Humanitarian aid ? An immense question which no response can define, an action as complex as humanity itself, a theater where all human interests meet, from the most selfish to the most altruistic: interest in others' welfare and their evolution, but also political and financial interests. Nevertheless, those in the Third World continue to die, of hunger and disease. We have certainly exported some spectacular techniques for survival. Life at all costs, or even at any cost, is this not the model of Western society? Yet this same society frequently fails to provide the means towards a decent quality of life for those whose existence it prolongs. In fact, what awaits the "happy beneficiaries" of "humanitarian aid"? Doubtless it is best to cite one of them, an old African sage: "If you want to kill the proudest of men, give him every day just what he needs to eat. With patience you will make of him a helpless serf. What is most shaming for a people is to wait for another people to feed and clothe them, to the point of forgetting the language of their ancestors, of free men, until they can no longer say, 'It's not our fault." Perhaps it is time to stop making beggars of these men, women and children. Perhaps the moment has come for a genuine sharing between rich and developing nations, so as to enrich each with the experience of the others while preserving freedom for all. A Chinese proverb, often cited but too often forgotten, reminds us: "Better far to teach a hungry man to fish than to give him a fish already caught." Shouldn't all humanitarian aid take inspiration from this proverb, offering straightforward training and inexpensive practices suited to the needs of disadvantaged people, thereby contributing to their self-reliance? For many years, training missions using Chinese acupuncture have been organized by Acupuncture Without Borders: in a Tibetan refugee camp in India; in Madagascar ; in Haiti, in collaboration with the association "Aid Haiti" (Aide Haïti, Rue Beau-Séjour 18, 1003 Lausanne, Switzerland) in Burkina-Faso, in collaboration with the association AGMA (Association genevoise des médecins acupuncteurs, 7, rue Hugo de Senger 1205 Genève Switzerland). In Mali In Mauritania . On these missions, licensed volunteer acupuncturists provide care but also and most importantly transmit their techniques, thereby training more self-reliant medical assistants, since acupuncture with its curative and preventive qualities permits significant savings in drugs and medical procedures. Moreover, this training contributes to a respect for human dignity by avoiding too strong a dependency on the wealthier nations. In this regard, the president of "Aid Haiti" wrote the following at the end of the first mission to Haiti in February of 1996, a mission in which ten Haitian nurse-nuns participated: "Very quickly, the Little Sisters of Saint Thérèse and I myself understood how privileged we were to learn the rudiments of this 'alternative' medicine, which permits us to care for and even heal many diseases without the misery of medicine costs, which in Haiti plagues the sick and many care-givers as well. Your students got started right away dispensing care. Their manner of presenting this new medical approach to the population depended upon their individual personalities, but was always convincing... "The Haitian peasants accepted acupuncture care with ease and confidence, a confidence which became complete after they saw the positive results it provided. They even seemed to understand the workings of the 'little needles' better than those of imported medicines. Most of the sisters were flooded with requests for care, and some of them deplored the lack of time that prevented them from responding immediately and affimatively to all the patients who wanted acupuncture treatment... "The expenses for pharmaceutical products dropped significantly in the dispensaries that participated in this program. This drop occurred most of all in medicines for hypertension, acid stomach and rheumatism, three illnesses widespread in Haiti... "All your students eagerly await your next mission. They all plan to be present, current events in Haiti permitting, so as to ensure the best possible outcome." The new missions took place in Haïti, in Burkina Faso, in Mali, in Mauritania, each as exhilarating as the first, completely confirming the hopes contained in this endeavor. One participant concluded the sessions with a telling comment: "This is aid for the littlest and the poorest, since the patients get better without medicine." The actions of Acupuncture Without Borders concern health first and foremost. However, its other interventions are also significant, such as those concerning agriculture and field irrigation. In this practical training which can be immediately put to use, humanitarian aims achieve their true fruition: providing self-reliance to disadvantaged peoples, bringing them a decent life, permitting all the world's men and women to remain free and, where this is not the case, helping them recover their identity and liberty. Help Haïti: Rue Beau-Séjour 18 - 1003 Lausanne - Suisse

Translation: Paul Arenson