An Imperfect Offering by James Orbinski

O’Brien’s unification of fact and fiction is to illustrate the idea in which the real accuracy of a war story is less significant than storytelling. The subjective truth about what the war meant and what it did to change the soldiers is more meaningful than the technical details of the

Since the start of the Sierra Leonean war in March of 1991, innocent civilians have been the primary target of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF)’s wrath. The people of Sierra Leone have faced significant problems due to the invasions and attacks by the Rebel Forces and are the main population that is being affected by this group’s disapproval of the government. One person who experienced profound changes in her life due to the start of this war is Mariatu Kamara, a victim of a Rebel attack that cost her both her childhood and her hands. Throughout her memoir, “The Bite of the Mango,” she is faced with numerous traumatic events and meets an abundance of people who were very significant in her life and some of whom helped her survive the war. Kamara also gives the reader a variety of themes to use as a foundation to understanding war life, which also serve to help readers learn more about life, grow as people, and rise above to help others in need. Mariatu Kamara has not only changed the lives of people all throughout Sierra Leone by giving them a voice and an outlet to share their experiences, but has also proved to be an inspiration for countless amputees around the world.

In David Finkel’s The Good Soldiers, Finklel details different versions of the war in Iraq. Over the years, the image of war portrayed through literature has changed. Looking at non-fiction wartime novels of the past, the image of war was completely different. The novels of the past focused much more on the aftermath of war and the survivors of war, rather than the actual war it’s self like in today’s novels. When novels of the past did feature scenes of war, the details used to describe the scenes were not as vivid as they are today. I attribute this change to the change of style in which narrative pieces of non-fiction are written. After Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood was published in 1966, the landscape of the non-fiction narrative completely changed, thus the wartime books published after this also changed. In addition to that, the advancement in technology has also changed the way wartime novels are written. Today, society can go on YouTube and watch videos of the war. There is also more media present on the battlefield than there was in the past. Having access to actual footage of the ongoing war, the public knows what the war looks like. With that in mind, authors can portray the realities of war because they already know the public has some sense of what the battlefield already looks like.

“The only real nation is humanity” (Farmer 123). This quote represents a huge message that is received in, Tracy Kidder’s, Mountains Beyond Mountains. This book argues that universal healthcare is a right and not a privilege. Kidder’s book also shows the audience that every individual, no matter what the circumstances, is entitled to receive quality health care. In the book Kidder represents, Paul Farmer, a man who spends his entire life determined to improve the health care of impoverished areas around the world, namely Haiti, one of the poorest nations in the world. By doing this the audience learns of the horrible circumstances, and the lack of quality health care that nations like Haiti

Maybe the shock value that the media craves is lost in repetition, but in reality, there are always more developments to a story. Conflicts that will one day meet the front page of The New York Times may never again see widespread attention despite ongoing struggle. How are we to collaborate and prevent disasters, genocides, wars, etc. without consistently and constantly engaging the public? Radio silence is the last thing Americans need. However, even in the case of a well-reported humanitarian issue like the Syrian refugee crisis, the nations of the world—especially America—are divided. The moral imperative of global cooperation has fallen beneath the priorities of feuding political parties and their agendas. Meanwhile, civilian life is devalued, targeted by armed groups including both ISIS and the Free Syrian Army. Still, some Westerners are paranoid about refugees, fearing radicalism, though the vast majority of those in dire need are benign. And so, Wiesel's vision further deteriorates. But in optimistic contrast, dozens of countries have opened their borders to six million Syrians, giving hope to many displaced others. The spark of ethical response burns still, albeit softer. Millions more are in need, and unless the world turns their heads in tandem to address crisis, they will perish. The World Wars demonstrated that we can work together to end the

One could imagine it to be difficult to see God in a dark factory, but, many of the girl’s spirituality was not suppressed by the living and working environments of the mills. Lazerow discusses how despite the fact that some of the articles of the Offering were used as propaganda to represent the girls as “virtuous,” and how the mill owners strove to structure a “morally upright community of factory operatives;” these facts do not take away from many of the girl’s sentiments about religion. Earlier, when a young woman explained the plants surrounding the factory in which she worked, she continued by stating, “it is there we inhale the sweet perfume of the rose, the lily, and geranium; and, with them, send the sweet incense of sincere gratitude

After reading a portion of Markets of Sorrow, Labors of Faith by Vincanne Adams, it is difficult to wrap my head around the horrible effects of Hurricane Katrina. At the time of Katrina, I was about 8 years old. I remember seeing the news and hearing people talk about it, and I thought it was frightening. However, I do not think that it registered properly in my mind. Even as I got older, and there was still mention of it, I never fully understood what really happened until I read this book. It is very easy to throw something off to the side and think “Oh, it’s not that bad” because the media only shows people getting help and they tell us that conditions are improving. No one spoke of the tragedies and lasting effects written by Adams. In this essay, I would like to discuss the issues presented throughout chapters four and five surrounding the environment, the people, and the government in New Orleans.

