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2012 Instrumentalisation of the humanitarian action and total confusion in the safety and security management between Civil-Military operations, Private security company, UN Agencies, NGO and other Humanitarian Entities and Institutions (Haiti example). 2010-2011 (May 2011) More than 1,000 young American women have been raped or sexually assaulted in the last decade while serving as Peace Corps volunteers in foreign countries (May 2011) Oussama Ben Laden killed in Pakistan by US Secret Services. (December 2010) 250.000 US secret cables released by wikileaks (January 2010) major earhquake (7,2) in Haiti. DISA (Defense Information System Agency) is tested by the US army. 2008-2009 WHO raised the A/H1N1 flu alert level from Phase 5 to 6 in June 2009. A worldwide financial crisis is affecting humanitarian budgets. New types of weapons including “depleted uranium”, “micro-waves”, “acoustic” and “lasers” are tested and used (Iraq) within conflict areas. Some of those weapons are shown in cinema productions to the public and constructed widely for use on civilians (i.e. crowd control). 2002 The term “Ad-Hoc” showed up in humanitarian action vocabulary. It is widely used and misused and reveals a real lack of preparation and management of activities and security management. “War on terror” justifies violence. Torture is used against terrorists and shown in various cinema productions (films, series, TV). More and more violations of International Humanitarian Laws are reported. The number of aid workers killed each year increases dramatically. Red Cross movement and a large number of NGOs are in crisis. “Specialized safety and security trainings” appear. Humanitarian organizations face new constraints and are overwhelmed by them. This puts humanitarian action and its aid workers in peril. XXIe siècle Privatization of war, with systematic use of mercenaries, paramilitaries, milices or private security companies within conflict and humanitarian action areas. International geopolitical transformations such as the fall of the Berlin wall and September 11, 2001: Army troops change roles. Those search new functions, specifically, in humanitarian action field. Governmental armies want to be recognized and appreciated by the population in order to “justify” the political interventions. Contracts done with “security companies” and states represent 100 billions US dollars. Total confusion between humanitarian action and military interventions. Most of north European countries are increasingly restrictive concerning immigration. Civilizations clash and communitary enclosement are there. Social and ideological impacts are huge and create nuisances to international humanitarian organizations that remains visible and easily reachable, as present close the populations on the fields. We assist a transformation, even a weakening of the social links, the question of the survival of humanity is there, due to numerous causes and incertitudes. Humanitarian emergencies permit the observation of this evolution. Such context with state governance is weakening and while various issues and NGOs are multiplying. NGOs try to assume governmental responsibilities, but cannot face the enormous tasks. In the deeply transformed context and violence, aid workers’ security and safety is becoming a major issue in humanitarian action. Triple ideological crisis, characterized by a weakening of states, questioning on progress and time concepts. From the establishment of the “nation-states”, the state is considered as representative of a group of people forming a linked political community and, supposedly, equally treated. Decentralization phenomenon appears, following the failure and limits of “nation-states”. States’ loss of power, pushed by decentralization in order to “assure social peace,” local collectives understand better the field and can assume better governance. In Palestine, considered “terrorist” political party HAMAS is democratically elected. Dutch Government pressed MSF(a Nobel Prize winning NGO) to justice to recover ransom money paid to liberate a kidnapped expatriate aid worker. Technical progress was considered the main aspect of development. Due to numerous issues (GMO, genetic, nuclear) technical progress is not as respected as before. Currently, state power is decreasing; short-term issues such as electoral results are considered priorities when it should be fundamental needs and structural planning. Humanitarian action is heterogeneous. Small or average sized NGOs suffer strong economic pressures. They are facing concurrence in the collection of money. They need funds to survive and sometimes accept governmental projects, disregarding their own principles, values and objectives. Intrumentalisation plans are real. A few of those charity organizations are called “quasi-NGOs” or “state-NGOs”. Most of the time projects concern IDP transportation, IDP camp management, scholarship kitchens, financed by United Nation agencies. 2001 “September 11” dramatically and deeply modified humanitarian philosophies, approaches and development. International community was pushed to take strong ideological positions. Governmental development cooperation is dramatically affected and NGO humanitarian aid is put in question. 