Military Humanitarianism

While interconnections between humanitarian actors and military operations are a pervasive feature of contemporary conflicts around the globe today, Military Humanitarianism challenges the idea that these interactions are a recent phenomenon. Instead, this volume offers an alternative interpretation to the traditional framing of military actors as a homogenous group and humanitarian actors as impartial intermediaries between armed groups and aid recipients.

In tracing a longer lineage beyond the post-Cold War period and 21st century, Military Humanitarianism uncovers a deeper history of entanglement between "humanitarian" and "military" actors - supposedly distinct categories that have long been mutually constitutive. By examining the malleability of these concepts and bringing different contexts into conversation, both editors and contributors reveal the tensions, ambiguities, and paradoxes of defining 'humanitarian' action in practice, particularly in contrast to military operations. As a result, Military Humanitarianism provides timely insight into the understandings and politics of humanitarian operations, on and beyond the battlefield. It asks not just what it means to 'help', but who gets to—and why.

Contributors: Cedric Cotter, Maria Cullen, Lewis Defrates, Bronwen Everill, Matilda Greig, Baher Ibrahim, Julia Irwin, Norman Joshua, Jonathan McCollum, Justine Meberg, Michelle Moyd, Daniel Palmieri, Elisabeth Piller, Lou Pingeot, Pietro Stefanini, and Jiayi Tao.