How Does Dignity Nurture Quality of Life? Social Change in Humanitarian Action

In the humanitarian sector we speak about responding to immediate material and physical needs—we aim to save lives, alleviate suffering, and protect people in peril. However, another objective stated by humanitarian organisations is to help people in need restore their dignity and regain control over their future. This chapter seeks to unpack the implications of this objective. How can dignity be ‘restored’ and what is the role of humanitarians in this? Restoring dignity is examined through the lens of social change, at the individual and community levels. Ultimately humanitarianism is about people helping other people and this process must, negatively or positively, inform the restoration of dignity. Exploring the concept of dignity in relation to humanitarianism is not only important to the never-ending search for better ways to help people at the organisational level, but is important for individual aid workers who struggle to centre their work in the midst of crisis and better assist those in need.