Jordi Raich

Jordi Raich Curcó (Barcelona -Spain- 1963).

Writer and expert in humanitarian aid, Jordi Raich is especially known for his book El espejismo humanitario, where he dissects and analyses from the inside the weaknesses of humanitarian aid and re-examines the polemic relations between the aid worker and the different actors of the humanitarian theatre. El espejismo humanitario has been at the centre of many passionate debates and has become a work reference for NGOs and aid workers. Raich is known as well for his controversial theory developed in his article The Ethical Evolution of the Humanitarian Idea, where he claims that XXI century humanitarianism is a reductionist concept that damages the development and implementation of human rights.

Jordi Raich studied Biological Sciences, International Law and International Relations. He works in humanitarian aid since 1986 as project manager, researcher and consultant in epidemics, famines and armed conflicts. He has worked in more than twenty countries, including Somalia, Rwanda, Guatemala, former-Yugoslavia, Afghanistan (where he lived three years), the US Naval Base of Guantanamo (Cuba), and Israel/Palestine, and has travelled over one hundred.

He has been the Director of External Relations of Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and co-founded Architects Without Borders. He is also associate researcher, specialized in humanitarian operations, law and ethics, of the Institute of Studies on Conflicts and Humanitarian Action.

Jordi Raich lectures in many masters, intervenes regularly in seminars, conferences, TV and radio programs, and publishes opinion editorials, features and essays on a regular basis.

Books published

Author
*Guerres de Plàstic (Cossetània 2008)
*El espejismo humanitario (Debate 2004)
*Afganistán también existe (RBA 2002)

Co-author
*Humanitarismo militar, militarismo humanitario (Centre Delàs 2007)
*No a la guerra (RBA and Ara Llibres 2003)
*Before Emergency: Conflict Prevention and the Media (Universidad de Deusto 2003)
*Fogo sobre os media (Quarteto 2003)
*Guerra y olvido (Intermón-Oxfam 2002)

Co-editor
*El laberinto humanitario (Acento 1999)

External links

* [http://www.jordi-raich.com Official Webpage]
* [http://www.jordi-raich.blogspot.com/ Official Blog]