Flu and me

I have got flu. And usually; who cares! But now it is quite a manic different story. The media is all over "swineflu" and the world shivers. I have currently now more a cold than flu. Difference is a standing Thomas not laying. I feel I have to say: "Knock some wood!" But seriuosly a cold like this in Norway wouldn`t be recognized enough to stay home from work even. But I guess if I went back to Norway now I would be put in quarantine. 

So now I am confined to home for a couple of days and enjoy the sunset. Sommer is coming in Norway now isn`t it? I feel like I have had summer in a whole year straight now. Good luck with all your exams and work deadlines, good people. There is four weeks left of our mission now and I feel the pressure for a best possible ending of tasks. Let us hope what we have done has made an impact and is carried on by the volunteers here in Sudanese Red Crescent. The work done and maybe the final presentation video will be published here, I think. :)

Until later; See ya.

Thomas

To be as neutral, or not to be?

In the last year, as long as I have been in the field here in Sudan for the Red Cross, there has been a huge debate on why a humanitarian organisation tries to be neutral where they do their work. The critics I have picked up on could be summarized like this: “They try to be neutral to all the politics and all the different interests of many different people in a region or a country. When we get to know somebody it is pretty hard to not side in anyway with anyone. This seems impossible. Besides, a humanitarian organisation wants to protect the people they want to help, so they have to choose side with them. Then why and how can they claim to be neutral?”

The arguments for and against neutrality and what is called a “humanitarian space” in the society is many and varies according to exemplified situations. But resent developments in The Sudan give a very strong example on why being clearly neutral might matter more than we think. Here is the case:

On the 4.march 2009 the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague announced it indicts President Omar Al-Bashir of Sudan with five acts of Crimes against humanity and two acts of War crimes. Moments after the ICC made their official decision the government of Sudan expelled 13 International nongovernmental organisations (INGOs) and shut down three national nongovernmental organisations (NGOs). They were all humanitarian organisations which the government accused of breaching their humanitarian mandate by, allegedly, aiding the ICC with information.

Whether the organisations did or did not breach their mandate is still disputed, but according to the Sudanese government there is evidence against the organisations that made the government react. The delegates of these organisations has denied any “double agenda” and reacted with frustration not to be able to do their humanitarian work anymore among the poor population in The Sudan.

In the dispute between these parties it is fair to say that the evicted organisations failed to gain or maintain the trust of the Sudanese government. Sudanese government is at the same time accused of refusing/ stalling aid to regions and population groups they wish to control (Alex de Waal 2008). Rightfully or wrongfully accusations of humanitarian organisations is in the final moment up to the hosting state to act on or not act on. In the bottom line the Republic of Sudan no longer wants these organisations help on the humanitarian challenges. Maybe, or in this case clearly, despite the need for humanitarian assistance in the general population. This is especially in Darfur according to the UN.  

A significant organisation in field here in The Sudan (the organisation requested to remain anonymous because of the current disputes) who had close partners evicted, even though all confirm to have the strictest policy on full transparency and follow laws and regulations to the letter, says:

“Neutrality as a concept is no longer fully understood and to make partners and authorities fully understand our purpose it is now, more than ever, vital to be completely transparent in everything we do. It is of vital importance to prove that there is no hidden agenda by sharing every single piece of information which isn't contained in the medical secrecy charter linking the patient and his practitioner exclusively. If you have nothing to hide you can show all your cards.'' 

And by showing all your cards, you have a role to play on the side of any ongoing conflict and can demand full neutrality status in all hostilities. This last point makes field delegates safe, when the rules are upheld by all parties to the conflict, and grants a humanitarian space for the organisations to assist the vulnerable people.

Also in order for the national states to be able to follow the International Humanitarian Law and its four Geneva Conventions the state is obliged to give room for humanitarian assistance, from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), during any armed conflicts on its territory. All the states in the world have ratified (signed) the four Geneva Conventions of 1949.

