The Inadequacies of Language

As a new member of the Quality Assurance Committee at my community Children’s Aid Society, I not only get a chance to learn more about the organization, meet new people and brush up on my skills, but it’s also a chance to hear stories that I wouldn’t have otherwise.

This time, we heard from one of my colleagues, who happens to be a nurse, describe a short documentary that she’d seen, ‘Just a Routine Operation,‘ narrated by a British man who had dropped his wife off at the hospital for a routine procedure and expected to pick her up later on in the day. However, the procedure did not go quite as planned and resulted in her loss of oxygen, brain damage and eventual death. The story itself is entirely heartbreaking. The irony of it was that this man has built a career on behalf of airlines to identify communication gaps, prevent human error and provide clarity where it may not be aparent in order to avoid tragedy in the air. 

Similarly, as reports out of Italy describe, human error is the cause for the capsizing of the cruise ship, ‘Costa Concordia’ and causing the death of too many. These two incidents really makes me think just how many lives could be saved by effective communication and cooperation.

In our culture, we’ve been lead to believe that experience should not be questioned and to do so is an insult and could lead to unemployment. By following this norm, though, those nurses did not question or intervene on the doctor with 30 years experience. No one did. Out of fear? Inexperience? I wonder what the co-captain of the Costa Concordia was thinking when it chartered off course; chancing fate or impressing the tourists?

Whatever the reasons for the team’s failure to intervene, both instances drive home the fact that they had the trust of their patients or passengers to lead them through to safety, be it the recovery room or the resorts. Such responsibility should be due cause for a questioning thought or an assertive action to ensure their destination and yet there was silence.  Language is one thing to master, understanding and overcoming culture, however, is more difficult.

In learning a bit more about culture and its influence on communication, I came across a corporate training organization, VitalSmarts, which seeks to help firms address the discrepencies that language sometimes highlight and particularly so in a multi-cultural environment. By making more of an effort to bring the same sort of clarity to organizations that the air industry currently employs can only lead to greater collaboration, understanding and responsibility and hopefully result in fewer human errors.

Ideas, Perceptions and Realities

I found an interesting article in the BBC summarizing a study by the PEW Research Center in Washington, DC, which looked at common stereotypes often associated with many African nations.

The results are as follows…

“1. 75% of South Africans think polygamy is “morally wrong” – bad news for their president, as Jacob Zuma took his third wife earlier this year and is engaged to a fourth. However, the survey also revealed some possible double-standards. While only 7% of Rwandans approved of polygamy (although this did include women), a rather higher number – 17% – of men said they had more than one wife.”

Interesting. You would have thought that a President’s actions would be reflective of the people that elected him and his example is far from that. Makes me wonder what happened on election day?

2. An overwhelming majority of respondents disapproved of homosexual behaviour. In three countries – Zambia, Kenya and Cameroon – this was a massive 98%. Interestingly, one of the countries with the highest numbers of people – 11% – accepting homosexuals is Uganda, where an MP is trying to get legislation passed which would punish homosexual acts with life in prison and even death in some cases. The former Portuguese colonies of Guinea-Bissau and Mozambique were also relatively tolerant of homosexuality.

Ironic, no?

3. Africa is probably the world’s most religious continent, with more than 80% saying they believed in God in most countries. At least half of the Christians questioned expect Jesus Christ to return to earth during their lifetimes. In Ethiopia, 74% of Christians say they have experienced or witnessed the devil or evil spirits being driven out of a person and in Ghana, 40% of Christians say they have had a direct revelation from God. About half of all Muslims expect to see the reunification of the Islamic world under a single ruler, or caliph, in their lifetimes.

Think of all the effort Christian and foreign missionaries spent in trying to spread the word of God throughout Africa – it obviously worked!  Interestingly, it seems as though Muslims have just the same conviction to their faiths.

4. Zimbabwe, where the Lemba people say they are the lost tribe of Israel, was not one of the countries surveyed. But 26% of Nigerian Christians said they traced their origins back to Israel or Palestine.

