Jointly led by Virginie Troit and Marie-Noëlle AbiYaghi
Devenir Humanitaire Collection – Volume IV – Editions Karthala
In the context of the fourth volume of the Devenir Humanitaire collection, which will be published in late 2018, the French Red Cross Foundation is launching a call for papers on humanitarian transition[1] in Lebanon. Following on from the seminar which was organised in Beirut in November 2017, this volume will examine the developments, transformations and major issues in the Lebanese social and humanitarian sectors.
Situated at the heart of a regional conflict and weakened by an unstable internal equilibrium since the end of the civil war in 1990, Lebanon has significant humanitarian needs, which have increased since the outbreak of the Syrian conflict and the mass arrival of refugees, who currently represent a high proportion of the Lebanese population. These developments have led to the emergence of new actors, practices and issues. Lebanon appears today as a laboratory for initiatives and innovation to bring humanitarian aid to the most vulnerable[2], tackle instability and promote the country’s social and economic development. These different aspects of humanitarian transition will be the focus of study and analysis in this new volume, with contributions on the following topics:
Understanding the Lebanese humanitarian context
What is the composition and structure of the social and humanitarian landscape in Lebanon? How much influence does the regional context have? Who are the main actors? Which are the generations of actors that have emerged from different crises? What are the economic, social and political impacts of the refugee crisis?
Studying the new actors of humanitarian aid
New forms of organisation have appeared over the course of different crises, leading to a great diversity of actors. Who are these new actors? What are the new modes of governance, the new missions? How important are non-humanitarian actors to the aid that is provided: what is the role of local authorities, community organisations, the private sector, businesses…? Which issues do local actors face (human resources, organisational development…)?
Analysing and anticipating evolving practices
The evolving nature of crises and actors has led to new operational practices: new partnerships, the implementation of unprecedented forms of aid (cash transfers), new forms of settlement for refugees… What are these new practices? What consequences do they have for organisations and for aid delivery? What are the dynamics and balances of power caused by these new practices?
If you are an aid worker, researcher or observer of the social and humanitarian sector in Lebanon, and you wish to submit a proposal, please send a summary of your argument or a draft plan (maximum 2 pages) to the following email address by March 1st 2018: [email protected] (link sends e-mail)
The deadline for submission of the final articles will be April 15th 2018. Articles must be approximately 20 000 characters (4000 words) in length, and respect the bibliographic standards of the Devenir Humanitaire collection.
[1] For more information on the concept of humanitarian transition: “Humanitarian Transition” by Jean-François MATTEI and Virginie TROIT, médecines/sciences 2016, 32: 211-5. Available online at: http://www.fondcrf.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Transition-humanitaire-JF-Mattei-V-Troit-M%C3%A9decine-Sciences-2016.pdf
[2] Of particular interest: Lebanon Support and Amel Association International, “Glocalizing humanitarian interventions in Lebanon: A reflexive look into innovative practices in times of crises. A compilation of papers”, Civil Society Knowledge Centre, Lebanon Support, 2017.
Source: http://civilsociety-centre.org/
