Not Philanthropy But Rights: The Proper Politicisation of Humanitarian Philosophy

Abstract

Abstract This article supports the efforts of humanitarian agencies working in armed conflict to recognise a political and legal philosophy of humanitarian action that is more explicitly built on human rights and international humanitarian law. It regards humanitarian philosophy as a mixture of a simple ethic of charity and a more politically connected theory of rights. It observes the dangers of a strong philanthropy-only tendency that persists in international humanitarianism and argues that basing humanitarian action primarily on the ethic of charity is not sufficient for two reasons. First, because such charity seldom demands political responsibility from others. Second, because the virtue of charity can often be distorted into dysfunctional and patronising relationships between western aid givers and their 'beneficiaries' that can be colonial and even racist at heart. To move beyond a dysfunctional philanthropic mindset, the article sees better understanding of and respect for international humanitarian law (IHL) as of crucial importance. As a practical guide to human rights in war, IHL provides an effective bridge between a potentially utopian theory of human rights and effective humanitarian protection in war. The article also sketches the recent trend of contemporary humanitarian philosophy becoming increasingly rights-based and identifies a number of advantages as well as disadvantages in such an explicit ideological shift.