5. Belief in witchcraft is also common – about 40%; a similar percentage also visit traditional healers to cure sickness. Belief in witchcraft is highest in Tanzania with 93% – this is the country where witchdoctors say that magic potions are more effective if they contain body parts of people with albinism. Ethiopia had the lowest levels of belief in witchcraft – at just 17%. Belief that juju or sacred objects can prevent bad things happening was generally lower – between 20 and 30%. In Senegal, however, 75% thought such things worked – far higher than in Tanzania (49%). It may come as a surprise to learn that South Africa had the highest number of people – 52% – saying they took part in ceremonies of traditional religions, or honoured or celebrated their ancestors.

I wonder if witchcraft is like a religion to the people polled? Can witchcraft and Christianity or Islam overlap? I had once written a paper on the Haitian use of witchcraft as a means to maintain their identities during the slave trade and how they disguised it by using the names of Catholic saints and terminology. Historically, it was fascinating; socially, it was remarkable and I’m really not all that surprised that it still exists.

6. Predictably, there was also a religious split concerning alcohol, banned by Islam. Surprisingly, however, more Muslims in Chad (23%) approved of booze, than Ethiopian Christians (5%). This comes as a huge surprise to Ethiopia experts, however, who point out that it is traditional to welcome Orthodox Christian clergy with traditional honey beer when they visit your house. Maybe “alcohol” was only taken to mean spirits by some of the respondents?

This was surprising – isn’t alcohol extremely strict for practicing Muslims?

7. Attitudes to divorce showed a strong divide along religious lines in Nigeria. A massive 79% of Christians thought it was “morally wrong”, while among Muslims, a narrow majority (46-41%) accepted divorce.

Really? I wonder why?

8. In recent years, Islamist hardliners in Somalia and Nigeria have introduced strict punishment based on Sharia law, such as amputating the hands of thieves and even stoning to death for adultery. The majority of people disapproved of such Sharia punishments. In Nigeria, they were backed by about 40% of Muslims and less than 10% of Christians. However, a majority did approve of whippings and amputations in Senegal and Mali. In nearby Guinea-Bissau, even 50% of Christians backed them. This was double the rate among Muslims in Ethiopia (25%) – maybe it feels like a more realistic prospect to them, as they share a border with Somalia and most Muslim Ethiopians are ethnic Somalis.

I wrote about this a few posts ago and I am strongly against the practice.  I think the fact that people, Christians and Muslims, support it, the closer they are in proximity to Somalia and its people is certainly characteristic of the lawlessness of the country. But I’d have to question just how closely the people polled were following their faiths  when they supported such a policy.

9. The survey also asked about material well-being in the world’s poorest continent. Not so long ago, Cameroon regularly topped surveys of champagne consumption per head. However, a shocking 71% of Cameroonians surveyed said there were times in the past year when they did not have enough money to buy food. In Ethiopia, which is commonly seen as a country struggling to feed itself, the rate was far lower – at 30% – the lowest of all countries surveyed.

Remember the famine in Ethiopia during the ’80′s. The media really had a field day with that one; the photo-journalists documenting starving children, Band-Aid released a song, raising funds and OECD countries suddenly woke up and delivered badly needed food aid. I don’t think the world ever forgot. It’s not surprising then to hear that Ethiopia‘s access to food being more than double that than Cameroon. It’s also shocking to hear that Cameroon‘s consumption of champagne!?!?! Is it a french legacy Is champagne more important than food or is there just a handful of Cameroonian’s who are buying up the lion’s share of its imports? Interesting indeed.

10. Ethiopia did, however, have the lowest numbers of people – 7% – who said they regularly used the internet. Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame is striving to turn his country into Africa’s answer to Silicon Valley and is being helped by the arrival of several new fibre optic cables off the east coast of Africa. He will be encouraged by the finding that 30% of his countrymen – the highest number – regularly browsed the web. Mobile phones, were far more common – with 81% of respondents in Botswana owning one. Many countries reported more than 50% having phones but here, Rwanda lagged behind at just 35%.

