Skip to main content

Search

pece_annotation_1480344412

tamar.rogoszinski
  1. "Part of the great appeal of humanitarianism is that it exemplifies moral certainty: it purports to save lives and alleviate suffering. How can one argue with this kind of moral imperative?"
  2. "But more significantly, in addition to revealing the reproduction of inequality, the fissures rendered visible by the entry of gender-based violence into humanitarian missions force an engagement with new forms of the political. Humanitarianism’s mission has expanded so that it now occupies a dominant place in the global political arena – whether humanitarians asked for this or not."
  3. "My argument is that while humanitarianism, in conjunction with certain feminist movements, may work to medicalise and depoliticise gender-based violence, the politics of gender actually creep back in undercover, revealing problems at the heart of the humanitarian mission – problems that undermine the very idea of a ‘humanitarian space’ critical to humanitarian action, that is, a space that tries to temporarily hold the political at bay."
  4. "That is, if one errs on the side of the duty to bear witness, this is considered ‘political’ and threatens the neutrality which gives access to crisis zones. It is a fine line to tread."

pece_annotation_1480111731

maryclare.crochiere

Miriam Ticktin is an associate professor of anthropology at The New School for Social Research, as well as the Co-Director of Zolberg Institute for Migration and Mobility. This indicates that she writes this article from an anthropologic perspective rather than with a biological or political viewpoint.

pece_annotation_1480127170

maryclare.crochiere

Emergency response is not directly addressed in this article, however there is likely some emergency response occuring in the countries that are needing the humanitarian aid. Hopefully the first responders there are well trained in responding to victims of sexual assault if that is something that they see more often, if it is something that people would call an ambulance for in those areas.

pece_annotation_1480343816

tamar.rogoszinski

This article discussed gender-based violence in the context of humanitarianism. It focuses on rape and assault and whether or not they should be treated by humanitarian efforts as other issues are. The author provides pros and cons to humanitarian intervention and the implications of each. 

pece_annotation_1480126269

maryclare.crochiere

"But more significantly, in addition to revealing the reproduction of inequality, the fissures rendered visible by the entry of gender-based violence into humanitarian missions force an engagement with new forms of the political. Humanitarianism’s mission has expanded so that it now occupies a dominant place in the global political arena – whether humanitarians asked for this or not"

"It seems that humanitarianism, as universalism,both erases and depends on difference; on the one hand, it manages difference, declawing it so that it doesn’t tear apart the humanitarian kit, made to fit and rehabilitate everyone into a basic bare-bones humanity. That is, it assumes that difference ultimately leads back to sameness: to some nondescript, generic human survival. Yet on the other hand, humanitarianism is necessarily built on difference – the difference between two populations – those who have the power to protect, and those who need protection66 – those who suffer, and those who recognise and address suffering"

"It seems that MSF workers assumed that sexual violence would bring a particular sort of shame, greater than that accompanying other forms of violence or brutality; and therefore that it should be kept quiet, confidential, in the private realm. This particular approach stems from the historically and culturally situated belief that a woman’s chastity is her most precious possession and that sexual violence is more significant than other forms of violence – of course,the question is whether it is equally significant for female and male, straight and queer."