Our Purpose

Humanitarian values are woven into the fabric of everyday life. They guide how we treat one another, how we thrive as communities and how we imagine a more just and caring world.

We are living through a time of profound global challenge. Division, disinformation, and destructive politics are eroding our shared humanity. The Humanitarian Society seeks to address fundamental societal challenges through humanitarian values-in-action: to see, hear, feel and value others with kindness and compassion. We are a group of purpose-driven individuals who believe that change begins with meaningful relationships. We strive to nurture the generous human spirit at the heart of every community. We believe that lasting transformation emerges through curious, creative discovery and collective awareness.

The Humanitarian Society fosters knowledge, action and belonging to further humanitarian values in society:

• Knowledge: critically reflective thinking to challenge assumptions, discover alternative perspectives and stimulate continuous learning and sense-making. 
• Action: cultivating practices rooted in care and integrity and carrying forward bold, new ideas and connections. 
• Belonging: an active community of people with shared interests and intentions.

We offer our time, energy and attention freely because we believe in the joy and responsibility of contributing to the positive renewal of global society. In these uncertain times, we begin with solidarity. 

We are a group of five people brought together by a shared belief in humanity, hope, and the transformative power of human connection.

Collectively, we have spent more than 100 years working across the humanitarian sector in a wide range of contexts, crises, organisations, and communities. While our experiences have shaped us, we are less interested in titles, status, or grand narratives than in the people, relationships, ideas and values that underpin humanitarian action.

We created The Humanitarian Society from a desire to enjoy space for deeper conversations and meaningful work. We believe that impactful change begins with listening, reflection, curiosity, and genuine connection. We hold professional coaching, mentoring and facilitation skills and love nurturing deeper conversations and human connections.

We are not seeking to build another institution or platform. Rather, we are creating a community, a watering hole, where humanitarians can come together to share, learn, reflect, and rediscover what connects us to one another and to the purpose of our work.

Charlotte Balfour-Poole, Dom Courage, Kate Hart, Thomas Lay and Gareth Owen