An Imperfect Offering

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As Albert Camus noted, a doctor serves as a witness to humanity, speaking against the horrors of political inaction. In 1988, medical student James Orbinski embarked on a transformative research trip to Rwanda, investigating pediatric AIDS amidst widespread suffering, much of it preventable due to political corruption. This experience fueled his commitment to humanitarian work, leading him to help establish the Canadian chapter of Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders/MSF). His journeys took him to Peru during a cholera epidemic, Somalia amidst famine and civil war, and Jalalabad, Afghanistan. In April 1994, as genocide erupted in Rwanda, Orbinski chose to remain in Kigali as Chef de Mission for MSF, while others evacuated. He and his team tirelessly treated thousands of casualties during a brutal civil war that claimed 800,000 lives in just fourteen weeks. Confronted by unimaginable cruelty, Orbinski struggled with his role as a doctor and humanitarian but ultimately continued his work with MSF, becoming its president when it received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999. This deeply personal and political narrative explores the nature of humanitarian action today, emphasizing the imperative to recognize the dignity of those suffering and their right to agency. Orbinski shares harrowing experiences and the courage he witnessed, urging readers to acknowledge their responsibility to act. A poignant Rwandan saying encapsu