A Holiday Gift Idea

Healing Our World: Inside Doctors Without Borders
A new book by David Morley, former executive director of MSF Canada

Published by Fitzhenry & Whiteside

When children are caught in civil wars, when earthquakes destroy homes and villages, when AIDS and other diseases shatter families and communities, the volunteers of Doctors Without Borders are there. Their mission is simple—to bring life-saving care to the world's neediest people.

For seven years, David Morley served as executive director of the Canadian section of Médecins Sans Frontières, known in English as Doctors Without Borders. His work took him on missions in war-torn Congo and Sierra Leone, to earthquake-shattered villages in El Salvador, to refugee camps in Mozambique, to the homes of destitute AIDS patients in Zambia.

At the end of each day in the field, David cracked open his journal and wrote about how the mission's work was going, how the patients were doing, what the volunteers were seeing and feeling. At the heart of Healing Our World are excerpts from David's journals and the voices of volunteers who come from all over the world and every walk of life—but who all share a passion for helping people suffering from war, disaster, disease, and poverty.

"When I tell friends at home about my missions with Doctors Without Borders, they often say to me, 'It must be so depressing.' But it doesn't feel depressing. Working with Doctors Without Borders, I get a chance to make things better for people who are suffering and need medical care. Our volunteers don't have to sit by helplessly, wondering what on earth we can do. The gift of action is ours." —David Morley

About David Morley

For more than 25 years, David Morley has worked in humanitarian and community development projects around the world. In recognition of his contributions to international co-operations, David was awarded the Commemorative Medal for the 125th Anniversary of Confederation.

From 1998 to 2005, David served as executive director of Médecins Sans Frontières Canada and is currently president and chief executive officer of Save the Children Canada. David Morley lives in Toronto with his wife, Elizabeth, and their two sons.