Abstract

Humanitarianism has become one of the powerful languages of modern times, in which compassion, ethics, and moral obligations are mediated to alleviate suffering. This thesis investigates humanitarianism not exclusively on the basis of its moral sentiments but on its functioning as a system of power that governs people’s conduct. It examines how different technologies of power feed into the operationalization of humanitarianism to transform it into a system for governing suffering. By decoding the elements of its power, the thesis aims to understand humanitarian reason through the humanitarian loop, from generating knowledge, categorization and representation, to the legal and normative framework within the discourse that leads to a community of global compassion. Through the photograph of Alan Kurdi, the thesis provides a real-life example of a photograph that resonates with and links to understanding humanitarianism through its power, and most specifically through humanitarian photography as one of its tools. The thesis concentrates on the importance of understanding humanitarianism as an emotion for the witness, as a system of saving for the victim, and as a discourse of saving for the global world. This is achieved by examining it beyond moral judgements of good or evil, but rather by understanding its functioning in raising compassion and saving lives. The thesis argues that humanitarianism functions through layered forces of power that create the humanitarian loop, starting from generating knowledge, legitimatizing acts of saving, raising compassion, categorization and representation, leading to the moral, and sometimes political authority that governs suffering beyond mere spectacle.

Department

Law Department

Degree Name

MA in International Human Rights Law

Graduation Date

Spring 6-15-2026

Submission Date

2-10-2026

First Advisor

Hani Sayed

Committee Member 1

Jason Beckett

Committee Member 2

Ronnie Close

Extent

55 p.

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval

Not necessary for this item

Disclosure of AI Use

Thesis editing and/or reviewing

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