© Columbia University Press
Humanitarian Intervention: Confronting the Contradictions
May, 2009
Cloth, 256 pages,
ISBN: 978-0-231-15424-6
$27.50
Some view humanitarian intervention as little more than a rationale for Wester neo-imperialism, while others see intervention as a major weapon in the crusade for democracy and individual rights. Michael Newman advances a different position. Through a critique of current international policies and an examination of their impact on developing and transitional countries, Newman argues that military intervention often works against efforts to establish a sustainable peace. While he endorses a “responsibility to protect” those whose rights are compromised by the state, Newman interprets protection much more radically than other theorists, combining policy with a conception of humanitarianism that accounts for poverty and inequality.
Humanitarian Intervention will resonate with those who both oppose recent Anglo-American foreign policy and agree that “something must be done” to save victims of atrocity. By bringing together a range of disciplines, Newman provides an invaluable resource for students of international relations, contemporary history, law, politics, and peace and conflict studies, as well as those who work with NGOs.