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Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Social work > Charities & voluntary services
America's grantmaking foundations have grown rapidly over the course of recent decades, even in the face of financial and economic crises. Foundations have a great deal of freedom, enjoy widespread legitimacy, and wield considerable influence. In this book, David Hammack and Helmut Anheier follow up their edited volume, American Foundations, with a comprehensive historical account of what American foundations have done with that independence and power. While philanthropic foundations play important roles in other parts of the world, the U.S. sector stands out as exceptional. Nowhere else are they so numerous, prominent, or autonomous. What have been the main contributions of philanthropic foundations to American society? And what might the future hold for them? A Versatile American Institution considers foundations in a new way. Previous accounts typically focused narrowly on their organization, donors, and leaders, and their intentions - but not on the outcome of philanthropy. Rather than looking at foundations in a vacuum, Hammack and Anheier consider their roles and contributions in the context of their times and their economic and political circumstances.
African Son is a record of the author's many trips to Africa-as a Peace Corps volunteer, Fulbright scholar, teacher, and traveler-over the course of thirty years. These personal essays range from sympathetic descriptions of village life in Senegal and Cameroon to detailed accounts of the rich physical and natural worlds in Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Madagascar to a mock-curriculum vitae for a Cameroonian man whose skill-set is surprisingly extensive. A work of creative non-fiction, African Son describes individual and, later, family experiences in a number of African locations, from villages to major urban centers and from desert to thick, tropical forest.
This edited collection provides an in-depth ethnographic study of faith-based development organizations in the United States, shining a much needed critical light onto these organizations and their role in the United States by exploring the varied ways that faith-based organizations attempt to mend the fissures and mitigate the effects of neoliberal capitalism, poverty, and the social service sector on the poor and powerless. In doing so, Not by Faith Alone generates provocative and sophisticated analyses-grounded in empirical case studies-of such topics as the meaning of "faith-based" development, evaluations of faith-based versus secular approaches, the influence of faith-orientation on program formulation and delivery, and examinations of faith-based organizations' impacts on structural inequality and poverty alleviation. Taken together, the chapters in this volume demonstrate the vital importance of ethnography for understanding the particular role of faith-based agencies in development. The contributors argue for an understanding of faith-based development that moves beyond either dismissing or uncritically supporting faith-based initiatives. Instead, contributors demonstrate the importance of grounded analysis of the specific discourses, practices, and beliefs that imbue faith-based development with such power and reveal both the promise and the limitations of this particular vehicle of service delivery.
Make the business of society "your" business No one knows the business of social entrepreneurship better than Rupert Scofield. Cofounder and president of FINCA International--a nonprofit microfinancing institution with 7,000 employees serving 750,000 customers in 21 countries--Scofield has been a social entrepreneur for 40 years. In "The Social Entrepreneur's Handbook," Scofield leads you through the entire process of starting up and running a nonprofit, sharing personal success stories and advice on what not to do--valuable lessons he learned the hard way. The process, while risky, isn't as difficult as you might think. Practically speaking, you need only two things: an idea and a plan. The former comes from you and you alone. This book supplies the latter. "The Social Entrepreneur's Handbook" illuminates the path to building a successful nonprofit from the ground up. You'll learn how to: Create a realistic plan for getting started in your chosen cause Assemble the perfect team for putting your plan into action--and keeping it rolling in the right direction Develop a business model specifically designed to run a nonprofit organization Keep yourself, your staff, and your cause in solid financial shape One of the many beauties of social entrepreneurship is that it's never too late to start. You can be right out of school or working in the highest ranks of corporate America. It doesn't matter. Social entrepreneurship begins with a noble cause, which turns into a passion, and soon becomes a mission worth dedicating your life to. "The Social Entrepreneur's Handbook" is the one and only resource you will need to attain your dream of working full-time in service to others--and making a real, measurable difference in the world.
