Paper details
| Paper authors | Pam DeLargy |
| In panel on | Volunteer Humanitarians in Europe: their Role, Significance and Potential Implications for the Humanitarian Sector |
| Paper presenter(s) will be presenting |
In-Person / |
Abstract
Volunteers mobilized in unprecedented ways to respond to humanitarian needs of refugees and migrants arriving in Europe over the past few years. In some cases, where the state used the withholding of humanitarian assistance as a migration deterrence strategy, volunteerism provided the only basic services which the displaced received.
As the acute “crisis” has calmed in Europe, it is important to assess the role of volunteerism in response as well as the trajectory of volunteer humanitarianism. How did volunteers organize themselves? What factors facilitated long term commitment? What aspects of “professional” humanitarian knowledge did they adopt most quickly? What aspects did they most struggle with?
This paper will also posit some ideas regarding the political roles of volunteers. How much did their public action and advocacy shame states (and larger humanitarian organizations) into action?
