​Humanitarianism is under pressure, and the way we think about humanity, war and suffering is changing. The Humanitarian Archive Emergency highlights the urgent need to preserve memory, bear witness and hold perpetrators accountable. Bertrand Taithe and leading voices ask what we must defend today to safeguard the future of humanitarianism.

​--> Join Bertrand Taithe, Professor of Cultural History at the University of Manchester, for a special online event bringing together Rony Brauman (Founder of MSF), Dr Natalie Roberts (Director of MSF), Davide Rodogno (Geneva Graduate Institute) and Jessica Reinisch (Birkbeck, University of London), with an opening presentation from Paul Meller (Wellcome Trust).

​THE CONVERSATIONS

1. ​Can Compassion Still Change the World?

   • ​Is compassion enough in today's conflicts? What transforms emotion into effective humanitarian action?

   • ​Explores: the limits of compassion as a driver of action · what turns emotion into effective intervention · the founding ethos of MSF.

     • ​Guest: Rony Brauman, Founder of Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders (MSF).

2. ​What Does It Mean to Bear Witness Today?

   • ​Modern humanitarian medicine emerged around the idea of témoignage — speaking out in the face of suffering. Hospitals are bombed. Healthcare workers are targeted. Should humanitarians remain neutral?

   • ​Explores: the origins and meaning of témoignage · the erosion of neutrality when hospitals and healthcare workers become targets · whether speaking out and delivering aid can coexist.

     • ​Guest: Dr Natalie Roberts, Director of Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders (MSF).

3. ​Who Will Preserve the Memory of Humanitarian Crises?

   • ​What is lost when records disappear? How do digital technologies both help and threaten memory? Are archives becoming a new frontline of humanitarian action?

   • ​Explores: what disappears when humanitarian records are lost · digital technology as both a tool and a threat to memory · archives as a contested space in humanitarian history.

     • ​Guest: Davide Rodogno, Professor of International History, Geneva Graduate Institute · Jessica Reinisch, Professor and historian, Department of History, Birkbeck, University of London.

4. ​Audience Q&A

​THE SPEAKERS

• ​Bertrand Taithe — Professor of Cultural History, University of Manchester (host).

• ​Paul Meller — Research Lead, Discovery Research, Wellcome Trust.

• ​Rony Brauman — Founder, Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders (MSF).

• ​Dr Natalie Roberts — Director, Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders (MSF).

• ​Davide Rodogno — Professor of International History, Geneva Graduate Institute.

• ​Jessica Reinisch — Professor and historian, Department of History, Birkbeck, University of London.

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