World Refugee Year 1959–60: Humanitarian rights in postwar Australia

Journal article

Damousi, Joy. (2020). World Refugee Year 1959–60: Humanitarian rights in postwar Australia. Australian Historical Studies. 51(2), pp. 212 - 227. https://doi.org/10.1080/1031461X.2019.1651352
AuthorsDamousi, Joy
Abstract

In 1959, the United Nations (UN) proclaimed the year 1959–60 World Refugee Year (WRY). The aim of WRY was to urge members of the UN to focus on the issue of refugees in camps, provide additional financial support and foster humanitarian solutions to resettle refugees. In this article, I focus on the Victorian committee which was formed to oversee WRY activities, to consider the concept of ‘rights’, and its relationship to humanitarianism. Three arguments are advanced. First, moving beyond the polarisation between human rights and humanitarianism this article discusses the notion of humanitarian rights to capture the shifts taking place during the postwar period. Second, WRY illustrates techniques of modern humanitarian campaigning and fundraising, suggesting that compassion had to be generated. Finally, WRY provides a valuable opportunity to consider a key historic moment which throws into sharp relief a consideration of humanitarian rights in postwar Australia.

Year2020
JournalAustralian Historical Studies
Journal citation51 (2), pp. 212 - 227
PublisherRoutledge
ISSN1031-461X
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1080/1031461X.2019.1651352
Scopus EID2-s2.0-85075203235
Page range212 - 227
Research GroupInstitute for Humanities and Social Sciences
Publisher's version
File Access Level
Controlled
Place of publicationAustralia
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