The Selfish Altruist: Relief Work in Famine and WarProvides an analysis of some of the most traumatic situations involving famine and war of the last two decades, helping us to understand what it takes to be an aid worker and how important humanitarian action is today. Famine and war evoke strong emotional reactions, and for most people there is a limited amount they can do. But the relief worker has to convert emotional responses into practical action and difficult choices - whom to help and how. Their own feelings have to motivate action for others. But can they separate out their own selfish feelings and prejudices in such an emotive climate? How do they avoid being partial among those they are helping? Are they motivated by altruistic concern, or the power they experience or the attention they receive? Tony Vaux brings over 20 years experience as one of Oxfam's leading emergency managers to the exploration of the conflicts between subjective impulses and objective judgements and the dilemmas relief workers contend with. |
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Contents
Foreword by Jean Drèze | |
The Loss of Impartiality | |
A Golden Age of Humanitarianism? | |
Impartiality and Selfrespect | |
Vulnerability and Power | |
Pride and Principle | |
Emotion and Order | |
Responsibility and Rights | |
Mans Inhumanity | |
The Selfish Altruist | |
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Common terms and phrases
Afghanistan Africa aid agencies aid workers Albania altruism analysis areas asked attack Batutsi became began Belgrade bombing Bosnia camps cattle centres concern conflict countries culture debate Dinka disaster distress and suffering donors Eastern Europe emergency emotional Ethiopia ethnic experience failure famine feeding feel felt food aid force FRELIMO gender genocide global Gordana happened human rights humanitarian ideals impartiality interests intervention involved issue Juba Kabul killed Kosovo lack lives managers Maputo Mark Duffield military Milosevic morality Mozambique Mujahadin Mundari Mursi Muslim NATO's NGOs Nipepe Nyangatom organization Oxfam Oxford Pashtun person in need political poverty principle problem programme question rape rebels reflected refugees relief RENAMO resettlement response role Rwanda seemed selfishness sense Serb simply situation social society Somalia SPLA staff strategies Sudan Taliban Tigray Tutsi undermined victims violence Waal Western Wollo women wrote
Bibliographic information
| Title | The Selfish Altruist: Relief Work in Famine and War |
| Author | Tony Vaux |
| Publisher | Routledge, 2013 |
| ISBN | 1136546847, 9781136546846 |
| Length | 240 pages |
| Subjects | › › Business & Economics / Development / Economic Development |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |