Ethics & International Affairs Volume 11 (1997): The Politics of Rescue: The Politics of Rescue: Yugoslavia's Wars and the Humanitarian Impulse [Abstract]

Dec 4, 1997

Pasic and Weiss examine the limitations and the ethical dilemmas of the humanitarian impulse in light of the recent surge in humanitarian intervention. The authors use the experience of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in the former Yugoslavia as an example of the way in which politics and humanitarianism are inextricably intertwined. They describe a spectrum of intervention, from rescue to restorative to revolutionary efforts. Rescue efforts often fail to address the underlying political problems, but for a rescuing nation to commit to"revolutionary" intervention and sustained support raises the issue of state sovereignty. Asserting that humanitarian intervention is a highly ambiguous principle, the authors warn of the dangers of politically driven rescues that often force trade-offs between the pursuit of rescue and political order.

To read or purchase the full text of this article, click here.

You may also like

DEC 22, 2022 Journal

Ethics & International Affairs Volume 36.4 (Winter 2022)

The highlight of the Winter 2022 issue of "Ethics & International Affairs" journal is a roundtable organized by David Ragazzoni on healing and reimagining liberal constitutional democracy, ...

OCT 11, 2022 Journal

Ethics & International Affairs Volume 36.3 (Fall 2022)

The editors of "Ethics & International Affairs" are pleased to present the Fall 2022 issue of the journal! The highlight of this issue is a book symposium ...

United Nations Environment Programme headquarters, Nairobi, Kenya. CREDIT: Maria Ivanova.

OCT 22, 2020 Podcast

The United Nations at 75: Looking Back to Look Forward, Episode 2, with Maria Ivanova

University of Massachusetts Boston's Dr. Maria Ivanova speaks about the UN's efforts on climate change, focusing on the role of the United Nations Environment Programme (...