| In 1862, Henry Dunant, Red Cross Swiss humanist and first recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, published A Memory of Solferino, in which he not only described empathically the sufferings resulting from the brutal and bloody battle of Solferino, but also his plans to organize humanitarian aid. The publication of the book led to the foundation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), one of the first humanitarian non-governmental organizations (NGO). By insisting on complete neutrality to prevent state interference on the battlefield, Dunant thereby established one of the first principles of humanitarian assistance.;The United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR) reports that there are over 50 million refugees worldwide. This number continues to grow, as conflicts continue to displace people from their homelands. International NGOs, such as the ICRC and Medecins sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders) are at the forefront of disaster relief and assistance. These NGOs address a variety of problems, ranging from healthcare to food security to war. Despite having broad interest, international aid agencies share strong commitments to neutrality and impartiality. This thesis explores the position that humanitarian NGOs have in humanitarian relief, in hopes of answering the question: Should NGOs be neutral and impartial?;NGOs are confronted with several obstacles, often undermining their commitment to being neutral and impartial. There will be careful examination of what neutrality and impartiality really means and how it applies in conflict situations, crises, and humanitarian emergencies. In using arguments and sources from scholars worldwide, particularly those who study the countries in the Global South, we will assess the benefits and detriments of neutrality and impartiality, and whether it is worth adopting these principles. Potential solutions and downsides will be discussed, to further understand the role that NGOs play our globalized world. |
