Humanitarian aid workers increasingly remain present in contexts of violence and are injured, kidnapped, and killed as a result. Since 9/11 and in response to these dangers, aid organizations have fortified themselves to shield their staff and programs from outside threats. In Aid in Danger, Larissa Fast critically examines the causes of violence against aid workers and the consequences of the approaches aid agencies use to protect themselves from attack. Based on more than a decade of research, Aid in Danger explores the assumptions underpinning existing explanations of and responses to violence against aid workers. According to Fast, most explanations of attacks locate the causes externally and maintain an image of aid workers as an exceptional category of civilians. The resulting approaches to security rely on separation and fortification and alienate aid workers from those in need, representing both a symptom and a cause of crisis in the humanitarian system. Missing from most analyses are the internal vulnerabilities, exemplified in the everyday decisions and ordinary human frailties and organizational mistakes that sometimes contribute to the conditions leading to violence. This oversight contributes to the normalization of danger in aid work and undermines the humanitarian ethos. As an alternative, Fast proposes a relational framework that captures both external threats and internal vulnerabilities. By uncovering overlooked causes of violence, Aid in Danger offers a unique perspective on the challenges of providing aid in perilous settings and on the prospects of reforming the system in service of core humanitarian values.

NGOs set out to save lives, relieve suffering, and service basic human needs. They are committed to serving people across national borders and without regard to race, ethnicity, gender, or religion, and they offer crucial help during earthquakes, tsunamis, wars, and pandemics. But with so many ailing areas in need of assistance, how do these organizations decide where to go—and who gets the aid? In The Good Project, Monika Krause dives into the intricacies of the decision-making process at NGOs and uncovers a basic truth: It may be the case that relief agencies try to help people but, in practical terms, the main focus of their work is to produce projects. Agencies sell projects to key institutional donors, and in the process the project and its beneficiaries become commodities. In an effort to guarantee a successful project, organizations are incentivized to help those who are easy to help, while those who are hardest to help often receive no assistance at all. The poorest of the world are made to compete against each other to become projects—and in exchange they offer legitimacy to aid agencies and donor governments. Sure to be controversial, The Good Project offers a provocative new perspective on how NGOs succeed and fail on a local and global level.

Global Member Care: Crossing Sectors for Serving Humanity, the latest book from the O’Donnells, is part of an ongoing effort to help a diversity of colleagues keep current with a globalizing world and the global field of member care. This second volume in the Global Member Care series encourages readers to connect and contribute to various international sectors on behalf of mission/aid workers and humanity. The book’s 35 chapters include a wealth of practical resources: guidelines, codes, resolutions, perspectives, principles, case examples, videos links, human rights instruments, and more. Get ready to venture into the heart of global issues and opportunities—from the trenches to the towers and everything in between!

If you are interested in growing as a person and developing your member care skills, then this book is for you. Global Member Care: The Pearls and Perils of Good Practice is the latest book from Kelly O’Donnell, launching the member care field further into the international world of mission/aid. Part One reviews member care history and includes future directions in light of global realities. Part Two examines the crucial area of health/dysfunction with specific suggestions for good relationships, management, and governance. Part Three explores core ethics and human rights principles that are essential for good practice. Pearls and Perils is a contemporary text for training in universities, seminaries, and mission/aid settings. Its principles and resources also make it a great handbook for sending groups and all those with member care responsibilities.