The seamy underside of humanitarianism What does it mean when humanitarianism is the response to death, injury and suffering at the border? This book interrogates the politics of humanitarian responses to border violence and unequal mobility, arguing that such responses mask underlying injustices, depoliticise violent borders and bolster liberal and paternalist approaches to suffering. Focusing on the diversity of actors involved in humanitarian assistance alongside the times and spaces of action, the book draws a direct line between privileges of movement and global inequalities of race, class, gender and disability rooted in colonial histories and white supremacy and humanitarian efforts that save lives while entrenching such inequalities. Based on eight years of research with border police, European Union officials, professional humanitarians, and grassroots activists in Europe’s borderlands, including Italy and Greece, the book argues that this kind of saving lives builds, expands and deepens already restrictive borders and exclusive and exceptional identities through what the book calls humanitarian borderwork.

At a time of escalating conflict between states and NGOs engaged in migrant search and rescue operations across the Mediterranean, this book explores the emerging trend of citizen-led forms of helping others at the borders of Europe. In recent years, Europe’s borders have become new sites of intervention for traditional humanitarian actors and governmental agencies, but also, increasingly, for volunteer and activist initiatives led by "ordinary" citizens. This book sets out to interrogate the shifting relationship between humanitarianism, the securitization of border and migration regimes, and citizenship. Critically examining the "do it yourself" character of refugee aid practices performed by non-professionals coming together to help in informal and spontaneous manners, the volume considers the extent to which these new humanitarian practices challenge established conceptualisations of membership, belonging, and active citizenship. Drawing on case studies from countries around Europe including Greece, Turkey, Italy, France and Russia, this collection constitutes an innovative and theoretically engaged attempt to bring the field of humanitarian studies into dialogue with studies of grassroots refugee aid and, more explicitly, with political forms of solidarity with migrants and refugees which fall between aid and activism. This book is key reading for advanced students and researchers of humanitarian aid, European migration and refugees, and citizen-led activism.

The author assesses the politics of different humanitarian interventions in the Mexico-US border region developing a unique perspective on the significance of people, places and things to contemporary border struggles.

The end of the millennium finds some 25 million people worldwide displaced by civil wars or violations of human rights, but still in their own countries and with no redress. This humanitarian challenge examined here poses a threat to security, stability and economic well-being of all continents.

Crossing Borders describes author Jerry Johnson's personal struggle to adjust to life in Armenia while he was there as a community development consultant from 1995-1997. More than a diary of events, it offers a simple model for successful intercultural adjustment that readers can apply in a variety of settings. It also provides a fascinating, detailed account of the living conditions in Armenia in the wake of the Soviet Union's collapse, the Nagorno-Karabakh War, and the historical tragedies that shape the Armenian collective consciousness. Furthermore, Johnson uses his personal experiences as a backdrop for a broader discussion of contemporary issues such as the lasting effects of the Cold War Era, anti-communist propaganda on America's role in the so-called New World Order, and the preparation of American relief and humanitarian aid workers. Accessible to a wide audience, Crossing Borders will be of great value to those interested in intercultural adjustment, developing cultural competence, foreign travel, or the aftermath of the cold war.

Humanitarianism has arguably become the key frame through which multifarious actors of world evaluate each other legitimacy and determinate their roles in the current world. Moreover, this new "humanitarian paradigm" has become an essential expression of what is meant by international community and contemporary world order behind it. The book examines the patterns of co-option and collaboration between the ethical and political traditions of the humanitarianism in various world political spectacles: September 11th, Iraq and Afganistan, Darfur, SARS and Avian Flu, and U.S. transformational HIV/AIDS diplomacy.

This book examines the ability of the UN to address security concerns, based on its member states' involvement, visions of international security, and contributed assets. At a time when security issues are changing and becoming increasingly complex to address, this will prove to be very useful for students and practitioners of international affairs.