The heart of humanitarianism: foundations, ethics and current dilemmas
- Page updated onMarch 15, 2026
Learning pathways guide you in depth through a topic via a curated sequence of Salud everywhere pages, which you can read at your own pace. Each page includes AI-assisted reflection questions. At the end, a complex case study, also AI-assisted, will put your learning to the test.
For humanitarian professionals seeking an opportunity to reflect on the purpose of our work and the ethical foundations that should underpin our strategic decisions (beyond technocracy and the desperate pursuit of funding), and for those looking to enter the humanitarian sector by understanding its origins and purpose, rather than focusing solely on operational aspects.
You will explore the ethical foundations of humanitarianism and the importance of its evolution and adaptation to today's complex crises. You will critically analyse humanitarian principles and the dilemmas we face in applying them, as well as identify the threats to the humanitarian space built on those principles. You will also reflect on the power dynamics within the humanitarian system in the context of current debates on localisation and community empowerment.
Around 6.5 hours in total: approximately 6 hours to read the 11 pages, watch the videos, answer the reflection questions and consult the AI assistant, plus an additional half hour to complete the final case study.
Part I: identity, history and foundations
The pathway begins with Humanitarianism and humanitarian action: what it is and how it has evolved. This is our first step in understanding humanitarianism as a distinct framework from other types of intervention, grounded in a radical commitment to life and the relief of people in need where politics and society have failed.
We continue with Development cooperation or humanitarian action? Differences, nexus and tensions. Here you will first explore the operational and temporal distinctions between these two pillars of international cooperation. This will help you critically analyse the humanitarian-development-peace nexus, along with the challenges and dilemmas that arise when putting it into practice.
We then move on to History and evolution of humanitarian action: from Solferino to the humanitarian reset of 2025. This page is essential in the pathway for providing a historical perspective on the advances and transformations of the humanitarian system and its responses, as it professionalised while inheriting unequal power dynamics.
We close this opening section with Humanitarian principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence. These four pillars are not only an ethical foundation with a long historical record, but also a key determinant of credibility, legitimacy and access to populations affected by emergencies and conflicts. Their introduction is inevitably linked to the first articulation of important dilemmas.
Part two: challenges in complex humanitarian crises and the shrinking of humanitarian space
The second section begins with Rwanda 1994 and the birth of modern humanitarianism. This page addresses the Rwandan genocide and how this crisis represented both the greatest failure and the greatest catalyst for reform in the humanitarian system at every level: from codes of conduct to technical standards and accountability.
The analysis of complex humanitarian crises and their evolution leads us to Humanitarian space and the threats that shrink it. This page examines how the politicisation and instrumentalisation of humanitarian action, attacks on humanitarian personnel and counter-terrorism measures limit the application of humanitarian principles.
Part three: ethical dilemmas in the face of current demands for change in the humanitarian system
We now have a solid conceptual foundation to tackle Ethical dilemmas and prioritisation in humanitarian action. This page introduces the harsh reality of decision-making in humanitarian contexts where there are never enough resources to meet all needs. It also raises the importance of constantly reflecting on the impact of these decisions and the rights of those affected by them.
We continue with Humanitarian financing: sources, mechanisms & crisis of the model. This page is a necessary bridge between the ethical dilemmas that result from resource scarcity and why this shortage occurs. It also addresses the links between the control of funds and the asymmetry of power in the humanitarian system, following the humanitarian financial collapse of 2025.
We now turn to Humanitarian localisation: power and resources for local actors. Despite reform commitments, less than 3% of humanitarian funding reaches local NGOs directly, while UN agencies receive over 60% directly, followed by international NGOs with over 35%. This page addresses this historical and systematic exclusion and the need for change.
We close the pathway by linking localisation to Community participation in humanitarian action: unfulfilled promises. In the current crisis facing the humanitarian system, its legitimacy is at stake due to its disconnection from local realities. Achieving genuine dialogue that enables communities to actively shape responses remains the great unfinished business of modern humanitarianism.
Final evaluation
You have completed all the recommended pages. Below is the final assessment exercise. It consists of a case study with a series of questions. Try to answer them by applying everything you have studied in this pathway.
Once you have completed your response and clicked the button, a NotebookLM specific to this pathway will open. Paste your clipboard content there (Ctrl+V on Windows, Command+V on Mac) to receive feedback. This time, the feedback will be somewhat different from the reflection questions. NotebookLM will provide a brief critical analysis of your response, identify your progress towards the pathway's learning objectives and suggest some additional bibliographic references.
🧠 Case study
You are preparing to take part in a working group convened by a coalition of humanitarian organisations to discuss adaptation strategies in response to the drastic reduction in humanitarian funding in 2025. UN agencies have closed programmes, several international NGOs have announced mergers or closures, and local NGOs, despite having demonstrated greater operational resilience, now see their capacity threatened by the reduction of funds that previously reached them through international intermediaries. All of them have had to terminate contracts and are facing increasing politicisation of funding.
The group will need to make difficult decisions: prioritising the response to immediate humanitarian needs may mean sacrificing organisations, accumulated expertise and humanitarian networks that will take years to rebuild. But protecting that fabric at any cost may leave urgent needs unmet today.
Take some time to reflect before the first session: what dilemmas do you think local NGOs, international NGOs, large UN agencies and donors each face? What objectives should guide the group's decisions, what ethical principles should be non-negotiable, and what concessions do you think each actor should be willing to make for the greater good?
- Think and write your answer.
- Click on «Copy and open».
- Paste to receive feedback.
📚 This is the NotebookLM of this learning pathway. It uses only carefully selected references. | What is NotebookLM?
This is only the beginning...
Take some time to revisit the concepts you feel less confident about. You can also follow some of the recommended links within the pages or ask additional questions in the NotebookLM for each page to explore topics of interest in much greater depth.
You can also visit related pages on Salud everywhere to go further, exploring gender (a key factor when discussing power asymmetry in the humanitarian system at every level), contemporary complex humanitarian crises and their political causes, or advances in the Core Humanitarian Standard on accountability, driven by the aftermath of the Rwanda crisis.
And of course, you can start another learning pathway.