Provides readers with an array of lenses for looking at a social agency from the outside in, and from the inside out This highly accessible text takes into account the organizational dynamics that readers are likely to have experienced and provides them with the conceptual tools for reassessing their understanding and considering how to act on their new insights. Renowned scholar Armand Lauffer shows readers how to apply organizational theories to challenges they confront at work, and to uncover other challenges they may not yet be aware of.
Exhorting people to volunteer is part of the everyday vocabulary of
American politics. Routinely, members of both major parties call
for partnerships between government and nonprofit organizations.
These entreaties increase dramatically during times of crisis, and
the voluntary efforts of ordinary citizens are now seen as a
necessary supplement to government intervention.
Provides readers with an array of lenses for looking at a social agency from the outside in, and from the inside out This highly accessible text takes into account the organizational dynamics that readers are likely to have experienced and provides them with the conceptual tools for reassessing their understanding and considering how to act on their new insights. Renowned scholar Armand Lauffer shows readers how to apply organizational theories to challenges they confront at work, and to uncover other challenges they may not yet be aware of.
At a time when problems of crime and antisocial behaviour stimulate debate on big society solutions, this book provides an exceptional means of tracing a line of response which began at the end of the 18th century. Nipping Crime in the Bud explores the origins and development of the Philanthropic Society (and its influence on contemporary institutions) amid growing alarm about crime levels, Draconian sentences under England's Bloody Code and a paucity of effective crime prevention measures. Driven by Enlightenment zeal and ideals, this was the first voluntary sector charity devoted to 'nipping crime in the bud'. It did so through education, training, accommodation, mentoring and support for young people. Uniquely, the book traces the first hard won policy networks and partnerships between government and the voluntary sector. It reveals how-sometimes against the odds, with funding on a knife edge but constantly striving for effective answers-influential philanthropists rose to the challenge and changed approaches to young people involved in crime and delinquency, traces of which endure today within the great crime prevention charities which still rally to this cause. Muriel Whitten's book draws on previously neglected archival sources and other first-hand research to create a formidable and illuminating account about what, for many people, will be a missing chapter in English social and legal history. Review 'Describes in colourful detail the background to the founding of the Society and how its founders and their successors worked. It explains how their plans were put into practice, how they governed and how they acquired support. It skilfully deals with questions that are still asked today such as to what extent are children to be held responsible for wrongdoing? ... Dr Whitten is admirably suited to write such a book ... and] her knowledge and experience are distilled in this comprehensive and well-written book': John Hostettler, legal historian. Read the full review Author Dr. Muriel Whitten has been a youth and family court magistrate and a member of West Sussex Probation Committee. She has lectured widely on criminal justice matters at Goldsmith's and Birkbeck (University of London), the University of Ulster and has presented for CENTREX (now the National Policing Improvement Agency). She has also contributed a weekly column to the Belfast News Letter.
Americanizing Japanese Firms examines the concept of corporate social responsibility in Japanese manufacturing companies within the United States. The study compares the corporate philanthropy of Japanese companies against American and British companies. Specifically, the study investigates characteristics of Japanese companies that influence the level and nature of the corporate philanthropy undertaken. The relationship between size of the company and the level and nature of corporate social responsibility is also examined. Finally, the study explores how Japanese corporations learn about the American approach of corporate philanthropy. In his investigations, the author considered two contexts: first, the constitutions of Japan and the United States are analyzed at a national level to determine the position or importance of corporate philanthropy within the societies comparatively; and second, the communities in which corporations are located and act for social contribution are investigated.
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.
