The Dilemmas of Humanitarian and Development Assistance in North Korea: Foundations for a Coherent Aid Strategy
Thursday, October 2nd, 2008
| Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, October 2, 2008 | 12:00PM - 2:00PM | Seminar Room 208N, Munk Centre For International Studies 1 Devonshire Place |
Series
North Korea Speaker Series
Description
This presentation examines principles of humanitarian assistance, focusing in particular, on the moral dilemmas of assisting North Korea in responding to famine. Should the international community provide humanitarian or development assistance in such a setting? What are the implications of channeling assistance through multilateral as opposed to bilateral channels? With respect to overcoming food shortages in North Korea, how should donors respond to pressure to shift from humanitarian assistance to development assistance in the agricultural sector? How should donors engage North Korea not only to relieve current suffering, but also to encourage a more positive future for its citizens? How do broader geo-strategic considerations in the Korean peninsula factor into the mix when devising a coherent aid strategy for North Korea, especially with respect to addressing human hunger and starvation?
Gregory T. Chin (Ph.D., York University) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science and Faculty of Graduate Studies at York University (Canada), where he teaches global politics and East Asian political economy. Dr. Chin is a Senior Fellow of the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI). He is on the editorial board of the New Millennium Books Series of Rowman & Littlefield, and an academic member of the editorial board of the China and International Organization Books Series jointly published by Shanghai People’s Press and Shanghai International Studies University. He has held a visiting fellowship at Peking University (1997-98).
Prior to joining York University in 2006, Dr. Chin served as a diplomat in the Canadian Embassy in China, responsible for Canadian foreign aid to China and North Korea. From 2000 to 2003, he served in Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (Bureau of North Asia and Pacific Affairs), and the China and Northeast Asia Division of the Canadian International Development Agency. Dr. Chin has been a consultant to the International Development Research Centre and the Canadian International Development Agency, and an advisor to the United Nations Development Program, and the Asian Development Bank.
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