ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores the challenges of cooperation that are arising from current transformations of the humanitarian landscape. It examines the basic question of the "universality" or "pluriversality" of humanitarianism. The book examines disconnection between humanitarian PR campaigns on the one hand and actual humanitarian operations on the other. It explores the interactions within different fractions of the Catholic Church and between the church and local populations at the end of colonial rule in Africa. The book focuses on the case of campaigns to end female genital mutilation in Africa. It looks at how Islamic charities from the Arab World are engaged in specific African contexts. The book reviews the level of global humanitarian governance and the global enforcement of human rights by examining the roles of the Security Council and the International Criminal Court (ICC) in implementing Responsibility to Protect (R2P).
