Sophie Delaunay: Doctors Without Borders and the Necessity of Compromise October 30, 2012

5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing
PRICE: $20 standard, $8 members, $7 students (with valid ID)

The executive director of Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) USA will address the difficult decisions the organization makes to gain access to people in need during humanitarian emergencies. Wherever governments, armed groups or unsavory non-state actors have the power to obstruct aid, Doctors Without Borders must negotiate. Yet negotiations can lead to compromises that can threaten the very principles underpinning humanitarian action. This inherent tension is at the heart of ongoing debate over where to draw the line when navigating on-the-ground realities. Delaunay will provide a behind-the-scenes look at how Doctors Without Borders faces dilemmas in crisis zones such as Afghanistan, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sri Lanka, where MSF teams must constantly balance the imperatives of independence and neutrality with ensuring that people receive life-saving assistance. Delaunay’s talk will reveal the shades of gray in humanitarian work, an endeavor often portrayed as black-and-white. She will draw upon the recently published book, Humanitarian Negotiations Revealed: The MSF Experience, a transparent reflection on how MSF must deal with compromise in a turbulent, uncertain world.

Sophie Delaunay became Executive Director of MSF-USA in 2009. She previously served in administrative roles with MSF in Thailand, Rwanda, China, Korea, France and the United States. Delaunay holds a master's degree in International Business from Le Havre University in France and a master’s degree in Political Science from Yonsei University in Korea. She has contributed to multiple publications, including a book about North Korean asylum seekers.

Official Website: http://www.commonwealthclub.org/events/2012-10-30/sophie-delaunay-doctors-without-borders-and-necessity-compromise