Humanitarian Workers

Editorial Focus

Humanitarian work: obvious progress and persistent challenges

In the early 2000s, “professionalisation” was the rallying cry in the humanitarian aid sector.[1]“This principle of managerial rationality, currently contested only on the fringes, is, as we well know, a...

Pascal Dauvin - Boris Martin

Focus

Philanthropists, humanitarians, colonial officers, missionaries, foreign aid workers and their “professionality”: looking at the past to look forward

In this article, historian Natalie Klein-Kelly delves into the origins of humanitarianism. Through a fascinating and at times surprising journey into the past, she provides the keys to a better...

Natalie Klein-Kelly

Focus

Work, occupation and humanitarian skills: professional development ambiguities and perspectives

Dorothée Lintner, managing director of Bioforce, makes a valuable contribution. After establishing a few definitions, she helps us to better understand the particular context of humanitarian work and the impact...

Dorothée Lintner

Focus

The wage and non-wage practices of NGOs: innovating to remain competitive

The professionalisation of the international solidarity sector has clearly not borne fruit in terms of salary levels. But the study presented here shows that employees’ expectations also lie elsewhere, and...

Alexia Tafanelli - Camille Rouxel

Focus

The mental health of humanitarian aid workers and gender dynamics: between “the risks of the job”, toxic masculinity and the burden of care

How does gendered socialisation affect women more than men in the humanitarian sector? This is the question that the three authors attempt to answer here. The past few years have...

Janyck Beaulieu - Laurie Druelle - Rosalie Laganière-Bolduc

Focus

Sexual exploitation and abuse: implication of humanitarian workers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The humanitarian sector is no exception to the evils that plague all of human society. Sexual violence not only affects the victims of such acts but also seriously undermines humanitarian...

Delu Lusambya

Focus

The place of women in humanitarian work: a question of equity and quality

In this article, Miren Bengoa makes a plea to strengthen the position of female humanitarian workers to ensure that the needs of women in vulnerable situations are better met. Humanitarian...

Miren Bengoa

Transitions

From traumatic stress to stress at work: providing psychological care for Médecins Sans Frontières staff

Over the past thirty years, as the humanitarian sector has become increasingly professional, and society has recognised the importance of psychological well-being, Médecins Sans Frontières’ managers have accepted that an...

Ludovic Joxe - Nicolas Veilleux

Forum

Ukraine: one year after the beginning of the invasion, dealing with the many contradictions in the humanitarian system

Published on 19 April, 2023 One year after the Russian invasion of Ukraine triggered the first major crisis in Europe since World War II, the humanitarian system has experienced its...

Pierre Brunet

Culture

Humanitarian action in a play

Dans la mesure de l’impossible [To the extent that it is impossible] Multilingual play in French, English and Portuguese, surtitled in English and French Script and staging: Tiago Rodrigues Tiago...

Stéphanie Durdilly

Focus

Are humanitarian workers immune to “India syndrome”?

The author takes an in-depth approach, bringing readers close to the daily reality, so that we might better understand the difficulties an NGO may encounter when setting up in India....

Océane Plockyn

Editorial Focus

Humanitarian aid and the challenge of gender-based and sexual violence

& Boris Martin • Editor-in-Chief In early 2018, several employees of a British non-governmental organisation (NGO) were accused of sexual abuse in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. What would become...

Jan Verlin