Compiled by Rev. Mba Paul
INTRODUCTION:
In the New Testament days, Orphans and Widows had few ways to support themselves; they often had no guardians or helpers.
Humanitarian aid has been present in some form throughout human history, yet the modern concept of humanitarian aid has only truly emerged since the latter half of the 20th century. Humanitarian pertains to the practice of saving lives and alleviating suffering. It is usually related to emergency response (also called humanitarian response) whether in the case of a natural disaster or a man-made disaster such as war or armed conflict.
TEXT: Matthew 25: 31 – 46; James 1: 27
31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
James 1: 27
27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
OBJECTIVES
Pure and undefiled is the content of true Christianity where one allows his life to be directed by the word of God. The man with clean and uncontaminated religion is benevolent towards others.
Humanitarian action is intended to “save lives, alleviate suffering and maintain human dignity during and after man-made crises and disasters caused by natural hazards, as well as to prevent and strengthen preparedness for when such situations occur”.
Definition of Humanitarian
A humanitarian is someone who actively engages in promoting human welfare and social reforms, and who has no prejudice with human suffering on grounds of gender, sexual orientation, religious or national divisions.
A person who cares about people and who often participates in charity or does good work to show that care.” Therefore, many, many acts fall into this category.
Mandate is a Royal or Official order or commissioned to do something; and Royal mandates must be obeyed.
AREAS OF SERVICES
In Matthew 25: 34 – 39 Jesus listed the six Socio-Humanitarian mandates of the Church that represent all aspect of our human service to one another. These are services the righteous renders to others because God has extended mercy and grace to them. Therefore, human services to the needs of our fellow men is the manifestation of the inward appreciation of the grace of God, which are:
- To feed the hungry
- To give the thirst to drink
- To care for the stranger
- To cloth the naked
- To care for the sick
- To visit the prisoner
Humanitarians currently battle diseases, hunger and violence in some of the most inhospitable situations, locations and climates and they persevere despite the risks of kidnappings, death threats, murder and other deadly and abusive behaviour from the places they work within. The Service spans a wide range of activities, including providing food aid, shelter, education, healthcare, portable Water or protection. It include granting children, expectant mothers, maternity cases and nursing mothers special treatment and protection and to give them priority in the distribution of relief consignments.
PARTICIPATION Caring Care about people and doing good works do not have to come with an organization. Individuals can contribute to the humanitarian effort themselves. Not everyone is able to be involved at the global level or dedicate as much time to humanitarian efforts. However, more locally-centered Church involvement programs also allow people to positively impact other humans.
Caring about people and doing good works do not have to come with an organization. Individuals can contribute to the humanitarian effort themselves. Not everyone is able to be involved at the global level or dedicate as much time to humanitarian efforts. However, more locally-centered Church involvement programs also allow people to positively impact other humans.
The workplace of a humanitarian is not subject to one particular place. It can be anywhere in the world that is in need of help. Whether it is working from a desk in your local community or digging a well in Africa, a humanitarian is someone that acknowledges the importance of forming strong working bonds with their community and other communities. People from all over the world, from different walks of life and different faiths, can make a difference by their humanitarian acts.
FEEDBACK
Humanitarians promote human welfare and ideas of people. Doing and participating in something that results in an act of kindness goes a long way in someone’s eyes. The simple act of donating money to a charity or a cause that one believes in is also considered a humanitarian act, and should not be measured by how much time or money is spent. It takes a lot for a person to care about someone they don’t personally know. It is a wonderful human ability to be able to understand struggle, loss, pain and fear and to turn that understanding into a humanitarian act. In turn, this brings happiness, not only to the one(s) in need, but to the person giving the helping hand.
At the end of the day, a humanitarian does not look for glory or praise. His or her main goal is to make a difference in the world they live in, to make someone’s life better than what it is, and to ease the plight of people that have little hope.
MOTIVATION OF HUMANITARIAN ACTION
The singular motivation of humanitarian action is to save lives and alleviate suffering in a manner that respects and restores personal dignity. Accordingly, humanity is the principal driver for any response to a crisis, whether caused by conflict, violence, natural or man-made disaster.
