humanitarianism

thumb|250px|AmeriCorps volunteers, Louisiana, 2005

Humanitarianism is a set of beliefs, practices and principles centered on the value of human life, whereby humans practice benevolent treatment and provide assistance to other humans to reduce suffering and improve the conditions of humanity for moral, altruistic, and emotional reasons. Humanitarian ideals tend to be cosmopolitan, entailing compassion across national borders. In contrast to charity and philanthropy (which apply to both domestic and international projects), humanitarianism tends to involve helping populations affected by international emergencies, such as wars and disasters.