Figure 1.-- Doctors without Borders goes into some of the most difficult areas of the world. They attempt to ognore politicsl and social issues to help some of the neediest people on earth. Often there is real dangers in these areas. The South Sudan is one of these areas. A very sad story of independence leading to tribal conflict.

Many humanitarian NGOs were founded in America and Britain. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF--Doctors without Borders)is the best known humanitarian effort founded in France. And it emerged not from a hmanitarian crisis in Africa and Asia, but the Parisian student upheavals (May 1968). A group of young French doctors decided that they would help victims of wars and major disasters no matter where they were. MSF founder, Bernard Kouchner, exolained, It's simple really: go where the psatients are. It seems obvious, but at the time it was a revolutiinary concept borders got in the way. It's no coincidence that we call it, 'Médecins Sans Frontières'. MSF explains, "After the revolt of May '68 burst onto their black and white TV screens, the French public soon saw other, more frightening images. For the first time, television broadcasted scenes of children dying from hunger in remote corners of the world. In southern Nigeria, the province of Biafra had seceded. This minuscule territory was surrounded by the Nigerian army and the Biafran people were decimated by famine. The French Red Cross issued an appeal for volunteers." The Red Cross does a great deal of good work, but it is not a medical organization. It has to recruit doctors for its many operations. And it was a group of young French doctors that answered the Biafra call. From that group MSF was born. One can not question the humnitsrian spirit that motivates the MSF. And they unquestionably do wonderful work. Ignoring political issues raises issues. Political and social issues cause most of terrible conditions that MSF attempts to address. Thus unless the political issues are addressed the terrible tragedies we see will go on forever. Of course natural disasters are different. But much of the work MSF does id not dealing with natural disasters, but the result of political and social issues. Like most of humanitarian NGOs, the finding comes primarily from the West.

Created: 5:51 AM 4/15/2018
Last updated: 5:51 AM 4/15/2018