Where is the leadership? Where is the imagination? Confronting a humanitarian system in crisis and resistant to change

Abstract

The humanitarian ‘system’, however defined, has evolved considerably over the last decade. It has become more professional, standards are better understood and applied, there is greater professionalisation of the sector and humanitarians are better qualified and knowledgeable. The ‘system’ has also become very complex. There are more disasters, and they are more intricate and intractable. New initiatives appear to be set up almost every year to address these challenges, yet failures are often mentioned in passing rather than properly and honestly acknowledged. The sector makes agreements and promises to ensure more funding gets to communities affected by disasters, yet these promises are woefully unmet. In 2019, Matthew Clarke and Brett Parris proposed new humanitarian principles to tackle the increasing scale, intensity, complexity and intractability of humanitarian crises—equity, solidarity, compassion and diversity. However, given the circumstances outlined above, perhaps it is prudent to question not the principles but their application. In this paper, I reflect on these principles five years’ later and contend that they will only complement the original principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence if they help adjust the humanitarian architecture to be more inclusive and hold itself truly accountable. Rhetoric is no longer enough and requires action within the sector to address its structure, governance, inclusivity and diversity. It requires leadership, imagination and courage.