Educated minds of CelticsBlog...

[celticmaestro]

...I'm in the middle of a dissertation on Humanitarian Intervention and I'm looking to get a few opinions on a few things and from my experiences on this site and from what I know of a lot of the posters here, you're all clued up on matters such as this and very intelligent people. The title is: "There can be no such thing as humanitarian intervention. Critically discuss" - I come to you for examples supporting and opposing this claim. I'm not asking you to write anything for me, I'm more than capable of that myself, this is purely for research/discussion purposes, I wont quote anyone but I may well use some of your examples.

Any input would be greatly appreciated and most definitely TP worthy.

PS - I didn't put this in the Current Events Forum because I didn't think it belonged there, but if a Mod feels as though it does then by all means move it.

[Edgar]

...I'm in the middle of a dissertation on Humanitarian Intervention and I'm looking to get a few opinions on a few things and from my experiences on this site and from what I know of a lot of the posters here, you're all clued up on matters such as this and very intelligent people. The title is: "There can be no such thing as humanitarian intervention. Critically discuss" - I come to you for examples supporting and opposing this claim. I'm not asking you to write anything for me, I'm more than capable of that myself, this is purely for research/discussion purposes, I wont quote anyone but I may well use some of your examples.

Any input would be greatly appreciated and most definitely TP worthy.

PS - I didn't put this in the Current Events Forum because I didn't think it belonged there, but if a Mod feels as though it does then by all means move it.

if you want to translate this into spanish
and u feel like that can help u
I will ask for Roy to allow people to discuss this in both languages in here
I think this worth it
and coming from a 3rd world country i want to say a couple of things about this....

[celticmaestro]

...I'm in the middle of a dissertation on Humanitarian Intervention and I'm looking to get a few opinions on a few things and from my experiences on this site and from what I know of a lot of the posters here, you're all clued up on matters such as this and very intelligent people. The title is: "There can be no such thing as humanitarian intervention. Critically discuss" - I come to you for examples supporting and opposing this claim. I'm not asking you to write anything for me, I'm more than capable of that myself, this is purely for research/discussion purposes, I wont quote anyone but I may well use some of your examples.

Any input would be greatly appreciated and most definitely TP worthy.

PS - I didn't put this in the Current Events Forum because I didn't think it belonged there, but if a Mod feels as though it does then by all means move it.

if you want to translate this into spanish
and u feel like that can help u
I will ask for Roy to allow people to discuss this in both languages in here
I think this worth it
and coming from a 3rd world country i want to say a couple of things about this....

Of course, anyone can discuss this however they like. Unfortunately I don't understand Spanish but that shouldn't hinder any discussion. Be very interested to hear your thoughts on the matter as you said, you're coming from a third world country.

[Edgar]

...I'm in the middle of a dissertation on Humanitarian Intervention and I'm looking to get a few opinions on a few things and from my experiences on this site and from what I know of a lot of the posters here, you're all clued up on matters such as this and very intelligent people. The title is: "There can be no such thing as humanitarian intervention. Critically discuss" - I come to you for examples supporting and opposing this claim. I'm not asking you to write anything for me, I'm more than capable of that myself, this is purely for research/discussion purposes, I wont quote anyone but I may well use some of your examples.

Any input would be greatly appreciated and most definitely TP worthy.

PS - I didn't put this in the Current Events Forum because I didn't think it belonged there, but if a Mod feels as though it does then by all means move it.

if you want to translate this into spanish
and u feel like that can help u
I will ask for Roy to allow people to discuss this in both languages in here
I think this worth it
and coming from a 3rd world country i want to say a couple of things about this....

Of course, anyone can discuss this however they like. Unfortunately I don't understand Spanish but that shouldn't hinder any discussion. Be very interested to hear your thoughts on the matter as you said, you're coming from a third world country.

First I think is important to draw a line
on topic
and its when we are talking about
Armed intervention and Unarmed intervention (ONU)

[illantari]

Dork time!

