“I reject both an overly romantic and an overly cynical reading of humanitarianism. Instead I treat humanitarianism as a morally complicated creature, a flawed hero defined by the passions, politics, and power of its times even as it tries to rise above them.” Michael Barnett
A recent conference examined the interplay between politics, humanitarianism, and children’s rights through the lens of the 100 year history of Save the Children UK (SCUK). It was a joint effort between the SCUK Humanitarian Affairs team and members of the wider family of ex-staff and supporters; we sat outside the structure of the organisation and were given the freedom to shape the conference as we saw fit. Our aim was to help the present generation understand the factors that had shaped SCUK’s history, so as to have a stronger sense of its present purpose and possible future directions.
