Coopted by military operations, humanitarianism has never been neutral. Rather than welcoming refugees, host countries assess the relative risks of taking them in versus turning them away, using a risk-benefit analysis that often reduces refugees to collateral damage in proxy wars fought in the war on terrorism. Carceral Humanitarianism testifies that humanitarian aid and human rights discourse are always political and partisan.

Forerunners is a thought-in-process series of breakthrough digital works. Written between fresh ideas and finished books, Forerunners draws on scholarly work initiated in notable blogs, social media, conference plenaries, journal articles, and the synergy of academic exchange. This is gray literature publishing: where intense thinking, change, and speculation take place in scholarship.

About the Author

Kelly Oliver is W. Alton Jones Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University.

Reviews

"Kelly Oliver's concise book brings a necessary and provocative philosophical appraisal of humanitarianism, focused on the treatment of refugees and the realities of migrant detention centers in the context of the 'war on terror'. I highly recommend this concise text for critical geographers of borders and migration as well as for all kinds of activist endeavors advocating for freedom of movement and anti-war positions." -Antipode

Book Information
ISBN 9781517903275
Author Kelly Oliver
Format Paperback
Page Count 102
Imprint University of Minnesota Press
Publisher University of Minnesota Press