Humanitarian action is what the world turns to in case there is a crisis in any part of the world. But as David Rieff suggests in his book, “A Bed for the Night: Humanitarianism in Crisis,” there is a crisis in the humanitarian world and space. He draws from first personal experience in places like Bosnia, Rwanda and Kosovo to tell how some of the challenges humanitarian organizations face; including their struggle to be neutral and apolitical.

In the essay, “How to Tell a True War Story,” Tim O’Brien tells several stories of war to illustrate to his readers the criteria for truth in storytelling. O’Brien offers his readers a guide to telling and determining war stories that are true, for the author, true does not necessarily mean actual or real. Instead, O’Brien tells us what a true war story is, but his requirements are not always clear precise—a true war story “never seems to end,” (O’Brien 273) “embarrasses you,” (270) “are contradictory,” (275) and have an “uncompromising allegiance to obscenity and evil” (270)—they are defined and given context by the author through the telling of his own accounts. The essayist Jon Krakauer offers up his own version of a war story, of sorts,

has a moral imperative with its position of superpower. Humanitarian action is designed not to resolve conflicts but to protect human dignity and save lives. By evaluating interventions from the perspective of the victims rather than the interveners, it carves a new path for redefining the legitimacy and legality of interventions made in the name of human rights and humanitarianism. In general, the purpose of humanitarian governance might be not only to save lives but also to save humanity and create a cosmopolitan world order. The intervention is good not only for the object but also for the subject- it helps reaffirm the individual’s sense of her own humanity. Information and transformation technologies make it impossible to use ignorance as an excuse, and the rise of more efficient and effective delivery systems means that it is possible to respond to emergencies when something can still be done. The action of intervention would maintain the reliability of the United States, the international community, and the rule of international

Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) is an excellent organization that provides doctors to people all over the world that cannot afford medical help. Our company was founded by Bernard Kouchner in May of 1968 after Paritian upheavals. The US Board of Directors is run by John Lawrence. http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/about-us/msf-leadership/us-board-directors Since then, our goal has been to provide a new concept of international aid and we have definitely worked to fulfill that goal. MSF has continually been trying to help families in Syria, as it has provided 128 families with non-food item kits like hygiene and winter supplies. As of December 15th, MSF has focused on main hospitals and has sent at least 23 cubic meters

The article of Ebola Doctor Shortage Eases as Volunteers Step Forward, by Donald G. Mcneil Jr., and the novel The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho both have an analogous theme for which I vigorously hold is, “Sacrifice And Selfless Go Hand And Hand They Both Relate To A Higher Power Which Is Love.” Mcneil’s article, Ebola Doctor Shortage Eases as Volunteers Step Forward, chiefly gives you an idea of what occurred in West Africa on September of 2014. West Africa needed more aid from people because many of the people there that were helping plus many other people got infected and many more were already dying from ebola. Then volunteers started to risk their life by going to Africa to offer help, like doctors from some agencies like Doctors Without Borders and The International Medical Corps. The International Medical Corps were paid a

Human rights violations occur all around the world on a daily basis. Despite the Universal declaration of human rights (UDHR) to safeguard the rights of all human beings, some states are still dragging their feet to implement the basic rights their citizens are entitled to. So, to advocate for people whose rights have been denied, many Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) have taken upon themselves to work and promote social and political change. These NGOs play an important part in improving communities, and advocating for citizen participation. In that sense, Doctors without borders, mostly known as Medecins sans Fontieres (MSF), has gained a lot of praise for its work for helping people in need, and acting as an instrument of reducing poverty worldwide.

Aid donors often want to ensure that the aid they provide reaches and supports the target population in countries affected by war (Chr Michelsen Institute, & Bergen 2). However, with civilians working as both strategic targets and “militarized” actors targets in the modern-day conflicts, the issue of humanitarian organizations providing relief services in war-torn areas has increasingly been politicized. Factions targeting the civilians in war torn regions see any aid to civilians as “opponents” supporting the enemy (THE ELLIOTT SCHOOL INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS AT GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY 3). The factions view the provision of assistance and resource to the civilians as materially supporting hence supporting one side involved in the conflict. This viewpoint goes against humanitarian relief organization’s “provide aid but take no side” credo. Worse, the politicization of relief or aid may cause those representing non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and agencies on the ground to be turned into strategic targets by opposing factions in the conflict. Hostile factions attack representatives of the agency, local and international Non-governmental organizations in the field with a view to obtaining goods and services and to prevent aid from reaching the targeted civilian population by that faction (THE ELLIOTT SCHOOL INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS AT GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY 3). Besides, destruction of aid infrastructure and robbery

The health disparities that I encountered during my stay in Vietnam had left me with feelings of hopelessness and despair. I cradled the lifeless body of a malnourished and emaciated infant. I struggled to hold in my tears from the sight of twins whose skin had become necrotic and peeled off. I embraced the hands of a woman who cried upon receiving the news that our clinic cannot treat her for oral cavity cancer. I listened to patients’ stories and experienced their vulnerability, but I wanted to do more than lift their spirits. I was frustrated that the extent of my help came only in the form of emotional support and through comforting words and gestures. I wanted to provide long-term solutions to their problems but felt powerless because I was merely a student volunteer.