64-620: The Congo Reform Association ( CRA ) was a political and humanitarian activist group that sought to promote reform of the Congo Free State , a private territory in Central Africa under the absolute sovereignty of King Leopold II. Active from 1904 to 1913, the association formed in opposition to the institutionalised practices of Congo Free State's 'rubber policy', which encouraged the need to minimise expenditure and maximise profit with no political constraints – fostering
128-578: A humanitarian response based on humanitarian principles , particularly the principle of humanity. Nicholas de Torrente, former Executive Director of Médecins Sans Frontières USA writes: "The most important principles of humanitarian action are humanity, neutrality, independence and impartiality, which posits the conviction that all people have equal dignity by virtue of their being human based solely on need, without discrimination among recipients. Humanitarian organizations must refrain from taking part in hostilities or taking actions that advantage one side of
192-427: A figure of fun in bawdy music-hall songs. For a time it seemed that he would be tried for perjury . The accusations had a devastating effect on his political career, leading eventually to the loss of his parliamentary seat in the 1886 UK general election . Matthews gained public acclaim, winning the seat of Birmingham East as a Conservative at the same election. Queen Victoria, who approved of his performance in
256-536: A future prime minister, his aspirations to higher political office were effectively terminated in 1885 after a notorious and well-publicised divorce case. His disgrace, and the alignment of Joseph Chamberlain with the Conservatives, both greatly weakened the radical cause. Dilke was the son of Sir Charles Dilke, 1st Baronet . Born in Chelsea in 1843, he was educated at Trinity Hall, Cambridge , where he
320-516: A humanitarian with paternalistic views towards Africans, Morel favoured indirect rule and the promotion of free trade and commerce to gradually develop African territories and peoples along the same lines as Europe. Morel believed the 'Leopoldian system' was the catalyst for the scale of atrocities in the Congo, and that the state's creation of what was in effect a slave-labour force to fuel Leopold's monopolistic enterprise demonstrated he had broken
384-504: A limited understanding of how a crisis is unfolding. It has been argued that Big Data is constitutive of a social relation in which digital humanitarians claim both the formal humanitarian sector and victims of crises need the services and labor that can be provided by digital humanitarians. Examples of humanitarianism can include: Raising Funds for people in need Sir Charles Dilke, 2nd Baronet Sir Charles Wentworth Dilke, 2nd Baronet PC (4 September 1843 – 26 January 1911)
448-443: A neat separation between donor and recipient is conventionally difficult to draw. The employment of 'local staff', the active call for help from people in need and the surge in local humanitarian organizations all suggest the intimate relation between donor and recipient. Today, humanitarianism is particularly used to describe the thinking and doctrines behind the emergency response to humanitarian crises . In such cases it argues for
512-657: A neutral state, both countries issued a joint démarche on 23 January 1908 demanding that the Belgian government annex control of the CFS and reform the territory in accordance with the articles of the Berlin Act . Morel and the CRA, aware of the geo-political constraints of any alternative, viewed the solution as the most practical for achieving their aims at reform, leading the movement to place public support and endorsement behind
576-502: A public campaign against him. Two months later, in April, Dilke sought to reopen the case and clear his name by making the Queen's Proctor a party to the case and opposing the decree absolute . Unfortunately, Dilke and his legal team had badly miscalculated, his legal advice being described as "perhaps the worst professional advice ever given". Though they had planned to subject Virginia to
640-405: A searching cross-examination , Dilke, having been dismissed from the case, had no locus standi . As a consequence, it was Dilke who was subjected to severe scrutiny in the witness box by Henry Matthews . Matthews' attack was devastating, and Dilke proved an unconvincing witness. His habit of physically cutting pieces out of his diary with scissors was held up to particular ridicule, as it created
704-623: A seat he held until 1886. In 1871, Dilke caused controversy when he criticised the British monarchy and argued that the United Kingdom should adopt a republican form of government. Following public criticism, he recanted. From 1880 to 1882, during William E. Gladstone 's second government, he was Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs , and was admitted to the Privy Council in 1882. In December of that year, he entered
