitarian response." - Sara Pantuliano, Overseas Development Institute, UK.

"Since Dan Maxwell and I published `Shaping the Humanitarian World' the humanitarian world has gotten a whole lot closer, as the end point of unsustainable development floods cities, forces communities to migrate, renders farmland barren and replaces coexistence with conflict. Understanding these crises, and how to respond to them to reset development in a more sustainable direction, is now a vital part of mainstream politics and economics. Whether you are teaching, learning or practicing, `Understanding the Humanitarian World', is the go to text to move from compassion to effective action." - Peter Walker, Falk School of Sustainability and Environment, Chatham University, USA.

"Conflict and disaster, and the wish to assist the vulnerable, have been part of human history for as long as it has been recorded. But only over the last few generations have we seen the development of dedicated mechanisms for assisting and protecting people in need. Today, a large and complex `global humanitarian response system' with local, national, and international actors attempts to help tens of millions engulfed in wars and catastrophes. Understanding how this frontline of and for humanity works, succeeds, and fails is the core focus of this book.

With their impressive background as experts, academics and practitioners, Daniel Maxwell and Kirsten Gelsdorf are uniquely qualified to highlight the origins, growth, and challenges to contemporary humanitarian action. They outline the historical roots of the system, outline the main actors and explore how humanitarian work succeed and fails under the extreme circumstances where it takes place. Interrogating the reasons why humanitarian operations, as well as actions undertaken in its name, remain the subject of so much controversy, they describe how humanitarian work is undertaken today and the ways it may develop in the future.

This book is therefore a much needed introductory text on how and why the United Nations agencies, the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement and hundreds of international and national non-governmental organisations do what they do in times of crisis and conflict. It will be essential reading for students and practitioners and others with an interest in humanitarian action, international humanitarian and human rights law, disaster management and international relations."

- Jan Egeland, Secretary General Norwegian Refugee Councel and former United Nations Emergency Coordinator and Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs