IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/devchg/v53y2022i1p166-189.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

From Rebel to Humanitarian: Military Savoir Faire and Humanitarian Practice in Eastern DR Congo

Author

Listed:
  • Myfanwy James

Abstract

This article explores the experience of ex‐rebels who have become humanitarians in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It describes how rebel‐cum‐humanitarians navigate a turbulent political environment, integrating the knowledge they acquired through military experience into a career in the humanitarian sector. ‘Distinction’ between combatants and humanitarians remains central to the humanitarian imaginary. However, rebel and humanitarian spheres are interlinked by individuals who do not just broker relationships between the two, but also move between them. They walk a tightrope: their rebel past is seen as a threat to performing a ‘neutral’ humanitarian identity, but at the same time, it constitutes a resource in brokering access with armed groups. Despite a focus on performing principles, humanitarian agencies in practice draw on their employees’ savoir faire which is sometimes gained through rebel experience — the very identity deemed antithetical to a humanitarian status.

Suggested Citation

  • Myfanwy James, 2022. "From Rebel to Humanitarian: Military Savoir Faire and Humanitarian Practice in Eastern DR Congo," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 53(1), pages 166-189, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:devchg:v:53:y:2022:i:1:p:166-189
    DOI: 10.1111/dech.12693
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/dech.12693
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/dech.12693?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gordon, Stuart, 2014. "The military physician and contested medical humanitarianism: A dueling identity?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 421-429.
    2. Luisa Enria, 2019. "The Ebola Crisis in Sierra Leone: Mediating Containment and Engagement in Humanitarian Emergencies," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 50(6), pages 1602-1623, November.
    3. Abby Stoddard & Adele Harmer, 2006. "Little Room to Maneuver: The Challenges to Humanitarian Action in the New Global Security Environment," Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 7(1), pages 23-41.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Benjamin Miller, 2016. "Does AID Effectiveness Mean Repairing the World?: an Examination Of Tikkun Olam's Implications for Modern AID Effectiveness Standards," The Review of Faith & International Affairs, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(3), pages 81-88, July.
    2. King, Erika L. & Snowden, David L., 2020. "Serving on multiple fronts: A grounded theory model of complex decision-making in military mental health care," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 250(C).
    3. Maha Abdelrahman, 2022. "COVID‐19 and the Meaning of Crisis," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 53(6), pages 1151-1176, November.
    4. Vanderslott, Samantha & Enria, Luisa & Bowmer, Alex & Kamara, Abass & Lees, Shelley, 2022. "Attributing public ignorance in vaccination narratives," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 307(C).
    5. Gizelis, Theodora-Ismene & Karim, Sabrina M., 2024. "How epidemics affect marginalized communities in war-torn countries: Ebola, securitization, and public opinion about the security forces in Liberia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    6. Çağlar Açıkyıldız, 2024. "Unique data, different values: Explaining variation in the use of biometrics by international humanitarian organizations," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 15(3), pages 502-515, June.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:devchg:v:53:y:2022:i:1:p:166-189. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0012-155X .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.