Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international medical humanitarian organization created by doctors and journalists in France in 1971.
Today, MSF provides independent, impartial assistance in more than 60 countries to people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe, primarily due to armed conflict, epidemics, malnutrition, exclusion from health care, or natural disasters. MSF provides independent, impartial assistance to those most in need. MSF also reserves the right to speak out to bring attention to neglected crises, challenge inadequacies or abuse of the aid system, and to advocate for improved medical treatments and protocols.
In 1999, MSF received the Nobel Peace Prize.
MSF's work is based on the humanitarian principles of medical ethics and impartiality. The organization is committed to bringing quality medical care to people in crisis regardless of their race, religion, or political affiliation.
MSF operates independently of any political, military, or religious agendas. Medical teams conduct evaluations on the ground to determine a population's medical needs before opening programs, aiming to fill gaps that exist (rather than replicating services that are already offered) or reach communities that are not being assisted. The key to MSF’s ability to act independently in response to a crisis is its independent funding. Ninety percent of MSF's overall funding (and 100 percent of MSF-USA's funding) comes from private, non-govermental sources. In 2009, MSF had 3.8 million individual donors and private funders worldwide.
As an organization, MSF is neutral. It does not take sides in armed conflicts, provides care on the basis of need alone, and pushes for increased independent access to victims of conflict as required under international humanitarian law.
MSF's principles of action are described in the organization's 1971 founding charter, which established a framework for its activities.
We first learned of Doctors Without Borders following the Haitian earthquake. While other humanitarian organizations were slow to react, Doctors Without Borders was already on the ground and providing immediate relief to the injured. Living on artists' income, we have limited funds for donation and so choose our causes carefully. After researching Doctors Without Borders, we knew that our donated dollars would be spent wisely to relieve suffering.
Hardluck Studios' artist, Dubh, creates watercolor paintings to raise awareness of human suffering and oppression. Wanting these images to be used to help others in some small way, we have decided to donate 50% of sales from his original paintings to Doctors Without Borders.
Please visit our website to view available paintings, and then contact us to hold the painting you wish to purchase while you make your donation. And please, if you don't wish to purchase a painting at this time, consider donating what you can to Doctors Without Borders because they make the world a better place everyday for so many people.
Thank you for visiting my Personal Fundraising Page. Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to make a contribution to our fundraising efforts. Many thanks for your support-- and don't forget to forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too!
Susie Halfhill and Dubh
Hardluck Studios