The relevance question

Thoughts on being a more ‘relevant’ as a humanitarian worker
Being a humanitarian worker frequently involves navigating between many cultures all while responding to the needs of people experiencing some form of extreme crisis. It is tough work, in part because dealing with ‘other’ people demands intellectual and emotional effort focused on the critical goal of maintaining relevance. Critical questions related to relevance include:

Are my actions appropriate, ethical, and addressing the real needs of the affected communities?

Are the actions of my organization appropriate, ethical, and addressing the real needs of the affected communities?

Are the actions of the humanitarian sector as a whole appropriate, ethical, and addressing the real needs of the affected communities?

Addressing these questions is not a quick, easy, or a “one and done’ process. Mindful reflection on relevance must take into consideration a myriad of factors. Most effectively done, at least some of this this reflection should take place in diverse settings where the conversation can include a full range of perspectives, generating new insight on old questions and generating new ones for exploration.  One important consideration is how the question of relevance is framed.