Drawing on the activities of a wide range of secular and religious organisations and philanthropic foundations in the US and Europe, Davide Rodogno, Professor of International History and Politics at the Graduate Institute, provides in his new book Night on Earth: A History of International Humanitarianism in the Near East, 1918–1930 a broad-ranging account of international humanitarian programmes in Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans and the Near East from 1918 to 1930. International “relief” and “development” were intertwined long before the birth of the United Nations with humanitarians operating in a region devastated by war and famine and in which state sovereignty was deficient. Influenced by colonial motivations and ideologies, these humanitarians attempted to reshape entire communities and nations through reconstruction and rehabilitation programmes.

In the video presentation of his book below, Professor Rodogno starts by explaining how Jim Jarmusch's film Night on Earth helped him structure his research, which tells the tale of miscommunication between humanitarians and recipients.