In 2006, Dr. Amanda McCorkindale graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a Bachelor’s Degree in history and a minor in sociology. Now, she’s a senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute at the University of Manchester.

On Nov. 14, McCorkindale returned to UMass to deliver a series of humanitarian talks, where she explained she emphasized the importance of “looking at neutrality at a time where the world is upside down.”

Joye Bowman, a senior associate dean professor in the College of Humanities and Fine Arts at UMass Amherst and former professor of McCorkindale, attended the talk.

“It was especially special to realize that the classes on African history in part inspired Amanda to go to graduate school in humanitarian studies,” Bowman said. “I think that most faculty appreciate knowing that their passions can inspire students.”

In McCorkindale’s talk “You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train — Humanitarian Actors and the Challenges of Neutrality,” McCorkindale referenced writer Howard Zinn’s book “You Can’t be Neutral on a Moving Train” to discuss the ethical dilemmas of neutrality that humanitarian actors face.

Zinn was an American historian, author, professor, playwright and activist. Originally from Brooklyn, his experience in the Air Force during World War II “helped shape his opposition to war and his strong belief in the importance of knowing history,” according to his website.

In his book “You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train,” Zinn wrote, “I don’t believe it’s possible to be neutral. The world is already moving in certain directions. And to be neutral, to be passive, in a situation like that, is to collaborate with what is going on.”

McCorkindale recounted her experience meeting Zinn.

When she was a senior in high school and visiting Boston on college tours, she said she had a “pivotal” coffee chat with Zinn, who was teaching at Boston University. Following the chat, they stayed in touch, and Zinn wrote her letters of reference and sent her several unpublished papers.

She interviewed Zinn one month after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. The interview was one of the first he gave, McCorkindale said. Despite the events of 9/11, he was optimistic about creating change.

“Every individual has that potential to create change. It can be a small action, but if everybody takes the small action, it builds up,” McCorkindale said.

The seven humanitarian principles are at the core of McCorkindale’s teachings. Humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence are the guiding pillars for humanitarian actors, helping them navigate moments of hesitation.

“You’d like to think you can make a decision between a right over a wrong, but all too often you find yourself having to choose between a wrong and another wrong,” McCorkindale said. “And that sums up what most humanitarians have to do on a daily basis.”

“You aren’t choosing the right thing, McCorkindale added.” “You’re choosing the best of the worst things, and trying to reconcile that every day, trying to understand that when you go home, is incredibly challenging.”

According to McCorkindale, the remaining three principles — voluntary service, unity and universality — apply directly to the Red Cross’s mission.

“For the Red Cross, their principle, their drive is to remain neutral. That is at the pillar and the heart of what they do,” McCorkindale said. “There are times where they have been heavily criticized for their neutrality and for staying silent or not speaking out when they see certain things happening.”

McCorkindale explained that neutrality, while allowing the Red Cross to operate in more parts of the world, often presents difficult ethical challenges for individuals in the field. When witnessing an injustice, they are forced to ask themselves whether to report and discuss it or stay silent and remain neutral.

She encourages her students to reflect on these dilemmas.

“What I hope while I’m teaching my students is to give them that safe space to explore those questions,” said McCorkindale. “A lot of the time they’re going to be trying to make a choice between two wrong answers and there is no right or wrong in a lot of these situations.”

She asks her students to reflect on their beliefs to prepare them for future situations that will test their morals in the name of helping others.

For McCorkindale, shedding light on injustices is a core responsibility of a humanitarian. Her beliefs align with the French concept of témoignage, which means “witnessing”.

“Témoignage is simply the act of being willing to speak out about what we see happening in front of us. For us this means a willingness to speak on behalf of the people we assist, bringing abuses and intolerable situations to the public eye,” said McCorkindale. “It is not only about responding, but you have a duty of care to also speak about it, to raise awareness about it, to be the voice that other people have lost.”

She explained the ethical dilemmas faced by humanitarians are taxing.

“Any of the choices you make, when you’re lying down trying to go to sleep at night, they stay with you,” she said. “Understanding the impact of neutrality and understanding where you sit within that is important.”

Juliana Pinelli can be reached at [email protected]. Lily Powell can be reached at [email protected]