MSF: Blog Invitation - Saving Lives or Saving the Environment?

Following the motion passed by the MSF-UK General Assembly in 2007, MSF organised a Discussion Evening last December on the issue of climate change and humanitarian action. Can we continue with humanitarian and development work without adding to environmental damage? What impact will environmental factors have on our work? Can we save both lives and the environment?

We have now launched a blog in order to continue the exchange of ideas and opinions on climate change and humanitarian action and the possible implications for MSF. The blog features two short articles: one by Andrew Pendleton, Senior Climate Analyst with Christian Aid and one of the speakers at the discussion evening, challenging MSF to act on climate change; and a reply by David Weatherill, Water, Hygiene and Sanitation Advisor with MSF Spain.

We encourage you to add your views on our website.

The Discussion evening mentioned above was attended by Clare Sayce and Laura Hudson, and a transcript is available from the MSF website. Some of the speakers were interesting, and the tapas as good as ever, but the debate perhaps still focussed at the level of a global debate on the causes and possible mitigations of climate change, rather than specific ramifications and actions for the humanitarian community and the people we seek to help. Perhaps this stems from the view held by agencies such as Christian Aid (who see climate change as an issue of global social justice) that neutral organisations such as MSF and the Red Cross Movement have yet to publicly take climate change seriously. Much of the debating time was devoted to whether or not MSF should engage in the politics of climate change. It will be interesting to see, in the coming months, how this discussion develops on the MSF blog.