Humanitarianism
Humanitarianism is an informal
ideology of practice, whereby people practice humane treatment and provide assistance to others.
Humanitarianism is based on a view that all human beings deserve respect and dignity and should be treated as such. Therefore, humanitarians work towards advancing the well-being of humanity as a whole. Humanitarianism is the antithesis of the "us vs. them" mentality that characterizes
tribalism and
ethnic nationalism. Humanitarians abhor
slavery, violation of basic and
human rights, and
discrimination on the basis of features such as color of skin, religion, ancestry, place of birth, etc. Humanitarianism is embraced by movements and people across the political spectrum, and particularly (but not exclusively) by
leftists.
Humanitarianism was probably most publicly seen in the social reforms of the late
1800s and early
1900s, following the economic turmoil of the
Industrial Revolution in England. Many of the women in
Great Britain who were involved with
feminism during the 1900s also pushed humanitarianism. The atrocious hours and working conditions of children and unskilled laborers were made illegal by pressure on Parliament by humanitarians. The
Factory Act of 1833 and the
Factory Act of 1844 were some of the most significant humanitarian bills passed in
Parliament following the Industrial Revolution.
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Humanitarian aid*
Humanitarian misanthrope*
Mundialization*
World citizen*
Dictionary.com: Humanitarian
