[Asia_news] PSC Seminar 3:00 pm 16 Oct

[Lyn Ning]

Department of Political and Social Change 

SEMINAR series 

 

Pre-field work seminar

 

Topic 

The Power of Protection: A Critical Analysis of Human Rights-Based
Humanitarianism by Local and International NGOs in Aceh, 1998 - 2006

 

Speaker 

Mr. Paul Zeccola  

Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Political and Social Change, ANU 

 

Date & Venue 

3:00 - 4:30 pm,   Monday 16 October 2006

Seminar Room D, Coombs Building, ANU 

 

 

Abstract 

 

This research explores how humanitarian organisations dealt with the dual
disasters of armed conflict and tsunami in Aceh. More specifically, it
examines the new paradigm for humanitarian action, one centred on the
concept of 'protection', in humanitarian work. This approach to humanitarian
work actively and publicly promotes and advocates for the protection of the
rights of people in disasters. It is widely accepted as a normative
framework for responding to disasters by non-governmental organisations
(NGOs) and donors.

 

This thesis looks at how international and local NGOs put humanitarian
protection programs into action in Aceh between 1998 and 2006. One
particular problem I focus on is relations between international and local
NGOs. In Aceh, international aid agencies were not responsive to the
substantial human rights problems, yet these problems were prioritised by
most local NGOs. Further, most existing research on humanitarian protection
has focused on international agencies and approaches. This research will
also consider local agencies and their activities. I examine how both local
and international NGOs have applied this model in pre-tsunami and
post-tsunami periods. My dissertation will look at the main obstacles faced
by NGOs in implementing protection programming and the disparity between
local and international approaches. I do this by comparing humanitarian
assistance in Aceh in two 'competing disasters': the conflict and the
tsunami. 

 

 

 

**********************************************

Lyn Ning 

Department of Political and Social Change 

Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies 

Coombs Building, Building 9 

Australian National University 

Tel:  6125 4790 

Fax: 6125 5523 

Email:  <mailto:lyn.ning at anu.edu.au> lyn.ning at anu.edu.au