An Examination of the Principles-Based Ethics by which Red Cross Personnel Evaluate Private Donor Suitability
Conscience, Leadership and the Problem of ‘Dirty Hands’
ISBN: 978-1-78560-203-0, eISBN: 978-1-78560-202-3
Publication date: 25 July 2015
Abstract
The purpose of this essay is to survey the ethical guidelines Red Cross personnel use to determine the appropriate course of action when faced with morally dilemmatic situations, such as whether or not to accept private donations to fund humanitarian operations.
A review of the principles which buttress and guide all Red Cross action is presented along with two case studies – one in which the Solomon Islands Red Cross Society refused money from a controversial mining company, which could have been used to assist flood victims, and the other in which the Nigerian Red Cross Society accepted money from oil companies that have been historically ethically-challenged – which illustrate the necessity of contextual analysis in making these decisions.
The principles upon which all Red Cross actions are based – humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence – provide the guidelines by which to evaluate whether or not to accept private, corporate donations. The Red Cross principles-based ethics allows for seemingly contradictory decisions to be reached in different countries and contexts, but in manners which are ethically coherent and transparent.
This paper sets the foundation for future research into what guides humanitarian organizations as they carry out their life-sustaining operations. Organizations which use such ethical principles to determine the appropriateness of their actions should benefit from transparently demonstrating this.
Case studies from recent disasters demonstrate the value of using ethical guidelines to evaluate donor suitability. This rigor and transparency benefits not only the Red Cross and other humanitarian organizations, but most importantly those rendered vulnerable by disaster around the world.
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Acknowledgements
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank the staff and volunteers of the Nigerian Red Cross Society and the Solomon Islands Red Cross Society, as well as my colleagues in the Australian Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, for both the opportunity to work alongside you and for sharing in the discussions presented above. This article has benefitted from thoughtful criticism put forward by those who anonymously reviewed this article, as well as the editing advice given by Katie Johnston.
Citation
Johnston, D. (2015), "An Examination of the Principles-Based Ethics by which Red Cross Personnel Evaluate Private Donor Suitability", Conscience, Leadership and the Problem of ‘Dirty Hands’ (Research in Ethical Issues in Organizations, Vol. 13), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 119-137. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1529-209620150000013008
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2015 Emerald Group Publishing Limited