Humanitarian Action - Assignment Example

Hieronymi main logic or deduction from his research is that interests and values based approaches to humanitarian action are not entirely mutually exclusive. However the effective combination of the two vices can significantly strengthen the arguments that are formulated in humanitarian’s action favor. Hieronymi supports this logic by referring to the humanitarian imperative. This is the value and ability engrained deep into the human soul that enables him to clearly distinguish between right and wrong.

1 He argues that in everyday life, human beings are faced with various moral dilemmas. These dilemmas can be of varying nature and human beings are therefore placed in a precarious position where they have to decide whether to take action or not. For example when one witness an instance of child cruelty, there is the obvious urge to take intervene. However in certain circumstances, moral consideration may be out rightly rejected. This may be due to various political philosophies, for example in states under dictatorship where human cruelty may be a common norm.

This is obviously a clear violation of human values and principles. Hieronymi uses various historical situations in the past to further support his argument. Hieronymi also elaborates on the interests that humanitarian crises touch and which inadvertly stimulates human beings to take action. The first one is the nature and values of the universe that the human being so closely covets. The second interest is the ‘importing’ of the suffering and trouble risk. The final interest is the aftermath costs of the crises, which would have been avoided had prevention measures been effected.

Hieronymi further argues that when deciding whether to take humanitarian action, the interests of both the victims and the individuals or organizations of the people taking the action must be taken into consideration. There should therefore be a convergence of both interests. Hieronymi concludes his logic by stating that values and interests are therefore the two most significant vices that govern humanitarian action consideration. David Rieff’s point of view in his publication A Bed for the Night is that humanitarian action may pose more problems if solved realistically.

This is an opinion which clearly concurs with other critics like Waal, Michael Maren, Bernard Hours, and Peter Uvin. He argues that humanitarian action is a futile enterprise whose effects may be fatal and this makes him unique from other literature writers because he first acknowledges the complexity of the issue call for a proper preparedness. His writing seeks to attack the common approach of relief programs and advocacy initiatives that are increasingly being applied by humanitarian agencies.