Many actors claim results to be at the heart of their operations and to apply the Result-Based Management (RBM) approach in delivering humanitarian assistance, yet few are capable of clearly defining what it means and the long-term effects of this approach. Although seemingly simple from an outsider's perspective, the long-going debate on how to best measure and handle results demonstrate the complexity of the issue. This research examines how the RBM approach can be used by a humanitarian donor and looks specifically at the humanitarian unit (HUM) at Sida's methods for measuring results. It demonstrates that the difficulty in operationalizing ambitious goals and the lack of clarity of objectives hinder HUM from using results management to its full potential, especially when it comes to using the learning component to inform decision-making. The kind of results obtained depended on the reporting mechanisms and the partnership approach used at HUM facilitates the assessment of results; HUM's extensive knowledge of their partner's work is a comparative advantage which is not part of the RBM approach.

This study is based on the perspectives of Syrian youth, on how they can contribute to and participate in future peace initiatives for Syria. The purpose of the study is to investigate opportunities and barriers to youth’s participation for peace, as well as the instrumental role of education in learning about nonviolent pathways for change. Thus, the research is conducted through the collection of narratives with a digital survey-interview method, followed by a thematic analysis with primarily inductive approach, putting the views and ideas of the youth at the centre of the study. The results from the narratives show that the youth have agency and hope to act for positive change in their societies, although they simultaneously feel restrained by suffering, due to imposed restrictions, increasing deprivation, and the on-going violent conflict. Following the analysis, the final themes are discussed against existing research on the topics of peace, participation, and education. The importance of education as a tool for peace and nonviolence was confirmed by the research participants’ strong emphasis on the benefits of education. Additionally, the youth propose that education for peace should include practical elements, and that practical skills are also part of building peace. The barriers in the narratives are discussed as something that can restrict people’s opportunities to return at all, however, the worries are accompanied by strong beliefs in cooperation, dialogue, and intergroup networks of care and respect. The final conclusions include emphasis on the need to support existing local and grassroots initiatives for peace, ideally through multi-sectoral approaches, incorporating support both from the humanitarian and the peacebuilding sectors. Furthermore, the youth participants show a great will to partake in creating positive change and building sustainable peace, nonetheless, they also need support to manage current barriers, including to put an end to the violent conflict.

In the mid-2000s, the South African government systematically deported illegal Zimbabweans from their territory. In 2009, they placed a moratorium on the deportations and introduced the Zimbabwe Documentation Process (“ZDP”), which was to allow many of the millions of Zimbabweans to regularise their stay in South Africa.  During the moratorium, Zimbabweans continued to arrive in South Africa. As an immediate reaction, the Government of South Africa began to deny entry to Zimbabweans at the border, even when they claimed the need to seek asylum. The ZDP process finished at the end of 2010 and had only assisted approximately 275,000 individuals; a small number compared to the reported millions living in South Africa. In October 2011, the Government lifted the moratorium on deportations of Zimbabweans and, once again, systematically began deporting them. By August 2012, it was estimated that over 35,000 Zimbabweans had been deported from South Africa.  This thesis explores the actions carried out by the South African government to handle the large numbers of Zimbabweans within their sovereign territory. It specifically considers the deportations, non-admission at the borders and the asylum-system in South Africa in reflection with the Government’s international, regional and national refugee law obligations regarding non-refoulement.

The humanitarian cowboy is a phenomenon standing in juxtaposition with the fundamental principles of humanitarian action – impartiality, neutrality, independence, and humanity. Yet he seems to survive and thrive in the sector. This master's thesis explores the performance and reproduction of masculinity in the humanitarian sector, focusing on how the work environment contributes to these behaviours and how they relate to power dynamics. A qualitative approach with in-depth interviews with humanitarian staff is used to investigate the extent to which humanitarian organisations influence the performance of hegemonic masculinity, embodied by the archetype of the humanitarian cowboy. The results show that the prevailing organisational norms reinforce these behaviours, leading to a paradoxical environment in which exaggerated masculine behaviour is both a coping mechanism and a perceived increase in efficiency. More so the underlying acceptance of this behaviour in the organisation contributes to its reproduction. The study concludes that through organisational cultures, narratives, and the valorisation of certain behaviours, the humanitarian cowboy is not just a product of individual personalities, but a construct supported and sustained by the very systems designed to alleviate human suffering.

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal.

The illegal targeting of healthcare in armed conflict is nothing new but its continuance and impunity at a time when the protection of it has formally never been higher, for instance through the UNSC Resolution 2286, motivated this study. Therefore, the thesis analyses how the illegal targeting of healthcare affect humanitarian actors operating in Yemen as well as the local population. How the population and humanitarian actors perceive and interpret the violent targeting of healthcare was explored as well.    This study is based on a quantitative and qualitative content analysis of 11 media outlets and 25 documents provided by humanitarian actors. As a theoretical framework the humanitarian principles, international humanitarian law and the politicisation of humanitarian aid were addressed. Moreover, securitization theory was used in order to explain how humanitarian actors securitize the targeting through language. The results show that consequences of the illegal targeting for humanitarian organisations are limited access to the field as well as the closing of facilities and withdrawal of staff due to security issues. For the Yemeni population consequences are a limited access to healthcare as well as a loss of trust in the safety of medical facilities and therefore they often take the decision to not seek medical care. The analysis shows that humanitarian actors present the illegal targeting as a threat to the survival of beneficiaries and connect this to their own organisational survival and through that securitize the illegal targeting.

