The Humanitarians: Child War Refugees and Australian Humanitarianism in a Transnational World, 1919-1975

The Humanitarians by Joy Damousi explores the national and international humanitarian efforts undertaken by Australians on behalf of child refugees over the twentieth century, from child sponsorship to aid and development schemes. It examines the shifting forms of humanitarian activity and the role of women humanitarian workers, and the intersection between racial politics and war refugees.

Format: Hardback
Length: 340 pages
Publication date: 11 August 2022
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Spanning six decades from the formation of the Save the Children Fund in 1919 to humanitarian interventions during the Vietnam War,The Humanitarians charts the national and international humanitarian efforts undertaken by Australians on behalf of child refugees. In this longitudinal study,Joy Damousi explores the shifting forms of humanitarian activity related to war refugee children over the twentieth century,from child sponsorship,the establishment of orphanages,fundraising,to aid and development schemes and campaigns for inter-country adoption. Framed by conceptualisations of the history of emotions,and the limits and possibilities afforded by empathy and compassion,she considers the vital role of women and includes studies of unknown,but significant,women humanitarian workers and their often-traumatic experience of international humanitarian work. Through an examination of the intersection between racial politics and war refugees,Damousi advances our understanding of humanitarianism over the twentieth century as a deeply racialised and multi-layered practice.

Spanning six decades from the formation of the Save the Children Fund in 1919 to humanitarian interventions during the Vietnam War,The Humanitarians maps the national and international humanitarian efforts undertaken by Australians on behalf of child refugees. In this longitudinal study,Joy Damousi explores the shifting forms of humanitarian activity related to war refugee children over the twentieth century,from child sponsorship,the establishment of orphanages,fundraising,to aid and development schemes and campaigns for inter-country adoption. Framed by conceptualisations of the history of emotions,and the limits and possibilities afforded by empathy and compassion,she considers the vital role of women and includes studies of unknown,but significant,women humanitarian workers and their often-traumatic experience of international humanitarian work. Through an examination of the intersection between racial politics and war refugees,Damousi advances our understanding of humanitarianism over the twentieth century as a deeply racialised and multi-layered practice.

Weight: 653g
ISBN-13: 9781108833905