Adapting and reworking humanitarian studies in new times and contexts

Global pressure on humanitarian action

Global political currents are buffeting humanitarian action and humanitarian studies in multiple contexts across the world, with decisions taken in places like Washington severely affecting everyday humanitarian actors. For humanitarian actors and researchers, these new times require adapting, reworking and remixing of humanitarian activities to ensure adherence to principles like ‘do no harm’, and continuing to work in vulnerable and fragile places. A major concern is the status of respecting and upholding International Humanitarian Law, including the protection of medical and humanitarian workers. 

The localization challenge

At the same time, humanitarianism has a strong focus on localized responses, with contextual actors and affected populations being required to take more and more of the brunt of funding cuts, and more and more of the tasks associated with humanitarian programming. The questions that were approached during this conference were: 

• How can humanitarian studies adapt and remix within these new contexts;
• Where does power lie now, as the responsibilities and complications pile up;
• What is the role of academia/researchers in these challenging times;
• And how can we see the positive within a sea of negative headlines?