Humanity in Crisis Ethical and Religious Response to Refugees (Moral Traditions )

The major humanitarian crises of recent years are well known: the Shoah, the killing fields of Cambodia, the Rwandan genocide, the massacre in Bosnia, and the tsunami in Southeast Asia, as well as the bloody conflicts in South Sudan, Syria, and Afghanistan. Millions have been killed and many millions more have been driven from their homes; the number of refugees and internally displaced persons has reached record levels. Could these crises have been prevented? Why do they continue to happen? This book seeks to understand how humanity itself is in crisis, and what we can do about it.

Hollenbach draws on the values that have shaped major humanitarian initiatives over the past century and a half, such as the commitments of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Oxfam, Doctors Without Borders, as well as the values of diverse religious traditions, including Catholicism, to examine the scope of our responsibilities and practical solutions to these global crises. He also explores the economic and political causes of these tragedies, and uncovers key moral issues for both policy-makers and for practitioners working in humanitarian agencies and faith communities.

In Humanity in Crisis, moral theologian and social ethicist David Hollenbach, SJ provides a powerful framework for responding to the complex, large-scale humanitarian crises that have forcibly displaced record numbers of human beings. This important volume lifts up major debates in the refugee studies field, illustrates them with case studies, and identifies religious, ethical and legal resources to address them. At a time when many developed states have shunned (not shared) responsibility for forced migrants, Hollenbach offers a language and moral vision rooted in human dignity and solidarity. Ultimately, this is a hopeful book, drawing on successful and integrated responses to past conflicts and other refugee-producing conditions, to guide current responses.