This dissertation is about American Red Cross and YMCA work in revolutionary and civil war Russia. It focuses on the most significant phases of these organizations’ efforts in terms of the numbers of personnel involved and the funds expended: Moscow and Petrograd, 1917–18; northern Russia during the Allied military intervention, 1918–19; and Siberia and the Russian Far East, from 1918 through the early 1920s. By drawing on dozens of often underused archival collections this study is able to discuss these “constructive efforts” in much fuller detail than have existing works. The activities of the Americans who worked in Russia, rather than those who made policy from afar, are of primary interest. The concern here, beyond the what, where, and who, is why: Why did American relief or social service work occur? The answers, of which there are several, include a desire to provide assistance to suffering populations. But the humanitarian impulse was often not the one that carried the day when decisions about policy and practice were taken. Military concerns were important, especially while the Great War still raged on the western front, and while Allied and American soldiers fought Russian Bolsheviks. American relief workers also saw themselves as contributing directly to relations between Russia and Russians on the one hand, and the United States, the Allies, and the American people on the other. They were moved to carry out their work because they saw the importance of it for the present and future of relations between the two countries. Americans in Russia also took advantage of the presence of soldiers, civilian refugees, and former prisoners of war from a variety of European countries to spread the good word about all things American. Ultimately, Americans viewed revolutionary Russia through the lens of modernization. With American help, the future could be bright. With the right leadership in place to oversee their education, honest, hardworking, and intellectually curious peasants (as they were described by contemporary observers) could be turned into modern citizens. The Russian project failed to achieve its promise, but for a time Americans retained their optimism about Russia’s future.

Same, Same, but Different -a Minor Field Study of the Future Red Cross Women’s Project, Malindi Branch, Kenya. In May 2005, we received a scholarship from the Swedish International Development Agency, SIDA, to conduct a Minor Field Study about the future women’s project at the Malindi Red Cross branch, Kenya. The branch has since May 2002 been involved in a Twinning cooperation with the Swedish Red Cross Southeast Region. The aim of this thesis is by using the Logical Framework Approach and the Intersectional perspective, to examine the situation for women in Malindi and the work of the Red Cross branch, in order to propose guidelines for the future Red Cross women’s project. The questions asked were: How can the guidelines for the women’s project be formulated in order for the vision of the Red Cross to be reached? What changes within the individual, societal and political sphere have to be accomplished in order to meet the needs and interests of different women in Malindi? The work of the Red Cross is in a political science perspective interesting as it through its role of a humanitarian organisation and NGO, plays an important role in the Kenyan civil society, performing activities and providing services that originally should be supplied by the government. We have found that it is not possible to talk about the woman in Malindi, due to the fact that women’s backgrounds, problems, needs and interests are different. Therefore it is of great importance that the Red Cross in order to accomplish its vision, i.e. to reach the most vulnerable, includes a gender and an intersectional approach into its activities and outreaches. There is a desire in Kenya to politicize the gender issue, however the future will show the will to actually implement these laws and reforms needed for the empowerment of the women. Moreover, different gender structures can only be achieved through the questioning of the traditional gender roles from both men and women and in this process we have recognised the Red Cross as an important moulder of public opinion. Finally we also want to suggest an inclusion of the gender- and the intersectional perspective into the method of LFA, since the traditional model is not sufficient in considering the different needs of different people.

In the last few years, migration towards Europe has intensified as a result of poverty and war in other parts of the world. Now, the European Union finds itself in a “refugee crisis” that has brought about contrasting reactions from within European societies. While many civil society organizations have mobilized for the inclusion of asylum seekers and undocumented migrants, governments have increasingly focused on restricting access and limiting their numbers. This study seeks to understand and explain the role of civil society in the refugee crisis. To this end, citizenship and framing theories are applied to the case of the Swedish Red Cross. Specific “acts of citizenship” carried out by the Red Cross in Sweden, and in Europe more generally, are analyzed. The study’s findings suggest that this civil society organization/movement acts as both a “denationalizing” (Sassen 2002) and a “post-nationalizing” (Bosniak 2006) force as it pushes the boundaries of citizenship from within and beyond the borders of the nation-state. It does this by calling upon international humanitarian and human rights laws and principles and by positioning itself inside and outside the political system at the same time.

