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Stop Recruiting Jerks: the Consequences for International Aid

29/03/2018 by sissel Leave a Comment

This is not another article about sexual harassment. But about its wider consequences for the aid sector. It is about the fact that a person cannot exploit and harass certain individuals, while at the same time exercise integrity and leadership.

Because as Gandhi said:
One man cannot do right in one department of life whilst he is occupied in doing wrong in another department. Life is one indivisible whole

The Jerk

I would not trust a person widely known to harass women, or men, if he speaks about the importance of “establishing trust with local communities.”

Harassment is just part of a rather dirty package. It affects the performance of the whole organisation; and what has now become obvious, as part of the latest harassment revelations: the whole aid industry. [Read more…]

Corruption, Cambodia and My Bad Excuses.

08/03/2018 by sissel Leave a Comment

Prime Minister for 30 years in one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Image: Wikimedia Commons

Cambodia and My Bad Excuses

Reading about the coming national elections in Cambodia, and the crackdown on the media and the opposition; I was thinking about the last election in 2013. At the time I was in Cambodia. Still, I regret that I did not do anything to show my support for those who stood up against Prime Minister Hun Sen and his party. They have been ruling Cambodia for more than thirty years. And Cambodia is ranked as number 161 out of 180 in terms of corruption.

There is no guarantee that the opposition party would have fared any better regarding human rights or corruption. But the protests were just as much about people’s right to protest.

Still, I did nothing, and that was the case, as far as I know, with most expatriates. I was thinking: ”I am only a guest here”, “they can send me out”, “my support would not make a difference anyway”, among the bad excuses I came up with.

I was just sitting indoors during Sunday demonstrations, sniffing the tear gas; or listening to the organized street rallies by the ruling party. Rallies with, probably, paid “supporters” on scooters and open trucks. [Read more…]

One Way to Mitigate Inequality

15/02/2018 by sissel Leave a Comment

Inequality in Mexico City. Photo: Unequal Scenes

Inequality is high on the international agenda. For instance, at the 2018 World Economic Forum in Davos.

Much attention is given to inequality between countries, “the north and the south”, or within countries such as the U.S. or Britain. What seems to be more neglected is the immense inequality within lesser developed countries.

South-Africa is topping the list; and countries such as Belize and Zambia among the top ten.

One reason why this immense inequality persists, is because the poor and the rich never meet. If they do, then most often in a power-relation, as employer and employee.

International aid programmes in non-western countries mostly focus on the poor, not how to engage the wealthy. [Read more…]

If You Can Build Trust in El Salvador, You Can Build Trust Anywhere.

29/01/2018 by sissel Leave a Comment

Trust is essential in order to reduce poverty and violence.
That is Celina de Sola’s message in the video below.
I believe that the absence of trust and cooperation is the main reason behind the deficiencies in international aid.

No one can achieve great results on their own.

Celina de Sola is the Co-Founder of an NGO called Glasswing, which works in El Salvador in Central-America. Last year she became one of the Tällberg Foundation Global Leaders.

El Salvador is a country with one of the highest homicide rates in the world. Poverty and inequality is rife. Different gangs hold power in many communities. You often have a choice between joining a gang, being killed or making an arduous escape to the U.S.A. [Read more…]

A Reason to Believe in Humanity: Good Memories from Lesvos

20/12/2017 by sissel Leave a Comment

Newly Arrived. Playing volleyball on the beach. Lesvos, December 2015. Photo: Sissel Brenna

During the autumn and winter of 2015 to 2016 I worked as a volunteer on the Greek island of Lesvos, in the midst of the refugee crisis. The TV pictures showed only the most dramatic and tragic events. I experienced several of those too, but my most vivid memories from Lesvos are the positive ones.

This article is a reminder of the fact that most humans are basically good. I do believe there is hope for us.

Some of my best memories from Lesvos:

A strong contrast to the bleak TV pictures: newly arrived refugees playing volleyball on the beach, setting up a makeshift net, killing time while waiting for transport to the other side of the island. [Read more…]

What Do You Want Your Country to Look Like in the Future?

06/12/2017 by sissel Leave a Comment

What should your country ideally look like in 10, 30 or 50 years time?

Following the news or listening to conversations , it is very seldom you come across anything about how people vision the future of their country. And that is the case in any of the countries I have visited or lived in. People may have some visions related to specific issues, such as a fossil free society, or less poverty. However very few, if any, say anything about what an equal and just society would actually look like. Painting vivid pictures, that makes others think : “I want to go there!”

We Need Visions

Visions give people hope and purpose, and can give rise to mass movements. Therein lied the greatness of leaders such as Gandhi and Mandela. They articulated dreams of a better and brighter future. Dreams that so many shared; and subsequently became an irresistible force the old regimes could not resist. [Read more…]

The Cure for Ending Harassment: the Emancipation of Men

19/11/2017 by sissel Leave a Comment

The Emancipation of Man by Olof Palme. Copyright: Olof Palme’s family.

The issue of woman’s emancipation is actually about man’s emancipation.

In this video, Jan Eliasson ( the previous Deputy-Secretary General of the United Nations), talks about how Olof Palme, a former Swedish prime minister, explained this to him:

http://sustainability.thomsonreuters.com/women/jan-eliasson-full-interview/

In a nearly fifty year old paper ,“The Emancipation of Man”, Olof Palme, elaborates the matter and highlights the disadvantages of men’s traditional roles. In many parts of the world this paper is still highly topical. In other countries, Palme’s ideas would be regarded as ridiculous. I, as a woman, could even be arrested for posting this blog. [Read more…]

Why Countries Get the Leaders They Deserve

05/11/2017 by sissel Leave a Comment

The Dangers of Apathy. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

You might think the headline sounds unfair. It is not the people of South Sudan or Afghanistan’s fault that their countries are in such a mess, with millions of people suffering and thousands being killed. They do not deserve that. You are of course right. However, if you look at it from a society level, and not an individual level there is a cause and effect. Hence, the word “country” in the headline, instead of “we”.

However, there are two aspects of human behaviour that has an immediate effect on the kind of leaders a country end up with.

[Read more…]