MSF – a rare voice of humanity amidst rising brutality

At first blush it may seem that Israel's war of aggression against the Palestinians is paying off, considering that Israel is having a virtual 'free hand' to achieve its aims in the contested territories but there is considerable superficiality in this viewpoint. This is on account of the fact that with each passing day more and more civilians in the Gaza, for instance, are being brutalized by the aggressor and the effects of this process of brutalization could prove prohibitively costly for all concerned.

- BY LYNN OCKERSZ

A session in progress at the thought-provoking MSF conference. Third from left is Dr. Vinya Ariyaratne, President of the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement, Sri Lanka.

Brutalization has the effect of converting even the most politically neutral sections into militants and intractable rebels and this process could eventually do grave harm to any prospects of peace and reconciliation. Given the considerable complexity of the 'Middle East question' and other ongoing conflicts of its kind, a positive outcome that peace-inclined sections of the world community could work toward right now is the protection of the minds and hearts of civilian publics from the devastating ill-effects of these wasting conflicts, to the extent possible.

'MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES' (MSF) or 'Doctors Without Borders', as it is popularly known, has been aiming to achieve the above and allied peace-linked objectives over the years. Active in more than 70 countries, some of its primary aims are to 'provide medical assistance to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters or exclusion from healthcare.' Its actions are 'guided by medical ethics and the principles of impartiality, independence, neutrality and accountability.' More information on the organization is obtainable on www.msfsouthasia.org.

On September 19, to emphasize the role of communities in 'shaping humanitarian healthcare', MSF held its 2025 edition of 'Scientific Days Asia' in Colombo. This year's edition was themed, 'Co-Creating Health: Listening, Learning, Leading - Community Voices in Healthcare Innovation.' The international forum brought together researchers, activists and community leaders 'to confront systemic failures and demand accountability in global health' among other laudable aims.