The proliferation of crises around the world has led to a prominent increase in the amount of humanitarian aid needed. Humanitarian aid work represents not only compassion, but commitment to support innocent populations that have experienced sudden or on-going tragedies. Some of these tragedies include: malnutrition, genocide, diseases, torture, poverty, war, natural disasters, government negligence, and unfortunately much more. There is no doubt that these tragedies are some of the world’s toughest problems to solve as they are often complex, multifaceted and require diligence and patience. For this reason, being a humanitarian aid worker is more than a profession, it is a lifestyle that requires a sharp distinction between one’s work and …show more content…
Her memoir starts off in Darfur in 2005, where in her late 20’s, she hits rock bottom while managing a refugee camp for 24,000 civilians. It backtracks to her internship in Rwanda, while moving forward to her challenges in Darfur, in addition to her experiences in post- tsunami Indonesia, and post-quake in Haiti. By sharing her story, Alexander gives readers an opportunity to go behind-the-scenes into the devastations that are censored on media outlets. She stresses that these are often the problems that individuals claim they are educated on, but rarely make it their priority to solve. However, that is not the case for Jessica Alexander as she has over 12 years of experience working with different NGO’s and UN operations. As a result, Alexander earns the credibility to critique the multi-billion-dollar humanitarian aid industry. From her painful yet rewarding work experience, Alexander gives an honest and empathetic view of humanitarian aid as an establishment and a
I was in the grips of genocide, and there was nothing I could do. Operation No Living Thing was put into full effect (Savage 33). The R.U.F., however, was not alone in servicing children as their own messengers of evil, the military group countering their acts of violence also had children fighting their battles. A Long Way Gone and The Bite of the Mango are eye-opening books because they give people all over the world a glimpse into the horrors kids in Africa face on a daily basis. However different Mariatu Kamara and Ishmael Beah’s experiences were regarding their journeys and disabilities, they both exhibited the same extraordinary resilience in the end to better themselves, create futures they could be proud of, and make the best of what the war left them.
...victims of war and genocide, it is admirable to see his courage to remain engaged in service to his fellow human. With a bold, yet pragmatic vision, Orbinski is unconcerned with seemingly intractable problems of finding drugs for the poorest AIDS victims. The book illustrates his desire to get the job done without bravado and grand statements. Although the book was painful to read, it takes he reader to the extreme of human suffering. Nevertheless, it also inspires with its reflections of humanitarianism and the ingenuity brought to its implementation. It is heartening to know James Orbinski can inspire students in both the arts and sciences as they set out on their careers. Since after all he’s seen, Orbinski remain optimistic, not cynical, and committed to action. Do give this book to any students in your life, after you have read it yourself.
In times of war, tragedy, and suffering, there has always been a call for humanitarian aid. As the number of humanitarian emergencies increase, David Rieff recognizes and details the ways in which humanitarianism has transformed in his book, A Bed for the Night: Humanitarianism in Crisis, and critically reflects on the impact of humanitarianism and humanitarian efforts. In this essay, I plan to summarize Rieff's argument regarding humanitarianism and its impact. Then, I will engage with Rieff’s main ideas by responding to the core elements of his argument. Finally, I will acknowledge the themes and ideas introduced in the book that deserve further exploration.
In recent years many novels have been published to highlight the hardships and harsh reality of those suffering from mental disorders. While our knowledge on this issue has increased vastly, strong connections can be draw between classic and modern literature in regards to characters who suffer from these disorders. The novel “Compulsion” by Heidi Ayarbe, tells the story of a teenage boy with severe OCD. This novel authenticates the many sickening facets of OCD, and sheds a realistic and much needed light on what it is actually like to suffer from a mental illness. In a similar vein, the tragic play, “Hamlet”, shows how illness can be bred from traumatic events, and how it can lead to pain and loss for not only those suffering from an illness,
...ctims who suffered psychological trauma as a direct outcome of the gender violence, economic violence and torture. The method for healing such a trauma was the “Trager Approach”, which involved a space in which a women was able to feel relaxed and talk about their suffering. In doing so she was able to examine their ongoing trauma and understand that treating the deeper wound would be more beneficial for the people of Haiti in the long term. Continuing this aid apparatus and aid recipient interaction, James shines a light on the issue surrounding what she calls the audit culture. Remembering back to the fact that the victim had to prove their trauma through testimony, they then had to demonstrate a continued demand for support. This contestation of the nature of the victim’s identity is again the bureaucraft at work in places such as the Rehabilitation Center.
Wheeler, Nicholas J. Saving Strangers - Humanitarian Intervention in International Society. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002. Oxford Scholarship Online. Oxford University Press. 7 December 2009
There are many areas of the world where the most basic needs like clean drinking water, proper sanitation and medical care are just not available. When disaster strikes, the people living in these already disadvantaged areas are thrust into situations where death is almost always imminent. Reach Out WorldWide (“ROWW”) was started by a group of 6 men in California. They flew to Haiti and volunteered to help in whatever way they could after a massive earthquake devastated the country on January 12, 2010. While working in Haiti as medical aid volunteers, the group recognized the need for skilled people, supplies and urgency for a faster response when natural disasters strike.
