Humanitarian intervention : confronting the contradictions / Michael Newman.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Newman, Michael, 1946-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Humanitarian intervention--Developing countries.

Humanitarian intervention.

Peacekeeping forces--Developing countries.

Peacekeeping forces.

Developing countries.

Physical Description:

xiii, 246 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : Columbia University Press, [2009]

Summary:

If a state carries out or sanctions atrocities on a mass scale within its borders, is there an international right, or even a duty, to intervene in support of the victims? Or does this notion undermine state sovereignty at the expense of weaker states? These are key questions in the debate on humanitarian intervention, which has become increasingly polarised in the twenty-first century. Many now view this as little more than a rationale for Western neo-imperialism, while others uphold it as a crusade for liberal democracy and individual rights.

This book seeks to establish an alternative position. It critiques current international policies by examining their impact on developing and transitional countries, and it also argues that military interventions have had limited success in building sustainable peace. But it endorses the notion of a `responsibility to protect', suggesting that a more progressive future would be possible if this were interpreted radically and combined with an enlarged conception of `humanitarianism' that addressed issues of global inequality and poverty.

This work will have particular resonance for those who have opposed recent Anglo-American policy, but have simultaneously believed that `something must be done' to save those threatened with genocide or other atrocities. Drawing on a range of disciplines and offering a distinct approach, it is aimed at all those who wish to understand a complex issue of contemporary importance. It will be particularly useful for students of international relations, contemporary history, peace and conflict studies, international law, politics, and development studies, and those working in NGOs.

Contents:

1 The Cold War Era-Non-Intervention or a Humanitarian Exception 7

Non-Intervention and the Post-War Settlement 8

International Law: Constraints on Sovereignty? 11

Defending Non-Intervention 17

a Non-Intervention and the Inside Face of Sovereignty 17

b Non-Intervention from an International Perspective: The Outside Face of Sovereignty 25

Intervention and Non-Intervention in Practice 28

2 The Post-Cold War Transformation 38

Attitudes towards Democracy, Human Rights and Sovereignty 39

International Institutions and Peace-Building 42

Democratisation and the Development of an International Human Rights Regime 44

Humanitarian Intervention 49

Part 1 Cases 49

Part 2 Arguments 69

a Ethics and New Norms 69

b International Social Conflict 71

c Progressive Social Values 73

Conclusion 77

3 Human Rights, Humanitarianism and Intervention 80

Human Rights, Regime Change and Humanitarian Intervention 84

Regime Change 84

Human Rights Violations or Humanitarian Violations? 87

Humanitarianism 93

The Traditional View: Humanitarianism as the Antithesis of Politics and Violence 94

The Perennial Dilemmas of Humanitarian Organizations 98

Rethinking Humanitarianism 104

Conclusion 109

4 Inhumanity and Liberalism 111

Neo-liberalism and Violent Conflict 112

Ethnic Conflict and Market Dominant Minorities 116

Global Governance and New Wars 118

Transitions and Violence 119

Policy Prescriptions: The Liberal Peace 121

Angola 124

Rwanda 126

Conclusion 137

5 After Intervention 138

International Administration or Liberal Imperialism? 140

International Governmental Regimes: Three Case Studies 145

Bosnia-Herzegovina 145

Kosovo 155

East Timor/Timor-Leste 163

Assessments and Lessons 176

6 The Responsibility to Protect 181

Re-Thinking Humanitarian Intervention: Conceptual Issues 182

Development and Human Security 183

The Responsibility to Protect 188

Just Wars 192

Right Intention 196

Right Authority 198

A New Commitment or New Words? 201

Conclusion 211.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780231154246

0231154240

OCLC:

286518049