CYBER ATTACK
The Chinese hack into Pentagon systems, June 2007.
Russia attacks Georgia, August 2008.
The FBI's fear of cyber-attack.
HACKERS
British, self-taught Gary McKinnon hacks into Pentagon secrets, in 2002.
The ten most famous hackers.
Video: hackers talking about what they do.
The Chinese hack into Pentagon systems, June 2007.
Russia attacks Georgia, August 2008.
The FBI's fear of cyber-attack.
HACKERS
British, self-taught Gary McKinnon hacks into Pentagon secrets, in 2002.
The ten most famous hackers.
Video: hackers talking about what they do.
Some $25 billion in aid is poured into Africa each
year, much of it handled on the ground by
expatriates, yet the problems they face, during their
posting and after their return, are often
poorly understood by their managers, while many
organisations baulk at the costs of aid worker safety.
It can take a soft heart and a hard head to work effectively in aid and development. Faced with the stark reality of disaster, disease, poverty, social exclusion, anyone working in the field requires a strong stomach.
Some aid workers are professionals, career men and women, some are volunteers. The careerists, university trained and confident of their professionalism, doing everything by the book, tend to be the more hard headed; the volunteers softer hearted.
Professionals are more inclined to subcontract the field work, staying in the city, often enjoying a fine lifestyle, and so manage to avoid confrontation with reality, despite the inevitable corruption that results from lack of field supervision. Volunteers like Mark's girlfriend, Janet, inexperienced, less well trained, and often at the sharp end of aid provision, are more likely to encounter mental problems.
It takes strength to ignore child abuse, even domestic slavery, if the only alternative is known to be an orphanage in which child abuse is not only systematised, but also commercialised. It takes strength to cope with disasters, with the ever present reality of victim recovery. It takes strength to cope with the certainty that the X-rays and prescriptions ordered by doctors, and from which they make their income, may destroy the livelihoods of poverty stricken families - especially when it seems probably that traditional treatments, long ago dismissed by western missionaries, might solve the problems at little cost. It takes strength to deal with an exploitative landlord whose wealth derives from Aid that is unsupervised by the donors. It can even take strength, especially for a female worker, to relax: every beach has its poor pestering visitors for money.
The Agencies working in the field regularly report high levels of stress amongst their expat workers. Research suggests almost one third may be affected. Some reports quote as many as 10% of returning workers suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Workers with serious problems are quickly repatriated; a few, like Janet, slip through the net.
The EU takes the problem of stress amongst its expatriate workers so seriously it issues group leaders with a document that specifies actions to be taken: look at pages 45 onwards. The Aid Workers' Network offers advice and assistance.
year, much of it handled on the ground by
expatriates, yet the problems they face, during their
posting and after their return, are often
poorly understood by their managers, while many
organisations baulk at the costs of aid worker safety.
It can take a soft heart and a hard head to work effectively in aid and development. Faced with the stark reality of disaster, disease, poverty, social exclusion, anyone working in the field requires a strong stomach.
Some aid workers are professionals, career men and women, some are volunteers. The careerists, university trained and confident of their professionalism, doing everything by the book, tend to be the more hard headed; the volunteers softer hearted.
Professionals are more inclined to subcontract the field work, staying in the city, often enjoying a fine lifestyle, and so manage to avoid confrontation with reality, despite the inevitable corruption that results from lack of field supervision. Volunteers like Mark's girlfriend, Janet, inexperienced, less well trained, and often at the sharp end of aid provision, are more likely to encounter mental problems.
It takes strength to ignore child abuse, even domestic slavery, if the only alternative is known to be an orphanage in which child abuse is not only systematised, but also commercialised. It takes strength to cope with disasters, with the ever present reality of victim recovery. It takes strength to cope with the certainty that the X-rays and prescriptions ordered by doctors, and from which they make their income, may destroy the livelihoods of poverty stricken families - especially when it seems probably that traditional treatments, long ago dismissed by western missionaries, might solve the problems at little cost. It takes strength to deal with an exploitative landlord whose wealth derives from Aid that is unsupervised by the donors. It can even take strength, especially for a female worker, to relax: every beach has its poor pestering visitors for money.
The Agencies working in the field regularly report high levels of stress amongst their expat workers. Research suggests almost one third may be affected. Some reports quote as many as 10% of returning workers suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Workers with serious problems are quickly repatriated; a few, like Janet, slip through the net.
The EU takes the problem of stress amongst its expatriate workers so seriously it issues group leaders with a document that specifies actions to be taken: look at pages 45 onwards. The Aid Workers' Network offers advice and assistance.
CASUALTIES OF AID
"Slainte"_ - pronounced 'slanj' - said Ephraim. He obviously knew that a good whisky deserved a Gaelic toast.
THE KABAKA of BUGANDA
Ephraim quotes the Buganda of Uganda as an example of a tribe which, while having democratic traditions, still has a strong man to lead it, its King, the Kabaka.
The present Kabaka, Mutebi II, British-educated and a graduate of Cambridge University, is the 36th Kabaka in a line which goes back some 700 years. Exiled during the regime of Uganda's first prime Minister, Milton Obote, he is now resident in Uganda. It is an interesting facet of his monarchy that, in a tribe divided into some 50 clans, the Kabaka traditionally belongs to his mother's clan, thus giving all a stake in the monarchy.
The Buganda Kingdom has a good website, and if you'd like to watch some Buganda dancing and singing, try this.
Ephraim quotes the Buganda of Uganda as an example of a tribe which, while having democratic traditions, still has a strong man to lead it, its King, the Kabaka.
The present Kabaka, Mutebi II, British-educated and a graduate of Cambridge University, is the 36th Kabaka in a line which goes back some 700 years. Exiled during the regime of Uganda's first prime Minister, Milton Obote, he is now resident in Uganda. It is an interesting facet of his monarchy that, in a tribe divided into some 50 clans, the Kabaka traditionally belongs to his mother's clan, thus giving all a stake in the monarchy.
The Buganda Kingdom has a good website, and if you'd like to watch some Buganda dancing and singing, try this.
BERETTA
Zee carried a Beretta, an
Italian pistol made by the
company 'Fabbrica d'Armi
Pietro Beretta', an unusual
company in that it has
been owned by the same
family for 500 years.
This video shows the sort of gun Zee might have carried. The Beretta 21a Bobcat is small, easy to conceal and, because it has little kick, accurate.
Zee carried a Beretta, an
Italian pistol made by the
company 'Fabbrica d'Armi
Pietro Beretta', an unusual
company in that it has
been owned by the same
family for 500 years.
This video shows the sort of gun Zee might have carried. The Beretta 21a Bobcat is small, easy to conceal and, because it has little kick, accurate.
A UNICEF video describes its work amongst pregnant women who are HIV positive.
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