"Romance and Reality in Humanitarian Action"

(Stan Kimmitt Lecture on Public Service)

8:00 PM Friday, November 18, 2011
University Center Ballroom

Dr. Cahill has led humanitarian medical efforts throughout the world for nearly five decades, with stints in Somalia, Sudan, Nicaragua, Haiti, and many other countries. The author or editor of more than thirty books on tropical diseases, humanitarian assistance, diplomatic, and historical topics, he continues to express strong views on the provision of medical services internationally, the health care crisis in the United States, and the consequences for the general well-being of the peoples directly affected by America’s various wars.

"The Professionalization of Humanitarianism"

3:10 PM Friday, November 18, 2011
Gallagher Business Building 123

You are cordially invited to attend a seminar with Kevin M. Cahill. After graduating from Cornell University Medical College in 1961, he studied at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He was Professor and Chairman of the Department of International Health and Tropical Medicine at The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland from 1969 through 2005; the College then created a new Chair in International Humanitarian Affairs, which he currently holds. Early in his career, he worked in strife-ridden Somalia and Sudan. In 1972, the Nicaraguan government asked him to head up the emergency medical response to the massive earthquake that leveled Managua. He was on the ground eight hours after the disaster hit. His continued work in Nicaragua included outspoken opposition to the Contra war initiated and funded by the United States. He has led humanitarian medical efforts throughout the world for nearly five decades now. He continues to express strong views on the provision of medical services internationally, the health care crisis in the United States, and the consequences for the general well-being of the peoples directly affected by America’s various wars. In his lecture, “Romance and Reality in Humanitarian Action,” he will speak about his experiences on the front lines of the world’s crisis areas. This presentation will serve as UM’s annual Stan Kimmitt Lecture on Public Service.

On top of the work that Dr. Cahill does at Fordham University and the Center for International Humanitarian Cooperation, he is Clinical Professor of Tropical Medicine and Molecular Parasitology at New York University Medical School and Director of the Tropical Disease Center at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. His other current positions include Chief Adviser on Humanitarian and Public Health issues to the President of the United Nations General Assembly, Consultant to the United Nations Health Service and to numerous foreign governments, and Chief Medical Adviser for Counterterrorism in the New York Police Department. He also has a private medical practice. Evidently, he shares the gift of ubiquity with the Holy Ghost.

Dr. Cahill is the author or editor of more than 30 books on tropical diseases, humanitarian assistance, and diplomatic and historical topics. His Tropical Medicine: A Clinical Text (1990) is the standard work on the subject and carries the following endorsement from H. E. Nassir al Nasser, President, United Nations General Assembly, 66^th Session: “This is an essential book for those who seek to restore peace and stability in war-torn and disaster areas. It considers the critical interrelationships of medicine and statesmanship, and it is one of the reasons why I have asked the author to serve as my Chief Adviser on Humanitarian and Public Health issues.” Dr. Cahill has received dozens of honorary doctorates and diplomatic as well as scientific awards for his work in the tropics. He has delivered scientific papers and has lectured all over the world.