David Morley,
Healing Our World: Inside Doctors Without Borders
Fitzhenry & White, 2007

Rating: E*

"Their mission is simple - to bring life saving care to the world’s neediest people."

David Morley kept journals while he traveled throughout the world during his time as the Canadian Executive Director of Doctors Without Borders which he has now turned into a book. He begins his story describing what Medecins Sans Frontiers, known in English as Doctors Without Borders, does and how it began in Biafra. The Doctors Without Borders charter specifies that it "offers assistance to populations in distress, to victims of natural or man-made disasters and to victims of armed conflict, without discrimination and irrespective of race, religion, creed or political affiliations." It is a united nations help centre without all the politics that come with it. David describes the guiding principles of independence, impartiality, neutrality, proximity and voluntarism that all members commit to when they sign on. He has chapters on volunteers in the field, on the fight against AIDS in Zambia, the civil war in the Congo, and covering the earthquake in El Salvador, as well as stories on various disasters throughout the world and in unrelated war zones.

There is a detailed index to help students using this book. It is easy to read and students will find it interesting. The publication is aimed at the juvenile student, but I feel that it would be good for the reluctant reader in high school. There are black and white photos throughout, and a world map identifying the countries with missions.

Thematic Links: Medical Assistance; International Co-operation; Social Studies; War Zones; Disaster Relief

Philip Mills
Vol. 12, number 4
April 2007

*Rating System:
E - Excellent, enduring, everyone should see it!
G - Good, even great at times, generally useful!
A - Average, all right, has its applications.
P - Problematic, puzzling, poorly presented.