Abstract
Building from previous research conducted on ethics and the closure of humanitarian health projects, this study, undertaken in collaboration with the Manila-based Center for Disaster Preparedness, focuses on examining humanitarian project closure from the perspective of people living in communities in the Philippines where projects have been or are being closed. The project is divided in three phases: 1) the development of a conceptual framework; 2) empirical research in six communities in the Philippines affected by disaster or conflict where projects have been or are being closed; and 3) co-development of resources tailored for local communities and humanitarian organizations. In preparation for collecting empirical data, we are developing an initial conceptual framework on the ethics of project closure. The aim is that by expanding on concepts of solidarity, care, justice, localization, moral entanglements, and others, we can have a better grasp of what is ethically at stake, and implications for affected communities before, during, and after project closure. We have begun to articulate ‘an ethics of the temporary’ regarding international humanitarian organization’s roles and responsibilities towards communities when they close or handover a project. It is a way of thinking about what is owed to these communities and what are humanitarian actor’s remedial responsibilities over time as emergency aid responders. The approach of ‘an ethics of the temporary’ can support ethical responsiveness and help situate specific humanitarian activities in a broader cultural, historic, and global context.
