[Asia_news] PSC Seminar 3:00 pm 16 Oct
Lyn Ning
lyn.ning at anu.edu.au
Wed Oct 11 09:52:39 EST 2006
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
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