 So it is evident that taking any side with any part, other than insisting on aiding and protecting the vulnerable people on only medical and humanitarian priorities, would easily put your work and sometimes, your life in danger. And further the huge importance to allow the authorities to look into every single thing you do, so that there is no room for distrust, suspicion and/ or false accusations. So sometimes this is not even enough to avoid trouble with the parties to the conflict. Further this shows giving into pressure to take side in the conflict would make such problems very likely to develop. The importance of neutrality becomes clear and there needs to be a fully accepted undisputed humanitarian space in every society where suffering people can survive and maintain their human dignity, regardless of all other conditions. And this humanitarian space in society is operated by the different neutral organisations specialized in their field within humanitarian aid. 

The Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement have neutrality as one of its seven fundamental principles and have defined neutrality as follows:

Neutrality
“In order to continue to enjoy the confidence of all,
the Movement may not take sides in hostilities or
engage at any time in controversies of a political,
racial, religious or ideological nature”

Because of the role Red Cross, Red Crescent and Red Crystal has, as an example, it not only gains access to all conflicted areas in the world, but also gains access to all the worlds prisons and camps. Without neutrality this organization would not be allowed in. To me personally this come down to a simple question of motivation; are we here to help or take part in the conflict? There are no both in this sense. Do you see the importance of neutrality?

More news on Sudan and the ongoing Darfur conflict and Mia Farrows hunger strike (Norwegian newspaper):     VG     VG     VG     VG

Anines memories of the last week

Anine, my colleague, has written all her last experiences on her blog for the last week. Her story carries a extraordinary message and a powerful experience.

Our experiences with reopening the street children centre has been a reality smack in the face and we are doing our best efforts to keep the centre. 

Follow this blog and Anines to get the story as it is made.... 

My last blog on the street children centre is named "We are failing to maintain our mandate" and it is found lower on this page.

All the best 

Thomas

The beautiful sunset from from our house...

En ny dag med blanke ark og fargestifter til

Today is a new day after I realized how culture shocked I am. Culture shock is contrary to its name because it sneaks up on you over weeks and months by building your stresslevel slowly up up up. So it usually does not come as a shock. It works as a reaction to a different environment adaptation process. Or as I would word it: Your body refusing to deal with everything and setting up mental defence in curtain areas. Demanding time to grasp it all, meanwhile acting all confused.

Classic symptoms of longterm untreated culture shock is: Sleepiness, apathy, compulsive eating and drinking, depression and isolation.

I am extremely sleepy these last two months, slightly apathic when it comes to the dying people around me at the underfunded hospital (I mean WHAT CAN I DO!?), I eat chocolate and easy or lacy food all day when I am not working, I sometimes feel like staying home and avoid going out (not to much though, I still really enjoy getting out of the house) and logically after my realtionship breakdown the last month I have been small time depressed and sad (Most likely it is more sadness than depression and I just feel it stronger now while it is passing through my system).

Realizing what is the reason for your feelings and reactions, and therefore knowing what you are going through and why it is hard, is in it self calming and some stress dies down. That is why I feel a new day today. In the time ahead my own treatment is guitarhero at a friends house, beer with the chinese, following through the workplan to help people and keep reading and asking questions to understand more of the situation and culture I am in at the moment (This last one is essential because mental orientation/ understanding of your environment gives "standing ground" for your mind to navigate from. For example if you know why the people is sooo slow when they plan to do something about a problem, you won`t annoy yourself as much and focus more on how to speed things up in the local settings) And you would think after 7 months I would have a good idea about the whole setting here now, but no. Sudan is infinately complicated for someone so outside as Norway. And it would take me another year at least before I would have a more comprehensive understanding of the culture and political progress.

I hope, by sharing this most intimate thoughts with you, I give you some perspective on culture shock and how you can avoid it when far away from home or some wierd place close to home. Hehe (Culture shock is not limited to international travel. For example it also sometimes occure when we move within our own country and region). Awarness makes me able to act and change the reasons for my feelings. Right now I am enjoying a book on Sudan with an italian cup of coffee under the blue sunny sky by palms and the Red Sea, remembering how much I looked forward to come here.

Picture: From our Red Cross briefing in Norway days before we left for fieldwork. This is a method of learning using drama, where I am acting a superhero in efficiency and coffee was like Poppeys spinnache. We were 16 youth delegates all in all here who could not wait to go into our designated fields.

