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Bridging the Gap: Consolidating Humanitarian Efforts to Achieve Global Effectiveness in
Today's World
"The humane desire to lighten a little the torments of all these poor wretches... creates a kind of
energy which gives one a positive craving to relieve as many as one can."
— Henri Dunant, humanitarian aid worker and founder of the
International Committee of the Red Cross
Magazines and similar publications have existed since the 1600s with the intent of uniting human
efforts and exploring a wide array of human interests including arts, academics, travel, fashion,
business, science and politics. Magazines continue to exist even in the current Digital Age of
progressive technology and the world wide web, which has brought with it a momentous change
on contemporary strategies of mass communication and the modern media. Despite some critics'
skepticism that printed publications have or will eventually become superfluous, magazine
publications still remain a relevant part of today’s global society and a creative media used to
disseminate information. This is particularly true in the subject of humanitarianism. Not only do
these mediums distribute information, ideas and social behaviors to targeted audiences both
physically and online, but they inspire their readers to contribute to the world or the magazine’s
themes in a significant way. Many magazines in circulation today spotlight geography, history
and world culture while highlighting crises, conflicts and human service causes occurring across
the world, but do not offer an accessible avenue in which readers can easily contribute.
Humanitarian and human culture and interests magazines have not yet bridged the gap to
produce a publication that both enlightens and inspires its readers to rally change and increase
global humanitarian efforts. Consequently, the current publications and individualistic
humanitarian organizations of today are unable to completely eradicate existing problems toward

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humanitarian effectiveness. This essay will explore the disconnection between humanitarian
news and world culture publications by examining the advantages and disadvantages of two
renowned magazines as well as two of the most prominent humanitarian organizations to offer a
solution that unites the efforts of individual magazines and charitable groups into an engaging,
interactive relief-oriented medium.
Perhaps the most famous of globally published magazines, National Geographic (first
published in 1888) is distributed to over 8 million people in 36 different languages and has
garnered over 24 National Magazine Awards during the span of its publication. Issued by the
National Geographic Society in both a printed and online edition, the magazine features a myriad
of articles and high standard photojournalism that bring national and international attention to
cultural, social, environmental and political events and issues worldwide. The magazine practices
paid circulation (distribution for a monthly fee) and offers readers select participation by hosting
photography competitions and opportunities to donate to the National Geographic Society.
Readers of the magazine are afforded the opportunity to donate any amount from $25.00 to over
$2,500 to the society to be applied to individual research, exploration and conservation projects,
including education based programs. However, throughout its series of publications, the
magazine does not currently offer a way to contribute directly to relief efforts or causes; this is
mediated through the society. In a random review of the magazine’s December 2013 issue titled
“Our Greatest Journey”, a total of seventeen advertisements, one business contribution page, and
four conservation and relief effort pages are accounted for. One of the conservation pages
actually serves as a photographic camera advertisement for Canon Inc., while two others request
donations directly to the National Geographic Society for research and big cat preservation. The
single article devoted to a specific humanitarian organization, “Labuko’s Omo Child

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Organization”, details Ethiopian Lale Labuko’s endeavors to stop the ritualistic killing of mingi,
or infants and children viewed as cursed by elders and drowned in the Omo River Valley of
Ethiopia. Although the article details the rescue effort of thirty-seven Ethiopian children and the
eventual abolishment of the mingi practice in Labuko’s village, no information is provided to
readers on how to aid Labuko’s efforts. However, the presentation of Labuko’s story is rife with
personal triumph and courage and exhibits an inspiring story of a human service charity to
National Geographic readers. In Labuko’s impassioned advocacy of these children he states,
“My father always told me that to earn respect you must help the weak and fight the strong.
These children I saved are examples to everyone. They will change the world one day” (Silver,
62). For all intents and purposes of the argument of this essay, the magazine has the seminal
content to inspire humanitarian efforts, but does not possess the necessary vehicles to which
readers can actively assist and participate in Labuko’s and other similar relief efforts. Upon the
magazine's conception, it was believed that "the activities of the National Geographic Society
along patriotic lines might have an especial appeal to the head of the government." (Greely, 369).
The Society hoped to achieve geographic and geopolitical influence in matters that were
considered extraneous or beyond the president's executive duties. The National Geographic
Society still contributes heavily to humanitarian causes, but does not allow its readers to directly
participate.
In contrast to the uniquely engaging presentation of National Geographic, but limited
channels to donate relief assistance is the impressive Humanitarian Exchange magazine. The
magazine is distributed by the Humanitarian Practice Network and was first issued in 1994. The
publication features a broad range of humanitarian efforts and places emphasis on current crises
and areas of conflict within specific geographical locations. These efforts place particular focus