"Foundations play an essential part in the philanthropic activity that defines so much of American life. No other nation provides its foundations with so much autonomy and freedom of action as does the United States. Liberated both from the daily discipline of the market and from direct control by government, American foundations understandably attract great attention. As David Hammack and Helmut Anheier note in this volume, ""Americans have criticized foundations for... their alleged conservatism, liberalism, elitism, radicalism, devotion to religious tradition, hostility to religion-in short, for commitments to causes whose significance can be measured, in part, by the controversies they provoke. Americans have also criticized foundations for ineffectiveness and even foolishness."" Their size alone conveys some sense of the significance of American foundations, whose assets amounted to over $530 billion in 2008 despite a dramatic decline of almost 22 percent in the previous year. And in 2008 foundation grants totaled over $45 billion. But what roles have foundations actually played over time, and what distinctive roles do they fill today? How have they shaped American society, how much difference do they make? What roles are foundations likely to play in the future? This comprehensive volume, the product of a three-year project supported by the Aspen Institute's program on the Nonprofit Sector and Philanthropy, provides the most thorough effort ever to assess the impact and significance of the nation's large foundations. In it, leading researchers explore how foundations have shaped-or failed to shape-each of the key fields of foundation work. American Foundations takes the reader on a wide-ranging tour, evaluating foundation efforts in education, scientific and medical research, health care, social welfare, international relations, arts and culture, religion, and social change. "
In this dramatic first-person narrative, Greg Mortenson picks up where Three Cups of Tea left off in 2003, recounting his relentless, ongoing efforts to establish schools for girls in Afghanistan; his extensive work in Azad Kashmir and Pakistan after a massive earthquake hit the region in 2005; and the unique ways he has built relationships with Islamic clerics, militia commanders, and tribal leaders even as he was dodging shootouts with feuding Afghan warlords and surviving an eight-day armed abduction by the Taliban. He shares for the first time his broader vision to promote peace through education and literacy, as well as touching on military matters, Islam, and women - all woven together with the many rich personal stories of the people who have been involved in this remarkable two-decade humanitarian effort.
How can today s nonprofits demonstrate effective use of funds? How can they motivate employees and volunteers and combat burnout and high turnover? How can they ensure that they are performing in accordance with their mission and purpose? Author Stephen J. Gill answers these questions and more in Developing a Learning Culture in Nonprofit Organizations. Filled with practical tips and tools, the book shows students and managers of human services, arts, education, civic, and environmental agencies how to implement a learning culture with individuals, teams, the organization as a whole, and the larger community. Key Features Draws on the author s more than 25 years of consulting experience Demonstrates how to create a culture of intentional learning that uses reflection and feedback, focuses on successes and failures, and builds a strong organization that motivates employees and volunteers Offers specific, hands-on tools for each level of the organization, from the individual and team to the whole organization and the community Discusses not only the need for a learning culture but also the barriers that may stand in the way Takes a step-by-step approach that facilitates managers and students' understanding and learning Incorporates practical tools that can be used in nonprofit management and in actual field instruction Developing a Learning Culture in Nonprofit Organizations is appropriate for courses in Social Work Evaluation, Public and Nonprofit Management, and Evaluation."
