Bernard Kouchner, Somalia

Kouchner

Bernard Kouchner is one of these people. Born on November 1, 1939 in Avignon, France, he has grown up to be one of France’s most beloved, and not so beloved, humanitarians.

As a Gastroenterologist in Paris, he has written nine books, and has revolutionized humanitarianism throughout the world. In 1968, he ran to Biafra near Nigeria to assist a country in famine, saying, “I ran to Biafra because I was too young for Guernica, Auschwitz, Oradour and Setif."(Time Magazine). In 1970, he co-founded the Medecins sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders), which was awarded the 1999 Nobel Peace Prize, and then Medecins du Monde (Medicines of the World) the next decade. During the remaining 1980s, he organized several operations, including "A boat for Vietnam", in which the hospital ship "l'Ile de Lumière" was sent to Bidong Island in Malaysia and the Anambas Islands in Indonesia to assist the boat people; a boat for Lebanon, a plane for the refugees from El Salvador; and the International Committee against piracy. Perhaps most famous of the operations he led in this time period was Operation Restore Hope in Somalia, where he even assisted in carrying bags of rice to the people, supposedly the same bag without emptying it three times, turning a charity event into a media event as well, which was bad politics to his critics.

He also ran through the political arena as well, as a member of the Socialist Party. He was the Minister of State under various other officials from 1988 to 1991, becoming the Minister of Health the following year. From there, he continued, becoming a member of the European Parliament and President of the Committee on Development and Cooperation in 1994 (and still is), founded the social charity "Réunir, le dialogue en action" (Make fun, dialogue in action) in 1995 and became the Deputy Chairman of Radical that December (and still is). Finally, in July of 1999, he became the Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations and Head of the UN Mission in Kosovo. His actions there were very different from the normal; in fact, Kouchner chose expediency over bureaucratic niceties and occasionally ruffled feathers. In one colorful moment, Kouchner savaged a visiting UN human rights envoy by telling him to "shut up." The envoy called the province a haven for organized crime in his description upon returning. Kouchner dismissed the description as unfair and shameful, and continued into January 2001. The following month, he became the Minister Delegate at the Ministry for Employment and Solidarity with responsibility for Health in France, which he held for the next year.

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It is not just at meetings where he receives negative opinions. In general, other politicians seem to see him as a media manipulating, controversial-idea spewing man. Indeed, they point out he is even married to a French media superstar named Christine Okrent. To Kouchner, it is all jealousy. "Jealousy prompts criticism of my success with the media. Others simply do not successfully put across their ideas.” (International Herald Tribune). While his critics hate him, Kouchner is quick to point out his high popularity in the polls. “People approve when I say politics is not about lying. People realize that you cannot lower taxes and spend more." (International Herald Tribune). It is true; around the world, people hail Kouchner as the inventor of Humanitarian Intervention. As to his future, he refuses to give the slightest hint, and claims he has no game plan.

Kouchner was never a humble man; in fact, it is easy to accuse him of being ambitious. When others would not have gone to places, he did, and spoke whatever he wanted about it. He forgot the pleasantries, forgot pleasing everyone, and stuck to his morals, to the point that his own party fights with him. He is in almost no sense a perfect man. However, despite all this, he has saved countless lives, become a very popular (if radical) figure in France, gotten married and had four children, and created what has now become common sense: the fact that when people are in trouble, it is our duty to help them out no matter what. "My political stand is to put forward the national interest of all," Kouchner once said. "I do not have career anxiety.” Nelson Mandela once whispered to him, “Thanks for intervening in matters that don't concern you." And in the words of Time Magazine, “This humanitarian breaks taboos and reveals matters that render us sleepless. Faced with globalized inhumanity burning the 21st century, he is introducing a new humanism without geographical or political borders. He does it not to open the gates of paradise, but to bolt the gates of hell.” And that... is what makes him a hero.