digital humanitarianism
What is humanitarianism?
Michael Walzer wrote in an article for Foreign Affairs that "humanitarianism is probably the most important "ism" in the world today." In this same way, Global Humanitarian Assistance eloquently defines humanitarianism as "aid and action designed to save lives, alleviate suffering and maintain and protect human dignity during and in the aftermath of emergencies." Walzer's article explores the motives behind humanitarianism, explaining that humanitarianism is both an obligation and gift to provide to others. The article is certainly worth reading to gain a sense of the various political and moral factors that influence decisions to provide humanitarian aid to individuals.
At two minutes and 25 seconds, the above video begins discussing information most relevant to the discussion on humanitarianism. Despite the fact that wealthy nations provide developing countries with 130 billion dollars in aid each year, the wealth gap continues to expand. The video then explains that this is due to the fact that these developing countries pay or loose about 2 trillion dollars each year to wealthy counties in the form of debt payment, trade regulations and tax avoidance. Though wealthy nations do provide about 130 billion dollars in aid to poor countries, these poor countries pay 600 billions dollars each year to loans that they have already payed off. This then leads to the question if government aid truly is humanitarianism, being that these aiding efforts are driven by monetary gains by . Though it would be incorrect to make the assertion that government aid in entirely ineffective, it is clear that alternative methods of aiding developing countries may be more effective. An article by Claire Provost of The Guardian noted that one-fifth of foreign aid never actually reaches developing countries. Italy, for instance, only transferred 300 million dollars of the 2 billion dollars in claimed to have provided to poor countries. The article further explains that "large headline figures are presented as if aid in entirely a cash lump sum passed directly from donor to recipient", explaining while very little of the money may actually trickle down to the poorest individuals most in need. For this reason, non-governmental organizations and efforts that directly involve individuals in their own aid are often more effective. his leads to the next topic of digital humanitarianism, where the "middle man" between individuals and aid is often eliminated.
What is digital humanitarianism?
The above TedTalk by Paul Conneally thoroughly introduces the topic of digital humanitarianism. Digital humanitarianism refers to the modern face of humanitarian efforts, where relief workers rely heavily on technology to guide their efforts. In order to help individuals in poverty and impacted by disaster, workers are no longer required to be in the field and working in the country to provide aid. Of course these efforts are still used and needed, but in the modern age those impacted and in need of aid are better equipped to aid themselves and the workers involved in their aiding efforts. This has occurred because of the current widespread use of technology in developing nations. Being that the discussion of digital humanitarianism is so broad, this particular website will focus on the use of the mobile phones in humanitarian efforts and its impact on global development. The mobile phone is used to meet a wide range of needs through beneficiary communication, education and health and economic stability.
What does the cell phone have to do with this?
Iqbal Quadir explains in the above Ted Talk that government aid has empowered the authority, "without activating the citizens...their hands, brains." From this logic, he then concludes that for true economic development to occur, it must be "of the people, by the people, for the people." In this way, by the governments of wealthy countries funding the governments of poor countries, governments are being empowered and not the individual people. Iqbal Quadir advocates for the use of technology to empower individuals and encourage development, pushing for cell phone use in specific. Through his analysis, he explains that "connectivity is productivity." He then explains that productive societies are able to depend on each other and pool their resources and skills. Cell phones can provide the necessary communication within a society to allow people to depend on one another. He refers to a graph which relates gaining one new telephone to economic growth in various countries. The graph shows a dramatic impact on developing nations and a nominal impact on developed nations. In this way, the cell phone can be a method of fighting poverty.
Additional information:
An incredibly thorough report was released by OCHA (The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) on Humanitarian Efforts in the Network Age. I would definitely recommend at least reading some sections of the reports, for it reveals some very intriguing data about cell phone use and other technologies that will not be touched upon in this particular website.
http://www.unocha.org/hina
The below blog posts offer intriguing insights on the use of humanitarianism in the modern age.
http://irevolution.net/2012/04/09/humanitarian-future/
http://thedisorderofthings.com/2011/05/28/what-we-talked-about-at-isa-crisis-mapping-and-the-rise-of-digital-humanitarianism-part-iii/
http://www.unocha.org/hina
The below blog posts offer intriguing insights on the use of humanitarianism in the modern age.
http://irevolution.net/2012/04/09/humanitarian-future/
http://thedisorderofthings.com/2011/05/28/what-we-talked-about-at-isa-crisis-mapping-and-the-rise-of-digital-humanitarianism-part-iii/
Citations:
Global Humanitarian Assistance, "Defining Humanitarian Assistance." Accessed December 3, 2013. http://www.globalhumanitarianassistance.org/data-guides/defining-humanitarian-aid.
Walzer, Michael . Foreign Affairs, "On Humanitarianism Is Helping Others Charity, or Duty, or Both?." Accessed December 14, 2013. http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/67931/michael-walzer/on-humanitarianism.
Provost, Claire. The Gaurdian, "Researchers find one-fifth of foreign aid never leaves donor countries." Last modified September 24, 2013. Accessed December 10, 2013. http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2013/sep/24/foreign-aid-never-reaches-intended-recipients.
Global Humanitarian Assistance, "Defining Humanitarian Assistance." Accessed December 3, 2013. http://www.globalhumanitarianassistance.org/data-guides/defining-humanitarian-aid.
Walzer, Michael . Foreign Affairs, "On Humanitarianism Is Helping Others Charity, or Duty, or Both?." Accessed December 14, 2013. http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/67931/michael-walzer/on-humanitarianism.
Provost, Claire. The Gaurdian, "Researchers find one-fifth of foreign aid never leaves donor countries." Last modified September 24, 2013. Accessed December 10, 2013. http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2013/sep/24/foreign-aid-never-reaches-intended-recipients.