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#1732764735881768-601: A similar tour in the USA. Felix Lösing has maintained that neither evangelical philanthropy nor humanitarian sentiment but racist dynamics were the main reason for the success of the reform association. Activists in Britain and the United States warned that the atrocities in the CFS destabilised imperial rule on the whole African continent and undermined narratives of white supremacy on a global scale. CRA activism ensured that
832-551: A system of coercion and terror unparalleled in contemporary colonial Africa . The group carried out a global publicity campaign across the Western world , using a range of strategies including displays of atrocity photographs; public seminars; mass rallies; celebrity endorsements; and extensive press coverage to lobby the Great Powers into pressuring reform in the Congo. The association partially achieved its aims in 1908 with
896-937: Is known as a humanitarian . While humanitarianism on a local and national level can be traced far back in history, scholars of international politics tend to identify the advent of global humanitarian impulses to the 19th century. The creation of the International Red Cross in 1863 is considered a key juncture in global humanitarianism. The scope of humanitarianism has expanded over time alongside shifting perceptions of who counts as "human" and whose lives are worth saving. Scholars have generally observed that humanitarianism has increased in scope over time, as individuals and groups have expanded their definition of human life to groups beyond their immediate environment. Humanitarian governance has become increasingly complex and institutionalized over time. Jean Pictet , in his commentary on The Fundamental Principles of
960-672: The Belgian Solution as early as 1905. The annexation occurred in late 1908 bringing slow and incremental reform, but by 1913 free trade and the effective dismantling of the Leopoldian system , as well as the increasing importance of Belgium to the Entente , led to British recognition of the Belgian Congo . The CRA, acknowledging the gains made, publicly disbanded on 16 June 1913, with Morel declaring that "the native of
1024-583: The Congo Question remained of interest to the general public, fuelling a reciprocal relationship between British parliamentary debates and press coverage that extended globally. The international message of the movement birthed chapters or affiliates across Europe and North America . Outside of Britain, the most effective was the American Congo Reform Association, formed in the United States. Though Morel helped found
1088-713: The Factory Act of 1844 were some of the most significant humanitarian bills passed in Parliament following the Industrial Revolution. In the middle of the 19th century, humanitarianism was central to the work of Florence Nightingale and Henry Dunant in emergency response and in the latter case led to the founding of the Red Cross . The Humanitarian League (1891–1919) was an English advocacy group, formed by Henry S. Salt , which sought to advance
1152-724: The Red Cross , argues for the universal characteristics of humanitarianism: Humanitarianism was publicly seen in the social reforms of the late 1800s and early 1900s, following the economic turmoil of the Industrial Revolution in England. Many of the women in Great Britain who were involved with feminism during the 1900s also pushed humanitarianism. The atrocious hours and working conditions of children and unskilled laborers were made illegal by pressure on Parliament by humanitarians. The Factory Act of 1833 and
1216-413: The 1906-7 Parkside development at 42 Knightsbridge. Dilke died in 1911 at 76 Sloane Street , Chelsea, the same house in which he was born. He was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium and his ashes buried at Kensal Green Cemetery . Following his death in 1911, fundraising commenced to establish a local community hospital in his Forest of Dean constituency. The Dilke Memorial Hospital, Cinderford ,
1280-592: The ACRA, they sought to distance themselves as an independent American movement due to widespread Anglophobic sentiments among sections of the American populace, particularly German and Irish Americans . Orchestrated effectively by Baptist missionaries and the academic Robert E. Park , it waged a similar publicity and lobbying campaign to the CRA's; public figures like Booker T. Washington and Mark Twain , who famously composed King Leopold's Soliloquy , did much to raise
1344-626: The Belgian government's annexation of the Congo Free State and continued to promote reform until disbanding in 1913. In the mid-1890s Edmund Dene Morel was working for Elder Dempster as a shipping clerk based in Antwerp , when he noticed discrepancies between public and private accounts given for the import and export figures relating to shipping from the Congo . Morel deduced from the steady export of firearms and cartridge , against