"A fantastic book. . . .A major contribution Stories of Transformative Leadership in the Human Services is an extraordinary book by two highly accomplished social work educators and consultants. Based on years of experience in the classroom and in the field, Steve Burghardt and Willie Tolliver blend their "best practices" into a pedagogically creative and lively text that students and human service professionals alike will find engaging and invaluable. Social service agencies and workers are under siege, especially now in our global economic crisis, but this book is guaranteed to help in the struggles ahead for a more humane and just social service practice." Robert Fisher, University of Connecticut, author ofThe People Shall Rule: ACORN, Community Organizing, and the Struggle for Economic Justice (Vanderbilt University Press, 2009.) "A must read for directors, executives, funders, and board members Given today's economic climate, there may not be funds for the hiring of consultants. Read Stories of Transformative Leadership in the Human Services and engage as an organizational team in their activities instead. You, your staff and the culture of the organization will be transformed. As Ghandi said, Be the change you want to see.' The paradigm that Burghardt and Tolliver introduce will have you do just that." Claudette C'Faison, Cofounder and President of NY Youth at Risk, Inc. Certain to excite and inspire both students entering the human services field and seasoned non-profit professionals, Stories of Transformative Leadership in the Human Services: Why the Glass Is Always Full is the first full-length leadership book to focus on the unique challenges of the public and non-profit executive, manager, and educator. Written in a lively story-telling style, the book develops a leadership model for those who inspire without bonuses and seek a powerful legacy through people s lives. Authors Steve Burghardt and Willie Tolliver convey the stories of two social service agencies struggling to survive in a world of shrinking budgets, increasing needs, and lack of resources. While both agencies are run by hard-working managers, one is in constant crisis mode (racial tensions that simmer and boil over; professionals who end up exhausted and overeating after a crisis-filled day . . . every day), while the other, operating with no greater resources, lacks tension and turmoil as its managers respond to similar demands and client needs. Using real-life vignettes drawn from actual experiences, the stories distill important lessons and unfold in a powerful manner that will resonate with any professional asked to work harder . . . with a smaller budget. Questions woven through each story connect to the book's more theoretical material on leadership, personal mastery, and community-building. Accompanied by a Student Study Site: http: //www.sagepub.com/transleaderstudy/ Steve Burghardt, MSW, PhD, and Willie Tolliver, MSW, DSW, are professor and associate professor of Social Work at the City University of New York (CUNY) Hunter College School of Social Work and partners in the Leadership Transformation Group, LLC. Authors of numerous works on organizational change and strategic development, they are award-winning teachers of human behavior, policy, and community organization. They have worked with thousands of human service and educational staff on new models of leadership, personal well-being, spirituality, collaboration in times of crisis, and how to sustain conversations on race and oppression for lasting change at work and in one s life. Please visit their website: www.askltg.com."
"A fantastic book. . . .A major contribution Stories of Transformative Leadership in the Human Services is an extraordinary book by two highly accomplished social work educators and consultants. Based on years of experience in the classroom and in the field, Steve Burghardt and Willie Tolliver blend their "best practices" into a pedagogically creative and lively text that students and human service professionals alike will find engaging and invaluable. Social service agencies and workers are under siege, especially now in our global economic crisis, but this book is guaranteed to help in the struggles ahead for a more humane and just social service practice." Robert Fisher, University of Connecticut, author ofThe People Shall Rule: ACORN, Community Organizing, and the Struggle for Economic Justice (Vanderbilt University Press, 2009.) "A must read for directors, executives, funders, and board members Given today's economic climate, there may not be funds for the hiring of consultants. Read Stories of Transformative Leadership in the Human Services and engage as an organizational team in their activities instead. You, your staff and the culture of the organization will be transformed. As Ghandi said, Be the change you want to see.' The paradigm that Burghardt and Tolliver introduce will have you do just that." Claudette C'Faison, Cofounder and President of NY Youth at Risk, Inc. Certain to excite and inspire both students entering the human services field and seasoned non-profit professionals, Stories of Transformative Leadership in the Human Services: Why the Glass Is Always Full is the first full-length leadership book to focus on the unique challenges of the public and non-profit executive, manager, and educator. Written in a lively story-telling style, the book develops a leadership model for those who inspire without bonuses and seek a powerful legacy through people s lives. Authors Steve Burghardt and Willie Tolliver convey the stories of two social service agencies struggling to survive in a world of shrinking budgets, increasing needs, and lack of resources. While both agencies are run by hard-working managers, one is in constant crisis mode (racial tensions that simmer and boil over; professionals who end up exhausted and overeating after a crisis-filled day . . . every day), while the other, operating with no greater resources, lacks tension and turmoil as its managers respond to similar demands and client needs. Using real-life vignettes drawn from actual experiences, the stories distill important lessons and unfold in a powerful manner that will resonate with any professional asked to work harder . . . with a smaller budget. Questions woven through each story connect to the book's more theoretical material on leadership, personal mastery, and community-building. Accompanied by a Student Study Site: http: //www.sagepub.com/transleaderstudy/ Steve Burghardt, MSW, PhD, and Willie Tolliver, MSW, DSW, are professor and associate professor of Social Work at the City University of New York (CUNY) Hunter College School of Social Work and partners in the Leadership Transformation Group, LLC. Authors of numerous works on organizational change and strategic development, they are award-winning teachers of human behavior, policy, and community organization. They have worked with thousands of human service and educational staff on new models of leadership, personal well-being, spirituality, collaboration in times of crisis, and how to sustain conversations on race and oppression for lasting change at work and in one s life. Please visit their website: www.askltg.com."
