Humanitarianism is the view that all people should be treated with the respect and dignity they deserve as human beings, and that advancing the well-being of humanity is a noble goal. Humanitarianism is the antithesis of the "us vs. them" mentality that characterizes tribalism and ethnic nationalism. Humanitarians abhor slavery, cannibalism, and discrimination on the basis of features such as color of skin, ancestry, place of birth, etc. Humanitarianism is embraced by movements and people across the political spectrum, and particularly (by not exclusively) by leftists.
Humanitarianism was probably most publically seen in the social reforms of the late 1800's and early 1900's, following the economoic turmoil of the Industrial Revolution in England. The atrocious hours and working conditions of children and unskilled labors was made illegal by pressure on Parliament by humanistarians. The Factory Acts of 1833 and 1844 were some of the greatest humanitarian bills passed in Parliament following the industrial Revolution.
A Humanitarian is one who is devoted to human welfare.
Clear-cut examples include the coalition's "humanitarian" food drops during the first aerial strikes in 2001, its deployment of special forces in civilian dress who claim to be on a "humanitarianmission," and threatening to suspend humanitarian aid to populations in southern Afghanistan if they refuse to provide information about the Taliban and Al- Qaeda.
The blurring of the humanitarian symbol and its disastrous consequences for team safety and aid activities are not limited to the Afghan theater.
The blurred lines between humanitarian assistance and the international military takeover in the early 1990s as well as the UN's use of aid to advance its military strategy has crippled the respect which humanitarians could have enjoyed as neutral and independent caregivers.
Humanitarianism is based on a view that all humanbeings deserve respect and dignity and should be treated as such.
Humanitarians abhor slavery, cannibalism, and discrimination on the basis of features such as color of skin, ancestry, place of birth, etc. Humanitarianism is embraced by movements and people across the political spectrum, and particularly (but not exclusively) by leftists.
Humanitarianism was probably most publicly seen in the social reforms of the late 1800s and early 1900s, following the economic turmoil of the Industrial Revolution in England.
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