Humanitarian interventions are, in practice, something of an oxymoron (though not in theory).  If you look at food aid, for instance, in conflict situations it usually ends up perpetuating the conflict.  The food generally has to be distributed through the hands of whoever's in charge, be it the government or a rebel group, who then take it and use it for their soldiers, sell it for arms, etc.  There is also some belief that food aid during famines depresses domestic production and contributes to long term food shortage.

Armed intervention is of course, sort of more obvious.  You can point to both interventions by the UN and by individual countries and see failures/how it made it worse/how it was totally political.  The problem with both is also that countries never intervene unless they have a political interest in the conflict or the ending of the conflict.  So it's not actually humanitarian... it's just political.

So... surface level stuff unfortunately, but maybe it'll help?

[celticmaestro]

Thanks for the input illantari, TP for you.

For me, are were two incidents that spring to mind when you think of intervention for purely humanitarian purposes - Iraq in 1991 and Somalia in 1993. On the face of things, they appear humanitarian. When we scratch the surface, maybe not...

[indeedproceed]

Kosovo?

good place to start you've probably already seen

http://www.hrea.org/index.php?base_id=132

[celticmaestro]

Kosovo?

good place to start you've probably already seen

http://www.hrea.org/index.php?base_id=132

Thanks IP, that site looks familiar but I'll take a look at it.

Kosovo is definitely another one, can't go too far into a HI discussion without bringing that situation up.

[Edgar]

 El Salvador after war till..........

[KJR]

The discussion question suggests that there is a paradox between humanitarian assistance and an intervention.

Humanitarian assistance is voluntary external aid.  An intervention is a forceful intercession in someone else's affairs.

If voluntary external aid is effective in alleviating a humanitarian crisis, this would suggest that (a) there is a functioning central government, (b) a somewhat stable political order, (c) an absence of armed conflict, (d) a functioning economy, and (e) adequate internal aid workers and distribution mechanisms.

If an intervention is necessary, this might suggest (a) the absence of an effective central government, (b) an unstable or non-existent political system, (c) the presence of armed conflict, (d) a failed economy, and (e) a lack of internal aid and distribution mechanisms.

In the latter case, a foreign country or multi-lateral coalition cannot effectively provide humanitarian aid, unless the underlying systemic problems are addressed.  Any policy response needs to take into account the larger context in which the humanitarian crisis is occuring.

Some key questions to ask might include the following: Is the crisis a one-time event, such as a natural disaster (e.g., the tsunami in Indonesia, earthquakes in China); or is the humanitarian crisis an on-going disaster based on ethnic strife or a failed political and economic state (e.g. Somalia and Sudan)?  Is foreign assistance welcomed by the local population and its government?  Is there an armed conflict occuring, and are the groups that are fighting geographically intermixed (e.g. Iraq) or separated (e.g. Bosnia, Kosovo)?  Is the aid being provided by a single country, a multi-national coalition, an international agency or a non-governmental organization, or a combination of the foregoing?  What level of resources (personnel, money, goods in kind) is necessary to effectively address the humanitarian need, and are these resources available?  What internal aid and distribution assets are available?  What changes in security, culture, and the economic and political systems are necessary for the aid to be provided, and so the aid can make a lasting difference?  Is there a willingness and ability to make the necessary changes?

If an intervention becomes necessary (i.e. a forceful external intercession in the affairs of a sovereign country), a humanitarian crisis cannot be solved through humanitarian aid alone.  The intervening party must be willing and able to make or assist the sovereign country in making the necessary systemic changes that will make any humanitarian aid lasting and effective.

[indeedproceed]

Isn't intervention really about choosing a side? I understand that atrocious things are committed during wartime, especially in third world countries. But isn't intervention about the world taking notice and saying "This one side is doing something blatantly evil, and it needs to stop". Maybe a bit simplistic but just a thought

[Schupac]

This is probably my more philosophical nature but when I read your first post my take on it was more a darwinism vs. altruism thing... IE are you really helping anyone by intervening and giving a stopgap solution, or should the situation be allowed to settle itself and allow the naturally stronger group to prevail?  And then the question becomes - does allowing the natural winner in a dispute result in a more beneficial settlement in the long term?