Patronizing the Public: American Philanthropy's Transformation of Culture, Communication, and the Humanities is the first detailed and comprehensive examination of how American philanthropic foundations have shaped numerous fields, including dance, drama, education, film, film-music, folklore, journalism, local history, museums, radio, television, as well as the performing arts and the humanities in general. Drawing on an impressive range of archival and secondary sources, the chapters in the volume give particular attention to the period from the late 1920s to the late 1970s, a crucial time for the development of philanthropic practice. To this end, it examines how patterns and directions of funding have been based on complex negotiations involving philanthropic family members, elite networks, foundation trustees and officers, cultural workers, academics, state officials, corporate interests, and the general public. By addressing both the contours of philanthropic power as well as the processes through which that power has been enacted, it is hoped that this collection will reinforce and amplify the critical study of philanthropy's history.
A Nonprofit Survival Kit for Hard Times "This is a must-read for all of us in fundraising. Mal Warwick
includes practical approaches for difficult economic times, from
zero-based thinking about our programs to strategies for relating
to our donors and making certain our fundraising programs are
prepared to succeed not only now but when the economy
recovers." "Brilliant No nonprofit organization can afford to ignore the
insightful advice Mal Warwick offers in this concise and eminently
readable book. It's practical, down-to-earth, and addresses the
complex, real-world challenges of raising money in tough
times." "Fundraising When Money Is Tight is an important book in a
difficult time for all. This is the right book for anyone who is
committed to advancing the public good." "This is a must-read book by any fundraising manager. It's
timely, it's a good read, and the moment I put it down I made sure
my managers got focused, got real, and got with the project
today." "Mal Warwick will leave you with a focusing framework and dozens
of practical, immediately actionable how-tos. It is hard to imagine
anyone in the citizen sector who will not breathe easier after
reading this book."
An unprecedented passion for saving lives swept through late Ming society, giving rise to charitable institutions that transcended family, class, and religious boundaries. Analyzing lecture transcripts, administrative guidelines, didactic tales, and diaries, Joanna Handlin Smith abandons the facile explanation that charity was a response to poverty and social unrest and examines the social and economic changes that stimulated the fervor for doing good. With an eye for telling details and a finesse in weaving the voices of her subjects into her narrative, Smith brings to life the hard choices that five men faced when deciding whom to help, how to organize charitable distributions, and how to balance their communities' needs against the interests of family and self. She thus shifts attention from tired questions about whether the Chinese had a tradition of charity (they did) to analyzing the nature of charity itself. Skillfully organized and engaging, "The Art of Doing Good" moves from discussions about moral leadership and beliefs to scrutiny of the daily operation of soup kitchens and medical dispensaries, and from examining local society to generalizing about the just use of resources and the role of social networks in charitable giving. Smith's work will transform our thinking about the boundaries between social classes in late imperial China and about charity in general.
