The Humanitarians: The International Committee of the Red Cross
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Despite its active presence in the field the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the oldest private relief subject for conflict situations, remains largely unknown to both experts and the general public. This is so primarily due to the ‘irrational and sometimes dysfunctional tendency towards secrecy’ (p. xi) that marks the organization’s history, partly as a tribute to its Swiss origins. In order to lift the veil over the ICRC, the author of the publication under review, political scientist David P. Forsythe, undertakes deep research into its structures and activities. Drawing on a variety of sources and profiting from extensive personal contacts as well as rich work experience, he manages to paint a reliable picture of the ICRC and to overcome various obstacles, including the 40-year no-access rule governing the ICRC archives. As a close friend of the house, Forsythe opts for a gentle but critical perspective, being what he calls ‘a sympathetic but [y] analytical observer’ (p. x). The book is not primarily intended for theorists but, in spite of that, it is a pleasure for someone from the academic world to read. The main reasons for this are the publication’s rich informational value, its logical way of arguing and the honesty with which the author seeks to distinguish between facts and presumptions. Forsythe views the ICRC as an entity full of paradoxes, which: is a private subject but has public tasks; displays liberal goals but uses conservative means; champions the worth of the individual but proceeds on the basis of state consent; has universal aspirations but remains the product of Western Christian culture etc. These paradoxes make the life of the ICRC complicated. They do not, however, prevent it from being, as Forsythe claims, an impressive agency that was not truly impartial, neutral and effective in the past but has made considerable improvements over the years, as a result of which it has become a reliable, highly professional and efficient actor. In the first part of the book, the author deals with the ICRC’s history. Created in 1863 in Geneva, the ICRC originally had a modest mission to serve as a support organization for other subjects providing aid to the sick and wounded in the field. Later, it saw its mandate expanded in two directions. Journal of International Relations and Development, 2006, 9, (200–203) r 2006 Palgrave Macmillan Ltd 1408-6980/06 $30.00
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Book Review
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First, the circle of its beneficiaries enlarged to include, besides the sick and wounded, prisoners of war, civilians and even political and security detainees in situations short of war. Second, not satisfied with the task of ‘supporting the supporters’, the ICRC moved to become itself a provider of relief assistance and protection for victims of wars and other crises. In the course of all these changes, it has always behaved as a pragmatic actor that looks for ad hoc solutions to problems and sticks more to humanitarian principles than to written rules. The Swiss origin endowed the
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