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Doctors Without Borders wins Nobel
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10-25-99 Oslo, Norway. Doctors Without Borders, the international medical relief organization, was awarded the 1999 Nobel Peace Prize earlier this month for "pioneering humanitarian work on several continents." In announcing the decision, the Nobel committee cited the organization's rapid intervention in countries affected by war and natural disasters. "Doctors Without Borders calls public attention to humanitarian catastrophes, and by pointing to the causes of such catastrophes, the organization helps to form bodies of public opinion opposed to violations and abuses of power," the committee wrote. Doctors Without Borders also received a cash award of $960,000, which West Coast Director Lovisa Stannow said the organization would use for medical field projects. "Obviously, the cash prize will help us do more work," Stannow said. "But the actual award is much bigger than the financial part of it. One big thing this award provides is a stronger voice. It increases our ability to speak out about international medical issues, and it will strengthen our voice to speak out against human rights violations." Many Doctors Without Borders volunteers have been honored in their communities, including Kathy LeFevre, FNP, who was presented with a certificate by San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown Oct. 20. LeFevre has volunteered in Cambodia, Bangladesh, Uganda, and South Sudan. "[The Nobel Peace Prize] says something about the group and how well it's respected," LeFevre said. "It will increase awareness of what the organization does and where it goes. We go where a lot of people don't go and where a lot of people don't write about. It's an honor for myself and the local staff that we work with." Founded in 1971 by a group of French physicians, Doctors Without Borders (also know by its French name, Medecins Sans Frontieres) quickly evolved into a well-respected international aid organization with a dual mandate to offer medical care in the world's neediest areas and to speak out against human rights violations.
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