Benjamin Gittins

Having just completed a MA in Humanitarianism and Conflict Response at the University of Manchester, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to become involved and present my research findings at the HCRI international Conference: A Quest for Humanitarian Effectiveness. These findings were the basis of my MA dissertation and the subject area I am most interested in. My dissertation and presentation was entitled, ‘Where is the Local in Humanitarian Effectiveness? A Participatory Approach’

My dissertation and the research I presented at the HCRI conference sought to discuss how Local agency, or in other words, those whom make up national, regional and local populations can be better included in relief formation.  Explored further, I discussed ways in which the local capacity to determine and implement responses to conflict or disasters have been shaped by the relationships between themselves and the wider humanitarian community. This broad topic of relief ownership touched upon, what I sought to highlight, as limitations within these relationships, commonly in the form of partnership building models and how an understanding of effective aid has been shaped by the motivations and capacities of powerful actors, rather than the consequences aid has on the contexts in which it is administered. I have tried to highlight how discussions within humanitarian academia can take experience and knowledge from Peacebuilding and Development literature and what parallels can be drawn from peace and relief formation, in order to challenge how humanitarianism can be made more effective. Taking Development’s Participatory Approach to local inclusion as an example, one can see, in the context of Colombia’s Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) how the inclusion of IDPs within housing and income generation building has contributed to aid based on the interests of IDPs- rather than the interests of donors and third parties.

My interest in this particular area of humanitarian study has been largely influenced by the HCRI department itself- the multi- disciplinary approach towards humanitarian and conflict allows for a broader and cross subjects perspectives, something which I tried to utilise in my research. I was also influenced by the Conflict Analysis module, and Peace and Social Agency, Security and Intervention: Theories and Practice which looked into peacebuilding studies.

I thoroughly enjoyed my experience of presenting and forming part of a discussion panel for questions from the audience, and while it was at first daunting, the opportunity to be involved in discussions at this level was really valuable. The breadth and depth of talks and workshops available during the conference was impressive, and allowed for a coherent series of discussions upon identifying the challenges which beset humanitarian effectiveness and what future discussions and solutions need to centre upon.  The opportunity to be involved with the HCRI conference and contribute, even in a small way, to these discussions was a great way to end a year of learning about and beginning to get to grips with the field of humanitarian studies. I am currently applying to various internship opportunities to build upon and further develop the skills I have learned during my Masters.

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