Hugo Slim on the origins of contemporary humanitarianism

Hugo Slim’s delves into the origins of contemporary humanitarianism, recounting its journey through the 18th and 19th centuries, when a mutual sense of humanity and a shared moral community were embraced. 

He highlights the milestones of this historical road towards humanitarianism: the recognition of wounded soldiers and prisoners of war, the attention that arose to non-combatant civilians and refugees, followed by the invention of human rights, IHL, and the humanitarian principles. He celebrates the sector’s growth, its ability to save lives, and the knowledge it has accumulated about suffering and need, whilst also acknowledging the sector’s criticisms.

Furthermore, Slim addresses the current challenges and opportunities for the humanitarian sector, describing it as being at a pivotal crossroads. He notes the increasing perception of humanitarian organisations as overly bureaucratic and questioned their legitimacy. Issues such as dependency on funding from Western governments and the growing competition from businesses addressing global poverty are also raised. He explains that the metaphor of a “crossroads” represents the critical decisions the humanitarian sector must make, offering three potential paths for its future, which are:

1. The War Road: A return to the roots of war-focused humanitarianism was suggested. This path would involve organisations specialising in conflict response, prioritising safety, legal frameworks, and neutral or non-neutral approaches to crisis.
2. The Climate Road: Slim describes this as a transformative approach, urging humanitarians to adopt a broader, earth-focused mission and prioritise climate emergencies over wars. He emphasizes the importance of viewing humanity as part of a larger ecological system and argues for the integration of environmental sustainability into humanitarian work, in the form of an all-life humanitarian approach.
3. The Unknown Road: This is presented as an open-ended path, inviting creativity and innovative ideas. Potential directions include focusing on migration and mobility, strengthening regional responses in Europe, or developing partnerships in a multipolar world.

Throughout his speech, Slim urges the sector to seize this moment of reflection and reorganisation, encouraging (I)NGOs to focus on their core strengths, enhance local capacities and cost-effectiveness, and remain committed to liberal humanitarian values. He concludes by reinforcing the idea that the crossroads is not a new phenomenon for the sector but a recurring point of decision-making, always intersecting with new challenges and opportunities.