Hugo Slim, Humanitarian Author & Scholar, University of Oxford
“I hear from humanitarians of my generation who say ‘I’ve been told I’m colonial. I was inept. And obviously aid doesn’t work and nobody wants it. And it’s all been a waste of time. And I’ve lived a bad life.’ And that’s simply not true. Every generation has a shadow.”
I really loved having this chat with Hugo Slim - humanitarian author and scholar, and Director of the Las Casas Institute for Social Justice at the University of Oxford.
Hugo shares his evolving views on humanitarianism - including putting humanitarian principle number 1 - Humanity - under the microscope. He argues that not all life is of equal value and outlines his rationale.
Hugo emphasises the importance of strong leadership, the challenges posed by ego, and the moral dilemmas faced by humanitarian aid workers. And he advocates for a new approach that integrates nature into humanitarian principles.
Read more about this point in his excellent book, Humanitarianism 2.0: New Ethics for the Climate Emergency.
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