Wait a minute…Rwanda – the one that suffered from a genocide a while back? I’ve been told that since then, Kigali has become a major international hotspot for non-profit’s, international organizations and the like, who obviously necessitate a need for broadband! I’m shocked that Ethiopia isn’t taking advantage of those fibre optic cables – they could definitely assist in wider communication tools. Mobile phones, on the other hand, signify developing economies and perhaps micro-finance schemes that provide small scale funding for communities to fuel entrepreneurship. I’d want to know those figures, comparing Botswana and Rwanda.

I know it’s geeky to find stats interesting, but they are! How else would we know what is working, what isn’t, what needs work and how the media has manipulated perceptions? I just read a fellow blogger, who was doing just that – using blogosphere to debate North American perceptions of development and through its interaction with theory and reality. Granted it is a bit academic, though good for some brain aerobics.

I’m surprisingly enlightened by this study and appreciate its publishing. I guess it’s more frustrating to realize that stereotypes still exist and its refreshing to get a little dose of reality every now and again.

Choosing a Democracy

I’ve never been in Canada during an election, but for the last one I wanted to be sure that I was a part of it. So I stopped by the embassy, picked up a ballot and made sure that it was delivered on time. It felt good to be a part of the process. My electing party didn’t win, but it was satisfying nonetheless and it’s that sentiment that I think Canadians often forget or take for granted. It’s the best indicator we have of good governance and provides a little sneak peak into what’s to come. So when I read of the tension surrounding previous and upcoming elections, I’m thankful that the tension surrounding Canada’s last election was hushed to a disgruntled murmur post-election that complained of wasted money and time after the election did absolutely nothing in changing the makeup of our democracy.

Thailand today is declaring a state of emergency in Bangkok after protester’s stormed the parliament, angry of a corrupt government who obtained power illegally. “The Red Shirt movement — known formally as the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship — contends Mr. Abhisit came to power illegitimately in the years after ex-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was removed in a 2006 coup on corruption allegations. The group is made up largely of Thaksin supporters and pro-democracy activists who opposed the putsch.”

Meanwhile, an election is especially significant and perhaps more so in Sudan where ethnic differences and memories of Darfur haunt the election campaign. The National Electoral Commission seems assured that the election will be held on time and as fair as possible. The ruling parties, though, disagree. The major rival to Sudanese President Bashir’s ruling (yep – that’s the one that was indited for crimes against humanity by the Hague) has pulled out of the race because “the poll in Darfur is being rigged in favour of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP). Supporters of other parties, he says, are being disenfranchised through difficulties in registering and having to walk long distances to reach a polling booth.” Yasser Arman, of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), goes on to “[accuse] the NCP of using the state’s resources in its campaign, of exploiting the state of emergency in Darfur to give the NCP and Mr Bashir an unfair electoral advantage. Mr Arman claims that his party and others contesting the elections are not allowed to venture out of the three major cities of Darfur, Neale, Geneina and al-Fasher.” If this is the case, perhaps it is better that he pull out of the elections – no sense in running them if they’re doomed to be fraudulent anyways – but if they don’t happen now, will they ever?

On Thursday, legislative elections in Sri Lanka could not only reinforce his coalition party, but also welcome the rest of his family in to the political sphere, which includes his 23-yr old son and 3 brothers. I’m not sure how I feel about this – it doesn’t sound right and highly doubtful that all members of The Rajapaksas would merit a spot in government. As the BBC wonders, I’d also like to know how the varying communities are represented and if the first family is legitimate.

I could  go on and on and on; elections in Afghanistan were suspected to have been ridden with holes, the Iraqi elections have given way to coalition building, Egyptian courts have just released opposition party members on bail. So many issues surrounding the conduct and results of elections and I’m not sure if this is what the founding fathers of democratic theory had in mind? It was all so cut and dry back then, wasn’t it? Didn’t exactly give us a guidebook to instruct us how to put dictator here and put corruption and violence there. Britain’s upcoming election, hopefully, will set a standard and show ‘em how it’s done! Otherwise, it’s back to the drawing board of leadership and hope that whatever we come up with will have a more lasting affect on the state of our democracies.