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / This thesis is a quantitative and qualitative study, reflecting the health promotion I needs of individuals with lower limb amputation in Rwanda. Individuals with physical disabilities are at risk of secondary complications due to the impact of the disability, and this may be exacerbated by poor choices of lifestyle. Rehabilitation services have been traditionally designed for those experiencing sudden on-set, traumatic disabling conditions. Although physically disabled persons desire to engage in wellness-enhancing activities, limited programs based on their health promotion needs' assessment have been developed. In this study, participants' health promotion needs and factors that influence their health-related behaviours were examined using a questionnaire survey and in-depth face-to-face interviews. Data analysis, using SPSS version 10.0, was used to obtain frequency tables and histograms. Chi-square tests, Fisher's exact Tests and Pearson's correlation coefficient were utilized to test for associations between several variables. Audiotape recordings and process notes were translated, and then transcribed verbatim. Strong themes that ran through the data were identified. In order to qualify for between method triangulation used in the study, complementally strengths were identified by comparing textual qualitative data with numerical quantitative results and vice versa. Participants were 334, comprising more males (8O%) than females (20%). The most frequently reported cause of amputation was land mines injuries (44.6%). Most participants were either unilateral below-knee (40.7%) or above-knee (40.1%) amputees. The. majority of participants led physically inactivity lifestyles (64.7%), others consumed alcohol (60.5%), used tobacco (33.5%) and drugs (9.6%). In-depth interviews revealed that participants' low psycho-social status and self-perception led to depression and frustration. Negative peer influence and lack of access to relevant information predisposed them to involvement in risky health behaviours. Further interviews indicated that the participants' perceived health-related needs included access to relevant information and new lifestyle habits to improve their health. Participants also desired job opportunities, particularly vocational training programmes and the formation of support groups, to enhance various programmes. The study findings are extremely challenging. Over 50% of participants were engaged in health-risk behaviours, which would certainly result in the deterioration of their health status. This places a greater demand on rehabilitation services, increasing morbidity and mortality rates, thus further straining the national health -- budget. There is therefore an urgent need to develop, encourage and promote - wellness-enhancing behaviours and activities, to improve the participants' health status and ultimate quality of life. Finally, further studies need to focus on barriers and determinants of health-promoting behaviours, and to explore more about issues related to self-perception and risky health behaviours.

This thesis aims to describe how the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) tends to maternal health care in floodings and whether it should be deemed sufficient. Floodings in Pakistan (2010), Bangladesh (2017) and Sudan (2013) are used as units of analysis when conducting a content analysis. The theoretical framework consists of critical success factors for disaster response based in the emergency management literature. A big part of the theoretical framework revolves around the importance of expertise and rationality in disaster response planning and implementation. The three floodings received relief efforts from IFRC which are presented in emergency appeal reports. Lists on essential maternal health care interventions in combination with the theoretical framework create analysis questions that are posed to the appeals. Results are presented in a table naming the prevalence of each intervention in each report. The findings show that maternal health care was seen to and deemed sufficient in only one of the three cases: Pakistan. The conclusion is that the discourse on maternal health care in natural disasters should be developed and that further research on the subject needs to be conducted.

The master thesis deals with the historical development of humanitarian aid against the backdrop of transformations of the world order. Firstly, the thesis scrutinizes the differences between the classical humanitarianism of the Red Cross and the so-called new humanitarianism, which emerged during the Nigerian civil war (1967-1970). Secondly, the thesis demonstrates that although the new humanitarianism tends to be presented in an opposition to and as a more historically advanced form of the classic humanitarianism, when examined in a more detailed manner, the two humanitarian approaches face similar dilemmas in relation to political power. The overcoming of the "end of history" era, which gave rise and prominence to the new humanitarianism, opened discussion about the alternatives to the future of the world order. This shift allows us to formulate the main argument of the thesis - the evolution of the humanitarianism should not be seen as teleological and linear but as a continuous process in which both the classic and the new humanitarianism need to balance between strict legalism which can lead to moral failure and exaggerated moralism which can have consequences contradicting the basic principles of humanitarian action. Keywords: classical humanitarianism, new humanitarianism, human rights,...

Volunteering in emergency situations requires comprehensive knowledge of the context of these situations: crisis management issues, including legislation, involving of NNO in the integrated rescue system and cooperation with a local government, the principle of access to those who are affected; including first aid, teamwork and self-care. The training of volunteers is very important for both, the quality of volunteer work and for volunteers themselves and humanitarian organizations pay special attention to it.The aim of this work is to summarize the findings from the literature, to prepare them for the use of volunteers and to map the training system of volunteers and members of the Czech Red Cross in general, and on the specific example of regional associations in the South Bohemian region. To achieve the objective, an analysis and summary of the domestic literature on training volunteers in emergencies was realised. Furthermore, the case study, using data from secondary sources, internal documents and from expert interviews was compiled. Attachments now contain information useful for training volunteers as a separated document. The conclusion of this work summarizes the findings and defines recommendations for a practical use. Key words Volunteering, volunteer management, disaster, humanitarian...

