150+ Canadians Day 118: James Orbinski

Image: The Silent Photographer on Wikimedia

Dr. James Orbinski, physician, writer, and humanitarian, contributes to peace with his on-going commitment to medical humanitarianism.

Dr. James Orbinski co-founded the Canadian chapter of Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in 1991. He was international president of MSF for three years and accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the organization in 1999.

He led medical missions in several war-torn countries including Rwanda, Zaire, Afghanistan, and Somalia.

He has founded and supported organizations addressing barriers to health in resource-limited communities, providing services to people with HIV/AIDS, promoting research into neglected diseases, and working on global health projects.

Dr. Orbinski published a book and was the focus of a film on the genocide in Rwanda; he said that the experience of being in the country during the genocide changed him from a researcher and scientist to a doctor focusing on humanitarian medicine.

Dr. Orbinski has been recognized for his humanitarian work in Canada and internationally.

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