Weighing the Pro’s and Con’s of Afghanistan

I’m hesitant to discuss Afghanistan, knowing full well that it connects much of the world’s security concerns and therefore much of t he world’s attention. I’m hesitant because I haven’t yet made up my mind about it and am not sure what I support. We know scant little to make a valued opinion. We know that it is home to the 9/11 terrorists and that before 2001, the country was a feudal state, run by brutal warlords who called themselves, the Taliban. We know that troops in Afghanistan bears greater justification than in Iraq and is consolidated by a handful of nations that would agree. We also know that this is an initiative that carries a high price tag. Can’t get much simpler than that!

Ok, so what do we do? First we topple the ruling elite, send in troops, dispersing would-be terrorists who subsequently lead and utilize guerrilla styled attacks throughout the country. Meanwhile, brave coalition forces attempt to create stability, form a working army and consolidate a reliable leader. The reorientation of the US foreign policy is comforting as there is safety in numbers, but there are several obstacles that stand in the way of making Afghanistan what the world wants.

Obstacle #1: Does Afghanistan want to be occupied? Answer: Likely not! Who in their right mind wants to be occupied?! But if you’re President Hamid Karzai and you want to consolidate power by creating a standing army and police force that pledges allegiance to your ruling, then the ISAF and US missions are your friend, not enemy. They’re the one’s that are defending your rule, will provide the foreign aid, diplomatic support and investment needed to bring Afghanistan in to the 21st century. That’s not what Karzai seems to care about though – his childish reaction being uninvited to Washington (itself a reaction to Karzai’s scrapping of an independent panel revealing Karzai’s election fraud) was to seek out persona non grata himself, Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and invite him for tea and a speech. Someone better teach this man his manners! Really calls in to question Karzai’s vision for the country that is a little less American occupation, and a little more corruption, little less democracy and a little more hate speeches. Makes you think whether we’re supporting the right man? The fact that there was fraud at all in the last election suggests that the rival presented a real challenge to Karzai – if it was fair, would a different President be in power, whose views align more closely with the coalition forces? In any other situation, I’d reject this notion of playing puppeteer to a nation – no nation should have that power, except when it comes to Afghanistan.

Obstacle #2-4 : We’ve agreed that occupation is necessary and if it’s necessary, it’s going to be messy and costly and likely lengthy. Guerrilla type tactics are extremely effective and give the guerrillas an advantage, working on their own doorstep. At the same time though, terrorist displacement throughout Pakistan, Yemen and further to Germany and inside the US makes me think that it’s working. There is no base of operations anymore and organized crime and terrorism is much more difficult when borders divide them and technology can track them. Granted we haven’t succeeded in developing the necessary precautions or tools to prevent this yet and we’re ignorant not to.

The costs are astronomical for all countries involved and it comes at a particularly fragile time when the world’s economies are consistently being gambled with.  No one wants to do it, but no one also wants a concentration of terrorist activity and training grounds. Afghanistan has suffered years of neglect and mismanagement and its principal industry is the drug trade. This isn’t a problem that Afghanistan can conquer alone.  If balancing a budget is more significant to a foreign policy and a re-election campaign than ensuring global security and avoiding endless destruction and loss of life, then by all means it’s time to pack up shop. But these priorities are not clear – either you’re all for it and all the things that it includes, or you’re all against it.

And lastly, Afghanistan will be a lengthy process. Most wars are. Hopefully with increased troops to the region, reconstruction and development can proceed – that’s nation building. There’s no clear recipe for it, but the idea is the same. In a nutshell; demobilize combatants and consolidate rule; create opportunities that provide an alternative to violent extremism; rebuild and reconstruct infrastructure that instills the instruments of the state (especially the judicial, legislative, education and health sectors) and creates jobs – at least that’s the intention.

No one wants a war. No one wants to be tangled in mess for years that will only drive up a budget and drive down popular support. The obstacles are just a few among many that include Afghani support for the mission, Pakistan, confusion among multi-national intelligence circles, drug trafficking, democratic values and human rights and many, many more. (Note: I purposefully excluded religion from this list as I don’t see religious differences as an obstacle to this mission) I’m tired though of debating the pro’s and con’s of whether we should or whether we shouldn’t be there. Clear priorities have to be drawn and committed to, if anything, to build the confidence of a teetering Afghanistan and show that our support is unwavering and its reliance on corruption, terrorism and illicit ways are things of the past.

