AHN was founded in 2018 so as to provide a platform for a broad (inter-)disciplinary discussion on the meanings and practices of humanitarianism and on the possible future directions of an anthropology of humanitarianism. At the moment, over 500 people follow its work on the social media.
The network brings together social anthropologists who explore different humanitarian undertakings, including: humanitarian aid in emergencies; humanitarian law; humanitarian projects of return, development, and peace-building in post-conflict contexts; humanitarian management of refugee camps and/or borders; humanitarian military interventions; grassroots, vernacular, and volunteer humanitarian projects; post-war reconstruction; post-natural disasters; reception and care for the displaced people, and so forth.
This network promotes anthropological studies of humanitarianism within the context of European anthropology and anthropology of Europe, as well as within historical and political studies of humanitarianism. It connects the work of anthropologists who focus on global international humanitarian emergencies with the work of anthropologists who explore the more grassroots, voluntary, and vernacular forms of humanitarian support, which are mushrooming globally.
Aims
- connect social anthropologists who conduct ethnographic research of humanitarianism;
- foster connections between social anthropologists and historians, sociologists, political scientists, lawyers, philosophers and practitioners of humanitarianism;
- initiate a discussion on the meanings and practices of humanitarianism in contemporary Europe;
- provide a platform for sharing relevant information on anthropological research of humanitarianism;
- create opportunities for scholars to collaborate through meetings and joint research projects;
- connect the network with other relevant centers and networks in Europe;
- raise visibility of anthropological research on humanitarianism in Europe within EASA as well as within social science studies of humanitarianism.
