also, and rather more importantly, that of human rights. Many would like to bring
about a situation wherein large-scale mortality from preventable diseases, such as
malaria, would represent a violation of human rights. So what to make of the fact
that, for many of the world’s poorest people, their best chance of avoiding such a
fate may depend on the goodwill of the world’s richest man, Bill Gates? Like it or
not, Gates’ personal fortune, channelled through his philanthropic foundation,
seems quite likely to save more lives than the most well-intentioned volunteer-
based NGO ever could.^10 Are the philanthropic enablers of humanitarian action,
such as the so-called “venture philanthropists”, not, then, equally plausible starting
points for a study of how we express our humanity?^11 If not at the level of the Gates
and Carnegies of the world, then at the level of those who respond with donations
or direct debit mandates to the entreaties of “chuggers”, the so-called “charity
muggers” who patrol local high streets?
Nor, arguably, should we forget the scientists devoting their career to
developing a malaria vaccine.^12 If the on-the-ground aid worker’s technical
professionalism does not count against a plausible characterisation as
humanitarian, why should it in the backroom laboratories?
Or what of the political enablers of humanitarian action? Should Bernard
Kouchner, co-founder of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), be excluded from
10
See Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Available at
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Pages/home.aspx; accessed on 12 July 2010. For some
interesting background see Andy Beckett, "Inside the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation",
guardian.co.uk (13 July 2010). Available at
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jul/12/bill-and-melinda-gates-foundation;
accessed on 13 July 2010. 11
For an overview of current trends in philanthropy see Hudson Institute, The Index of
Global Philanthropy and Remittances 2010 (Washington, D.C.: Hudson Institute, 2010).
Available at
http://www.hudson.org/files/pdf_upload/Index_of_Global_Philanthropy_and_Remittances
_2010.pdf; accessed on 13 July 2010. 12
See Malaria Vaccine Initiative. Available at http://www.malariavaccine.org/; accessed on
12 July 2010.