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on the political transition and humanitarian challenges, including medical risks, building and
organization efforts, relief development and social issues. The Humanitarian Exchange’s goal is
to “…share and disseminate information, analysis and experiences” and to learn from these
experiences. (Humanitarian Exchange). Rather than focusing on the distribution of their content
to the general public, the magazine’s target audience are policy-makers, practitioners and all
others who work in or on a humanitarian sector. The magazine is devoted to the improvement of
humanitarian aid throughout the world, however it too does not offer any direct avenues of
reader sponsorship or communication from the general public. Another issue that may prohibit
the effectiveness of the magazine’s cause is that it lists the details of crises as statistics and
demographic populace, reducing the people, villages and cities being effected by the conflict to
numbers and figures. This kind of presentation makes the magazine’s content less engaging to
readers who are not actively working in the humanitarian sector, and subsequently diminishes its
focus on the human experience.
As a direct result from lack of strong public interest and active participation in war and
disaster relief efforts, authors Neil Middleton and Phil O'Keef argue, "We shall ... contend that
unless we are prepared to consider the role of humanitarian 'disasters' or 'emergencies' (the words
are frequently used interchangeably) in international politics, then our analyses of developmental
policies and of the relationships of the industrialized world to the developing world will be
seriously flawed" (Middleton, O'Keefe, 3). In other words, without collective participation,
clearly delineated expectations and supported strategies of humanitarian efforts, relief efforts are
doomed to only partial effectiveness.
An even graver problem humanitarian magazines face is the shrinking of international
humanitarian space, defined by The Journal of Humanitarian Assistance as, "the changing nature

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of armed conflict and the geopolitical shifts, particularly since 9/11, limit or restrict the capacity
of humanitarian organizations to safely and effectively provide material relief to populations
suffering the ravages of war" (Brassard-Bordreau, Hubert). This decline in humanitarian support
has had immense legal implications in which humanitarians are not offered protection by
international law. By drawing public interest to these issues, humanitarians will garner more
national and international support from war-stricken countries. As such, different humanitarian
organizations and voluntary relief groups potentially face more government interference from
those countries they seek to aid because of a lack of central unification.
Alarmingly, government interference may not be the most formidable opposition to
groups aiming to achieve a high level of humanitarian effectiveness; the biggest opponent relief
organizations likely face is surprisingly each other. "An entire industry has grown up around
humanitarian aid, with cavalcades of organizations following the flow of money and competing
with each other in one humanitarian territory after another for the biggest achievable share of the
billion" (Polman, 10). Counteractive to relief efforts, aid and supplies from unorganized or less
powerful organizations may even be used as a military strategy as well as a business opportunity
by power hungry warlords and military leaders. This presents yet another problem that
humanitarian organizations must face: neutrality in the face of certain defiance. Polman explains
the potentiality of danger resulting from these two factors, stating, "One question inevitably
arises: If aid has become a strategic aspect of warfare, can the claim to neutrality made by
humanitarian aid organizations still be justified?" (Polman, 11). Polman is positioning here a
parallel of two evils: should one help only one side of a cause (which distinctly goes against
most modern humanitarian philosophies) or should one assist all injured personnel in the
territory at the risk that relief supplies may be stolen, sold or used to advance greater destruction

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and chaos in a war zone. Unfortunately while humanitarian organizations choose to remain
divided by competition, neutrality and the protection of humanitarian efforts may remain elusive
until an understanding is accepted by the majority of humanitarian groups, national and
international counsels. Achieving grand scale humanitarian efforts without the establishment of a
globally united front makes global success seem a pipe dream. This is not necessarily an
impossible order if one considers the formation of the United Nations in 1945 and the
intergovernmental organization's overall effectiveness since its inception.
Another issue that complicates the structure of public participation and donations may be that
many readers feel wary about the allocation of their funds, leaving most in fear that only a
portion of their donation amount is being directly applied to their intended cause. This is not an
imprudent fear; over millions of dollars are donated to fraudulent charities every year. However
current statistics and trends indicate that Americans are more willing to contribute charitable
donations and volunteer work than in the past. In an annual review of philanthropy in the year
2013, Giving USA reported that over "335 billion dollars were donated to charitable efforts in
2013, with 72% of the donations coming from individuals, rather than from corporations and
foundations" (Giving USA). Historically, religious causes and foundations have received the
highest amount of charitable contributions, an indication that the more strongly people feel
committed and actively a part of the cause, the more confident they feel towards contributing
money and other assistance to these relief organizations. This portends to the idea that the public
desires a worthy and inspiring cause to champion through funding, active volunteering and other
avenues of participation.
The most successful charitable organizations are those that posses larger corporate
infrastructures, greater resources and garner larger public awareness. Global humanitarian

