Comments on: Paul Farmer appointed as UN Deputy Special Envoy to Haiti http://www.hhropenforum.org/2009/08/paul-farmer-appointed/ a blog by the Health and Human Rights community Thu, 04 Feb 2010 18:40:41 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.3 hourly 1 By: Sarah Bundick http://www.hhropenforum.org/2009/08/paul-farmer-appointed/comment-page-1/#comment-894 Sarah Bundick Wed, 19 Aug 2009 13:46:54 +0000 http://www.hhropenforum.org/?p=1093#comment-894 Dale, I think it’s important to note that Dr. Farmer’s appointment makes him <em>more</em> than a United States presence in Haiti; he will now represent the United Nations as well. In appointing him to this position, Bill Clinton acted as an official of the UN, not the US. With peacekeeping (such as that through MINUSTAH) having been the major UN presence in Haiti recently, it is nice to see the UN recognize the value of health system strengthening in general — and Farmer’s work in particular — in Haiti. While you’re not the only one to suggest that Farmer’s Deputy Special Envoy appointment is a “consolation prize” (Deirdre Shesgreen of the Infectious Diseases Center for Global Health Policy also did so on the Center’s <a href="http://sciencespeaks.wordpress.com/2009/08/12/farmer-to-be-un-deputy-special-envoy-to-haiti/" rel="nofollow">Science Speaks</a> blog), others involved or interested in global health and development have thought from the beginning that Farmer would better continue to serve the world’s poor outside of the US government (see, for example, Alanna Shaikh’s <a href="http://globalhealth.change.org/blog/view/an_open_letter_to_paul_farmer" rel="nofollow">open letter</a> on the Change.org Global Health blog). Ultimately, we’ll need to trust the judgment of Dr. Farmer in accepting this position. -Sarah Bundick, OpenForum blogger Dale, I think it’s important to note that Dr. Farmer’s appointment makes him more than a United States presence in Haiti; he will now represent the United Nations as well. In appointing him to this position, Bill Clinton acted as an official of the UN, not the US. With peacekeeping (such as that through MINUSTAH) having been the major UN presence in Haiti recently, it is nice to see the UN recognize the value of health system strengthening in general — and Farmer’s work in particular — in Haiti.

While you’re not the only one to suggest that Farmer’s Deputy Special Envoy appointment is a “consolation prize” (Deirdre Shesgreen of the Infectious Diseases Center for Global Health Policy also did so on the Center’s Science Speaks blog), others involved or interested in global health and development have thought from the beginning that Farmer would better continue to serve the world’s poor outside of the US government (see, for example, Alanna Shaikh’s open letter on the Change.org Global Health blog). Ultimately, we’ll need to trust the judgment of Dr. Farmer in accepting this position.

-Sarah Bundick, OpenForum blogger

]]> By: Laurien http://www.hhropenforum.org/2009/08/paul-farmer-appointed/comment-page-1/#comment-852 Laurien Fri, 14 Aug 2009 07:29:59 +0000 http://www.hhropenforum.org/?p=1093#comment-852 I wish we have many People like Paul Farmer, Josh Ruxin and such, people who are willing to go far and beyond. I am from Africa, where the distance between rich and poor is growing more and we need to act quickly. I wish we have many People like Paul Farmer, Josh Ruxin and such, people who are willing to go far and beyond.
I am from Africa, where the distance between rich and poor is growing more and we need to act quickly.

]]> By: Dale Copps http://www.hhropenforum.org/2009/08/paul-farmer-appointed/comment-page-1/#comment-839 Dale Copps Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:33:37 +0000 http://www.hhropenforum.org/?p=1093#comment-839 Coming on the heels of the collapse in the negotiations for Dr. Farmer to head USAID, this seems like a consolation prize of sorts. Dr. Farmer IS the U.S. presence in Haiti, as far as many of us are concerned, and to characterize him as "deputy" anything is to trivialize his importance there, especially when he is deputized to an official of a government which has failed so miserably to be of any use to this hapless nation. Coming on the heels of the collapse in the negotiations for Dr. Farmer to head USAID, this seems like a consolation prize of sorts. Dr. Farmer IS the U.S. presence in Haiti, as far as many of us are concerned, and to characterize him as “deputy” anything is to trivialize his importance there, especially when he is deputized to an official of a government which has failed so miserably to be of any use to this hapless nation.

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