Mike Powell recently did an interview with Dr. James Orbinski (audio here), former president of MSF and author of "An Imperfect Offering," about his thoughts and experiences in humanitarian work.
I have always struggled to understand something that has seemed obvious to most people around me - the difference between what is "political" and what isn't. Sending potable water to an afflicted area might seem innocuous and apolitical, but if that area needs water because another set of powers had deliberately created the shortage, then sending water is a very political act - you are acting against those parties who feel they benefit from the shortage. To me, all charity is political, and all my politics are charitable.
Anyways, Dr. Orbinski doesn't solve the quandary for me, but what he says is nonetheless interesting.
As an aside, the photo on the book cover bothers me, but then its his book. The thing could just as well be a bleach commercial, though.
1 comment:
It certainly bothers me, too. As does his new documentary (although I haven't seen it yet, I just hate the title. I have yet to blog about it because I'm not sure its sensible to talk poorly about a documentary before you've seen it).
I couldn't listen to the audio but I wanted to. I apparently don't have the right "plug in" (???)
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