To what extent is humanitarian intervention an abandoned project

Humanitarian action is what the world turns to in case there is a crisis in any part of the world. But as David Rieff suggests in his book, “A Bed for the Night: Humanitarianism in Crisis,” there is a crisis in the humanitarian world and space. He draws from first personal experience in places like Bosnia, Rwanda and Kosovo to tell how some of the challenges humanitarian organizations face; including their struggle to be neutral and apolitical.

To understand the impact of humanitarian crises and how international politics play a role, a common definition of such crises must be understood. In his book “Humanitarian Crises and the International

Humanitarian intervention was put in place to help protect the people. humanitarian intervention occurs when a government, holding the powers of the state and representing the sovereign people, fails to protect the people. Ellery Stowell defines humanitarian intervention as “the reliance upon force for the justifiable purpose of protecting the inhabitants of another state from treatment which is so arbitrary and persistently abusive as to exceed the limits of that authority within which the sovereign is presumed to act with reason and justice” (1921, 53) (Benjamin, 2010).

Section one deals with the debates that surround the issues of humanitarian intervention and just war theory on the basis of international scale. One article by Holzgrefe is completely focused on the debate, stating the many ethical theories of many different theorists: from "utilitarianism; natural law; social contractrianism; communitarianism; and legal postivism" (7). Holzgrefe goes on to define what each ethical theorist is and their understanding of the debate on humanitarian intervention. However, there is the idea of when it is right to intervene and when intervention is unfavorable. The most interesting part was the third section of the article.

As breaking news is more easily communicated across the globe, the U.N. and other states led forces are more inclined to intervene more then ever before but sometimes they are faced with the problem of protecting a states sovereignty. There is a growing skepticism that is facing humanitarian intervention when a sovereign state fails to protect it’s own population. The question arises when humanitarian intervention supersedes the sovereignty of a state. Does the state remain sovereign or does it lose authority when an outside party intervenes? Respecting a states sovereignty is a high priority between the United Nations and other state led forces, but when a sovereign state fails the responsibility protect it’s own citizens there is an unclear line that confuses the legitimacy of humanitarian intervention and it’s principles of military action. The United Nation’s humanitarian intervention, and the principles of its military action, has shown time after time of its failures and successes in combating or escalating wide spread violence. In this study I will weigh the pros and cons of several conflicts where humanitarian intervention was deployed and decide if humanitarian intervention was a successful or unsuccessful procedure. By focusing on what is causing these complications in enforcing humanitarian intervention within failed states will prove if this practice is just or not. But before I discuss these issues of

Often the sentiment in a state is that the first responsibility of your state is to your state. In particular, armed humanitarian intervention would put the lives of a state’s soldiers in danger for another state, which may not even be consenting to the action. Further, the use of violent force for the goal of preserving human right, peace, and stability can be seen as paradoxical. This paradox can be seen in many conflicts which claim to be waging war for the long term goal of peace. There are additional concerns in the “jus post bellum” for armed humanitarian intervention. The intervening country may set up a government that is not representative of the people, using it as an opportunity to exert control over another country rather than protect human rights. Additional critics of the right for humanitarian intervention express realist ideas that ethics is not important in international affairs, or rather against improper use of morality in foreign affairs. A major explanation given by the international community against humanitarian action is the emphasis on maintaining sovereignty. This explanation is especially problematic since human rights should be more valued than upholding the norm of sovereignty, when all other ethical guidelines for intervention

After the end of the Cold War there has been an increase in the use of force for humanitarian purposes around the world in places such as, Liberia, Somalia, Afghanistan, and Iraq. On February 2001, the Foreign Policy Research Institute hosted a major conference on the question of humanitarian intervention and its implications for American foreign policy. The conference focused on examining the recent history of humanitarian intervention and its prospects in the new century (Wheeler, 2000, 128). Thus, this paper is going to review the existing literature of humanitarian intervention. Firstly, it will define the notion of humanitarian interventions and analyze the dilemma between intervention and the concept of sovereignty. Secondly, it will question if the United States has the legitimate right to intervene as a third party responding to humanitarian crises.

Millions of people are condemned to abuse and oppression because of the repressive policies of their own government’s, or because their governments unwillingness or inability to prevent major human rights violation. The United Nations Security Council is designed to combat this problem by providing the basis for external intervention when internal remedies are ineffective. As can be seen from the analysis of the legal framework pertaining to military intervention, it is not a matter that should be taken lightly and without a thorough consideration of the legal position, the benefits and drawbacks of intervention. However, in cases of humanitarian catastrophe, states need to be willing to intervene. It is important when considering intervention

This paper is an analysis of the 1991 humanitarian intervention of the USA into Somalia. The concept of the “humanitarian” mission is embedded into the analyses of the American rhetoric concerning their newfound concern for the area. The military and cultural reasons for the failure are mentioned, as well as the habitual rejection of UN guidelines for it. In fact, this is an excel;lent example of a botched program that seems destined to become the future norm.

