The inaugural Alameda Talk Series of 2024 at the Frontline Club London brought a distinguished panel comprising Olivia Rutazibwa, Lily Lynch, Paolo Gerbaudo, and Juliano Fiori to delve into an insightful discourse on the crisis of Humanitarianism and the diverse perspectives shaping our global society. The talk traced the trajectory of humanitarianism from its origins to its contemporary manifestations, examining its intersection with Western state power and the emergence of cross-border humanitarian efforts. Amidst the backdrop of uncertain political landscapes, the speakers explored the evolving discourse surrounding humanitarian principles and the formidable challenges confronting humanitarian institutions.

THE SPEAKERS

// Olivia U. Rutazibwa is Assistant Professor in Human Rights and Politics at the London School of Economics and Political Science and Senior Research Fellow at the Johannesburg Institute for Advanced Study. She is the co-editor of The Routledge Handbook of Postcolonial Politics (with Robbie Shilliam, 2018) and Decolonization and Feminisms in Global Teaching and Learning (with Sara de Jong and Rosalba Icaza, 2018). //

// Lily Lynch is a writer and journalist. She is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Balkanist Magazine. Lily lives in Belgrade, Serbia, but she’s from California. She was educated at UC Berkeley and the London School of Economics. Lily is an associate at Alameda

// Paolo Gerbaudo is a Senior Researcher at the Universidad Complutense in Madrid. His current research focuses on the transformation of politics in the digital era. His most recent book is The Great Recoil: Politics After Populism and Pandemic (2021). Paolo is an Alameda associate.

// Juliano Fiori is the director of Alameda. His current research connects the political economy of crisis, humanist ideology, and the imagination of catastrophe. He is an editor of the Journal of Humanitarian Affairs and of Amidst the Debris: Humanitarianism and the End of Liberal Order (2021).