Includes bibliographical references and index.

Preliminary Material / Yves Beigbeder -- Dedication / Yves Beigbeder -- Acknowledgements / Yves Beigbeder -- Foreword / Professor Victor-Yves Ghebali -- Introduction / Yves Beigbeder -- Part I Humanitarian Assistance and Voluntarism / Yves Beigbeder -- Chapter 1 The Role and Characteristics of the Intergovernmental Organizations / Yves Beigbeder -- Chapter 2 The Role and Characteristics of Non-Governmental Organizations / Yves Beigbeder -- Chapter 3 National and International Volunteers / Yves Beigbeder -- Part II Neutrality or Politicization? Discretion or Disclosure? / Yves Beigbeder -- Chapter 4 The Neutrality of the Red Cross / Yves Beigbeder -- Chapter 5 British Charities / Yves Beigbeder -- Chapter 6 Religious Agencies / Yves Beigbeder -- Chapter 7 Medical Volunteers / Yves Beigbeder -- Chapter 8 The United Nations Volunteers Programme (UNV) / Yves Beigbeder -- Part III International Humanitarian Law and Status / Yves Beigbeder -- Chapter 9 The Legal Status and the Protection of International Humanitarian Volunteers / Yves Beigbeder -- Chapter 10 Medical Missions: The Protection of the Volunteer Doctor / Yves Beigbeder -- Chapter 11 International Humanitarian Intervention / Yves Beigbeder -- Conclusion / Yves Beigbeder -- Bibliography / Yves Beigbeder -- List of Tables / Yves Beigbeder -- List of Abbreviations / Yves Beigbeder -- Postscript / Yves Beigbeder -- Other Books by Yves Beigbeder / Yves Beigbeder -- Index / Yves Beigbeder -- Legal Aspects of International Organization / Yves Beigbeder.

Since its birth with the creation of the international Red Cross in 1863, international humanitarian assistance has developed considerably since World War II. In accordance with the Red Cross principle of humanity, it aims at preventing and alleviating human suffering wherever it may be found, protecting life and health and ensuring respect for the human being. International humanitarian assistance involves a complex network of government agencies, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, and individual volunteers: it has been labelled a `non-system'. While governments and intergovernmental organizations play a dominant and structured role in this field, the non-governmental organizations and their volunteers have proved to be their necessary operational partners, providing material, medical and moral relief and care wherever it may be needed, beyond borders, at the grassroots level. Following a brief review of recent humanitarian activities of intergovernmental organizations, and an analysis of current trends of voluntarism, this book focuses on the role, status and attitudes of the major humanitarian non-governmental organizations, including the Red Cross organizations, the British charities, Church-related agencies, medical volunteers (such as the `French Doctors') and U.N. volunteers. Should humanitarian non-governmental organizations provide relief assistance with the Red Cross concern for discretion, neutrality and impartiality? Or should they bear witness and denounce publicly human rights violations, at the risk of being expelled from recipient countries and having to stop their assistance? The controversial claim of a `right' to receive and a `duty' to provide humanitarian assistance beyond borders is also addressed, as well as the possible need for a status to be accorded to international volunteers.

English

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