Comments on: Merry Christmas, Mr. Harper! http://moshublog.com/2006/12/24/merry-christmas-mr-harper/ The combined blog: about WordPress, the Canadian Prairies and myself Sat, 11 Feb 2012 08:11:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: InvisibleMinority http://moshublog.com/2006/12/24/merry-christmas-mr-harper/comment-page-1/#comment-14994 InvisibleMinority Wed, 03 Jan 2007 02:14:27 +0000 http://moshublog.com/2006/12/24/merry-christmas-mr-harper/#comment-14994 I am glad others came to the same conclusions after similar experiences. (I didn't have bodyguards in Bosnia, either :) I am glad others came to the same conclusions after similar experiences. (I didn’t have bodyguards in Bosnia, either :)

]]> By: Stefan http://moshublog.com/2006/12/24/merry-christmas-mr-harper/comment-page-1/#comment-14993 Stefan Mon, 01 Jan 2007 10:46:57 +0000 http://moshublog.com/2006/12/24/merry-christmas-mr-harper/#comment-14993 You are right, distributing humanitarian aid can be a tricky and even dangerous activity. And the official, government channels are mostly to be avoided - if possible. Sometimes you have to negotiate and even make some concessions. We did this in the Ukraine after a flood back in 1995: the Hungarian government asked the Hungarian Maltese Charity Service to ditributing the aids. The Ukranian Government wanted to take over everything. After tough negotiations we gave them the medicine but even that not dirtectly but via Central Hospital in Munkachevo. The rest we distributed through the Franciscan monks, through orthodox priests and local school directors. Resisting armed pressure is not an easy job, either:-) In Bosnia I had no bodyguards to protect me, so I had to give one part of the aid to the side it was not destined to go to. How big or small this share should be, is again a matter to be negotiated and I conceded less than the average and far less than the big NGOs. So I think that your government - like any other government - should take a very careful look at which NGOs they work with and the NGOs should take a very close look at whom they send out to do the field work. And train those people properly. You are right, distributing humanitarian aid can be a tricky and even dangerous activity. And the official, government channels are mostly to be avoided - if possible. Sometimes you have to negotiate and even make some concessions. We did this in the Ukraine after a flood back in 1995: the Hungarian government asked the Hungarian Maltese Charity Service to ditributing the aids. The Ukranian Government wanted to take over everything. After tough negotiations we gave them the medicine but even that not dirtectly but via Central Hospital in Munkachevo. The rest we distributed through the Franciscan monks, through orthodox priests and local school directors.

Resisting armed pressure is not an easy job, either:-) In Bosnia I had no bodyguards to protect me, so I had to give one part of the aid to the side it was not destined to go to. How big or small this share should be, is again a matter to be negotiated and I conceded less than the average and far less than the big NGOs.

So I think that your government - like any other government - should take a very careful look at which NGOs they work with and the NGOs should take a very close look at whom they send out to do the field work. And train those people properly.

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