Good luck in your work everybody

Thomas

We are failing to maintain our mandate

Today is a brilliant day, because we have finally reopened the street children centre in Port Sudan city. And that feels quite good. The first day and only 3 street children found out about it, but word will spread like fire in dry gras. 

Picture: One of these boys is now unconscious at the hospital, the man with the hose is Mahmoud the volunteer coordinator. This picture was taken 5 hours ago in the street children centre. I looked the boy in the eyes and shook his hand. He seemed ok taking the conditions into account. Strange how we are able to stand up only in spite sometimes.

While we where cleaning and fixing the centre the three boys discovered us and started working harder than any other to get the centre back in shape. We were staff, volunteers, street children and youth delegates together. Ten people all in all. The centre quickly sprung back to life in a very basic look.

We have dicided to reopen the centre and provide the minimum support (fresh water, toilet, refuge, breakfast and simple free hospital treatment of the sick) even though we do not have secure funds yet. Application proposals are in the hands of two major organisations and we may send one more in addition. So right now we are waiting and utilizing funds from our own youth delegate budget and a generous donation from my colleagues local red cross branch in Norway: Ullensaker Red Cross. Because of these resources we managed to do the following only the first day:

The three boys who came to day, were in a bad shape. We did some further check ups on them and boy nr1 had a four month old open wound infection hidden under his pants in the left ancle. It may have reached his bone and that is really serious. He is now admitted to the hospital and have lost consiousness because of high fever. He collapsed as soon as there was breakfast in his stomach and he was somewhat safe in the local public hospital. Anine, my youth delegate colleague, was the one who took him there with some volunteers. And she reports it was very difficult to get him looked after properly. Some Red Crescent volunteers had to step in to watch over him. Let us hope he recovers.

Boy nr2 had dysentery and syphilis. The doctors told us that if his syphilis had come to far there was nothing or very limited things to do about it. The dysentery made the boy naturally extremely hungry and he was the most pushy when it came to get breakfast on the table. Can you imagine having dysentery (it gives the worse diarrhea), not be able to treat it and not have food to eat? These poor kids.

The third boy had resently been run over by a car. But survived and the wounds was healed so not really recently, but the scars was really fresh and huge across his body. Anine was told he was an orphan with a twin in the capital city (I asked why the twins where not together, but we do not know) and he fled from Kordofan (Central Sudan) in the 90`s. He was in his teens now, so imagine his age then.

These two last kids was not admitted to the hospital, but where given treatment and medications. They are also going to have more tests and follow up. Medications for one of the boys alone cost 53 Sudanese pounds. We have a total to run on approx 3500 Sudanese pounds, so we are in desperate need to get more help for these children (1$=2.4Sudanese pounds (SDG)).

There is no one to care for these children. Our core mandate in the Red Cross/Red Crescent movement is to heal the wounded and treat the sick. We are failing at this basic human need in Sudan. Let alone feed these starving children. The other external national societies must come stronger together for Sudan and help Sudanese Red Crescent reach more people. The Republic of Sudan has asked the Sudanese Red Crescent to increase their activities in Sudan. They are currently and always on full capacity, with the largest humanitarian force in Sudan. To gain more capacity we need more funding, technical and administrative help.

In the late day today 8 more children came and gave their names for tomorrow. By the end of the first week the local volunteers say they will be fifthy. The need is here and we are here. If you feel you can help in any way, please drop me a comment and let us discuss what can be done. I would like to see ideas on: I know someone somewhere, we are available, we are RC/RC volunteers, I give my support and my voice, I work for the movement, I might have good ideas and advice on running a centre like this, I am inspired but do not know what to do...and every other form of support we can imagine. From this we can establish more communication and that always leads to rare opportunities. So at the very least drop a phrase like this: "I am Thomas and I am a carpenter. I support what you are doing" i.e.

All the best

Thomas 

Norwegian updated news on Sudan:

VG     VG     VG 

Mission easter holiday impossible

Today is the day I should have set foot in Beirut, Lebanon for my 8 day easter holiday. However faith or Sudan ment otherwise.