1989 Fall of the Berlin wall. 1994 Christopher Columbus’ colonization was done is several steps (colonialism, imperialism, financial globalization). In that frame, the majority of countries, founded on decolonization, want to control their destinies and play a role in the world. “L’Uruguay round” Was the first step to OMC and showed that the majority of «northern and southern countries» wanted liberalism (in 2000, over 77 liberalism measures, 58 were unilaterally accepted by governments). Meanwhile, each country has its own way to define globalism. There are a lot of Globalism and ideological thoughts. The current globalism frame is not necessarily favorable in resolving security questions in humanitarian action. 1947-1991 The Cold War brought a significant rupture in development cooperation and humanitarian aid. NGOs are taking position against governments to bring assistance to populations. The humanitarian aid starts to become structured. In the meantime, the bipolar east-west world is collapsing, provoking a multiplication of regional conflicts. Security incidents in humanitarian activities are rising. 1949 Harry Truman, president of the United States used for the first time the adjective “under-developed”. Two billion inhabitants instantly lost their specificities, cultures and identity. Hegemonic development ideology is following colonialism ideology. “Integrated approaches” are appearing (PRT in Afghanistan, etc.), financed and supported by international donors (USAID, DFID) and Embassies. 1948 Henri Dunant’s institutional and regulation heritage and the creation of the Red Cross movement acquire an international extension by the intermediary of the ICRC during World War II. 1945 Creation of the United Nations (UN Charter in San Francisco) with the concepts of “just war”, “interference right”, “humanitarian assistance”, “humanitarian intervention” and “humanity intervention” brought new approaches humanitarian aid and development cooperation. XXe siecle Explosion of humanitarian aid business, represented by “tiers-mondistes” and “Sans Frontiérismes” movements. Creation of a large number of NGOs (MSF, Emmaüs) and governmental agencies for development (AFVP: Agence Française des Volontaires du Progrès, etc.), created by the French Cooperation Minister, based on volunteer bases. Many new approaches are appearing: interference, neutrality, relations between private humanitarian aid and governmental humanitarian aid… 1862 Human rights declaration. 1859 Geneva Convention and annex conventions. Henri Dunant, with his observation of Solferino battlefield declared, “In the face of death, each and everybody is equal, even a solider.” He is one the pioneers that wanted to put “regulation” to conflicts and humanitarian aid. If he is showing preoccupation with the “victims,” he did not seem preoccupied by his own security at this time. He launched the “Red Cross” movement forming a neutral organization intervening during conflicts. Despite a context favoring the strengthening of security measures in humanitarian action, analysis of documents show that security is still not an issue. XVIIIe - XIXe siecles The “siècle des lumières” modify the perception of the place of humans in the universe. Humans are in the center of the world and dominate nature using scientific development and organizing new political views based on contract philosophy and human rights. Philosophic and political heritages of the “siècle des lumières”: Rousseau, Voltaire and Diderot by their humanism brought a lot in humanitarian action and human rights. They reconsidered religious dogmas and superstition. During Lisbon earthquake in 1755, religious groups claimed that it was “the hand of God.” Rousseau claimed that it was a natural catastrophe and that “human beings should try to dominate nature.” Abolition of slavery followed with decolonizisation beginning of the 19th Century. 1492 The Americas’ discovery by Christopher Colombus and Africa by the Europeans radically changed the vision of the world. We can consider these discoveries as a form of globalization; the colonialists attempting to organize the world, mainly natural resources and population flux. Security is not considered as a problem and a disturbing issue for activities nor a handicap constraint. XIIe - XIIIe siecles Two main interpretations and/or major concepts that influence the “donation practices“ and “humanitarian action”: “We have to change the world, refuse fatality.” “There will always be poor and miserable, it is destiny.” XIe - XIIe siecles The Templars during The Crusades killed or supported depending on the religious group of the populations. -384av JC Saint Louis set up “l’ordre des mendiants” St. François, Ciceron, Aristotle, Jesus... Siren 515326387 Copyright © 2008-2014 HumanitarianProtection.org all rights reserved

Humanity & Humanitarian Action in Movement


It is difficult to define a “history of the violence and security in humanitarian action”. It seems that violence in humanitarian action always existed. Several currents are defined and show that humanitarian security is in perpetual evolution. Societies’ History and evolution are not equal; this problem is a current topic. Globalization encourages the internationalization of violence and conflicts. Analysis of the “humanitarian and security tendencies” is a key element in the daily security management wherever you are on the planet.


Below a rough chronology of those tendencies: