| NGO Consultation Series |
| With support from the Andrew
Mellon Foundation, the Ralph Bunche Institute co-hosts with Tufts University's
Humanitarianism
and War Project a series of policy dialogues with international
nongovernmental organizations. These off-the-record discussions are by invitation
only. The next NGO Forum for the Humanitarianism and War Project, Policy Dialogue XIV is scheduled for Spring 2004 and will be held at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. |
| Previous NGO Forums Prior to meetings Issue Notes are disseminated to participants to frame the discussion. After each meeting the input of participants and an evaluation of trends in humanitarian action are compiled into a report. Policy Dialogue XIV, October 1, 2003: “The Aid
Marketplace.” Participants examined humanitarianism as an industry.
Recent and troubling trends include an upsurge in politicization and commercialization
in humanitarian action. While the overall size of the industry has increased,
the imperatives of institutional survival and the political backdrop of
the “War on Terror” have permeated and undermined the international
humanitarian system. Policy Dialogue XIII, May 5, 2003: “Humanitarian
Action: Current Critique, Future Prospects.” This session reviewed
current trends in humanitarian action with presentations by authors of
recent significant studies: Larry Minear (The Humanitarian Enterprise:
Dilemmas & Discoveries), David Rieff (A Bed for the Night: Humanitarianism
in Crisis), and Thomas G. Weiss (The Responsibility to Protect –
Research, Bibliography, Background). Policy Dialogue XII, December 11, 2002: “NGO Relations
with Donors to Humanitarian Action.” Participants discussed current
trends in relations between donors and humanitarian NGOs. Three specific
aspects were examined: the imperatives of donors; NGO behavior; and competition
for resources and roles among NGOs, the UN, and national militaries. Policy Dialogue XI, April 30, 2002: “The Crisis
in Afghanistan Revisited.” Participants took an inventory of present
operations in Afghanistan, raised questions about the most difficult aspects
of their work, and sought to identify and anticipate future challenges.
The sessions were organized around four themes: stocktaking of recent
developments, security, Afghanization, and future challenges. Policy Dialogue X, November 15, 2001: “Humanitarian
Action and the Afghanistan Crisis.” The meeting focused on policy
and programming issues arising in connection with the Afghanistan situation,
including the relevance of humanitarian principles to the provision of
assistance and protection during the conflict, and the relation between
humanitarian activities by NGOs and the policies of the United States
and associated governments. Policy Dialogue IX, May 10, 2001: “Local Capacity
Building in Humanitarian Emergencies.” Policy Dialogue VIII, November 8, 2000: “NGO Professionalism.” Policy Dialogue VII, May 2, 2000: “Gender and
Humanitarian Action.” |