Two months ago me, my girlfriend and my lebanese sister Marya decided to spend a holiday together in Beirut. I booked my flight tickets, my girlfriend the hotelroom and flight. Marya the vacation plans in general. I asked my boss here at the Sudanese Red Crescent if it was possible to renew my residence visa and get exit/entry visa within the next 6 weeks. Yes was the answer.

And to everyones surprise, Anine my colleague, gets seriously ill with dysenteri and has to be flown to Khartoum for better treatment with me as support with her. She came around and is well now. While we where there I checked on the status of the visas I needed. "hmm, how far have we come with the visas?" I thought. When I asked the right people, they had not heard of it at all. We had now three weeks left to departure. I was speechless and worried.

After alot of talking and documents exchange the prosess of getting the visas was finally started. All they needed now to reach the deadline was the cash transfered from our branch to the headquarters in order for them to pay the fees. "Good", I thought, "we are finally moving ahead and there is hope to get in time still". I went satisfied back to Port Sudan city with a healthy Anine after almost two weeks in Khartoum.

Two weeks went by and I was reassured over phone that prosedures where going as they should and the money was transfered without any problems. But closer to the last week before departure my contact person in headquarters had to much to do and assigned me to another person. I called this person and was told no money was transfered to them and because of this nothing which needed payment had been done so far. Now there was 4 days left to departure and hope deminished before my eyes. "What!? How is that &%¤# possible?", I thought.

It shows, after connections has been used to get information,  that the finance department had attained the money for accountacy security reasons. In effect stopping the whole prosess and nobody thought of telling me about the issue. My boss here in the branch where, by coinsidence, in Khartoum these days because he had been in Geneva. He discovered the issue, asked for transfer documentation and had the money released...on late thursday. In sudan there is holiday friday and saturday. My departure was on tuesday morning 6am. 

It WAS tuesday morning 6am. So the date was lost, no doubt about it. All I had to do was to rebook my flights to leave two or three days later...

So I called my airliner: Egypt Air. It was now monday morning. No answer. "Have I pressed the wrong number from the internet?" I thought, "I will try to call all possible ways and numbers".

Two hours later, after calling between two numbers I was absolutely sure (The numbers where busy sometimes, but still would not answer when I called right after they hung up) the numbers where right. I also called their main base in Egypt frequently between the constant recalling to Khartoum office. No answer. A local sudanese friend of mine tipped me of a skilled travel agent here in Port Sudan city. I went to him and he told me Egypt Air never answers their phone. "What kind of buisness is this?" I thought.

I decided I was not going to lose my ticket without a fight, so I called without break for the next hours between two numbers to the egypt office. At 2 pm they started answering their phones right away. So now that I had reached them I was safe that my ticket was not lost.

Almost. You see, they needed everything on mail. Approval of fees as well as the changes to the ticket had to be sent by mail. "No problem" I thought. So I sent it all. I called them back 15min later, but they had recieved nothing. So I sent it again, after checking thoroughly the mail both on phone and contact details on egypt air webpage. I called back an half hour later, still nothing. We did it a third time and then the operator started accusing me of having something wrong with my mail or computer. Emphazing strongly this was MY fault. I argued that no matter where the fault was we should rebook by phone, since the mailsystem is not working whereever. The operator kindly declined and said he had to have it writting in a mail that I approve the fees for rebooking. I pleaded an oral agreement as strong as a written one. As well as pointing out that every other airliner in the world was able to make changes to a ticket wihtout a mail over phone. The operator now goes from kindly declining to bluntly refusing. "You better hope there is no rule I can fry you on this one, good bye!" was my kind last word to the operator and my face was purple at this point. I would most likely be in jail, for ripping a susrtain someones head off, if the operator was there in front of me at that time. I had then spent 6-7 hours with the good service at Egypt Air. Stay away from these guys!

So now I am here still in Port Sudan enjoying the sunset, not allowed to leave the country by state and airliner. So this was out of the country vacation plans. Do you wanna come visit us into the country? 

Happy easter everybody.

All the best Thomas