At the same time, humanitarian actors distinguish themselves from other actors responding to a crisis by their impartiality. Humanitarian acts happen at small, medium and large scales. For example, going overseas to help feed starving children is a humanitarian act, as is an individual giving a small monthly contribution to a local charity for the homeless or sponsoring a hungry child who lives in another country. This, the Church could do through you, Men’s department, Women’s department, Youth, Missions and other groups etc.
EXAMPLES OF HUMANITARIAN AGENCY
KINDS OF SERVICES/AREAS OF FUNCTIONS
- Participating in a charity event with a group of people
- Raising funds for a family in the community who is in need.
- Volunteering time to help struggling students to better learn their subject matter.
- Volunteering time at any local charity.
- Organizing a group of people to visit a retirement home or hospital and sing Christmas carols.
- Starting a local shelter or rescue program for people in the community who are in need.
- Renting a hall and throwing a Christmas party for homeless or struggling families in the community.
- Visiting a local orphanage and spending time with the children.
- Volunteering time at a day care in need.
- Making consultations and dialogue with the power that be over cases of injustice to human right.
- Raising a vigilante group to curb insecurity in a potential unsecured area
- Inviting a homeless person to dinner or to a holiday party
- Donating money to a larger organization that helps people
- Assisting disabled persons
- Visiting sick persons in the hospital
- Making a weekly donation to the church charity box
- Offering to babysit for free for a struggling family
- Helping to take care of a sick or elderly family member or friend
- Giving speeches about how others can get involved in humanitarian acts
- Involving in rural/city road maintenance service
- Provision of health care services and health facilities
- Digging of portable water sources
The provision of relief to the recipient populations falls within the supply of foodstuffs, medical supplies, clothing, distribution of materials for educational, recreational or religious purposes and measures to protect recipients and assist them to ‘recover from the immediate effects, of crisis or disasters and also to provide conditions necessary for [their] survival
– Romans 16: 2 – (Phoebe)… for she hath been a helper of many and also of myself.
-Acts 9:36 (Dorcas) ….this woman was full of good works and arms which she did. The Church can embark on a Feasibility Studies so that the usual standard of living of the intended recipients could be taken into consideration. Humanitarian services cut across the time of Peace and time of War
HUMANITARIAN PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES 1. Humanity: Human suffering must be addressed whenever it is found. The purpose of humanitarian action is to protect life and health and ensure respect for human beings must be to prevent and alleviate suffering.
- Neutrality: Humanitarian actors must not take sides in hostilities or engage in controversies of a political, racial, religious or ideological nature. Non-participation in cause of the conflict or it indulgence.
- Impartiality: Humanitarian action must be carried out on the basis of need alone, giving priority to the most urgent cases of distress and making no distinctions on the basis of nationality, race, gender, religious belief, class or political opinions. Incorporating non-discrimination and the absence of subjective cause whether the recipient is innocent or guilty.
- Operational Independence: Humanitarian action must be autonomous from the political, economic, military or other objectives that any actors may hold with regard to areas where humanitarian action is being implemented.
- Voluntariness: Service require willful acceptance, no coercing of agent(s) into activity.
POSSIBLE CHALLENGES
- Legal Framework/Procedures
- Insufficient Funding
- Limited Resources
- Inadequate manpower/volunteers
- Language barrier
- Possible diversion of relief materials if not well supervised
TERMS USED
Relief: Materials (aids) of various kinds provided to the helpless, needy population e.g. cloths, food medic or a material and logistic assistance to people who need help
Recipient: The person/persons, group, community, city, state receiving relief
Donor: The group, e.g. the Church, Service Agents that gives out aids
Mandate: A power or authority to act or perform for.
CONCLUSION
Today among our brothers and sisters in Christ are those who need help and care. We should seek to alleviate their distress and sufferings and thereby show them that God cares for them (Luke 7: 13; Gal. 6: 10; p1312)
Genuine love of those in need. Believers were expected to show them the same love and care that God exercised towards the fatherless and widows (Deut. 10: 18; 24: 17; Psalms 68: 5; 146:9) Bookmark the p
GLOBAL SOULS RESCUE TEAM 