James Orbinski

In the midst of a natural disaster, a major virus outbreak, or armed conflict, medical care and finances for such services aren't always readily available. Fortunately, Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières) has been working to actively provide, train, and establish medical care in over 70 countries, many of them developing countries facing epidemics. Dr. James Orbinski is one of those doctors. He has traveled to the war-torn, genocide-riven, and disease-ravaged areas of the world. In 1999 he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the humanitarian group. An impassioned orator, Orbinski has been outspoken against humanitarian efforts laced with political agenda, as well as for finding the means to increase treatment availability for areas of the world where HIV/AIDS is growing exponentially. He believes that much like justice, volunteerism and compassion should strive to be blind, and no one should be denied the means to health. This afternoon Orbinski discusses citizen movements that strive to provide sufficient healthcare.
Wed., Feb. 6, 4 p.m., 2008