To be a humanitarian aid worker [HAW] in the field entails working in a demanding environment, and in this milieu, interpersonal conflicts [IC] sometimes arise which may risk the entire project. The ones responsible for dealing with ICs, should they occur, are HAWs in management positions employed by various humanitarian organisations [HO]. However, the hypothesis presented in this thesis is that HAWs are not always provided with the training necessary. This thesis aims to critically analyse how HO prepare and train HAWs, specifically in IC management, and whether two significant HOs, Médecins Sans Frontières [MSF] and the International Federation of the Red Cross [IFRC], can be described as learning organisations [LO] according to Senge’s (1990) five disciplines. Through qualitative content analysis, involving interviews and literature reviews, the author seeks to identify training gaps, how MSF and IFRC can become LOs, and how these organisations would benefit from becoming LOs.  According to interview participants, the author found that more training would be beneficial, both for themselves and for MSF and IFRC, since many ICs go unmanaged. Furthermore, it was identified that MSF and IFRC had taken a few steps in a direction that could lead to them becoming LOs. However, more can be done, and through Senge’s disciplines, MSF and IFRC would benefit from more involved HAWs, improved wellbeing of HAWs, and possibly lower staff turnover.  In conclusion, the hypothesis of this thesis was proven to some extent. HAWs do receive training; however, more training can be provided. The wellbeing of HAWs is also a vital problem that HOs have to consider to lower retention rates, encourage their HAWs to stay employed, and further encourage learning within the organisations.

The Swedish Red Cross (SRK) has worked for over a century to improve Swedishsociety and at the same time been involved in aid operations for several internationalhumanitarian disasters and crises. SRK is meant to be a stateless and neutralorganization, but has at the same time since its inception in 1864 SRK had a closecollaboration with the Swedish government. This essay aims to understand how thiscooperation has affected SRK's aid actions in war and if it has affected their neutralityin choosing sides in the wars. The essay's investigation deals with three areas thatwere affected by war and where SRK chose to carry out aid operations. The sourcematerial has been analyzed based on the qualitative text analysis method where thesource material is selected according to the three areas; Abyssinia, Finland andGreece. Furthermore, the empirical evidence has been analyzed based on Joseph S.Nye Jr. Theory of interdependence to better and at a deeper level understandcooperation. The analysis is based on the four concepts that Nye Jr. built his theorybased on: sources, benefits, relative costs, and symmetries. The study shows that therewas a mutual need for a collaboration between SRK and the Swedish state, whichaffected SRK's neutrality into whom and where the aid actions should be sent. / Svenska Röda Korset (SRK) har arbetat i över ett sekel för att förbättra det svenskasamhället och samtidigt varit involverat i hjälpinsatser för flera internationellahumanitära katastrofer och kriser. SRK är tänkt att vara en statslös och neutralorganisation, men har samtidigt sedan starten 1864 haft ett nära samarbete med densvenska regeringen. Denna uppsats syftar till att förstå hur detta samarbete harpåverkat SRK:s biståndsåtgärder i krig och om det har påverkat deras neutralitet i attvälja sida i krigen. Uppsatsens utredning behandlar tre områden som drabbats av krigoch där SRK valde att genomföra biståndsinsatser. Källmaterialet har analyseratsutifrån den kvalitativa textanalysmetoden där källmaterialet väljs ut enligt de treområdena; Abessinien, Finland och Grekland. Vidare har den empiriska evidensenanalyserats utifrån Joseph S. Nye Jr. Teori om interdependens för att bättre och på endjupare nivå förstå samarbete. Analysen bygger på de fyra begrepp som Nye Jrbyggde sin teori utifrån: källor, nytta, relativa kostnader och symmetrier. Studien visaratt det fanns ett ömsesidigt behov av ett samarbete mellan SRK och svenska staten,vilket påverkade SRK:s neutralitet till vem och vart biståndsinsatserna skulle skickas.

Practitioners of Forecast-based Action (FbA) argue that a humanitarian response able to utilize forecasts to accurately predict disaster, secure funding, and take action before the onset of a crisis will benefit donors and beneficiaries alike. In search of effective and efficient early-action regimes, a number of major humanitarian actors are developing FbA projects of various designs, predominantly in response to natural disaster and famine. While numerous organizations and institutions have expressed interest in developing FbA mechanisms, the tool has only been applied in a limited capacity to the humanitarian needs generated by armed conflict. This research seeks to understand whether a scalable FbA approach can be developed to stage principled, anticipatory humanitarian action in response to situations in which rigorous evaluations predict the likelihood of imminent armed conflict. The hypothesis is that the application of FbA to armed conflict is possible, but due to the complex political nature of conflict, implementing organizations should try to focus on creating mechanisms managed by humanitarian actors and, in so far as possible, be insulated from outside influence. This research is the first academic work to specifically investigate the application of FbA to armed conflict. Following an extensive review of current FbA mechanisms and conflict early warning practices, this research concludes that a conflict-centered FbA system akin to the automated FbA systems in use today to respond to natural disaster and famine is possible, but that the endeavor presents many practical and conceptual barriers to implementation. In particular, diffuse models such as the Start Fund offer a hopeful glimpse at a type of horizontal, member-driven FbA mechanism that is both highly context-sensitive and relatively insulated from outside influence. Such a design, however, features notable and inherent limitations in its ability to reliably and accurately predict the outbreak of conflict and respond in a manner that minimizes regretful actions.