In response to the recent failure of the international community to prevent the famine crisis in the Horn of Africa since July 2011, Suzanne Dvorak the chief executive of Save the Children wrote that, “We need to provide help now. But we cannot forget that these children are wasting away in a disaster that we could - and should - have prevented” she added, “The UN estimates that every $1 spent in prevention saves $7 in emergency spending.” (Dvorak, 2011).
In Veronica Roth’s Allegiant, Tris, a teenager, learns that her life is an experiment. Tris and Tobias are lovers. While Tris’s parents are dead, Tobias’ are alive and currently battling against one another with groups of people. Tris’s only living family is her brother, Caleb. The city consists of five factions: Abnegation, Erudite, Amity, Candor, and Dauntless. Both Tris and Tobias once was Abnegation, but now the couple are Dauntless. The two join forces with the factionless to kill Jeanine Matthews, the past leader of the Erudite.
Something that we as humans all need is not the latest gadget or today’s hottest trend. It is something more fundamental than that; what we all need is access to health care. A strong health care system is synonymous with a healthy living environment and a healthy population. In the United States, we might not have the best health care system, but it is accessible and well established in our culture. Many of the areas of the world that are poverty stricken and in the midst of civil war have little to no forms of health care, but these are the areas that need health care the most. According to Paula Saravia’s slides on the Review of Culture and Medicine, “Poverty wields its destructive influence at every stage of human life, from the moment of conception to the grave. It conspires with the most deadly and painful diseases to bring a wretched existence to all those who suffer from it.” Health care is utilized to prevent the spread of infectious diseases as a result of poverty, for treating injuries that result from conflicts, and most importantly to maintain the overall health of an area. This is where emergency health care intervention programs and other types of foreign aid come into the picture. These programs typically focus on emergency aid and prevention to provide quick relief to affected populations. However, the health care workers that are employed with these programs and enter these high tension areas are very much at risk on the job. The safety of healthcare workers in places of conflict and poverty such as Syria and South Sudan continues to be a serious problem in terms of cultural competence, structural violence, and the access and presence of health care.
Throughout the globe, whether a country is highly developed or unstable, all countries must face the issue of humanitarian crisis. These misfortunes can be triggered by human action or can occur involuntarily. Ranging from natural disasters, to diseases, to internal or external conflict, each has been proven to be detrimental to the stability of the society. Haiti has recently gotten attention for being simultaneously affected by multiple crises; each of which helps to place Haiti in a trap which they cannot lift themselves out of without foreign intervention and aid. Organizations such as the Jesuit Universities Humanitarian Action Network (JUHAN), a collaboration between Jesuit universities,
We use pictures to develop our own views on specific events that have gone on in the world past and present. In the photograph “Napalm Girl”, Associated press Nick Ut captured a story that only him and the people in the photo would know. The picture was captured of a group of children and soldiers getting away from an accidental napalm bomb that was dropped during the Vietnam War. I am going to establish the history of the event. The issue that this photograph was editors from different media companies and all built stories to show the public that the Vietnam war was not under control. All of the newscasting and journalist headlines that were created from the photos were different. This image has drawn many people in society to believing different
These are the words of a 15-year-old girl in Uganda. Like her, there are an estimated 300,000 children under the age of eighteen who are serving as child soldiers in about thirty-six conflict zones (Shaikh). Life on the front lines often brings children face to face with the horrors of war. Too many children have personally experienced or witnessed physical violence, including executions, death squad killings, disappearances, torture, arrest, sexual abuse, bombings, forced displacement, destruction of home, and massacres. Over the past ten years, more than two million children have been killed, five million disabled, twelve million left homeless, one million orphaned or separated from their parents, and ten million psychologically traumatized (Unicef, “Children in War”). They have been robbed of their childhood and forced to become part of unwanted conflicts. In African countries, such as Chad, this problem is increasingly becoming a global issue that needs to be solved immediately. However, there are other countries, such as Sierra Leone, where the problem has been effectively resolved. Although the use of child soldiers will never completely diminish, it has been proven in Sierra Leone that Unicef's disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration program will lessen the amount of child soldiers in Chad and prevent their use in the future.
In her book, Against Love, Laura Kipnis explains her views on love and why she is against it. She begins with an explanation of how maturity plays into love; maturity in love is seen as the willingness to settle down while immaturity is not wanting to commit. Then she gives a tour of love throughout history, stating that romantic love didn't exist until only a few centuries ago. Also, Kipnis believes that advanced intimacy, one of the essential things to keep a relationship healthy, isn’t good and an overall scary experience. Lastly she lists off an endless list of arbitrary things that you can not do in a relationship anymore. Kipnis contends that if it helps a society to have its citizens believe that it’s shameful to start over, or that wanting more from a relationship is illicit, grizzly acts of self mutilation are clearly needed. However, I believe that love is, in essence, unnecessary. One can live their entire life without
Schulte, Bettina, Dadaab spokeswoman, UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, (2011 July 13), General format, Retrieved from http://globalspin.blogs.time.com/2011/07/13/worlds-greatest-ongoing-humanitarian-disaster-reaches-a-crisis-point/