What are the consequences of new technologies, climate change and the localization agenda for the future of humanitarian principles?
Will the principle of humanity survive the critique of anthropocentrism and a call for post-humanism? Should neutrality be maintained in a geopolitical environment where despotic regimes thrive and control humanitarian efforts? And should self-determination be added as a humanitarian principle in order to advance local agency?
Indeed, the humanitarian principles are not written in stone in spite of their increased codification, and they are interpreted differently across the humanitarian sector. Familiarity with past and present practices is thus key to principled thinking on the future of humanitarian action.
In this closed roundtable, Hugo Slim will share some reflections on this topic against the background of his new book Solferino 21: Warfare, Civilians and Humanitarians in the Twenty-First Century. We will then open for a conversation among the participants. The meeting will be recorded for eventual dissemination.
Dr. Hugo Slim is a senior research fellow at the Las Casas Institute for Social Justice at Blackfriars Hall, University of Oxford and has extensive experience from humanitarian studies and practice, including as Head of Policy and Humanitarian Diplomacy at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
The roundtable is organised by the Norwegian Centre for Humanitarian Studies (NCHS) and Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) in collaboration with the Norwegian Red Cross. The event is part of a series of 'NCHS Scenario Webinars' and will be chaired by Kristoffer Lidén.
This is a closed event. For questions, please contact kristoffer@prio.org.