Gender mainstreaming has become a widely discussed and applied tool, aimed to aid progress towards gender equality. The latter has been an important aspect of international development and humanitarian action, as is evident from the Sustainable Development Goals. In humanitarian aid, this tool has the purpose of making aid more effective and inclusive, by critically assessing how crises affect women, men, girls, and boys differently. Specifically, it enforces a needs-based approach to delivering aid. However, gender biases still guide perceptions of vulnerability, which is a key determinant in needs assessment. Specifically, women and children are perceived to be the most vulnerable in all cases, while men are either sidelined, perceived as necessary allies to gender equality at most or, in the worst case, as threats. Though women and girls do suffer most from systematic gender inequality due to various factors, gender-specific threats are not reserved for women and girls, alone. Men and boys face different types of threats that are unique to their gender. This paper will explore male-specific vulnerabilities by addressing conceptual and theoretical concerns, followed by a policy analysis. This analysis is based on policies of implementing organizations in Syria in 2017. The purpose of this analysis is to determine whether these humanitarian actors are aware of male-specific vulnerabilities, and whether they address them in their policies and programming. In doing so, obstacles to the successful inclusion of men in gender mainstreaming efforts will be identified.

Cette thèse est une étude sur le geste de soin, c’est-à-dire le fait de se soucier d’autres personnes et de leur apporter une aide nécessaire. Elle est ancrée dans un cas particulier : l’action humanitaire, l’action d’organisations intervenant dans des situations d’urgence générées par des conflits ou des catastrophes. Ce secteur de pratiques vient nourrir et contextualiser notre réflexion en lui apportant ses contraintes propres. Le constat d’un ensemble d’écueils dans les pratiques de soin se trouve à l’origine de ce travail. Ces problèmes sont généralement perçus comme des abus de pouvoir, que ce soit le soigné qui se voit abusé (imposition d’une forme de soin, manque de respect, etc.) ou bien le soignant (manque de reconnaissance, manipulation, détresse empathique, etc.). Selon la conception dominante, ces écueils auraient leur source dans l’asymétrie de la relation de soin. Il faudrait alors réduire, si ce n’est même, annuler cette asymétrie. Mais que serait le soin en l’absence de cette asymétrie ? Que pourrait faire le soignant s’il se trouvait tout autant vulnérable que le soigné ? Cette thèse dénonce une conception dominante du soin qui tend à un affaiblissement du soignant. Non seulement la souffrance ne trouve pas de réponses effectives, mais elle se voit légitimée et même célébrée. Notre travail vise à dénoncer cet empire de la souffrance et en révèle les racines profondes. De plus, la contribution de cette thèse n’est pas uniquement critique : elle propose de retrouver la puissance au cœur du geste de soin. Nous montrons que la source de cette puissance se trouve dans le désir, le désir entendu dans son sens fondamental et intrinsèque. Cette thèse propose finalement de replacer le désir au cœur du soin. Le vitalisme et la puissance normative anti-dogmatique de philosophes comme Spinoza, Nietzsche, Canguilhem et Deleuze nous éclairent tout au long de ce travail ainsi, qu’un travail empirique réalisé auprès d’acteurs humanitaires. / This is a study on the gesture of care, i.e. the fact of caring for other people and providing them with the help required. It focuses on a particular case : humanitarian action, the action conducted by organisations that intervene in emergency situations generated by conflicts or disasters. This sector of practices nourrishes and contextualises this philosophical reflection. The impulse of this work resides in the observation of a set of pitfalls of caring practices. These issues are generally perceived as abuses of power: it is either the care-reciever that is being abused (imposition of a particular form of care, lack of respect, etc.) or the care-provider (lack of recognition, manipulation, empathic distress, etc.). According to the dominant understanding, these pitfalls would find their origin in the asymetry of the caring relations. It would then be necessary to reduce, or even, to remove this asymetry. However, what would care be in the absence of this asymetry? What could the carer do if he/she was as vulnerable as the one being cared for? This thesis critiques a dominant conception of care that leads to a weakening of the carer. Not only does this understanding makes it impossible to properly respond to suffering, but it also leads to legitimising distress and vulnerability, and even, celebrating these states. Hence, this work seeks to denounce this empire of suffering and reveals its deeper roots. Furthermore, this thesis is not only a critique; it also makes a proposition, that of coming back to power of acting at the heart of the gesture of care. It shows that the source of this power resides in desire, a desire understood in a fundamental and intrinsic sense. It eventually proposes to place desire at the center of care. The vitalism and the normative and anti-dogmatic power of philosophers such as Spinoza, Nietzsche, Canguilhem and Deleuze are a source of inspiration throughout this work, as well as an empirical study conducted with humanitarian actors.

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

Women and children are often the focus of humanitarian aid campaigns, generally considered to be the main victims of humanitarian emergencies. Previous research has explored the portrayal of victims within humanitarian action, focusing on humanitarian images, and how humanitarianism portrays the refugee. There is not, however, a lot of research that focuses on the humanitarian aid campaigns themselves, and not either on women´s victimisation specifically. This thesis thus makes a contribution to research by conducting a critical analysis of women´s portrayal in humanitarian aid campaigns, asking the research question of how women in the Democratic Republic of Congo are portrayed in humanitarian aid campaigns, with a broader aim of examining why humanitarian aid campaigns are gender based. I argue in this thesis through a single within case study that the empirical case “The worst period of her life” campaign created by ActionAid UK victimises women by associating women´s dignity with menstrual health, appealing to donors through the common hardships of menstruation, and picturing women as passive victims. The woman is portrayed as someone who is not capable of action, requiring external intervention. Using Agamben´s framework of “bare life” and homo sacer, this thesis concludes that women´s portrayal in the “The worst period of her life” campaign reduces the female victim to the realm of “bare life”. The already disadvantageous position that women have in the broader societal structure is reinforced by removing their agency in humanitarian aid campaigns. The results thus highlight problematic factors of women´s portrayal in humanitarian aid campaigns, opening for further research on the implications of the victimisation of women within humanitarian action.