tazzygirl
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quote:
So what do you make of the explicitly Christian language in Mercy Ships' own self-description? Is it just window dressing? Given that Mercy Ships clearly roots itself in a religious tradition, why do you describe it as "secular"?
I describe it as humanitarian. I do not describe is as religious.
Mercy Ships is a faith-based humanitarian organisation dedicated to bringing "hope and healing to the world's forgotten poor", according to its vision statement.
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In terms of discrimination, Mercy Ships' volunteer FAQ says, "Although the vast majority of our staff and volunteers are followers of Jesus, we will consider all applicants. At the discretion of the Managing Director, non-Christian volunteers may be accepted short-term, based on their skills and our needs." I wonder why they only accept non-Christians on a short-term basis.
You would have to ask them. Might have something to do with the fact they are parked for the better part of a year off the coast of a third world country.
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Not long ago, weren't some hospitals arguing that their religious affiliation should exempt them from the HHS mandate to fund contraceptives in employee health care?
And? I was quite vocal that they were wrong and should follow the rules as any other employer.
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It's funny: That whole debate got me to thinking about my own hospital experiences. As an adult, I've been hospitalized four times. One stay was at a Catholic hospital. There honestly seemed to be a qualitative difference, in a good way, to the care. Not least was the way that chaplains (whom I never encountered in the other three stays) reached out in a warm and (to me) welcoming way.
I had chaplains and preachers in almost every hospital I worked in willing and eager to do the same.... and they were all "secular" hospitals.
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That's a quibble. The discussion evolved, as threads do, and DK made the interesting point that public facilities (i.e., the school) were being raised to support a sectarian charity (i.e., Mercy Ships). You observed, "The cause was secular." I'm having trouble squaring that with Mercy Ships' own presentation of its identity.
What is religious about the following?
Mercy Ships is a faith-based humanitarian organisation dedicated to bringing "hope and healing to the world's forgotten poor", according to its vision statement. (1) It runs programmes to promote health and well-being by serving the urgent surgical needs of the poor in West Africa's most impoverished nations and empowering developing communities. Founded in 1978, Mercy Ships has provided services in developing nations valued at more than $NZ 1.1 billion, and affecting around 2.9 million people. (1)
Africa Mercy is a 16,000-ton hospital ship, seven stories high, with 70 beds--65 beds in three wards, three intensive care unit beds and two isolation beds. The hospital has a staff of 191 volunteers, including nurses, surgeons, laboratory, pharmacy, radiology and rehabilitation staff, supply assistants and administrators.
At any one time, 80 nurses and a team of six to eight surgeons are on board providing treatment and surgery. Six surgical specialties are undertaken--general, plastics, paediatric orthopaedics, maxillofacial/otolaryngology, opthalmic and uro-gynaecological.
Since its establishment by Americans Don and Deyon Stephens, Mercy Ships has:
* Performed more than 56,000 life-changing operations such as cleft lip and palate repair, cataract removal, straightening of crossed eyes, orthopaedic and facial reconstruction.
* Treated more than 520,000 patients in village medical and dental clinics.
* Treated more than 95,800 dental patients, with more than 228,100 dental procedures performed.
* Educated about 29,000 local health care workers who have, in turn, trained multiple thousands in primary health care.
* Trained local medical professionals in modern health care techniques.
* Completed more than 1095 community development projects, focusing on water and sanitation, education, infrastructure development and agriculture.
* Completed more than 563 port visits in 53 developing and 17 developed nations. (1)
Communications manager for Mercy Ships New Zealand Sharon Walls explains that once the organisation has decided on what country it will work in, preliminary work is done with the relevant government a year or more ahead of time. Once a protocol has been signed, a Mercy Ships team begins advance work on location with the local Ministry of Health and other stakeholders. Part of the team's rote is to work with the local harbourmaster and sort out the details for the Africa Mercy to be in that port for the entire 10 months of the field service. This is most often in the country's largest port because of the size of the ship, its fresh water requirements, availability to a large percentage of the population, and for accessibility of transport for patients and their families.
"Very disabled and disfigured people travel long distances to get to the ship for surgery. We often work with Red Cross and Medicins Sans Frontieres to have patients flown in from remote locations. It is not unusual for a patient to be carried many miles by a family member because they can't afford transport and can't walk themselves. Some people walk for days to get to a screening," Walls said.
Before the ship arrives in port, a medical team is involved in screening and selecting appropriate patients and then scheduling them for surgery. These assessments take place in remote, inland locations. Once the ship arrives, a three-day screening takes place, with thousands of people being seen. For the 10 months the ship is in port, both remote and dockside screenings, particularly for opthalmic and dental patients, continues. Sierra Leone has one dentist per million people. Agricultural programmes, HIV/ AIDS education, and other health-care related courses are also provided.
Reference
(1) Mercy Ships (2010) Annual Report 2010, http://mercyships. org.nz/assets/files/2010%20Annual%20Report.pdf. Retrieved 21/11/11.
http://www.biomedsearch.com/article/Mercy-Ships-faith-based-humanitarian/276720726.html
I could see it if the patients were required to convert for these procedures. Or if the staff were forced to convert for a paid position. Or if clergy were required to pray over the patients before each operation.
But I have no evidence of any of that. Do you?
What they are doing is secular.
< Message edited by tazzygirl -- 12/10/2012 6:20:04 PM >
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