Decolonisation

Focus

Bridging humanitarian and social action through mental health and psychosocial support: towards ethical and context-sensitive responses in a polarised world

According to the authors, humanitarian aid and social action remain artificially compartmentalised, and continue to operate within enduring colonial hier­archies. Mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) can serve as a...

Lourdes Carrasco Colom - Maria Bray

Focus

How to avoid the wrong enemy: progressive and reactionary critiques of humanitarian action

In the face of the attacks against NGOs, it has become vital to distinguish between two radically opposed protests: those denouncing the inadequacies of aid in the name of universal...

Joël Glasman

Focus

Between “tacit” and “explicit” knowledge: humanitarian communication in search of a third way

How can we communicate better in the humanitarian sector? Between emo­tional campaigns and technical reports, the sector navigates between “tacit” and “explicit” knowledge. This ques­tion reveals power issues and certain...

Tom Ansell

Focus

Generative artificial intelligence and humanitarian representations: mirror or solution?

Is generative artificial intelligence really revolutionising humanitarian communication? At a conference recounted by the author, researchers and practitioners agreed that AI repro­duces and amplifies age-old practices of visual manipulation. From...

Valérie Gorin

Focus

From ecological transition to environmental justice: reflections and dilemmas

Aline Hubert’s article is salutary in that it not only underlines both the aid sec­tor’s efforts and shortcomings in meet­ing the challenges of climate change, but also opens up new...

Aline Hubert

Focus

French humanitarian organisations factoring in climate change: what do their dedicated management tools tell us?

In the face of climate change, French humanitarian NGOs are adopting dif­ferent models while confronting a dual injunction: environmental and decolo­nial. The management tools they use reveal three distinct approaches,...

Vincent Pradier

Focus

What can be done to implement a stronger, locally led humanitarian workforce?

Will a blend of different capacity-sharing approaches, based on professional development and activism principles, translate into a stronger, locally led humanitarian workforce? This is at least the solution the author...

Lucy Hall

Focus

Agroecology and the challenges of food production

There’s a lot of talk about agroecology, but we don’t always know what this alternative production system actually means. This is what the author explains, going back over the increasingly...

Caroline Broudic

Opinion

The imperial past and decolonised future of humanitarian action

The humanitarian sector has not escaped the challenges posed by the decolonalisation movement. While it is essential to face up to the relics of history, we must also be strong...

William Plowright

Transitions

Distorted representation of the Other, neglected modernity and truncated partnerships: why humanitarian advocacy must be decolonised

The call for decolonisation of many areas of social life is increasingly being heard in the international aid sector. For the author, one of the workstreams should concern the advocacy...

François Sennesael