Something to Believe In

What a crazy world we live in! It’s no wonder that we look to God for guidance and perseverance every Sunday in the hopes that our strength will  be revitalized and courage invigorated. Yet, as we all know, the Church has its criticisms, notably the sex scandals that were uncovered over the decades. It’s ironic that, especially, the Catholic Church as an institution exists to lead the congregation on the conduct of their daily lives and yet itself strays from its own preachings. This alone would make anyone cringe and start searching for something else to believe in. But the Church recovered nicely, the crowds at the Vatican on Easter will attest to it, yet it never truly reformed, as the Vatican’s condemnation this week of  Catholic bishops and their cover-up of sexual abuse proves.

Pope Benedict XVI’s recognition that the abuse still exists and that bishops are turning a blind eye, shows the Pope’s commitment to ensuring the safety of young Catholics, (although critics say he hasn’t gone far enough), but also highlights the difficulties in enforcing a universal code of conduct throughout the globe. People look to the Church for guidance, not abuse and the Church’s role as a leader in society is again questioned. Should we follow the word of God if its representatives don’t?

I’m not sure if criminal acts make you any less Christian, but it certainly doesn’t do anything for your social status. So if you can’t trust the leaders of the Church, but know your instincts, the law and the respect that each human being affords to another, then perhaps faith in a higher being can be replaced by faith in each other and that their conduct will support you, give you courage and all the love that is needed in a lifetime?

I don’t think that spiritual enlightenment will never go away and people will always continue to search for evidence or guidance from a higher being (myself included). It’s interpretation though gets a bit muffled along the way, and hence brings the need for an ‘interpreter’. I just think that some people rely on and are so devoted to those religious leaders that it teeters on the edge of calamity – in all religions, not just Christianity.  A certain cautiousness has to be demonstrated when walking through that threshold to the congregation and common sense used in trusting religious leaders, after all we all need something to believe in.

Artistic Reflection

I’ve been thinking a lot about how art imitates life. Who could forget the music that characterized much of the 60′s? Buffalo Springfield, Joan Baez, Jefferson Airplane to name a few. That was protest and self expression all at once. And it’s not just in western culture either; I read yesterday how Sufi poetry in India speaks out against the caste system in India and listened to a report on art that was destroyed in the Haitian earthquake a few weeks ago and what a great tragedy it was for the nation. How to replace historic pieces? It’s seems parallel to losing all your belongings in a fire, except instead of one lifetime’s possessions, it was many century’s worth for the entire population.

The arts are a way of telling history (who could forget the wall paintings by the ancient Egyptians?); an establishment of a nation’s identity.  Why else would Israeli’s have looted the Palestinian Research Center upon its invasion into South Lebanon in 1982?  But when we go to the world’s most established and renowned art center’s, they’re full of artworks from abroad; Greece, Rome, China, Persia, India. Relics of a colonial past? The net worth of the artifacts alone would be astounding, and I’m therefore not surprised about the growing number of lawyers involved in the art trade and recovery.

When I first arrived in Austria, there was a case that surfaced surrounding Gustav Klimt’s work – perhaps the most famous Austrian painter – who’s works were left behind by the fleeing family during WW2. I arrived in Vienna, just in time to see the paintings before the US Supreme Court ordered them to be returned to the family, which now resides in the US. This is one of a very small number of cases, validating the return of property to its rightful owner. It’s debatable whether or not these artworks were national treasures or whether the expulsion of the artist himself invalidated that claim.

I enjoy the arts and am always eager to hear what’s new on the radio or wander the galleries. I’ve got to say though, I haven’t been too impressed with modern thoughts and ideas being reflected in music or in art. Of course, there’s been some bands, who have had personal experiences or strong sentiments toward a given issue – U2′s ‘Sunday, Bloody Sunday,” Midnight Oil’s “Beds are Burning,” Neil Young’s “Rocking in the Free World,” but in general, the type of work that is crowding the airwaves is not nearly as reflective of reality as it used to be… or is it? Do people just not have the same feelings toward Iraq and Afghanistan as the did toward Vietnam? And do visual artists feel more compelled to be abstract or modern in their paint strokes than the impressionists or renaissance painters? Are they torn between making a profit or making a statement?

