A Bed for the Night: Humanitarianism in Crisis

Monday, November 4th, 2002
The New York Institute for the Humanities at New York University
presents David Rieff on
A Bed for the Night: Humanitarianism in Crisis

IN CONVERSATION WITH KEN ROTH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH AND JOURNALISTS WILLIAM FINNEGAN, MARK DANNER, AND SUSIE LINFIELD

7-9 PM Hemmerdinger Hall NYU Main Building, 100 Washington Square East at Waverly Place.

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC/ NO RESERVATIONS

On Monday November 4th, the New York Institute for the Humanities is presents a public conversation prompted by the publication of David Rieff's latest book A Bed For the Night Humanitarianism in Crisis. Mr. Rieff will be joined by the Executive Director of Human Rights Watch, Ken Roth, as well as noted journalists Susie Linfield, Mark Danner and William Finnegan.

Drawing on ten years of reporting from the front lines of crises around the globe, the author contends that leading humanitarian organizations have been gravely compromised by their deepening levels of cooperation with the major governments of the West, and have fallen dangerously out of touch with their original goals. Rieff’s book argues that from Bosnia, Rwanda, and Congo to Somalia, Kosovo, and Afghanistan, international relief agencies like the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, CARE, Save the Children, the International Rescue Committee, Oxfam and others have frequently been exploited and manipulated by the great powers.

Increasingly, Rieff claims, the relief groups have come to serve as a humanitarian fig leaf for actions taken by governments — as in Kosovo and Afghanistan — or not taken — as in Bosnia and Rwanda — for their own political purposes. Paradoxically, and with the best of intentions, the humanitarian groups have helped to bring this dilemma upon themselves by demanding that the international community take military action to stop civil wars and ethnic cleansing, to protect human rights, and to enforce international law. Ultimately, Rieff maintains, there is only so much that humanitarianism can do, and in order to carry out the vital but limited mission it was intended to carry out — alleviate suffering — it must reassert its independence.

Rieff argues the humanitarian groups have become the “designated consciences” of the West, allowing Americans and Europeans to get on with their lives while believing that everything possible is being done to save people in terrible situations. Yet this illusion clouds our vision of what is actually happening in crises, and allows us to avoid making hard political and moral decisions — like whether to go to war, to force a genocidal leader from power, or to continue to prosecute a war even though it is causing unavoidable civilian casualties.

The New York Institute for the Humanities at NYU was established in 1976 for promoting the exchange of ideas between academics, professionals, politicians, diplomats, writers, journalists, musicians, painters, and other artists in New York City-and between all of them and the city. It currently comprises 150 fellows. Throughout the year, the NYIH organizes numerous public events and symposia such as December's memorable Art and Optics conference.

For more information and press accreditation please contact Shonna Keogan at the NYU press office at 212.998.6797 or the NYIH at 212.998.2100.