7/27/2019 9508223585

1/5

Book Reviews 69revolutions in Peru and El Salvador. Their discussion seems a bit added on andperhaps unnecessary. Since so much more is said about the Cuban and Nicara-guan revolutions than about those in Bolivia and Grenada, perhaps more explana-tion of revolutionary failures is called for. Also more might have been said aboutthe impact of revolution on the international system. Since revolutions upset theinternational system, they are seldom greeted with enthusiasm by establishedstates. Overall, Selbin's book is well worth reading and is a contribution to boththe theory of revolution and an understanding of revolutionary change in LatinAmerica.

Thomas G. Weiss and Larry Minear, eds. Humanitarianism Across Borders:Sustaining Civilians in Times of War (Boulder, CO: Lynne Reinner, 1993),209 pp., paper $8.95.Thomas G. Weiss and Larry Minear, Humanitarian Action in Times ofWar: A Handbook for Practitioners (Boulder, CO: Lynne Reinner, 1993),107 pp., cloth $35.00.

Reviewed by Joshua RubongoyaDepartment of Public AffairsRoanoke CollegeSalem, VA 24153W ritten under the auspices of the Hum anitarian and W ar Project, these two tim elyworks, the first an analysis of humanitarianism and the second an A-B-C of thepractice of humanitarian action, complement each other so well that one is temptedto buy them as a pair.The authors have targeted two specific audiences. With the edited volume,the goal is to provide a broader context to the day-to-day tasks of the practitio-ners of humanitarian work and those individuals not directly involved in humani-tarian organizations. It is a critical analysis of the law, theory, and principle ofhumanitarianism. The Handbook is aimed at agencies and those persons whosedaily task is to provide assistance and protection to those in need.The edited volume comprises three parts, each with three chapters. The chap-ters in Part I address values that form the basis for humanitarian action. The firstchapter, w ritten by Ep hraim Isaac, articulates the universality of hum anitarianismacross religions, races, and cultures. Isaac defines humanitarianism as a feeling

7/27/2019 9508223585

2/5

70 Book Reviewscentral point in this chapter is to lay the groundwork for a universal and holisticapplication of humanitarian normsan application that is free of relativistic en-cumbrances.In Chapter 2, Mary Anderson gives us a look at the all-impo rtant relationshipbetween humanitarian values and development. Must humanitarian relief be donewith disregard to development imperatives? Is it cost effective to exclusivelyfocus on humanitarian help, bearing in mind that such action often results fromconditions of poverty and powerlessness?Central to her argument are the points that there ought not be a dichotomybetween humanitarian help and development, that the United States Agency forInternational Development (USAID) could effectively be substituted for a devel-opment-oriented nongovernmental organization, and finally that emergency helpneed not lead to the destruction of sociopolitical structures of economic self-sustenance.

Anderson concludes her chapter by asserting the primacy of humanitarianoperations that are sensitive to medium- and long-term prospects for equitableeconomic development (pp. 6-7).Edward Girardet authors the final chapter in Part I and raises the most contro-versial questions. Is there a direct and necessary connection between responsiblemedia, informed public opinion, and enlightened public policies? Are the mediacontributing to conflict and counterconflict by focusing on crises instead of the lessgraphic efforts of overcoming poverty and injustice? In this regard Girardet con-curs with Anderson on the link between humanitarian action and development.His central point is that the media and relief agencies adopt a partnership not onlyfor times of crisis but, more important, during periods of intense struggle fordevelopment. In fact, Girardet believes this strategy might be more cost effectivethan the sporadic, wasteful, and short-lived approach adopted by tod ay 's m edia.Part II shifts gears and addresses the relationship between military force (i.e.,intervention) and humanitarian action. This segment of the book raises questionsof military and sovereign power in the context of relief delivery.In Chapter 4, James O. C. Jonah focuses attention on the new face of hu-manitarian intervention. This is intervention narrowly defmed as military actionundertaken to guarantee humanitarian access with the approval of the UN Secu-rity Council but against the expressed wishes of a state (p. 61). Central to thischapter is the debate concerning the sanctity of national sovereignty and the needto intervene on behalf of a starving and abused population.

