[8AH]≡ Read Emergency Sex And Other Desperate Measures True Stories from a War Zone Heidi Postlewait Kenneth Cain Andrew Thomson 9780091901646 Books

Emergency Sex And Other Desperate Measures True Stories from a War Zone Heidi Postlewait Kenneth Cain Andrew Thomson 9780091901646 Books

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Emergency Sex And Other Desperate Measures True Stories from a War Zone Heidi Postlewait Kenneth Cain Andrew Thomson 9780091901646 Books

‘Emergency Sex: True Stories from A War Zone’, is a kind of diary, published in 2004 by three youngish UN workers, Kenneth Cain, Heidi Postlewait, & Andrew Thomson. They tell personal stories about their humanitarian work on the front lines of humanitarian crises during the 1990s & early 2000s. These were in the blood lands of Cambodia, Somalia, Rwanda, Haiti, Bosnia where the UN as an institution and its masters on the Security Council failed to protect human rights, or to prevent Genocide.
This is an unrelentingly honest, first-hand account of the filth and horror, and of the struggle to manage the personal emotional experience of humanitarian work. When humanitarian workers are under great pressure, they work it off, like soldiers, through drinking and sex, and still feel the nightmares, sleeplessness, sense of isolation from an external world that can’t understand what they’ve been through. Heidi Postlewaite came under criticism for writing about her sexuality. The book implicitly raises questions about the moralistic reaction of aid agencies to #Metoo. Rape and harassment are always wrong. Humanitarian workers, including women, are sexual people. And there are a thousand degrees of ambiguity about the role of power and money in sexual relationships in the field, just as there are in marriages in New York, London, or Paris.
Kofi Anan said this book should be suppressed, I suppose for revealing that UN staff are human, that the UN is hopelessly inefficient, and that the UN failed to save lives, frustrating these idealistic young workers. Well, we knew all that. It’s the bla, bla coming out of New York and Geneva, the slogans and formulas, the numerous wasteful international meetings, that makes the UN look bad. This book improved my image of the UN because it reminded me of the many idealistic and well-trained UN staff I’ve met in the field who work hard to help people with real and often desperate needs.
Anyone thinking of a career in humanitarian operations or seeking to understand the UN should read this book.


Tags : Emergency Sex (And Other Desperate Measures) : True Stories from a War Zone [Heidi Postlewait, Kenneth Cain, Andrew Thomson] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. In the early 1990s three young people attracted to the ambitious global peacekeeping work of the UN cross paths in Cambodia. Andrew strives for a better world through his life-saving work as a doctor. Heidi,Heidi Postlewait, Kenneth Cain, Andrew Thomson,Emergency Sex (And Other Desperate Measures) : True Stories from a War Zone,Ebury Pr,0091901642,Aid & relief programmes,Biography & Autobiography,Biography: general,International aid,Sociology

Emergency Sex And Other Desperate Measures True Stories from a War Zone Heidi Postlewait Kenneth Cain Andrew Thomson 9780091901646 Books Reviews

