Dilemmas, Challenges, and Ethics of Humanitarian Action: Reflections on Médecins Sans Frontières' Perception Project

147 Pages·2012·1.945 MB·English

by  Abu-Sada, Caroline

dilemmas, challenges,
and ethics of humanitarian action
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Dilemmas, Challenges,
and Ethics of Humanitarian Action
Reflections on Médecins
Sans Frontières’ Perception Project
Edited by
caroline abu-sada
Published for Médecins Sans Frontières
by
McGill-Queen’s University Press
Montreal & Kingston • London • Ithaca
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©
isbn 978-0-7735-8789-2 (EPDF)
Bibliothèque nationale du Québec
% post-consumer recycled), processed chlorine free
McGill-Queen’s University Press acknowledges the support of the Canada
Council for the Arts for our publishing program. We also acknowledge
Book Fund for our publishing activities.
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Dilemmas, challenges, and ethics of humanitarian action:
edited by Caroline Abu-Sada.
Based on papers presented at the MSF Perceptions Conference

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Borders (Association) – Public opinion.
Political aspects.
aspects.
medicine – Moral and ethical aspects.
II. Médecins sans frontières (Association)
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Contents
Acronyms vii
Introduction 3
Caroline Abu-Sada
part 1: perception of msf as an organization
1 Reversing the Optics: MSF’s Perception Project 11
Caroline Abu-Sada and Khurshida Mambetova
2 At the Limits of Perception: Humanitarian Principles
in Action 29
François Cooren and Frédérik Matte
3 The Nigerian Lead-poisoning Epidemic: The Role
of Neoliberal Globalization and the Challenges
for Humanitarian Ethics 48
John D. Pringle and Donald C. Cole
part 2: perception of the challenges faced
by humanitarian actors
4 Western Clinical Health Ethics: How Well Do They Travel
to Humanitarian Contexts? 73
Lisa Schwartz, Matthew Hunt, Chris Sinding, Laurie Elit,
Lynda Redwood-Campbell, Naomi Adelson, Sonya De Laat,
and Jennifer Ranford
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vi Contents
5 Programming, Footprints, and Relationships:
The Link between Perceptions and Humanitarian Security 89
Larissa Fast
6 Professionalizing Humanitarian Action 104
Kirsten Johnson
Conclusion: The Shape of Things to Come – An Essay on
Humanitarian Challenges 116
Peter Walker
MSF Charter 123
Contributors 125
Index 135
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Acronyms
acep American College of Emergency Physicians
alnap Active Learning Network for Accountability
and Performance in Humanitarian Action
ama American Medical Association
bce Before the Common Era
cbha Consortium of British Humanitarian Agencies
cdc Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
ce Common Era
cihr Canadian Institutes of Health Research
clansm Collaborative Learning Approach to ngo
Security Management
ecb Emergency Capacity Building Project
elrha Enhancing Learning and Research for
Humanitarian Assistance
ed Emergency Department
em Emergency Medicine
gdp gross domestic product
hap-i Humanitarian Accountability Partnership
International
help Humanitarian and Emergency Logistics
Professionals
hiv/aids Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired
Immunodeficiency Syndrome
hpn Humanitarian Practice Network
iasc Inter-Agency Standing Committee
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viii Acronyms
icrc International Committee of the Red Cross
idp Internally Displaced People
imf International Monetary Fund
inee Inter-Agency Network for Education in
Emergencies
ingo International Non-Governmental Organization
legs Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standard
minurcat United Nations Mission in the Central African
Republic and Chad
MoH Ministry of Health
msf Médecins Sans Frontières
msf-ch Swiss section of Médecins Sans Frontières
noha Network of Humanitarian Assistance
ngo Non-Governmental Organization
odi Overseas Development Institute
opec Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
phap Professionals in Humanitarian Assistance and
Protection
sud Coordination Solidarité, Urgence,
Développement
tb tuberculosis
un United Nations
unesco United Nations Education, Scientific and
Cultural Organization
unfpa United Nations Population Fund
uk United Kingdom
urd Groupe Urgence, Réhabilitation, Développement
us United States
vdf Village des Femmes
wb World Bank
who World Health Organization
wto World Trade Organization
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dilemmas, challenges,
and ethics of humanitarian action
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