Aidnography

Every two weeks I am going to feature one of the chapters of our Handbook on Humanitarianism and Inequality which was published in spring 2024. This week we are taking a closer look at Chapter 38 - Discussing inequalities in evaluation of humanitarian action - contributed by Bonaventure Gbétoho Sokpoh and Tobias Denskus. From the introduction  This chapter is based on an interview with Bonaventure Gbétoho Sokpoh (BGS) that was conducted by Tobias Denskus (TD) in May 2022 via Zoom. The chapter presents excerpts from the interview, which were edited for length, clarity, and reading flow.  In the spirit of the Handbook we inserted academic references to the text afterwards to frame the different sections of the interview. These references point the reader to further academic references, policy guides, practical resources, and evaluation reports. However, the critical reflections from an expert with unique insights into the ‘engine room’ of humanitarian evaluations – as local e...

Every two weeks I am going to feature one of the chapters of our Handbook on Humanitarianism and Inequality which was published in spring 2024. This week we are taking a closer look at Chapter 37 - Power dynamics in the use of qualitative methods in humanitarianism - contributed by Margaux Pinaud, Kristina Tschunkert and Augusta Nannerini. From the introduction  The aim of this chapter is to discuss some of the key power dynamics arising in qualitative research by humanitarian scholars and organisations. Specifically, we aim to show how using qualitative methods in a particular way and for a particular purpose may perpetuate the inequalities that humanitarianism seeks to address. Acknowledging and engaging with these dynamics, we suggest, does not limit the quality of the research or of the data, but is essential to generate ethical, inclusive, and nuanced knowledge. Our background on this topic is primarily academic, since we are young, female, European scholars employed by Eur...

Every two weeks I am going to feature one of the chapters of our Handbook on Humanitarianism and Inequality which was published in spring 2024. This week we are taking a closer look at Chapter 36 - Quantitative Methods - contributed by Liesbet Heyse, Nina Hansen and Rafael Wittek. From the introduction  In the humanitarian sector, there are many information systems and databases that contain quantitative data, relating to different levels: regions and countries, organisations and projects, and groups and individuals. For example, there is The Humanitarian Data Exchange , Insecurity Insight , and ACAPs .  These are examples of databases that aim to bring together all kinds of data on humanitarian situations, such as contextual data about specific countries and assessment information of humanitarian needs. There are also databases that provide broader data that can be of relevance for humanitarian actors, such as Our World in Data that contains information about famines, hun...

Every two weeks I am going to feature one of the chapters of our Handbook on Humanitarianism and Inequality which was published in spring 2024.  This week we are taking a closer look at Chapter 35 - Archives and historical perspectives in researching humanitarianism - contributed by Katarzyna Nowak. From the introduction  This chapter deals with sources and methodology of researching and writing history of humanitarianism. Historical perspectives, to repeat after Eleanor Davey and Kim Scriven (2015) , do not simply offer lessons from the past but pose challenges to habitual ways of thinking, contributing to the critical reflection on humanitarian action. The chapter begins with discussing the state of field and challenges around researching and writing history of human-itarianism and inequality. Focusing in particular on the issue of sources, it treats archives as spaces of power and asks how the process of generating records reflects the existing systems of power and inequ...

Every two weeks I am going to feature one of the chapters of our Handbook on Humanitarianism and Inequality which was published in spring 2024. This week we are taking a closer look at Chapter 34 - Humanitarian research ethics and the ethics of research in humanitarian settings - contributed by Shashika Bandara, Elyse Rafaela A. Conde, Abeer Dakik and Matthew Hunt. From the introduction  Research plays critical roles for better understanding and responding to humanitarian crises. It can yield knowledge about the nature and extent of the impact from disasters, armed conflict, and displacement, and the needs and experiences of the populations that are affected. Such knowledge can support efforts to improve the structures and processes of humanitarian aid provision. Yet, humanitarian research also presents practical and methodological challenges. Whether implemented with a focus on improving humanitarian operations or with broader goals for knowledge generation, designing and imple...

Every two weeks I am going to feature one of the chapters of our Handbook on Humanitarianism and Inequality which was published in spring 2024. This week we are taking a closer look at Chapter 33 - Varieties of European humanitarianism - contributed by Silke Roth and Tobias Denskus. From the introduction  European humanitarianism is inextricably intertwined with European colonialism and its legacies (see Chapter 2 by O’Leary McNeice on Humanitarianism and colonialism in this volume).  The violent eradication of Indigenous people and their environments, their knowledge and beliefs, is related to European humanitarianism (see Chapter 27 by Gurr on Humanitarianism and Native America and Chapter 28 by Sobocinska on Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific Regions in this volume). Long after the end of slavery, colonial institutions regulating ethno-racial stratification have lasting consequences for humanitarian crises in contemporary neo-liberal societies (see Chapter 15 by Nar...