ASCL Seminar: Between Rebels and Relief: Negotiating Humanitarian Access in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

This talk follows the frontline humanitarians who negotiate access with rebel groups in North Kivu, in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, to foreground the work of local aid workers who are the backbone of humanitarian operations. Myfanwy James examines how global endeavours are built on the personal networks, knowledge and skills of local humanitarian workers who are rarely given credit. Based on ethnographic research, James uncovers the brokerage, translation, and creative identity work that keeps humanitarian relief operations running, and the crucial role of locally-hired staff in navigating violent political terrains and building trust with armed groups. Humanitarian agencies draw upon the personal profiles of different staff who learn to position themselves strategically for different audiences, casting and recasting themselves as a form of tactical agency in uncertain violent terrains. Identities are put to work—they become tools, influencing who can wield power, who can gain trust, and who is at particular risk of violence. Yet this produces a central paradox: to uphold a universalist mandate, humanitarian organisations leverage and reproduce the very borders between people—of race, gender, ethnicity, and personal history—that their egalitarian values seek to transcend. 

This event will take place in person in Leiden. For registrants who cannot travel to Leiden, a link to an online platform will be sent before the start of the event.