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Political Correctness: Detrimental and Patronising

18/06/2018 by sissel Leave a Comment

For those of you not familiar with the term Political Correctness:

Here is a definition from the Cambridge Dictionary:

“Someone who is politically correct believe that language and actionsthat could be offensive to others, especially those relating to sex and race, should be avoided.”

Political correctness (PC) is about silencing what does not pleases us. That does not mean it will go away. Racism does not go away because you start to call people apples instead of oranges. Sexual harassment does not go away, because you decide on a new policy or a Code of Conduct.

The concept is very much a Western creation, but according to my experience you can find it any culture, just in different forms and under a different name.

[Read more…]

What Does Littering Got to Do with Your Project Planning?

23/05/2018 by sissel Leave a Comment

I regularly amuse myself, especially in other countries, with making observations about people’s behaviour.

Everybody makes these observations. And are often eager to share them with compatriots or other expats: “Can you believe what I saw them do!!??!!”.

But have you ever been thinking that such observations may be useful to your work?

That they may be just as good a guideline as any country report?

Such observations can be even more useful when you compare countries. Making you understand why what worked in one country may not in another.

Observed Differences Between two “C” Countries: Colombia and Cambodia

In Colombia, most street vendors and taxi drivers have change. In Cambodia never.

[Read more…]

3 Things You Can Do to Avoid Hiring Jerks

19/04/2018 by sissel Leave a Comment

What We All Deserve. Copyright: Great Place to Work

People should be evalutated on whether or not they positively influence others

[David Mayer]

My last article was about the consequences of hiring jerks. This article is about a few simple steps to avoid them.

Often some form of so-called soft skills are included among the requirments in a job advertisement. (Why are they called soft, when they are essential?) Still, most recruitment processes tend to focus on skills and experience.

The argument against hiring for character traits or attitude is that it is too complicated, too expensive or too something else.

So what can you do about it? If you are working with HR, part of any interview panel or otherwise engaged in recruitment.

Or perhaps you simply want to have a say, because you have experienced too many failed recruitments, too many promotions for the wrong reasons. And worked with too many managers, “bosses” or “heads” that are jerks or close to.

I have worked for “experienced” heads of offices of international organisations, who would have been fired if they had worked for a remote municipality in Lapland.

There are 3 simple things you can do or suggest no matter your position in an organization. And you can implement or suggest them with without needing much experience in recruiting. [Read more…]

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…]