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#17327647358811408-620: The Berlin conference was viewed as geo-politically problematic by the Foreign Office , who instead dispatched their consul in the region to investigate the alleged malpractices of the regime. Roger Casement was the resident British consul in Boma when he was directed by the FO to investigate the allegations against the CFS. From June 1903, Casement travelled throughout the northern interior of
1472-582: The British government to act. Morel tailored the association's message to appeal to all sections of British society, ensuring it was a non-partisan and Christian issue that Britain must address, his public speeches were inclusive and unifying seeking only to promote reform in the CFS. Morel enlisted fellow journalists in Britain, the United States and sympathetic newspapers in Belgium as agents of
1536-486: The CFS following Leopold's announcement that he had set up a commission of inquiry to address Casement's findings. With Morel in-charge they resolved to the creation of the CRA, a unifying movement for the competing agents of reform in the Congo. The weight of the Casement Report , a scathing indictment by a British consular official on the CFS, was crucial in engaging the public with the CRA's message of reform in
1600-435: The CRA and established regional branches with local activists throughout Britain to promote grassroots movements. The CRA's adoption of contemporary media technologies, like the magic lantern projector , were incorporated into public lectures and seminars , bringing Western audiences face-to-face with photographic proof of the atrocities of the CFS. Charles Laderman has argued that the association's most effective tool
1664-580: The CRA. In December 1906 the ACRA gained momentum with the breaking of the Kowalsky Scandal . The exposé of foreign financial interference in the American political process united various factions across the USA behind the reform movement and demanded government action. It also exposed Leopold's extensive Press Bureau networks to the Belgian press, increasing the already mounting domestic pressure for Congo annexation in Belgium. The publication of
1728-575: The Congo is once more a free man", though both he and the movement were aware this was not in fact the case; tensions in Europe and a sharp decline in public support since the 'success' of the annexation, necessitated the declaration and disbandment of the association as the only rationale decision left. Humanitarianism Humanitarianism is an ideology centered on the value of human life, whereby humans practice benevolent treatment and provide assistance to other humans to reduce suffering and improve
1792-406: The Congo – though Casement himself had to abstain from direct involvement due to his government role. Morel led the CRA, achieving widespread public endorsements from church leaders, businessmen, peers and MPs; the movement was characterised as part of the British humanitarian tradition , an appeal that enticed many wealthy donors and powerful supporters to its cause, placing extraordinary pressure on
1856-545: The Conservative dominance of rural seats, many dual-member constituencies were abolished, with extra being created in suburbia, where Conservative support was growing. He also supported laws giving the municipal franchise to women, legalising trade unions, improving working conditions and limiting working hours, as well as being one of the earliest campaigners for universal schooling. Dilke's younger brother, Ashton Wentworth Dilke , married Margaret "Maye" Eustace Smith ,
1920-461: The Haiti earthquake" with "software and digital humanitarian platforms such as Standby Task Force, OpenStreetMap , and many others" being active during many disasters since then. In fact, the role of social media in digital humanitarian efforts is a considerable one. Ten days after the 2010 earthquake, the " Hope for Haiti Now " telethon event was launched in the United States, effectively taking over
1984-461: The Seventh . The intrigues involving Sir Charles Dilke were depicted in the three-part ITV drama The Member For Chelsea written by Ken Taylor and made by Granada Television with Richard Johnson as Sir Charles. It was broadcast over three consecutive days, 24-26 August 1981. The narrative centred primarily on the activities of the three Smith sisters Virginia, Maye and Helen. In the drama
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2048-543: The activities of the Congo Free State authorities, establishing his own journal in early 1903 – the West African Mail . Morel's publications drew from the direct reports and experiences of the missionary community who had for years worked in the Congo , as well as travellers from the region and whistleblowers and former Congo Free States and concession company agents who supplied him with detailed reports and corroborating evidence of widespread atrocities . Morel
