Do no Harm: How Aid Can Support Peace - or War

Echoing the words of the Hippocratic Oath, the author challenges aid agency staff to take responsibility for the ways that their assistance affects conflicts. Mary B. Anderson cites the experiences of many aid providers in war-torn societies to show that international assistance - even when it is effective in saving lives, alleviating suffering and furthering sustainable development - too often reinforces divisions among contending groups. She offers hopeful evidence of creative programmes that point the way to new approaches to aid.