The term “acceptance” became part of the humanitarian vocabulary in the late 1990s, with the publication of the first manuals and training programs dedicated to the security management of aid operations. It refers to one of three strategies proposed to humanitarian actors to reduce risks in violent environments: using passive protection measures (helmets, bulletproof vests, armoured vehicles, fortified compounds, etc.), deterring potential attackers through local or international armed forces, or eliminating threats by earning everyone’s appreciation (acceptance). But how does one become appreciated, tolerated, and accepted? Two approaches coexist: one, political, emphasises the importance of caring for one’s friends; the other, marketing-oriented, emphasises the need to cultivate an image as a “principled organization”—neutral, independent, and impartial.
MSFOpinionThis article was initially published the 29th of April 2026, in the book « Gaza, un génocide colonial », by the author Colette Braeckman. Rony Brauman develops a critical reflection on the war crimes committed in Palestine, on the limits of humanitarian law as well as the complicity of Europe in the methodical erasure of Palestinians.
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Léa GillabertAnalysisIn one year, according to the National Observatory of the Social and Solidarity Economy, the French civil society sector lost a total of 12,305 jobs. In the face of the global authoritarian shift towards restricting the activities of civil society organisations, there is a need for a collective response to restore solidarity as a foundational political principle. You may find the translated version of the article written by Lucas Faure, Véronique de Geoffroy, Michaël Neuman et Raphaëlle Parizet published the 24 April 2026 here.
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PodcastDans cet épisode en anglais du podcast The Civil Fleet, Michaël Neuman évoque la présence de MSF en Syrie et à Gaza, ainsi que l’engagement de l’organisation dans l’assistance aux réfugiés syriens en Europe.
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PodcastSince the return to power of the Taliban in August 2021, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has introduced a whole series of measures drastically limiting women's rights, their freedom of movement, their access to work and education as well as their participation in political life. How has Médecins Sans Frontières reacted to these measures, which openly contradict its commitment to combating gender inequality in access to healthcare as well as in its own internal management?
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PodcastFor the moment, this podcast is only available in French.
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Maëlle Lefeuvre/MSFConferenceOn Tuesday, May 5th, 2026, at the headquarters of MSF (14-34 avenue Jean Jaurès, 75019), the CRASH team was delighted to welcome Sylvain Venayre, professor of contemporary history and writer, for a conference on the distant wars of the 19th century and the debates they continue to spark today. This exchange was prepared and moderated by Rony Brauman.
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Maëlle Lefeuvre/MSFConferenceOn Tuesday, March 24th, 2026, we had the pleasure of welcoming Monique Chemillier-Gendreau, Professor Emerita of Public Law and Political Science, for a conference devoted to multilateralism in the current geopolitical context. This event was prepared and presented by Rony Brauman.
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Mathilde Chong/MSFConferenceOn Tuesday, October 14, 2025, the CRASH team was pleased to welcome Laure de Roucy-Rochegonde and Amélie Ferey for a conference on the transformation of war violence in the age of artificial intelligence (AI) and drones. The discussion was prepared and moderated by Fabrice Weissman.
Isabel CorthierDossierThis Crash dossier gathers a selection of Crash publications published over the last twenty years: all of them, in different manners, tackle the themes of racism and humanitarian action. They also evoke the way discussions about racism have been addressed at Médecins sans Frontières.
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Alex Yallop/MSFDossierWith the cold war over, refugees have lost their status as an instrument of western soft power, whereas with the economic crisis and terrorism, hostility towards migrants is increasing. Prevailing representations of migration movements are convincing a growing proportion of the European population that migrants are a threat and refugees a burden. This file contains a collection of publications (articles, opinion columns, blog articles, press releases, CRASH papers) from 1990 to date, focusing on two themes : 1° the dichotomy between hospitality policy and migration policy, 2° camps approached from a number of different angles.
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Brendan BannonDossierSeveral texts by members and associates of the CRASH published between 1994 and 2014 are united in this collection. In 2017, a book joins these publications: Humanitarian aid, genocide and mass killings: Médecins Sans Frontières, the Rwandan experience (1982-1997).
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Isaac Buay/MSFAnalysisDeclaring an epidemic is a major political and social issue capable of raising the crucial questions that could challenge the authorities’ legitimacy: have they correctly assessed the severity of the situation? On what basis have they declared an epidemic? Are they communicating in a timely manner? The experience that Médecins Sans Frontières has built up over the decades fighting epidemics seems to show that tackling the political and media crises that can accompany a health disaster means that an attempt must be made to answer these questions or, at least, not sidestep them.
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PodcastBack from Gaza, Jean-Guy Vataux gives a rare and harrowing account of the daily lives of Palestinians and rescue teams facing the Israeli army's "apocalypse strategy." He notably describes the perverse workings of a food rationing system designed to create chaos. This system has caused the deaths of hundreds of young Palestinians employed by shopkeepers to collect or loot food aid, while Israeli snipers enjoy shooting them in the back. The interview concludes with a chilling question: how can we respond to the Palestinians' call to flee this hell at any cost?
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