The field of humanitarianism is characterised by profound uncertainty, by a constant need to respond to the unpredictable, and by concepts and practices that often defy simple or straightforward explanation. Humanitarians often find themselves not just engaged in the pursuit of effective action, but also in a quest for meaning. That is the starting point for this book. Humanitarian action has in recent years confronted geopolitical challenges that have upended much of its conventional modus operandi and presented threats to its foundational assumptions and legal frameworks. The critical interrogation of the purpose, practice and future of humanitarian action has yielded a rich new field of enquiry, humanitarian studies, and many thoughtful books, articles and reports. So, the question arose as to the most useful way to provide a critical overview that might serve to bring some definitional clarity as well as analytical rigor to the waves of critique and shifting sands of humanitarian action. Humanitarianism: A Dictionary of Concepts provides an authoritative analysis that attempts to rethink, rather than merely problematize or define the issues at stake in contemporary humanitarian debates. It is an important moment to do so. Just about every tenet of humanitarianism is currently open to question as never before.

This major new title provides definitions, biographies and explanations detailing the key terminology, issues, people and events in the field of humanitarianism, a topic that is increasingly at the forefront of international relations. This Dictionary provides information which will be essential to all those involved in humanitarianism.
A Dictionary of Humanitarianism brings together knowledge and insight from a number of different fields, such as political economy, human rights, international law, security studies, anthropology and international relations, and this multi-disciplinary approach provides a unique view of one of the most important subject areas in international relations today.
Recent events such as the reconstruction of Iraq are included, making the Dictionary up-to-date on the key issues of humanitarianism today.
Entries include:
Bosnia, Peace Keeping, Conflict Resolution, Security Council, CAFOD, Civil War, Earthquakes, Genocide, Humanitarian Intervention, Just War, Malnutrition, Medecins Sans Frontieres, Oxfam, Terrorism, and The World Bank.
This book will prove valuable to journalists and researchers, staff of aid agencies and other charities, reference libraries, students and university or departmental libraries, businesses, government departments, international organizations and research institutes. The book will also provide a useful reference tool for university courses dealing with the topic of humanitarianism.
The author of A Dictionary of Humanitarianism is Dr Tim Allen of the London School of Economics, who has written and contributed to many publications on the issues of humanitarianism and international development, including thebooks Culture and Global Change, Poverty and Development into the 21st Century, and The Media of Conflict - War Reporting and Representations of Ethnic Violence.