1997 – Rony Brauman

Rony Brauman
Rony Brauman

Of French nationality, Dr Rony Brauman was born June 19, 1950 in Jerusalem (Israel). From 1960 to 1975, he studied at the secondary school of Lakanal de Sceaux. Later he received his doctorate in tropical medicine, public health, and epidemiology from the medical faculty of Cochin-Port-Royal de Paris.

Between 1975 and 1978, he held a position as ship doctor aboard a cable vessel which worked to lay underwater telephone cables along the western coast of Africa. He then worked as a field doctor in both Benin and Djibouti.

From 1978 to 1982, as a doctor and coordinator with Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières, he accomplished numerous field missions, most notably in situations of armed conflict and in refugee camps. He implemented medical assistance and surgical programs in Asia, Africa, and Central America.

From 1982 to 1994, as president of with Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières, he directed the general operations of the movement so effectively that organization was able to multiply its activity and its budget tenfold in only 12 years.

From 1984 to 1988, he co-founded and directed Freedom Without Borders / Liberté sans Frontières. As head of the organization he worked on issues concerning under-development and helped bring to light many of the connections between autonomy and civil society, the democratisation movement, and economic development.

From 1994 to 1997, Brauman taught at the l’Institut d’études politiques in Paris and worked as research director at the Doctors Without Borders Foundation. He has published numerous works, most notably Devant le mal. Rwanda, un génocide en direct (1994), L’action humanitaire (1995), Humanitaire : le dilemme (1996), Les médias et l’humanitaire (1996). He is a member of the National Consultative Commission of Human Rights.

Mr. Brauman received the Prix Henry Dunant in 1997, marking the dedication with which, like Henry Dunant, he was able to overcome numerous obstacles and establish Doctors Without Borders and Freedom Without Borders to work for the cause of human dignity.