European University Institute Library

Doing bad by doing good, why humanitarian action fails, Christopher J. Coyne

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 223-245) and index

index present

non fiction

Doing bad by doing good

bibliography

818953141

Christopher J. Coyne

why humanitarian action fails

In 2010, Haiti was ravaged by a brutal earthquake that affected the lives of millions. The call to assist those in need was heard around the globe. Yet two years later humanitarian efforts led by governments and NGOs have largely failed. Resources are not reaching the needy due to bureaucratic red tape, and many assets have been squandered. How can efforts intended to help the suffering fail so badly? In this timely and provocative book, Christopher J. Coyne uses the economic way of thinking to explain why this and other humanitarian efforts that intend to do good end up doing nothing or causing harm. In addition to Haiti, Coyne considers a wide range of interventions. He explains why the U.S. government was ineffective following Hurricane Katrina, why the international humanitarian push to remove Muammar Gaddafi in Libya may very well end up causing more problems than prosperity, and why decades of efforts to respond to crises and foster development around the world have resulted in repeated failures--, Provided by Publisher

Introduction : a living example of the puzzle -- The man of the humanitarian system -- The evolution of humanitarian action -- Adaptability and the planner's problem -- Political competition replaces market competition -- The bureaucracy of humanitarianism -- Killing people with kindness -- Solving the puzzle -- Rethinking the man of the humanitarian system