It’s truly amazing what the arts can do for a pysche and a society. It can up-lift, invigorate, motivate, tell history all at once and be treasured for years to come – definitely something to be treasured!

What do Polls Really Say?

I went for a job interview once at a polling company that constructed polls and analysed the data. I thought it could be interesting, especially when the content was dealing with something interesting. Turned out, it wasn’t. But it did highlight the significance of polls in today’s world; be it for the leading marketer of canned soups, the political party in the lead or or the quality of living of global cities – this one was interesting to read in the 2009 Mercer’s Report, released last April and it really made me wonder what the criteria is to be ranked on the list because apparently Vienna came 1st in quality of living! After living there for about 3 years, I can certainly see why it should be on the report, but first? I’m not so sure. Looking closer, in the Americas I see the top 5 being all Canadian cities?!  Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary – Wow! Again, wondering what the criteria is and how each were judged?

It is entirely different to be an insider, living in a city than those looking in, juding it by the statistics and polls. Vienna is beautiful and clean and safe, with efficient transportation systems, bountious leisure activities, close proximity to travel destinations, good social security – tough to find a fault, really. But looking closer, you’ll find a history that continues to affect every-day life, stereotypes bordering on racial behaviour and hidden truths that never seem to surface. I enjoyed my time there, but it was very difficult to get to know locals (language barrier aside)  and even if I did, they were the ones who either were foreigners themselves or had an international character – one in a million. I would definately go back to see my friends or for vacation, but only to visit.

On the other hand, my own country. Wow – still amazed that 5 Canadian cities topped the North American listings! Seems like all we do is criticize one or another government without really taking stock of our situation in comparison to other nations…Clean cities – (sometimes) check! Good social security – (meh) ok, check! Health Care – (ok) check! Multi-culturalism – (depends where you go) check! If all that adds up to excellent quality of life, then the better we are for it! I guess I just have problems seeing it that way also.

In the last months, we have a Parliament that is closed for the season, we’ve earned a negligible human rights record abroad, we’ve degraded the environment for an oil source and we’ve a government that is out of control, all at a time when the biggest sporting event in the world is taking place in Vacouver. It’s a wonder why the PM was replaced by the Governor General at the Opening Ceremonies?

I am a proud Canadian, especially when Canadians are on that podium, but I haven’t been lately in regards to our own government and conduct abroad. I’m also very much a liberal, which perhaps is where my views with the present government’s view collide. I’m wondering though if Canadian cities were amongst the top cities last year, where they’ll stand this year? A lot has happened. But if we’re at the top of the list for ‘quality of life,’ what does that say about people around the world and how they treat each other and how well we’re taking care of our environment?

It’s sad. We have summit after summit, all highlighting a global issue; environment, security, health, economies, all claiming to be working together to reach a common goal. But really, is this what we’re doing or are leaders just using these meetings to critisize and place blame on each other for not adhering to given rules. It seems childish and one that is further complicated by political struggles or troubled economies. But if each of our countries can’t face facts and promote openly their global initiatives, it’s a fat chance that any other country would follow suit. This is what is going through my mind as the G8 approaches.

Foreign Correspondence

I’ve  thought of a career in journalism.  I like being able to express myself in ways that the spoken word couldn’t. But what has made me shy away from the practice as a career avenue, was it’s lack of analysis that it provides its readers.  True enough, good journalists with years of experience are able to provide insight to their readers that the regular desk reporter wouldn’t, but it rarely did anything more than inform the public, but even that was subject to the biases of the newspapers or corporate politics.  I found it discouraging to write a piece that you were so passionate about, hoping to spark debate, a public outcry or promote change, only to find reader’s indifferent. I wanted to be part of the group of people that made those changes, not simply uncovered them. I respect journalists, for the work that they do and the lengths that they go to to uncover a story. But for me, a story is never just a story. I would tend to invest myself in it and would want to see things through, work towards change and spread awareness.  It took me a long time to figure that out and even now, I cannot pretend that writing isn’t a part of me, my blog can attest to that. And so, I’m writing today to express just how affected I was this morning by all the reports coming out of Haiti.

