Harold Robles

Dr. Harold Robles, known for his international humanitarian work, became a devotee of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dr. Albert Schweitzer at the age of eight. He learned of the great humanitarian from a favorite schoolteacher and was moved by Dr. Schweitzer’s philosophy of Reverence for Life.

The philosophy and teachings of Albert Schweitzer kept on following the young Robles throughout his entire education and eventually his career.

In 1973, Robles founded the Albert Schweitzer Center in the Netherlands; an international clearinghouse in the Netherlands for students and scholars seeking publications and archival information concerning Dr. Schweitzer’s philosophy and ethics.

Two years later, he was appointed Secretary General of the International Schweitzer Organization (ASIL), an organization founded by Dr. Schweitzer in the 1930’s in Strasbourg, France.

In 1981, Robles immigrated to the United States where he founded together with Rhena Schweitzer Miller, the daughter of Dr. Schweitzer, the Albert Schweitzer Institute for the Humanities (ASIH); an organization dedicated to alleviating suffering from mental illness, poverty and family turmoil, as well as war and physical health. Over the years, the Institute has organized international events under the dynamic leadership of Dr. Robles while advocating for human rights, the environment, world peace and public health. His position has evolved from founding the Institute more than twenty five years ago to creating what it has become today. In 1998, at the age of fifty, he retired from the Institute and was given the title President Emeritus.

Dr. Robles’ extensive work in international public health and healthcare policy development include:

•Working with the UN Sanctions Committee to provide medicine, medical equipment, clothing, school supplies and toys to the war-torn Balkans. This was accomplished through a collaborative effort between the ASIH, the Open Society Institute and Nubenco Enterprises.

•Created the now well-known “Schweitzer Seminars”; health educational programs that combine today’s medical talents and resources in a mission to aid countries unable to meet the medical needs of their people.

•Establishment of eight mother and child care clinics in Albania providing preventative healthcare and monitoring of children’s growth both pre-and post-natal. Local Albanians were trained to “staff” these centers, while motivating local government to fund the programs.

•Securing US-based psychiatric and pediatric services in order to establish the first child development center in Tirana, Albania to evaluate children with early learning problems and to train local specialists in the latest techniques for overcoming these problems.

•Conducting an International Commission on the Status of Women in the Balkans with leading international experts in the field of human rights, including many eyewitnesses. These three discussions moderated by Kenneth Blackwell, Ambassador of the United Nations for Human Rights, were held at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. The proceedings of this event were sent to all heads of state and international organizations around the world with the support of the Clinton Administration. Expert testimony caused this unprecedented event to be a stimulus to establish the War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague.

•Securing the evacuation of seriously injured children from Bosnia for critical life-saving surgical procedures. These children suffered primarily from life-threatening heart problems and leukemia. These extraordinary efforts led to the establishment of the “Mosaic to Mosaic”, the New York-Sarajevo project by former New York Mayor David Dinkins. This was a program intended to provide aid and support from the world’s most ethnically diverse city to a region divided by ethnic strife. For their work, Dr. Robles and ASIH goodwill ambassador Bianca Jagger were awarded the Tiffany Apple of New York.

•Securing the lives of many orphans in Tbilisi, Georgia with the support of Nobel Peace Laureate Betty Williams after hearing stories that there were unbearable conditions for children in one of the many orphanages. During a “surprise visit” they found that the physical conditions of the building and the abhorrent care of the children were so intolerable that they requested a meeting with former President Edward Shevardnadze to describe the situation. Within three weeks the orphanage was closed and the children were moved to agreeable and safe quarters.

•Creation of the International Trust for Children’s Health Care at request of former President Mikhail Gorbachev; Dr. Robles served as its first Chairman. The Trust began its mission by working to alleviate the suffering of children with Leukemia, many whom were victims of Chernobyl.

•Creation of the Belgrade Dental Program, which provided dental care for 150,000 refugee children in Belgrade during the Balkan War, in collaboration with Soros Foundation.

•Planning, procurement and delivery of medical equipment, pharmaceuticals and medical supplies in humanitarian relief to over twenty developing and transitional countries in cooperation with Nubenco Enterprises and the Soros Foundation.

•Joined Nobel Peace Laureate Jodi Williams in the International Campaign to Ban Land Mines. With the support of Nobel Laureate Oscar Arias Sanchez, President of Costa Rica, Robles contacted all living Nobel Peace Prize Laureates to sign a letter to President Bill Clinton requesting that he join the over one hundred countries in banning land mines.

Dr. Robles has published several books about Albert Schweitzer, which have appeared in the Netherlands, the former East Germany, Italy, China, Korea, Yugoslavia and the United States.

For his work, he received numerous awards such as an Honorary Professorship of the Polish Academy of Medicine, School of Public Health in Warsaw, Poland, honorary doctorates and was made Knight Commander in the Order of Saint Andrew to name a few. In 2003 he was inducted in the International Who’s Who for a life dedicated to outstanding humanitarian services in international healthcare and in 2004, he was elected Member of the Executive Committee of the Club of Rome.

In 1999, Dr. Robles founded the Medical Knowledge Institute (MKI), an International non-profit organization associated with WHO, committed to healthcare education and information as a human right. The mission of MKI is to empower healthcare providers in developing and transitional countries to disseminate programs which are aimed at improving the quality of life. The programs of the Medical Knowledge Institute are dedicated to improve the quality of healthcare and promoting humanitarian values in healthcare. MKI is also has associated with the United Nations.

The Albert Schweitzer Institute has leveraged itself by creating the framework to launch significant humanitarian programs throughout the world.

The focused vision of just one man has evolved into an International organization dedicated to SERVICE.

Compiled by Dr. Peter BittelCo-Founder of the Medical Knowledge Institute andFounder and President of Futures Health, MA USA.