Now in its seventeenth edition, the Europa International Foundation Directory 2008 provides an un-paralleled guide to the foundations, trusts, charitable and grant-making NGOs, and other similar not-for-profit organizations of the world. It provides a comprehensive picture of third sector activity on a global scale. Presenting names and contact details for over 2,550 institutions world-wide, this new edition has been revised and expanded to include the most comprehensive and up-to-date information on this growing sector. Part One Essays provide valuable background information on the sector, giving an introductory overview of foundation activity world-wide, as well as detailing the direction in which foundations and NGOs are moving in the 21st century. Part Two Entries are arranged alphabetically, and are listed within individual country chapters. Over 2,500 entries are listed, providing the following details: directory information, including the name of the organization, postal address, e-mail and internet addresses as well as telephone and fax numbers full details of the date of establishment and the aims and function of the organization are listed where appropriate, as well as its principal activities: projects and programmes, etc. Restrictions on grants are listed along with the geographical area of activity, finances, key executives and trustees of the organization Foundation centres and co-ordinating bodies are listed in a separate section at the start of each chapter. These include CAF (Charities Aid Foundation, UK), Civil Society International (USA) and the Association internationale des charites (Belgium). Entries listed include: Polish-Czech-Slovak Solidarity Foundation, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Rowan Charitable Trust, Marie Curie Cancer Cure and Medecins sans Frontieres. Part Three Indexes are provided, listing foundations alphabetically, by geographical region of concern (e.g. the Middle East, Western Europe, Central and South America and the Caribbean, etc.) and by main areas of activity.
Philanthropy has existed in various forms in all cultures and civilizations throughout history, yet most people know little about it and its distinctive place in our lives. Why does philanthropy exist? Why do people so often turn to philanthropy when we want to make the world a better place? In essence, what is philanthropy? These fundamental questions are tackled in this engaging and original book. Written by one of the founding figures in the field of philanthropic studies, Robert L. Payton, and his former student sociologist Michael P. Moody, Understanding Philanthropy presents a new way of thinking about the meaning and mission of philanthropy. Weaving together accessible theoretical explanations with fascinating examples of philanthropic action, this book advances key scholarly debates about philanthropy and offers practitioners a way of explaining the rationale for their nonprofit efforts.
In the minds of many, the nineteenth-century Irish famine seemed to create an environment that later produced an avoidance of marriage, drunkenness, violence, and mental illness. If ever predominant in Irish cultural behavior, those moments have passed. As a result, Professors Philip L. Kilbride and Noel J.J. Farley outline the positive contributions the contemporary Irish make to the world around them, particularly Africa. From this, generosity emerges as a major Irish cultural virtue. The authors trace it from the Celtic period, showing how it became a central concern of Roman Catholics from the nineteenth-century to today. Professors Kilbride and Farley use ethnographic techniques and narrative perspective to focus on the life of an Irish entrepreneur and philanthropist who has lived in Africa since 1970. They also illuminate the missionary work in Kenya of an Irish Jesuit and others of Irish heritage there. These accounts, coupled with other narratives and historical evidence, detail the prevalence and practice of Irish generosity to further document what they conclude is an Irish caring tradition. This volume will be of interest to a wide audience including anthropologists, economists, historians, philosophers, political scientists, sociologists, theologians, and Irish and African studies programs. It is accessible to undergraduate and graduate students as a supplemental reading within the varieties of fields aforementioned.
This work resulted from a conference held in 2003 that was jointly sponsored by the Rockefeller Archive Center and Quinnipiac University. Drawing upon perspectives from history, philosophy, and the social sciences, as well as public health and medicine, the authors in this volume examine and critique the role of Foundations, most prominently the Rockefeller Foundation, in promoting and expanding the development of Western medicine around the world during the 20th century. The first half of the book examines the historical involvement of philanthropic foundations in public heath, basic medical research, and related social and political issues. These studies range from an examination of the Rockefeller's Foundation's anti-malaria campaigns to the involvement of Foundations in promoting eugenic ideology and population control. The second half of the book considers current situations in which philanthropic foundations are active in promoting public health and westernized medicine, including consideration of the fight against AIDS in Africa, the resurgence of tuberculosis as a major public health threat, and the ongoing war against malaria. Finally, the book concludes with thoughts on the future of health, disease, and public health by Peter C. Goldmark, Jr., a former president of the Rockefeller Foundation. By considering issues of public health and health policy from a wide range of perspectives, this book seeks to contribute both to our understanding of the past successes and failures of growing dominance of Westernized medicine over global health, and to consider present and future possibilities for improving the delivery of health services to the population of the world.
