In this special edition, Dr Singh reflects upon the state of the humanitarian system over the five years since the first Humanitarian Leader paper was published in 2019—Vale the Humanitarian Principles—by Professor Matthew Clarke and Brett W. Parris.
Singh contends that the new principles proposed by Clarke and Parris will only complement humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence if they help adjust the humanitarian architecture to be more inclusive and hold itself truly accountable. He argues that action is required within the sector to address its structure, governance, inclusivity and diversity, and that this change demands leadership, imagination and courage that are currently lacking.
"Why is there so little leadership, imagination and courage to implement paradigm shifts and radical change? Are the people who established these policies and strategies afraid of what real change could mean for them, their roles and their institutions?"
This paper challenges humanitarian leaders and governing bodies to reflect on what stops them from translating humanitarian principles and their own widely publicised demands for greater accountability and increased power and funding for communities affected by humanitarian crises—whether it’s called localisation, decolonisation or some other term—into real paradigm shifts and radical changes in their own institutions, organisations and networks.
To celebrate the 50th edition milestone, Professor Clarke has also written a blog reflecting on the evolution of the Humanitarian Leader/Leader Humanitaire, and the important place in the humanitarian ecosystem it has created for our authors and readers alike [link].
