Routledge International Humanitarian NGOs and State Relations: Politics, Principles and Identity (Routledge Humanitarian Studies)

International Humanitarian NGOs and State Relations: Politics, Principles and Identity examines the often discordant relationship between states and international non-governmental organisations working in the humanitarian sector. INGOs aiming to provide assistance to populations suffering from the consequences of conflicts and other human-made disasters work in the midst of very politically sensitive local dynamics. The involvement of these non-political international actors can be seen as a threat to states that see civil war as a state of exception where it is the government’s prerogative to act outside ‘normal’ legal or moral boundaries. Drawing on first-hand experience of humanitarian operations in contexts of civil war, this book explores how the relationship works in practice and how often clashing priorities can be mediated. Using case studies of civil conflicts in Sri Lanka, Darfur, Ethiopia and Chechnya, this practice-based book brings together key issues of politics, principles and identity to build a ‘negotiation structure’ for analysing and understanding the relationship. The book goes on to outline a research and policy development agenda for INGOs to better adapt politically to working with states. International Humanitarian NGOs and State Relations will be a key resource for professionals and policy makers working within international humanitarian and development operations, as well as for academics and students within humanitarian and development studies who want to understand the relationship between states and humanitarian and multi-mandate organisations. Review "The political negotiations conducted by international human organisations to gain access to civil war victims has long taxed humanitarians and governing authorities. This illuminating account draws upon archives and other original sources to explore the clashes during civil wars between sovereign authorities in Sri Lanka, Russia, Ethiopia and Sudan and universalist organisations such as Médecins sans Frontières. Andrew Cunningham's approach demonstrates the complexity of negotiating structures and discordant discourses, in a book of many insights containing valuable lessons for humanitarians." Michael Pugh, Professor Emeritus in Peace and Conflict, University of Bradford, UK "Cunningham’s book tackles a gaping fissure in today’s humanitarian practice – the seemingly irreconcilable clash between the moral actions of the aid agency and the exercise of political power by the state. Given current trends in the establishment of state sovereignty, the mistaken humanitarian emphasis on ‘state-avoiding’ approaches will only further doom their access to people in crisis. Put simply, Cunningham’s analysis of the state-INGO relationship makes not for interesting research; it should become required reading." Marc DuBois, Independent Humanitarian Consultant, former Executive Director MSF-UK "Amidst increasing efforts by states to limit the actions of INGOs operating within their borders, Cunningham provides much-needed insight into the narratives, rules, norms and discourses that shape NGO-state relationships. He masterfully highlights the complex political realities faced by both humanitarian NGOs and the states in which they work, making this a must-read for policymakers, donors, NGO workers, and anyone interested in understanding when and why humanitarian interventions succeed or fail." Jennifer N. Brass, School of Public & Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, USA "How states and international humanitarian actors relate to each other matters because when the relationship breaks down people in need don’t receive lifesaving assistance. This book is crucial reading for researchers and practitioners to understand how that happens and what could be done to build more constructive partnerships better able to assist and protect people in times of crisis." Paul Harvey, Partner, Humanitarian Outcomes, UK "Andrew Cunningham’s carefully-r