Using detailed and comprehensive analysis, Generations of Giving: Leadership and Continuity in Family Foundations examines continuity and leadership over time within family foundations. Based upon a study of foundations in the United States and Canada that have survived through at least two generations, the authors ask probing questions, including: Why were the foundations started? What did they look like at the beginning? How did the families of the founders come to be involved? And how did they organize themselves to do their work from year to year, decade to decade? Although the foundations in the study are quite diverse in their goals and management, they have all had to confront and survive a common set of challenges. At the core of this volume is the study of two aspects of philanthropy: funding and volunteers-each essential to the survival of a foundation. This study is about the "why" and the "how" of these two crucial aspects. The authors give a truly unique perspective, which serves as a powerful tool for readers as they address the specific situations of their own foundations. A thorough and powerful work, Generations of Giving: Leadership and Continuity in Family Foundations demands that we must not only appreciate philanthropy, but we must also increase our understanding so that we can do it better.A co-publication with the National Center for Family Philanthropy
Arguing forcefully that changing times are a clarion call for new thinking, this book convincingly shows that if humanitarian organizations continue to operate as they have in the past, they will fail to help the very victims whom they try to save. Focusing especially on the emergence of 'new wars, ' Hoffman and Weiss insist that humanitarian organizations must recognize that they live in a political world and that their actions and goals are invariably affected by military action. The brand of warfare that erupted in the 1990s-marked by civil or transnational armed conflicts featuring potent non-state actors, altered political economies, a high proportion of civilian casualties, and a globalized media-produced horrors that shocked consciences and led humanitarian agencies to question their unyielding stance of neutrality and impartiality. Indeed, in a departure from earlier norms and practices, some have reinvented their policies and tools and created 'new humanitarianisms.' This authoritative book traces the evolution of the international humanitarian system from its inception in the 1860s, parses the dynamics of war and emergency response from the 1980s through the current disasters in Afghanistan and Iraq, and provides a strategic roadmap for practitioners. By bringing historical perspective to bear, this volume provides an invaluable analytical framework for grasping the nature of humanitarian crises and how agencies can respond strategically rather than reactively to change. Students will find its blend of clearly presented theory and case studies a powerful tool for understanding the roles of state and non-state actors in international relations. By charting the tides of continuity and change, this book will prepare agencies to dodge both figurative and actual bullets that threaten humanitarian action at the outset of the millennium.
In Global Humanitarianism: NGOs and the Crafting of Community, author Rob DeChaine explores a narrative common to the nongovernmental organization community about the promise and confusion of living together in post/modern times. Palpable in their affective admixture of idealism, fear, hope, anger and uncertainty, the protagonists of the story are humanitarian social actors, engaged in a vivid social drama. Their audience, as made apparent by DeChaine's excellent scholarship, is intimately engaged in the drama as well. According to DeChaine, the action takes shape in a multivocal polyphony of solidarity and, at times, cacophony of protest and dissent, with actors mobilizing symbolic resources in the service of uniting a public who would join with them in the cause. A major source of the actors' labor is symbolic, consisting in the successful rallying of formative energies in and around a cluster of key related terms, words and phrases, in order to dramatize and publicize the exigency of the crisis at hand. DeChaine argues that crises are embodied in the form of an intensifying hegemonic struggle over the articulation of 'community' in a global/ized world. The struggle brings into tension local and global priorities, national governments and civil society, and state-centered forms of identity and allegiance and a broad-based vision of global citizenship and belonging. DeChaine demonstrates that the crisis of community is one of the defining themes of our contemporary era, one that we ignore at our peril. This book is not only important to the NGO community but represents cutting edge analysis in rhetoric, cultural studies, semiotics, sociology and social organizations. |
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