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I have 3 of my classmates posts. I need you to respond to each one separately. Also, one source at least for each one of them. Don’t write about how good their posts or how bad. All you need to do is to choose one point of the post and explore it a little bit with one source support for each response. The paper should be APA style. All the details in the attached below
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Hi, I have 3 of my classmates’ posts. I need you to respond to each one separately. Also,
one source at least for each one of them. Don’t write about how good their posts or how
bad. All you need to do is to choose one point of the post and explore it a little bit with
one source support for each response. The paper should be APA style.
The question was:Please discuss the importance and value of understanding cultural
ethics as they are related to international/humanitarian disasters. Similarly, discuss why
we as responders must conduct ourselves, and distribute resources ethically.
This is the first post from my classmate IBRA need to respond:
International humanitarian interventions and responses are crucial, especially in this era
of increased conflicts and natural disasters across the world. It is also arguable in this
same perspective that international cooperation is not only essential but also crucial for
effective humanitarian processes. However, such interventions, especially at international
levels, are subjected to the need to incorporate cultural ethics and its related
understanding and competencies for effectiveness, efficiency and success.
Understanding cultural ethics is invaluable to the success of international humanitarian
practices, and responders must uphold necessary ethical standards.
Culturally appropriate humanitarian intervention/response is considered key to the
effectiveness and success of humanitarian aid, especially at international levels. It is
imperative that organizations always recognize and acknowledge the need to respect the
culture of the host country/community (Tosovska, 2016). Culture in this aspect describe
the customs, norms, values, preferences, and expectations of the members of the host
country/community to whom the aid is provided (Msall, 2018). Therefore, for various
reasons discussed in the following paragraphs, it is important that responders conduct
themselves ethically, and employ ethical competence when distributing services and
resources to victims.
Understanding and respecting culture in international humanitarian improves acceptance
of the aid. Awareness that people have varying cultural practices and expectations also
included recognizing that cultural preferences and ways also vary. According to Sphere
Project (2014), the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response
(HCMSDR) deems accepting the help/aid highly crucial to addressing the disaster, and
restoring the strengths of the affected, but it can only be achieved if cultural notions and
perspectives of the target population are respected. It is important that responders avoid
discrimination during distribution of help, and ensure not to undermine the fact that even
the host community has their cultural strategies of coping, which should also be
incorporated into response practices to improve quality and acceptance of the aid.
Workers are always advised to remain accountable and ensure quality, which are some
of the main requirement of humanitarian standards (Msall, 2018). Ensuring cultural
competence is, therefore, one way of achieving accountability and cultural quality in
humanitarian responses.
Furthermore, understanding cultural ethics in international humanitarian disaster and
interventions ensure safety of workers/responders. Cultural differences, lack of its
awareness, and failure to employ cultural ethics collectively contribute to multiple
instances of safety risks. Accessing victims, and guaranteeing the safety of workers,
especially in conflict-related humanitarian responses, depend significantly on whether the
responder is aware and competent about cultural expectations of the victims and host
country to the extent that they would not feel undermined or threatened (Tosovska,
2016). Therefore, it is important that workers distribute resources and services in a
manner that not only acknowledges but also incorporate cultural perspectives of the
target population to ensure their safety as well as the acceptance.
In conclusion, cultural competence is ethically crucial in international humanitarian
responses just as it is in organizational workplaces. The quality of the response depends
on whether it incorporates cultural perspectives of the host country/community.
Additionally, safety of workers also depends on how they are culturally compatible with
hosts thus, they need to be culturally competent, and employ cultural ethics when
distributing the intended resources or aid. In these two regards, it is important that
responders must conduct themselves, and distribute resources in culturally ethical
manners, since the efficiency, effectiveness and success of the response heavily depend
on it.
References
Msall, K. A. (2018). Humanitarian aid workers’ knowledge of minority cultures in Iraqi
Kurdistan. Journal of International Humanitarian Action, 3(1), 9.
Sphere Project. (2004). Humanitarian charter and minimum standards in disaster
response. Sphere Project.
Tošovská, L. (2016). Cultural sensitivity in humanitarian assistance in post-conflict
areas (Doctoral dissertation).
This is the 2nd post from my classmate ABDL GHAneed to respond:
Ethics is the essence of humanitarian aid. They form the standards on which international
organizations are based to meet human rights such as justice, equality, work to help
those affected without secondary intentions -transparency-, work to meet the minimum
living standers and to stabilize and develop the affected countries (Clarinval & BillerAndorno, 2014). Consequently, understanding the cultural differences will lead to an
effective and successful meeting of human rights (Tošovská, 2016). Respect, as an
example of ethics, is what makes people accept assistance without diminishing their
dignity, so, we should show respect and good intentions when we communicate with
affected communities.