2112-479: The analogue age" with "a major shift coming". In 2015 he authored the book Digital Humanitarians: How Big Data Is Changing the Face of Humanitarian Response . Vincent Fevrier notes that " social media can benefit the humanitarian sector... by providing information to give better situational awareness to organisations for broad strategic planning and logistics" and that " crisis mapping really emerged in 2010 during
2176-538: The articles of the Berlin Act in every regard. In Morel's own words, the "King's native policy was the inevitable sequel to his commercial policy". This unified the humanitarians with commercial and political elites in the common cause of reform. Others shared Morel's view; the Aborigine Protection Society , headed by Henry Fox Bourne , had denounced the CFS as early as 1890 with material collected from Congo missionaries. Sir Charles Dilke MP
2240-598: The cabinet as President of the Local Government Board , serving until 1885. A leading and determined radical within the party, he negotiated the passage of the Third Reform Act , which the Conservatives allowed through the House of Lords in return for a redistribution that they calculated to be marginally favourable to themselves . While the granting of the vote to agricultural labourers threatened
2304-502: The conditions of humanity for moral , altruistic , and emotional reasons. One aspect involves voluntary emergency aid overlapping with human rights advocacy, actions taken by governments, development assistance , and domestic philanthropy . Other critical issues include correlation with religious beliefs, motivation of aid between altruism, market affinity, social control imperialism and neo-colonialism , gender and class relations, and humanitarian agencies . A practitioner
2368-537: The conditions they were in which prompted thousands of Russian bloggers to coordinate relief efforts online. The digital humanitarian efforts in Russia were crucial to responding to the fires in 2010 considering the Russian government was vastly unprepared to deal with such a large-scale disaster. Within digital humanitarianism, big data has featured strongly in efforts to improve digital humanitarian work and produces
2432-422: The conflict over another, the action serves the interests of political, religious, or other agendas. These fundamental principles serve two essential purposes. They embody humanitarian action’s single-minded purpose of alleviating suffering, unconditionally and without any ulterior motive. They also serve as background document to develop operational tools that help in obtaining both the consent of communities for
2496-404: The disproportionate mass imports in rubber , ivory and other lucrative commodities, that no commercial transaction was taking place. He concluded that the use of force was the only explanation: the consistency of the exchange could only be supported by a state-led system of mass exploitation. Resigning from his role in 1901, Morel turned to journalism to investigate and raise awareness about
2560-452: The eldest daughter of Liberal politician and shipowner Thomas Eustace Smith and his wife, Ellen, in 1876. Charles Dilke was said to have become the lover of Ellen Smith, his brother's mother-in-law, a relationship which continued after his marriage in 1884. In July 1885, Charles Dilke was accused of seducing Thomas Eustace Smith's daughter Virginia Crawford ( née Smith), his brother's sister-in-law and his actual lover's daughter, in
2624-596: The findings of Leopold's Commission of Inquiry, confirming those of the Casement Report, cemented Belgian formal opposition to the CFS and sparked legitimate discussions of government annexation. What became known as the Belgian Solution – the annexation of the CFS by the Belgian government – was viewed by both Britain and the US to be the optimal answer to the Congo Question . Despite Belgium's position as
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2688-462: The first year of her marriage to Donald Crawford , another MP. That was supposed to have occurred in 1882, when Virginia was 19, and she claimed that the affair had continued on an irregular basis for the next two and a half years. Crawford sued for divorce, and the case was heard on 12 February 1886 before The Hon. Mr Justice Butt in the Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division. Virginia Crawford
2752-435: The graphic nature of the report, with the removal of witnesses and perpetrators names undermining its legitimacy. Casement's disillusionment with the decisions of the FO prompted him to seek out Morel who, by 1904, was well established as the leading champion of Congo reform. The two agreed a more holistic approach was needed to effect genuine change in the Congo, with the British government having reduced diplomatic pressure on