I was in Geneva with UNHCR friends when this frst came out and I was put-off getting a copy by the "eye catcher" title. Then last week while sitting bored in my protected compound in Kabul I saw it and thought I'd give it a chance. Good decision, if a late one. It is structured in a very interesting way, with the interleaving of the three separate but connected lives. And the writing is good, being communicative of the situations they found themselves in a very down to earth "as it was" way. Yes, there is sex, just like the title says, but where does it say that because you are on a humanitarian mission you must take bromide in your tea? After my delayed start I would now strongly recommend it as an intelligent and accurate insider's look at how humanitarian aid works. No wonder at the time it apparently upset quite a few UN officials. All in all a fascinating insight.
Clever, humorous, and captivating. I strongly disliked the female author in this due to her overt aggression to western values/ideals/society but the other two authors were excellent and pragmatic minded.
A very good book, not only for humanitarian assistance professionals, but also for people who would like to find out more about peacekeeping/ humanitarian assistance operations. A compelling read, it sucks the reader right in and provides a deeper understanding of UN emergency operations and on the psychological strain the officers implementing them are subjected to. If what's mentioned above is of interest to you, do yourself a favor and buy the book, you will not regret it one bit.
I got it in time and in the expected condition.
Having had the pleasure to share my house with one of the authors; Andrew Thomson, in Kigali i 1995-96, I know with which seriousity and proffessionalism he went about his work to establish a certain justice where there was none. As they write; "If u end up in a situation where people w blue berets say they will keep u safe; Run for your life!" Sounds funny, but is chillingly true.
I dont know if it is as gripping for people who have not been on foreign missions, but if you are a mission junky than you must read this. All emotions are captured extremely well. the longing to go yet on another mission even if you have your doubts about the wisdom of again risking your health and perhaps life. A great book. The only thing I cant say I have experienced is the emergency sex, but the rest is spot on. Witty and well written.
Idealism may have been stifled by bureaucracy, but the adventures were real enough. Great read. My thanks to the authors for trying - with no small amount of success - to make the world a better place. Can't quite say the same about the U.N. Good, if disturbing, insight into how the U.N. "operates" in the field.
This is a book that carries the reader with it, it puts the experiences of the three authors, Andrew, Ken and Heidi right into oneself as the story unfolds. It is so sad to see the atrocities meted out on fellow human beings by other people and to bear witness at the gross failures of those in power, the United Nations and the world international community. The accounts of the Rwanda and Bosnia genocides and the killings in Haiti and Liberia are very disturbing and what is worse, they happened at the watch of the UN or its inaction. Human beings are born equal, they should be treated with equity and dignity whatever skin colour, religion or ethnicity......

I got personally engrossed in the lives of Heidi, Andrew and Ken and would have wanted to know more as to what happened in their personal lives after leaving the UN. Did Andrew actually settle back in Cambodia with his wife Suzanne? Did Ken ever get married? Did Heidi find new love after losing Marc? Did they ever start families?

Such is the power of this book. It leaves many questions regarding the role of the UN, even right at the end when it was awarded the Nobel peace prize.
‘Emergency Sex True Stories from A War Zone’, is a kind of diary, published in 2004 by three youngish UN workers, Kenneth Cain, Heidi Postlewait, & Andrew Thomson. They tell personal stories about their humanitarian work on the front lines of humanitarian crises during the 1990s & early 2000s. These were in the blood lands of Cambodia, Somalia, Rwanda, Haiti, Bosnia where the UN as an institution and its masters on the Security Council failed to protect human rights, or to prevent Genocide.
This is an unrelentingly honest, first-hand account of the filth and horror, and of the struggle to manage the personal emotional experience of humanitarian work. When humanitarian workers are under great pressure, they work it off, like soldiers, through drinking and sex, and still feel the nightmares, sleeplessness, sense of isolation from an external world that can’t understand what they’ve been through. Heidi Postlewaite came under criticism for writing about her sexuality. The book implicitly raises questions about the moralistic reaction of aid agencies to #Metoo. Rape and harassment are always wrong. Humanitarian workers, including women, are sexual people. And there are a thousand degrees of ambiguity about the role of power and money in sexual relationships in the field, just as there are in marriages in New York, London, or Paris.
Kofi Anan said this book should be suppressed, I suppose for revealing that UN staff are human, that the UN is hopelessly inefficient, and that the UN failed to save lives, frustrating these idealistic young workers. Well, we knew all that. It’s the bla, bla coming out of New York and Geneva, the slogans and formulas, the numerous wasteful international meetings, that makes the UN look bad. This book improved my image of the UN because it reminded me of the many idealistic and well-trained UN staff I’ve met in the field who work hard to help people with real and often desperate needs.
Anyone thinking of a career in humanitarian operations or seeking to understand the UN should read this book.