The political responsibility of bystanders: the case of Mali
General Material Designation
[Article]
First Statement of Responsibility
/ Stephen L. Esquith
GENERAL NOTES
Text of Note
9626-1744
SUMMARY OR ABSTRACT
Text of Note
It has been a commonplace since the 2012 coup to hear how fragile the Malian democracy had become. Among the many causes is the political role that nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have played as a fourth branch of government. As deliberative democratic processes were replaced by a corrupt elite consensus during the past eight years, NGOs assumed an important place in this system. This included humanitarian NGOs. However, these same NGOs until recently were blind to the political impact they were having. This essay suggests one explanation for this blindness and argues for the importance of a conception of humanitarian aid that balances moral responsibility with political responsibility.