Today is World Humanitarian Day, as designated by the UN General Assembly in memory of the twenty-two aid workers killed in the 2003 UN headquarters bombing in Baghdad.
Hurst has a long tradition publishing books on humanitarian work, so we’ve compiled a reading list for those who’d like to learn more about aid work and the challenges facing organisations helping those suffering from conflict, torture, disease, famine, and poverty.
Until 2 September, we’ll be offering the following books at discounted prices.
World Humanitarian Day Reading List
Humanitarian Ethics: A Guide to the Morality of Aid in War and Disaster, by Hugo Slim
![Slim — Humanitarian Ethics [CMYK] web](https://www.hurstpublishers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Slim-—-Humanitarian-Ethics-CMYK-web-191x300.jpg)
RRP £18.99 – Buy here for £14.99 and FREE P&P
‘The essential handbook of ethical expertise for aid workers, aid organisations and students of ethics and humanitarianism. It is comprehensive, passionate and has the special gift of lucidly exploring moral complexities.’ — Alex de Waal, Executive Director, World Peace Foundation at the Fletcher School, Tufts University
Negotiating Relief: The Politics of Humanitarian Space, edited by Michele Acuto
RRP £20.00 – Buy here for £14.99 and FREE P&P
‘One of the many virtues of this book is to move beyond a sterile debate between advocates of a “pure” humanitarianism and those who regard this as a myth about a golden age that has never existed. This high level collective volume includes overviews, thematic essays and case studies by experts with differing perspectives.’ — Michael Newman, Emeritus Professor of Politics and Jean Monnet Professor of European Studies, London Metropolitan University
Humanitarian Negotiations Revealed: The MSF Experience, edited by Claire Magone, Michael Neuman and Fabrice Weissman
RRP £16.99 – Buy here for £12.00 and FREE P&P
‘The most detailed and self-critical inside account of the deals aid agencies are forced to negotiate, often with groups and regimes which abuse human rights, to continue their work.’ — The Guardian
Failing to Protect: The UN and the Politicisation of Human Rights, by Rosa Freedman
RRP £16.99 – Buy here for £12.00 and FREE P&P
‘If you want a short, readable guide to a field you feel you need to know a bit about, and an argument to react to as well, then this is the book for you.’ — Conor Gearty, Times Higher Education
NGOs: A New History of Transnational Civil Society, by Thomas Davies
RRP £22.00 – Buy here for £16.00 and FREE P&P
‘A game-changer in our understanding of the role of non-governmental organizations and civil society in international politics. Davies manages to present meticulous detail and scrupulous research in a highly readable book that confronts what we think we know about NGOs. The book not only demonstrates the complexities of NGO politics but shows the ability and limitations of such actors in shaping international affairs.’ — Sophie Harman, Senior Lecturer in International Politics, Queen Mary University of London