Being abroad, far away from chaos, it’s easy to keep these events at an arm’s length. Life has been tough, dealing with my own problems, worrying about family and friends, job prospects and those nagging 10lbs that just won’t go away. And knowing myself and the extent that issues affect me, I just change the channel or avoid the links on the webpages, send my best wishes and wait until the news becomes less new and is replaced by a new story.  But today, it was unavoidable. I was reading yesterday’s paper (I was working yesterday morning) and found more than 10 articles dedicated to Haiti, with documented photos alongside. The headlines were striking, ‘surgeons conduct amputations without anesthetic,’ ‘gang executions of looters,’ ‘foreign aid slow to come.’ I was bombarded with emotion, tears brimming my eyes. I can almost imagine the chaos that is echoing out of the country.

If I can just see myself trying to report these types of things and bubbling through a reportage, trying to take in the children around me who are drinking dirty water, which in itself could be infested with countless unknown diseases. But I’m thankful that I did have that shock this morning. It’s prompted me to internalize this, and write about it here. I’ll be surfing the aid agencies tonight, trying to find the best one to donate to. I have little funds and am working 3 jobs and living with my parents, but I would sleep better tonight knowing that I can contribute. And it’s because of those journalists.

It’s at a time like this that I’m proud of our government – never thought I’d say that, – for its quick action to assist -  lower ing immigration standards for claimants from Haiti, delivering aid and surgical equipment, for welcoming Canadians into the Haitian Embassy. Perhaps the Governor General and her  Haitian heritage had something to do with it. Regardless, it almost makes up for the fact the PM basically closed Parliament for a few months and reaffirms what Canada is all about.

Security on the Playing Field

As Olympic buzz starts to buzz louder as the opening ceremonies approach, I have flashbacks to the film, “Cool Runnings” – not for its cinematic genius or compelling script, but rather its demonstration of national pride and perseverence that the atheletes carry with them on their journey to the Olympics.  It’s perhaps national pride that I can even remember the film, starring John Candy and taking place in Calgary – the film itself found a washed-out Candy on the shores of Jamaica, training washed-out track athletes to use their talents on the bobsled track, landing themselves in the middle of the Calgary Games.  It’s truly a cute and funny film, but it exemplified exactly what the Games were about; competition, national pride, hard work, teamwork, equality, and many other exemplary qualities which make it perfect for kids and adults alike to enjoy.

Turning to the athletes of the national teams, who have the rare opportunity to represent their country which has, for better or worse, given them the chance to go to the world stage and show the world exactly what they and their nation is about, be it, drug enhancing performances, judges who sell out or the dignified tumble that is talked about for years to come. It should be an honor and to some, it may be life-altering.  Such is what I’m sure the Togo football team must have been thinking on their way to the Africa Cup in Angola or the Sri Lankan Cricket Team in Pakistan, or even the Israelis in Munich. I doubt that any would have thought they were risking their lives in doing so.

Pride and competition drive international games, but it’s the ugly cousins; animosity and violence, who accompany it, particularly when tension exists between and among communities, nations, cultures and religions, that turn a harmless athletic event into a deadly riot.  Make no mistake, these attacks on national teams are terrorist acts and it is just as symbolic to an attack on a national monument, but too often we brush the incidents aside into the pile of sports fanatic behavior.

And so, as we countdown to the Opening Ceremonies in Vancouver and as security beefs up at the airports, harbors, borders, tramways, subways, train stations and pedestrian avenues and knowing that the complaints are sure to muffle the sounds of exited spectators,  we must remind ourselves that it is done in the name of security and maintaining a peaceful and competitive spirit to the Games, where politics and personal grudges are left at the sidelines and the sport can be enjoyed for what it is, a sport.