2816-481: The humanitarian cause. Various suggestions of distinct periods of humanitarianism exist, drawing either on geopolitical or socioeconomic factors that determine humanitarian action. The first approach is exemplified by Michael Barnett's proposition to distinguish ages of "imperial humanitarianism" (late 19th century to 1945), "neo-humanitarianism" (1945–1989), and "liberal humanitarianism" (post-1990). Norbert Götz, Georgina Brewis, and Steffen Werther are advocates of
2880-509: The impression that he had cut out evidence of potentially embarrassing appointments. The jury found that Virginia had presented the true version of the facts and that the decree absolute should be granted. Dilke was ruined. Other women claimed he had approached them for a liaison. Various lurid rumours circulated about his love life, including that he had invited a maidservant to join him and his lover in bed, and that he had introduced one or more of them to "every kind of French vice". Dilke became
2944-500: The mediasphere and reaching hundreds of millions of households and viewers. It focused on appealing to the viewing public's empathy for the survivors of the disaster, allowing ordinary citizens to help in a collective relief effort by contributing money donations to NGOs providing Humanitarian aid to earthquake survivors. The telethon attracted support through a variety of celebrity musical performances and staged calls for empathy, using digital social networks to disseminate its appeal to
3008-511: The mining constituency seeking employment law reform. Hoping that he could be rehabilitated as a front-line politician, Dilke consulted Liberal leader Gladstone, who discouraged him, so Dilke did not pursue the offer. Three years later, however, Dilke accepted the invitation, against Gladstone's wishes and, at the 1892 general election, was duly elected as the MP for the Forest of Dean, which he held for
3072-474: The moral responsibility of the viewer-consumers who are able to reinforce identification with a national identity of the American 'savior' through participation in this Humanitarian project. During the summer of 2010, when open fires raged across Russia, causing many to die from smog inhalation, the use of social media allowed digital humanitarians to map the areas in need of support. This is because Russians who were hoping to be evacuated were posting online about
3136-465: The presence and activities of humanitarian organizations, particularly in highly volatile contexts." In 2005, a question was raised as to whether Misplaced Pages can be seen as digital humanitarianism. Patrick Meier used the term 'digital humanitarianism' to describe crowdmapping for the 2010 Haiti earthquake . In 2011, Paul Conneally gave a TED talk on digital humanitarianism in which he states that humanitarianism's "origins are firmly rooted in
3200-421: The profile of the movement across the United States. However, Morel and British CRA officials still played a crucial role in the formative phase of the ACRA, transferring and reshaping many of their techniques and practices for American audiences. Lobbying and PR were practised by both the CRA and Leopold's CFS, the king setting up a private and covert Press Bureau in 1904 in reaction to the consistent efforts of
3264-482: The remainder of his life. He hoped to be appointed Secretary of State for War in the Liberal Government formed in 1905, but it was not to be. Dilke attributed his exclusion to the incoming Prime Minister Henry Campbell-Bannerman 's lingering resentment towards Dilke for his role in the 1895 " cordite vote ", which had brought about the end of Lord Rosebery 's administration. Dilke was a shareholder in
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#17327647358813328-451: The socioeconomic and cultural approach, arguing that there have been ages of "ad hoc humanitarianism" (up to c. 1900 ), "organized humanitarianism" ( c. 1900 –1970), and "expressive humanitarianism" (since 1970). They suggest we might currently be entering "a novel kind of defensive humanitarianism with roots in the expressive age, with automated interfaces, and with thick 'firewalls' between donors and recipients." However,
3392-403: The systemic use of coercive techniques by state and company officials . Casement's dispatches were viewed as sensationalist and he was recalled by the FO to return to Britain and produce a report for the government. Published in 1904, The Casement Report confirmed the scale of atrocities taking place in the CFS, yet FO officials' interference and lobbying by agents of the CFS led to softening
3456-413: The territory aided by the missionaries based there. Their unregulated access to the Congo and its tributaries exposed him to the worst affected areas of the ' rubber tax ', and provided him with their testimonies – informing many of his inquiries. Throughout his journey Casement recorded oral testimony from victims of the CFS, seeing first-hand the mutilations and brutalities of the administration and later