Assessing the most pressing current national security issues for the United States is difficult following the massive transition in political leadership following the 2016 election. Fundamentally, where we observed “No-Drama” Obama adhere to principles of strategic patience and a philosophy of no doing stupid stuff, President Trump seems willing to disrupt recently accepted equations regarding American involvement in deterring Syria’s Assad regime, dissuading the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) from furthering its nuclear capacity, and presenting a firmer stance against Iranian influence in the Middle East. Fundamentally, this shift has cause the United States to be less of a steadying and stable actor in the international landscape, and more unpredictable. Simply, President Trump appears more willing to leave all options, including, for example, military intervention in North Korea, on the table, where his predecessor was less overt about such possibilities.

Humanitarian Military Intervention in the recent years has been creating a lot of controversies and debates all over the world. It has become one of the most debated concepts in the field of international relations. To be able to justify the so-called HMIs is a highly problematic issue at hand. Before we go any further into the debate of HMI, let us first try and understand what the concept actually means. One very interesting and exhaustive view (in my personal regard) about the concept of HMI that I came across is found in the book ‘Encyclopedia of Global Justice’. “Humanitarian Military Intervention is the violation of the strict sovereignty of a state, defined as humanitarian by its aim of remedying or preventing human rights violations. The humanitarian aim is necessary for distinguishing the intervention from other various acts of military aggression that are strictly prohibited by international law and convention. Humanitarian military intervention is often understood to constitute a noteworthy application of Just War Theory, and, on many accounts represents an exception to the prohibition on the use of military force in international relations. Within the Just War tradition, humanitarian intervention is distinguished from wars of conquest by its humanitarian aims, and from humanitarian assistance by virtue of forcefully violating state sovereignty.” This definition, in my view, demonstrates the complexity of

When discussing why states intervene in some humanitarian crises and not others, which is best answered as states intervene in the occurrences that are seen as the greatest violations in human rights, while having the main powers decide if intervention will best benefit them. Humanitarian intervention is best defined as “the means to prevent or stop a gross violation of human rights in a state, where such state is either incapable or unwilling to protect its own people, or is actively persecuting them” (Rashid, 2012). Liberalism is the best theory to support my answer because liberalism promotes peace and stability globally. Based off of these goals, the United Nations was founded after World War II. During the 1990’s, also known as the decade

“Life’s most persistent and urgent questions is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” Martin Luther King Jr. There are a lot of people out there with this big question on their mind, which is hard for them to answer. The definition of a Humanitarian is a person who seeks to promote good human welfare. “An effective and timely humanitarian operation has the capacity to save thousands of lives” (Kopinak 7.) Even within difficult environments in the third world countries the humanitarians work hard to do whatever they can for the people. “The key to ensuring the success continues in the understanding that humanitarians’ aid does not have an endpoint” (Kopinak 15.) There are various types of aid humanitarians provide to third world countries such as medical clinics, missionary work, and community rehabilitation.

Much recent discourse surrounding humanitarian intervention has focused on the responsibility to protect (R2P). Prevention is a key component for good international relations and few would say it is not important, but as evidence to date would show prevention is very ineffective, the legality of military intervention still needs to be debated, as to date there is no consensus. For any intervention to be legitimate, whether unilateral or multilateral, it must comply with international law. So as not to cause any confusion, any situation in which an “intervention” is done with the permission or by request of the state being intervened, should be considered humanitarian assistance as state sovereignty is not breached. This paper will

Humanitarian intervention (HI) is nowadays most often understood as “the use of military force by a state or group of states, in the territory of another state, in order to halt or avert the large-scale and severe abuse of human beings, which is usually being committed or sanctioned by the de facto authorities of that state” (ICISS 2001 :34). While most theoretical traditions immediately connect HI to the ethical component and focus on the examination of it (Heinze 2005), Structural Realism (SR) or Neo-Realism as it is also called is definitely not one of those. The groundwork of theory, as seen from the name, being the structure of the international system. Anarchy, the world without any central authority, in which states have to pursue power to protect themselves and ensure survival. Seeing as states play the zero-sum game, they mostly focus on the gains and benefits HI can bring to great powers and how it helps maintain their prospect for survival (Mearsheimer 2013). One could even present it as ethical scepticism, meaning “a doctrine that treats ethical reasoning as irrelevant to politics and IR (Lechner 2010: 437). This essay will examine strengths and weaknesses of SR in explaining the issue of humanitarian