ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the keyconcepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book focuses on the growth of humanitarian nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in Rwanda and Afghanistan. It summarizes the various modes of humanitarian action, describes different humanitarian actors and offers a brief definition and historical overview of NGOs. The chapter introduces the case studies, outlines the two theoretical views, and summarizes some methodological issues. It examines the evolution of NGOs during the Soviet invasion from 1979 to 1988. The book deals with the massacres between 1959 and 1964, and focuses on the 1994 genocide. It outlines the empirical findings and examines how well the findings match the theoretical explanations. Just as humanitarian NGOs have expanded almost everywhere, humanitarian action has grown in the postwar period. During the last 50 years, for example, the structure of the international humanitarian system has been formed, and most legislation in international humanitarian or human rights law has been written.
