I finished Hope In Hell by Dan Bortolotti, which is about Doctors Without Borders. I've always really admired this group although I didn't know much about them. This book explained their history and the part they've played in caring for victims of wars/genocides in the past as well as more routine efforts like nutrition supplementation in poor countries.
Something I hadn't thought about at all with this type of aid organization is the role of "advocacy". Apparently shortly after the group first started there was a split between the people who thought that they should report to the world the political situations they observed, and those that thought they should just go and take care of their patients. At first it seems obvious that they should report details of genocide if no one knows what's going on, but the other side of the issue is that once an organization gets a reputation for speaking out no other country will let them in to care for the people who have no help at all.
I also didn't realize how much danger the volunteers are in when they're doing their job, several have died in action.
Diane
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