From Aid to Maturity - Page 3 of 5 - Struggle Less. Contribute More

The Election in Kenya: a Lesson in Immaturity

24/08/2017 by sissel Leave a Comment

The resent election in Kenya is a perfect example of immature behaviour. Raila Odinga, the opposition leader, has claimed that he lost the election due to fraud. I have chosen Kenya as an example; but this whole business of blaming others, exhibited by politicians who are supposed to serve and lead by example, are all too common.

Even the toddler in White House has claimed voter fraud, despite the fact that he won. (I am so tired of hearing about him, that I try not to use his name). President Maduro in Venezuela, is blaming the U.S. for the economic chaos in the country. And not his own egregious policies and lack of leadership skills.

Such behaviour are excellent examples of immature behaviour. Sadly, these baby boys (mostly boys), are being praised when they do not act like three year olds, merely as five year olds. Like when Yahya Jammeh stepped down, after 22 years as a president in the Gambia, having lost the election; and the international community responded with “Good boy!” [Read more…]

Amazing Elderly Women and a Remarkable NGO in Nepal

07/08/2017 by sissel Leave a Comment

This is a feel-good story from Nepal. It is about a national NGO called Ageing Nepal and their “Basic Literacy Class for Older Persons” that ran for six months in 2016. Among all the bad news about “end of aid” and funding cuts, we do need some good stories. It is also about a remarkable NGO; showing a profound care and respect for the participants in the project.

[Read more…]

There is Nothing New Under the Sun: The Irrelevant UN Mission in Myanmar

20/07/2017 by sissel Leave a Comment

Vikings always fighting. Credit: Hans Splinter

I read an article on IRIN the other day about the dysfunctional UN mission in Myanmar, and felt an urge to write some spontaneous, but heartfelt comments.

Myanmar – A Case In Point

What is described in the article is unfortunately not unique. Quite the contrary:

The absence of leadership. In Myanmar, through a UN representative who is apparently not suited for the job.
Internal, detrimental strife between different agencies.

This is, unfortunately, the case with many UN missions around the world. As a result, the UN is not able to take a stand and focus on essential matters.

Such as the horrendous situation of the Rohingyas in Myanmar.

Furthermore, this cowardice mixed with internal battles makes the UN look ridiculous, and more and more insignificant day by day. [Read more…]

Disasters & Corruption – Part 2: Vulnerability

02/07/2017 by sissel Leave a Comment

Does corruption make people more susceptible to disasters? In other words does corruption shape the impact and magnitude of a disaster?

In the first post in this series I wrote about what is more well-known regarding corruption and disasters. Such as the embezzlement of relief funds and substandard buildings collapsing during earthquakes.

However, when it comes to how corruption influences vulnerability in general, little has been written, and even less has been said.

There are a few published articles on the subject but they are beyond most people’s reach. Official reports and documents often only hint at a connection, and use terms like “ lack of accountability” or “weak governance”.

That does not mean a relationship does not exist. Because, there are several things we actually do know. [Read more…]

The Importance of Joy

07/06/2017 by sissel Leave a Comment

Desmond Tutu and Dalai Lama. Credit : Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2929618

I have just read “The Book of Joy” by Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu. (with Douglas Carlton Abrams). And I felt so uplifted that I needed to write a blog inspired by their thoughts.

The authors remind us of the universal and ancient wisdom that joy can only be found within ourselves. It is not about loads of money, the next promotion, a bigger house or achieving any kind of self-centred goals.

We know that, but the human race seems to be in need of a constant reminder. If we had lived by that reminder both humanity and the planet would have been in a much better state. [Read more…]

Disasters & Corruption – Part 1: What We Know

22/05/2017 by sissel Leave a Comment

If you have any experience from working with disasters, you are probably aware of the severe impact corruption has on disaster management. The problem with corruption is of course that it is opaque; and often occurs in countries where transparency is low and press freedom repressed. Hence, it can continue undisturbed. Journalists or others who want to investigate cases of severe corruption also risk putting themselves in danger.

In academic literature the influence of corruption on disaster management is mentioned; but mostly in a generic way without elaborating on the matter. When I browsed through the index lists of my books on disaster management, the word corruption occurred in only one of them. Articles that do exist are often shared among academics or networks of professionals. In other words, within closed communities talking to themselves.

So, what do we know?

[Read more…]

A Tale of Two Teams – The Good versus The Bad and The Ugly

10/05/2017 by sissel Leave a Comment

One of the teams was a UN team; the other was an emergency preparedness project team in Sweden. I leave it to you to guess which team was which one.

The Bad and The Ugly Team

This team was not actually a team. Its members worked side by side. The flow of information and number of interactions were kept to a minimum.

Some of the team members did not miss an opportunity to belittle other team members. It could be about rank, experience or anything else they could come up with. Many spent a lot of time and energy on dreading the next toxic email, or spiteful comment; and subsequently, strategies for how to handle them. [Read more…]

“I am a Man and I am Primitive”

25/04/2017 by sissel Leave a Comment

Gender stereotypes play a large part in persistent gender inequality. Women are still expected to be humble and withdrawn, or, in many cultures, submissive.

Men are still excused, by other men and many women, for their sexist or even violent behaviour. Because they are, apparently, “not able to control themselves.”

It is easy to find stories about poor girls and women being forced to marry their rapists. What is even worse is that religious and political leaders often support these decisions. “Woman tempted man. He, of course, could not help himself.” I can only try to imagine the fear and horror these women have to go through.

Primitive and Powerful

But this archaic behaviour does not only occur in certain cultures. Sexual harassment and misconduct still seem to be widespread even in countries where men and women are relatively equal. [Read more…]