Humanitarian neophilia: the ‘innovation turn’ and its implications

Abstract

This paper critically examines the 'humanitarian innovation' movement, arguing that it represents a departure from classical principles and the entry of a distinctive new ideology into the sector. Labelling this 'humanitarian neophilia', the paper argues that it has resonances of Barbrook and Cameron's 'Californian Ideology', with its merging of New Left and New Right within the environs of Silicon Valley.Humanitarian neophilia, similarly, comes from a diverse ideological heritage, combining an optimistic faith in the possibilities of technology with a commitment to the power of markets. It both 'understates the state' and 'overstates the object', promoting a vision of self-reliant subjects rather than strong nation-states realising substantive socio-economic rights.'Innovation' is the new buzzword in humanitarianism. Over the past seven years there

Traditional ecological knowledge in innovation governance: a framework for responsible and just innovation

“…While 'innovation' is an ambiguous term, it is commonly associated with progress through technological modernization and economic growth (Blok and Lemmens 2015;Grunwald 2017;Scott-Smith 2016;Wells 2016). These associations lead straight to the core of tensions between TEK and innovation discourses.…”

Private encroachment through crisis-making: The privatization of education for refugees

“…Historically, innovation has always been intrinsic to capitalism (Andonova & Carbonnier, 2014). As Scott-Smith (2017) argued, "Innovation in business is part of the cut and thrust of capitalism, the cycle of competitiveness and creative destruction that has been the key to its dynamism and success" (p. 2232).…”

Beyond the boxes

“…The structures we should focus on, I concluded, are political rather than architectural, since many governments have an interest in excluding refugees or keeping them in a liminal, precarious state. The growing tendency to triumphantly celebrate design, I argued, risks obscuring these political projects or, worse, ends up facilitating them (Scott‐Smith , ).…”

“…A small lamp, photovoltaic panel, and thin tarpaulin were all included in the boxes, as well as a “user‐friendly” manual based on images rather than text to avoid translation into multiple languages and in case users were illiterate. This approach to complete design became the hallmark of the Ikea shelter, driven partly by the desires of the funder, partly by the aid agency buyers, and partly from a growing discourse of “humanitarian innovation” (Scott‐Smith ). This movement, which tended to fetishize technological products, had been sweeping through the aid industry in the previous decade and was underpinned by the idea that innovators in the marketplace of ideas could design humanity out of its most intractable problems by coming up with clever new products and processes.…”