ABSTRACT
The Rwanda genocide in 1994 prompted the largest international humanitarian response up to that point, involving multiple countries, many united nations agencies and around 250 Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs). The crisis, which several writers reference as a watershed moment for the humanitarian sector, uncovered the danger of having large numbers of NGOs working with little regulation to guide them, and sped up the drive to a new dialogue. But humanitarian action is more than a simple business transaction. It arises from the very best of human impulses – to give a hand to people who need help and do it in a way that builds dignity in both the helper and the one being helped. Carrying out humanitarian work requires a good sense of flexibility, not just to navigate an unpredictable environment, but to move among different cultures; flexibility is often named as the most sought-after personality trait in humanitarian workers.