3520-741: The trial, demanded his inclusion in Lord Salisbury's cabinet, and he was made Home Secretary. The Queen also asked in vain for Dilke to be stripped of his membership of the Privy Council. Dilke spent much of the remainder of his life and much of his fortune trying to exonerate himself, which adds weight to the view that Virginia lied about the identity of her lover. Over the years, it has been suggested that his political colleagues, including Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery , and Chamberlain himself, may have inspired her to accuse him, seeing him as an obstacle to their own ambitions. Dilke
3584-523: Was President of the Cambridge Union Society . His second wife was the author, art historian, feminist and trade unionist Emily Francis Pattison , née Strong (widow of Rev. Mark Pattison ), subsequently known as Lady Dilke. Despite being a radical, Dilke was also an imperialist, and argued for British imperial domination in his bestselling 1868 book, Greater Britain . Dilke became Liberal Member of Parliament for Chelsea in 1868,
3648-473: Was a gifted public speaker and prolific writer, giving speeches and publishing articles in other newspapers – foreign and domestic – as well as circulating pamphlets and writing several meticulously researched books on the Congo and Leopold's system . Nathan Alexander has observed that Morel's impassioned campaigning stemmed largely from his belief that the Congo Free State was a corrupt example of modern standards of European colonialism . Alexander noted that as
3712-466: Was an English Liberal and Radical politician. A republican in the early 1870s, he later became a leader in the radical challenge to Whig control of the Liberal Party, making a number of important contributions, including in the legislation increasing democracy in 1883–1885, his support of the growing labour and feminist movements, and his prolific writings on international affairs. Touted as
3776-635: Was another high-profile figure in the British anti-Leopold movement, advocating in parliament in 1897 for the revival of the Berlin Conference to ensure all signatories were adhering to the Berlin Act. In 1903 the collective efforts of Morel and these other actors generated enough public agitation over the Congo Question to produce an impassioned debate in parliament, leading to a resolution forcing government action. However, reconvening
3840-534: Was built in 1922 and still exists as a permanent memorial to the popular MP. Interest in Dilke was revived by Dilke: A Victorian tragedy a 1958 non-fiction work by the Labour Party politician Roy Jenkins . A 1964 West End play The Right Honourable Gentleman , by Michael Dyne , covers the scandal that brought Dilke down. Dilke is portrayed by Richard Leech in an episode of the 1975 ATV series Edward
3904-662: Was largely exonerated by an inquiry in the early 1890s, which cast doubt on the truthfulness of Virginia's evidence. Her description of their alleged love nest in Warren Street was full of inaccuracies and it has been speculated that she may have been attempting to distract attention from an earlier affair with one Captain Forster. In 1889, Dilke was approached by the Forest of Dean Liberal Association to stand as its parliamentary candidate, because his radical credentials suited
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#17327647358813968-470: Was no admissible evidence to show that Dilke had been guilty of adultery with Virginia. He concluded, "I cannot see any case whatsoever against Sir Charles Dilke", dismissed Dilke from the suit with costs, and pronounced a decree nisi dissolving the Crawfords' marriage. The paradoxical finding left doubts hanging over Dilke's respectability, and investigative journalist William Thomas Stead launched
4032-440: Was not in court, and the sole evidence was her husband's account of Virginia's confession. There were also some accounts by servants, which were both circumstantial and insubstantial. Dilke, aware of his vulnerability over the affair with Virginia's mother, refused to give evidence, largely on the advice of his confidant, Joseph Chamberlain . Paradoxically, Butt found that Virginia had been guilty of adultery with Dilke but that there
4096-542: Was the recruitment of missionaries with firsthand accounts of the regime, two of the most prominent were the Rev. John Harris and his wife Alice . In 1905 the pair returned to Britain where they accepted positions as officers in the CRA, and over the next two years delivered between them six hundred public engagements – bringing photos, props from the CFS, like the chicotte , and their own extensive documentation of what they witnessed to audiences around Britain, later conducting
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