ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the concepts covered in the preceding chapters of this book. The book shows that the humanitarian system itself must openly, and constantly, acknowledge the inherent contradictions in how it is set up. It discusses the stories which represent a call to rethink what it is that informs the ongoing development of the entire humanitarian machine. The dichotomy of local understanding of need, and external need assessment and diagnosis, continues to harken back to a time when humanitarian action was conceived in a more linear fashion. Western humanitarian workers are trained to believe that their actions must be based on objective, accurate, and verifiable evidence of the needs of the affected population.