Diversity of cultures is a complex matter when it became related to humanitarian aid
because humanitarian aid agencies should meet their own culture and belief along with
affected countries’ beliefs which can make conflicts in some causes (Tošovská, 2016).
Personnel of humanitarian aid organizations can address this conflict by being equipped
with some background about that specific community through self-education or attending
classes, otherwise, that can result in what calls “moral disaster” (Clarinval & BillerAndorno, 2014). For example, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an independent
international organization providing humanitarian medical assistance, they’ve started
programs to educate all responders and workers before going to the affected countries,
the discussion includes, for instance, the special requirement for dealing with men,
women, and children. Further, the workers will have to work with the local responders of
the affected country, which also shows the importance of having a background about
their system not only their traditions (Tošovská, 2016).
There is a huge responsibility for the responders to show the world to what extent human
life is precious. To deliver this message they must serve ethically. They also present their
culture to the affected community and even to the world. However, by looking at what the
sphere project is about. It is about two main beliefs, one is the provided help must
alleviate the human suffering, and the other is to the assistance provided will ensure a
decent life for the community. (the sphere project, 2004). What I want to point on here is
the ethical distribution of humanitarian assistance, based on the sphere project core
beliefs, will greatly contribute to reducing the suffering of the affected people and will
ensure the effective delivery of aid through justice and equality and meet the needs of
those affected. Given the scene in Yemen, the suffering of the people is increasing due
to corruption in humanitarian aid. For example, I’ve read in the newspaper the U.N has
announced that a group of employees has been accused of joining extremist groups to
steal humanitarian aid and donations, this is certainly the opposite of moral action.
References:
The sphere project. (2004). Humanitarian charter and minimum standards in disaster
response.
From http://ocw.jhsph.edu/courses/RefugeeHealthCare/PDF…
Tošovská L. (2016). Cultural sensitivity in humanitarian assistance in post-conflict areas.
From
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/61ed/af0494c411e9…
Clarinval C., Biller-Andorno N. (2014). Challenging operations: An ethical framework to
assist humanitarian aid workers in their decision-making processes.
From https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24987575
This is the 3rd post from my classmate ALI need to respond:
Cultural ethics are an essential factor to take into account in any profession that relates
to helping others, especially in this globalized world. Different cultures have different
customs, and it is important for responders in humanitarian disasters to be aware of the
local culture and their expectations. Furthermore, culture influences the ethics of a
nation, their values, and morals. This means that someone should not push the ethics of
his nations on citizens of other nations, because that would result in failure, offending
others and failing to achieve the purpose of helping (Weaver, 2001). In fact, number 5 in
the Code of Conduct of the Red Cross and Red Crescent is “We shall respect culture and
customs” (Sphere Association, 2018, p. 6). The treatment of the elderly, the different
genres and the different social ranks also depend on the culture, and humanitarian
workers are advised to support cultural and religious practices that might help in times of
humanitarian crisis (Sphere Association, 2018). Thus, the humanitarian worker has to be
aware of cultures in order to perform his duties following the universal ethical principles of
humanitarianism.
The goal of humanitarian aid is to save lives, diminish suffering, repair harm, and
ultimately, to promote people’s autonomy so that they can continue their lives in full
control. Equality and the sacredness of life are the two main bases of humanitarian
ethics, and the community is very vocal about this, but in practice, humanitarian ethics
are underdeveloped (Slim, 2015). The three basic rights of all people who suffer a
humanitarian crisis are the right to life with dignity, the right to receive humanitarian
assistance, and the right to security and protection (Sphere Association, 2018). We must
remember this basic philosophy when we as responders have to make decisions in a
disaster area. It is important to act ethically because acting unethically would contradict
the main goals of the profession. The ethical distribution of resources follows the principle
of equality mentioned above, and also the three primary rights of individuals who have
been affected by a humanitarian disaster. Resources should, therefore, be distributed in
a way that will allow people to achieve a life with dignity, promote their security, and
receive help in a time of need.
References:
Sphere Association. (2018). The sphere handbook: humanitarian charter and minimum
standards in humanitarian response. Geneva, Switzerland.
Slim, H. (2015). Humanitarian ethics: a guide to the morality of aid in war and disaster.
United States: Oxford University Press.
Weaver, G.R. Journal of Business Ethics (2001) 30:
3. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006475223493
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