Roundtable: Recalibrating Aid: What to do without principles, money or mojo?
This roundtable takes as its point of departure current debates on the future of the humanitarian sector, variously characterized by denial (things will calm down), disenchantment (not doing good enough), utopianism (localization with no money) or a burn-it -all-down approach (the principles must go). In particular we address what it would mean to imagine a savvy, litigious, and activist field of social justice actors in place of humanitarians, and what the place might be for a principle-based humanitarianism existing through and for the cracks and slippages of this world: for emergencies and conflicts where governments, municipalities, and community-based organizations are not willing or able to save lives. Structured as a roundtable-style town hall, the session will be led by a group of discussants who will each stake out their position before opening the floor for audience engagement and debate.
