Category Archives: Eleanor Davey

Dr Eleanor Davey is a historian working for the Overseas Development Institute, where she leads the Global History of Modern Humanitarian Action project. She is a Research Associate of the Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute at the University of Manchester. Eleanor wrote her doctoral thesis on French humanitarianism and revolutionary politics during the Cold War. You can browse her blog contributions (all written in a personal capacity) below.

Secrets and anniversaries

Posted on May 27, 2013 by admin

A historian once told me (bitterly?) that the press are only interested in secrets and anniversaries: if you want your book to get coverage, it has to deal with one or the other. I was reminded of this comment by … Continue reading →

Posted in Eleanor Davey, Forum, Reflections | Tagged memorialisation, memory, museums, volunteering, war | Comments Off

Miliband and humanitarian independence

Posted on April 3, 2013 by admin

Thanks to ongoing online and offline commentary, the dust has not settled on David Miliband’s announcement that he is leaving electoral politics to join the International Rescue Committee (IRC). One highly critical take by Michiel Hofman of Médecins sans Frontières … Continue reading →

Posted in Eleanor Davey, Forum, Politics | Tagged humanitarianism, philanthropy, voluntary sector | Comments Off

Relief on film

Posted on March 11, 2013 by admin

The symbiotic relationship between the humanitarian sector and those who document its work is by no means an easy one. This point seems likely to be made again with Fatal Assistance, a documentary by Raoul Peck due to screen in … Continue reading →

Posted in Eleanor Davey, Forum, Reflections, Research | Tagged Africa, children, film, humanitarianism, media, NGO history, United Kingdom, voluntary sector | 1 Comment

Aid in the archives

Posted on February 11, 2013 by admin

Historians of voluntary action, as this website makes clear, often find their interest kindled by headlines in the daily news. In the case of humanitarian action, this can happen with alarming regularity, as conflicts and natural disasters all too often … Continue reading →

Posted in Eleanor Davey, Forum, Research | Tagged CFPs, emergency relief, history, humanitarianism, policy, publishing | Comments Off