Full Description
This collective work offers a critical analysis of contemporary humanitarian action, through the prism of Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders (MSF).
Initially created to provide healthcare to the most vulnerable populations in crisis-stricken countries, MSF has grown from just a few dozen members in 1971 to a movement of over 67,000 people with an annual budget of over 2 billion euros. But in today's rapidly evolving global landscape, many of the founding principles and myths surrounding its creation are questioned or undermined. The post-Covid era has been marked by a reinforcement or acceleration of pre-existing trends that continue to challenge the work of humanitarian organisations: restrictive or indeed hostile State policies, the presence of non-State actors in counter-terrorism contexts, questionable adherence to international humanitarian law... MSF must also address several key issues, such as combating discrimination, defining its position with regards to protest movements in countries of intervention, confronting challenges related to climate change and global health security, and safeguarding patients' personal data.
Drawing on the viewpoints of practitioners, analysts, and academics, this book will be an essential read for anyone engaged in or curious about humanitarian action.
Contents
Introduction: Humanitarianism in Retreat? PART I - ELEMENTS OF CHANGE AND CONTINUITY Chapter 1: 'Good' and 'Bad' Victims? A Matter of Choice Zoom In: Healthcare Without Borders - Navigating Securitisation and Exclusion of Migrants Chapter 2: The Evolution of How MSF Treats People Chapter 3: Hostility to Aid Actors: Normalising Transgression? Zoom In: Security Management with Locally Hired Staff: A Collaboration with Gaps? PART II - NAVIGATING EXPECTATIONS Chapter 4: From Technique to Technicity: Evolving Aims in MSF's Medical Practice Chapter 5: Global Health Security in Humanitarian Medicine - What is the Greater Good? Zoom In: The IFRC's Community-Driven Approach in DRC's Ebola Outbreak Chapter 6: Caught in the Crossfire? International NGOs and Contemporary Forms of Protest and Resistance Zoom In: Protecting Humanitarian Action in an Age of Disinformation Chapter 7: Speaking Out With, Not For: Rethinking Humanitarian Narratives PART III - CHALLENGING ADAPTATIONS Chapter 8: Liberal vs. Critical: Diverging Paths in Humanitarian Aid and Global Health Zoom In: Reflecting On Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in MSF Chapter 9: Absorbed Into the War Machine: What Is Independence When Everything Is Connected? Chapter 10: Without Borders, Within Boundaries: Learning How to Deliver Aid in Light of The Climate Emergency Epilogue: Negotiating Spaces, Defending Convictions