Using the case of Somalia (and Liberia), Jonah poses the polemical questionof whether the Somali case will provide a precedent for the disregard of sover-eignty. Although absolute sovereignty is no longer justification for human rights

7/27/2019 9508223585

3/5

Book Reviews 71because of a new world disorder undreamed of by the framers of the UN Charter(p. 61). The chapter raises a set of interesting questions related to this form ofintervention. Might troop training for such expeditions be different from the tra-ditional type? Will they be able to function in highly politicized circumstances?What are the terms of engagement? What is the chain of command likely to be?

Mackinlay's conclusion is that the military needs to formulate a precise defi-nition of their role and a doctrine of implementation. The question that strikes thereader is whether civilian relief workers should themselves undergo military train-ing owing to the intricate relationship between their work and that of militarypersonnel.The final chapter of Part II, "Relief Operations and Military Strategy," pro-

vides a critical analysis of the relationship between the work of relief practitio-ners and military strategy. Gayle Smith argues that a coordinated plan betweenrelief practitioners and the military would limit undue trauma to civilians. To theextent that relief aid is often politicized, the lack of coordination could result inan exacerbation of the civilians' plight. Written with a deep sense of practical andtheoretical rigor that can only come from experience. Chapter 6 sheds light on thedifficulties of neutrality in armed confiicts, the dynamics of military strategy andlogistics, and the economic effects that relief operations have on both the bellig-erent armed forces and the victims. Smith concludes this very-well-researchedchapter on a somber note^that there m ay be times when the aid comm unity mayhave to make a political judgment about the use of its assistance and inevitablytake sides with one of the warring factions (p. 155).

The third and final section of the book provides analysis of humanitarianinstitutionsa view of the world's new humanitarian order. Michel Veuthey (Chapter7) examines the intricacies of humanitarian law qua human rights law, makingreference to the Geneva Convention (1949), the additional Protocols (1977), theUniversal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the UN Charter (1945), and deci-sions by the UN General Assembly. Nonetheless, Veuthey provides a specificdefinition of international humanitarian law, namely the principles and rules thatlimit the use of violence during armed conflicts (p. 125). These rules are based onthree fundamental characteristics: they are not subject to reciprocity; victims can-not give up their rights; and rules are consistent.The central point made in this chapter is that we currently have a sufficientlegal framework to deal with humanitarian adjudication; the problem is that theinternational community lacks the humanitarian spirit and political will to enforceexisting rules (p. 126). The rest of the chapter deals with the detailed mechanics

of implementation and overall effectiveness of humanitarian law.The concluding chapters, 8 and 9, are an evaluation of the changing dynamic

7/27/2019 9508223585

4/5

72 Book ReviewsBut whereas Cuny projects a more optimistic role for the United Nations andother relief organizations in the po st-Co ld War era, Ingram questions the central-

ity of the United Nations in civilian relief operations. He believes the UnitedNations is inherently incapable of being impartiala necessary principle of hu-manitarian intervention.The Handbook is a short and concise guide on how to translate the theoreticaland normative framework provided in the edited volume into practical use bythose in the field. The humanitarian practitioner should find this a critical refer-ence for his or her day-to-day work. For example, at its core the book presentsthe eight Providence Principles that should guide humanitarian action (p. 19).These are, in the authors' own words, benchmarks against which performance

can be measured and that prevent pragmatism from degenerating into unprin-cipled opportunism. Also one finds a rigorous review of the operational chal-lenges of planning, mounting, and maintaining effective humanitarian operationsin situations of armed conflictthat is, a set of important policy guidelines forrelief operations. Finally, the Handbook provides a look at how the latter policyguidelines may form the basis for a code of conduct useful to the community ofpractitioners operating in war zones.Both of these books form an essential resource base for practitioners, schol-ars, and policy makers alike. The subject matter is relevant for the post-Cold Warworld order, and it is presented with jargon-free precision. The edited volume hasbeen enhanced with commentaries preceding each of the three parts, thus tyingeach part to the rest of the book.I would rank the Handbook among the top three most useful resource manu-als on the market today. It gives the general reader a bird's-eye view of theconditions of humanitarian delivery, while availing the relief worker with a mani-festoa mission statement to guide action.Finally, these two books introduce a new trajectory in the literature that em-phasizes that humanitarianism is related to but distinctly separate from humanrights work.

James Burk, ed., The Military in New Times: Adapting Armed Forces to aTurbulent World (Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1994), 212 pp., $44.95cloth.Reviewed by James J. WirtzDepartment of National Security Affairs

7/27/2019 9508223585

5/5