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organizations, like the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
focus not only on coordinating international disaster response, but also on promoting and
supporting their smaller National Societies by helping them to develop their structures and
programs. This kind of infrastructure allows the Red Cross to address multiple relief efforts and a
great number of effected areas by expanding their support to other humanitarian societies. The
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) also succeeds in its humanitarian efforts on a global
scale due to its highly organized structure, multiple systems of communication and highly
qualified employees and volunteers. Yet the individual nature of these organizations still present
challenges to achieving complete success in their programs' effectiveness. UNICEF focuses its
efforts on bringing children's issues into the public domain and strengthening political will in
support of its mission and objectives. This is widely achieved by collaborating with mass media
and developing partnerships with groups and organizations whose support is essential to help
disseminate advocacy and relief efforts. However, to actively participate as an employee, junior
professional officer, intern or volunteer, UNICEF requires an extensive education (the minimum
being a Masters degree) and several years of international field work to qualify. UNICEF also
clearly states that it does not provide scholarships, fellowships or grants. The general public are
left only with the option of donating money to the organization. Although these donations cover
a wide array relief assistance, like medical supplies, health care resources and education for
victims of war-torn countries, there still remains a lack of intimacy and personal growth that
most people desire when providing support to humanitarian efforts. Although other secular and
religious organizations allow volunteers to travel to afflicted areas for voluntary aid, these
smaller organizations do not possess the clout and effectiveness of conglomerate agencies like
the Red Cross and UNICEF. Volunteers may experience firsthand the results of their assistance,

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but are not quite able to obtain the global presence and funding as these larger organizations. The
overall division among efforts, in combination with a lack of a universal protection to
humanitarian workers presents challenges to these groups. To truly maximize the effectiveness
of their relief efforts, these organizations should aim to consolidate efforts, regardless of
religious or secular affiliation, and speak to every corner of the world by expressing their
concerns, goals and accessible volunteering through one universal medium: an online and offline
publication.
With an increase in the amount of public participation in donations and volunteer work over
the years, the general population in America is interested in finding suitable causes and
organizations to whom they can contribute their time and money. However, to avoid donating to
fraudulent or unreliable organizations, people must rely on their own research to ensure their
donations are supporting their cause of choice, or donate to a large organization that caters to a
variety of global humanitarian issues, like UNICEF or the Red Cross. The solution to this
juxtaposition of human interest and charitable interest could be met by the publication of a new
magazine that focuses an equal emphasis on both the engaging qualities of the human experience
and the charitable spectrum of humanitarian assistance. This may be accomplished by the
distribution of a publication that employs the admirable and successful aspects of National
Geographic and the Humanitarian Exchange as well as incorporating the many competing
humanitarian organizations. By consolidating common humanitarian interests and adjoining
themes that focus on social, political and culturally relevant issues but also explore elements of
art, history, architecture, literature and music; essentially all topics that encompass the spirit of
the Humanities, the content of a magazine can engage and inspire readers to donate time and
money. By also placing emphasis on the engagement and interaction of its readers, the magazine

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will designate easy and accessible avenues with which to donate time, money, voices and any
other resources that may bring about humanitarian change. Readers and participants can actively
engage with fellow humanitarians and create new and insightful methods to help maximize their
efforts. To enthuse and motivate readers of the magazine to participate in these avenues of
charity and relief efforts, the magazine will feature in-depth human interest stories, like that of
Lale Labuko’s, in concurrence with unique photography, fictional and non-fictional literature
that inspires sympathy and creativity. To further engage readers, the magazine would promote
sponsorships and scholarships for students either engaged in or actively pursuing humanitarian
efforts throughout the world. Once readers develop rapport with the magazine and its associated
relief efforts, they and other followers will more actively participate and support the magazine's
causes. These students would be sponsored to travel to the specific locations of their
humanitarian focus to write, photograph, interview and aid people suffering from local and
national crises. Not only would students and contributors of the magazine focus on the people
and culture of societies and areas they are assisting, but they will also focus on their own
narrative of humanitarian work, and how it has affected them in an internal and humanistic
aspect. Sharing the profound nature of humanitarian experiences and victims and humanitarians
stories will encourage and inspire new generations to carry on a legacy of global dedication to
the strengthening of the human spirit.
By uniting the themes and efforts of magazines like National Geographic and the
Humanitarian Exchange in cooperation with organizations like the Red Cross, UNICEF and
other religious, government and nongovernment organizations that consolidate one global effort
of human interest and human services works, readers will be able to contribute more easily than
ever before. And with more support and active participation from people made up of all

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nationalities and ethnicities across the world, the effectiveness of humanitarian efforts may reach
staggering heights and unparalleled triumphs in humankind's ongoing quest to protect, enrich and
share the human experience. Humanitarianism has been defined by the Independent Commission
on International Humanitarian issues as "a basic orientation towards the interests and welfare of
people" (Sadruddin, Talal, 3). Yves Beigbeder, author of The Role and Status of International
Humanitarian Volunteers and Organizations posits humanitarianism is based on the following
values: "respect for life, a responsibility for future generations, protection for the human habitat,
and altruism nurtured by a sense of mutual interest and a recognition of human dignity and
worth" (Beigbeder, 2). This definition instills a perfect mantra for all of mankind, as well as an
optimistic direction in which future generations can pursue. As noted previously in this essay,
the general public is ready to support, fund and assist those in need. With a consolidated effort
into a successful medium like the proposed magazine and with the support of the general public
humanitarian efforts can bring about enormous change to the world. To reiterate the point, we
can interpret our humanitarian potentiality with a quote wrought from renowned humanitarian
Mahatma Gandhi: "If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change.
As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him... We
need not wait to see what others do." (Davis, Harrison, 187).
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