Synopses & Reviews
Humanitarian action, long dismissed as a realm apart from major foreign policy concerns, has become an omnipresent element in international affairs. It now shapes the world in which we live and it will have increasingly imporant impact on the way decisions are made in international crises. W.R. Smyser looks at the history of humanitarian activity and it's growth since the horrors of WWII were made public, tracing its early stages connected to the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to the present day when human rights groups, such as Human Rights Watch, are as influential as modern nation states in influencing the course of internation events. This is a monumental portrait of the way in which individuals who are not officially part of any government work to alleviate human suffering and physical destruction around the world.
Review
Advance praise for
The Humanitarian Conscience:
"A masterfully comprehensive, clearly written and up-to-date survey of what humanitarian care means to the world. Mr. Smyser's personal experience and careful scholarship make the book especially relevant and timely. He fears that governments have been distancing themselves from the humanitarian cause, especially since September 11 and since the war in Iraq. His own commitment to that cause shows throughout the entire work."
---- Sadako Ogata, former UN High Commissioner for Refugees
"The Humanitarian Conscience is a timely and important work that deserves to be read widely, including for its specific, wide-reaching recommendations on how to respond to current humanitarian challenges. Mr. Smyser's long personal experience in the humanitarian crises of our day and his profound sense of history provide a welcome perspective which is a major contribution in itself."
-- John Whitehead, former Deputy Secretary of State
"This book is an invaluable resource for humanitarian workers. It should also be read by anyone seeking a more comprehensive understanding of humanitarian work. Its author combines scholarship with practical experience. He shows the important if sometimes risky ways in which humanitarians have helped others for more than a century. He also suggests what must now be done to keep the humanitarian conscience alive."
-- Mary E. McClymont, President and CEO, InterAction
Praise for From Yalta to Berlin:
"Smyser's comprehensive and discerning book gives important historical perspective to the Cold War struggle."--Henry A. Kissinger
Synopsis
Humanitarian action, long dismissed as a realm apart from major foreign policy concerns, has become an omnipresent element in international affairs. It now shapes the world in which we live and it will have increasingly imporant impact on the way decisions are made in international crises. W.R. Smyser looks at the history of humanitarian activity and it's growth since the horrors of WWII were made public, tracing its early stages connected to the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to the present day when human rights groups, such as Human Rights Watch, are as influential as modern nation states in influencing the course of internation events. This is a monumental portrait of the way in which individuals who are not officially part of any government work to alleviate human suffering and physical destruction around the world.
About the Author
W.R. Smyser is one of America's leading experts on Germany. He served in Munich with the U.S. Army, as well as in Berlin and Bonn with the U.S. State Department. He has written several books on German-American relations and a landmark work on the German economy. He visits Germany and Europe regularly, working with leading U.S. and European intellectual centers, and lectures on Germany and the European Union at Georgetown University.
Table of Contents
Introduction * Humanitarians at Work * From Natural Rights to National Rights * Humanitarian Frustration in Two World Wars * Strengthening Humanitarian Protection * Humanitarian Care Goes Global * The Decade of the Refugee * Brave New World * Yugoslavia Explodes * "Humanitarian War" over Kosovo * Tragedies in Somalia, Rwanda and Timor * The Lost Decade and the New Millennium * September 11, Osama bin Laden, and Afghanistan * Humanitarian Care in Iraq * Reconnecting with the Humanitarian Conscience