That would be an interesting direction to take but it might smell like a cop-out to most professors.

[billgiddens]

You might first have to answer the question of whether there is such thing as a selfless act.

If you're somehow able to answer yes, then the answer to your other question is yes.

We can picture a group of gunmen ready to kill a group of innocents, and we can picture somebody stopping them.

On a larger scale, we can't dismiss the possibility of similar circumstances occurring, even if there hasn't been a perfect, clean cut version of it that we can point to. Others can point to a variety of situations that appear to be examples, and they can point out that they are not actually examples (Gulf War, Somalia, etc), but they can't dismiss the possibility of a humanitarian intervention ever occurring, assuming there is such thing as a humanitarian (selfless) act.

That's all I got.

[hwangjini_1]

...I'm in the middle of a dissertation on Humanitarian Intervention and I'm looking to get a few opinions on a few things and from my experiences on this site and from what I know of a lot of the posters here, you're all clued up on matters such as this and very intelligent people. The title is: "There can be no such thing as humanitarian intervention. Critically discuss" - I come to you for examples supporting and opposing this claim. I'm not asking you to write anything for me, I'm more than capable of that myself, this is purely for research/discussion purposes, I wont quote anyone but I may well use some of your examples.

Any input would be greatly appreciated and most definitely TP worthy.

PS - I didn't put this in the Current Events Forum because I didn't think it belonged there, but if a Mod feels as though it does then by all means move it.

first, by dissertation are you saying phd? edd? masters? there is a major difference among them.

second, based only the title it is hard to respond, just as it is dangerous to judge books solely on their title. what field is this for?

third, what school are you in? is it american? british? what? is it a major research school ala U. washington? michigan? pittsburgh? UCLA? all these make a difference as to how your work will be evaluated.

fourth, if i were on your committee i would question the title. (sorry if i am tough, but better hear this from me than from your committee members.)  a D doesnt include "critically discuss" as the sub title. the point of the subtitle is narrow/sharpen the initial phrase/statement. not to order the reader to perform an act.

next, to state, as you do, that "there is no such thing as H I" is more polemical than analytical, no? what is the purpose of such a statement? by making it you obligate yourself to first establish whether ANY such concept can exist, and therefore you must follow up with YOUR construction of what existance is.

next, next, even if we accept that you are dealing  with what foucault refers to  a regime of truth and not Truth, no where in your title do i see the theoretical importance of your project. without knowing your theoretical assumptions it is impossible to properly evaluate your work.

now then, as i stated, the title is not much to judge your work by. but since that is all you provided i have no other choice.

in brief, until convinced otherwise,  your proposed topic seems to raise more questions than it settles.

and in case you are wondering, yes, my educational credentials do allow me to write the above with authority.

good luck to you.

[celticmaestro]

Thanks for the input guys, I've TP'd you all and really appreciate this.

Schupac, I liked your Darwinism v Altruism point, that's one I hadn't considered so I'll look further into that, thanks.

first, by dissertation are you saying phd? edd? masters? there is a major difference among them.

second, based only the title it is hard to respond, just as it is dangerous to judge books solely on their title. what field is this for?

third, what school are you in? is it american? british? what? is it a major research school ala U. washington? michigan? pittsburgh? UCLA? all these make a difference as to how your work will be evaluated.

fourth, if i were on your committee i would question the title. (sorry if i am tough, but better hear this from me than from your committee members.)  a D doesnt include "critically discuss" as the sub title. the point of the subtitle is narrow/sharpen the initial phrase/statement. not to order the reader to perform an act.

1 - Final year of degree.

2 - The full title is Politics & Law, this is a Politics module entitled "Contemporary International Relations Theory."

3 - University of Kent, one of the finer Universities in the UK.

4 - I never saw a problem with the title, I think it's just a common title over here as all questions are set out this way.