I am inviting contributions for a panel at the 2020 GSA on the scope and scale of (mostly) contemporary German, Austrian, and Swiss humanitarianism, especially in the Global South. Across the world, the effects of neoliberal capitalism and anthropocentric excesses act as stressors on people and their natural habitat. Neoliberal economic practices, in conjunction with the repercussions of global climate change, have increased the economic and social precarity of the urban and rural poor. At the same time, humanitarian initiatives abound.
This panel (or panels) will provide a space to discuss (among other topics)
- the implications and settings of the language of human rights, development, progress, and humanitarianism (e.g. in relation to economic dimensions)
- specific humanitarian initiatives (governmental, non-governmental, and private)
- the role of religious organizations
- the representation of humanitarianism in film, literature, and the media
- the role of private citizens (citizen aid)
- historical dimensions of aid to the Global South
Please submit 350-word abstracts to Nina Berman at nina.berman@asu.edu by January 31. I am also interested in hearing from colleagues who would be available to in serve as a commentator or moderator.
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