The Selfish Altruist: Relief Work in Famine and War

Capa
Routledge, 17 de jun. de 2013 - 240 páginas
Provides 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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Conteúdo

Introduction
1
The Loss of Impartiality
17
A Golden Age of Humanitarianism?
43
Impartiality and Selfrespect
69
Vulnerability and Power
93
Pride and Principle
115
Emotion and Order
137
Responsibility and Rights
159
Mans Inhumanity
183
Chapter 9 The Selfish Altruist
201
Notes on the Sources
213
Index
224
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Sobre o autor (2013)

After studying English at Oxford, Tony Vaux worked with Oxfam GB from 1972 until 1999. He spent nearly seven years in India developing Oxfam's work with community based projects. From 1984 he was coordinator of Oxfam's global emergency programmes, and became particularly closely involved with Ethiopia, Sudan, Mozambique and Somalia all of which feature as chapters in this book. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, he turned to Eastern Europe and the Caucasus region, building up new Oxfam programmes in response to conflict and poverty. Since writing this book on a sabbatical year in 1999-2000, he has been working as an independent consultant, focusing on areas of conflict.

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