I do some work with Syrian refugees in Denmark, where I live. Most of them are very nice people who just want to protect their families from the chaos in their homeland. But as Westerners (and Easterners, China and Japan are involved as well), we have to decide how much we want to get involved in someone else's war. People talk about sending in the military - but would they really want to send in their own child ? You can't respect the Syrian people's right to self-determination on one level and then say we should intervene to protect them on another level. It's all a huge mess.
Agree Nutty. In the past i worked with asylum seekers displaced due to war. It was full on. The refugee camps were mostly worse than the treatment they received when living in the countries they fled. Now our country are retraumatising asylum.seekers all over by putting them in concentration camp like settings. You wouldn't condone animals being given the same treatment. *end rant*
This is tough. I wish I had an answer and I think that the West may be at fault for lighting yet another fuse that has caused a mess but then we go oh it's your problem now. The colonial powers have historically played games with the Middle East, after World War 1 and World War II and thereafter.
First all don't get me started on the United Nations. Can you spell corrupt and ineffective. The other problem is you can't have peace until the main players want peace. ISIS doesn't want peace. Hamas doesn't want peace. It's all or nothing.
And for all the people who complain about how Israel treats Palestinians well shake hands with ISIS. They make Al Queda and Hamas and Hezbollah look like wimps.
The sad thing is the newest crop of refugees. Syria was actually a modern state in the Middle East and ISIS seems determined to drag it back into the 7th century.
"The United Nations’ humanitarian appeals are significantly underfunded"
That may because too many times the money raised to help refugees has gone into the pockets of corrupt government officials and corrupt UN officials. Did you know that Mrs. Arafat is living very comfortably off all the money Yassir managed to stash away in Swiss bank accounts rather than provide food and shelter and economic development for Palestinians over several decades. Did you read about the Oil for Food scandal?
I would love for someone to come up with the money that has gone to various efforts and see how much of it ever got to where it was supposed to because sadly the poor are powerless.
This happened to Bob Geldof. After all his hard work to raise money via Live Aid to send food, I seem to recall at least half the food was "stolen" and sold on the black market. That is why Bono and Bob came up with the scheme for debt forgiveness so at least the corrupt officials of those countries had nothing to steal.
I do respect her and that she has continued to go into these areas and tries to show the world what these people are dealing with and what their living situations are like. There are many that have no idea and some who just do not care. If she can convince some to help or shame others into it then she has succeeded there.
I respect her work and the sentiments of this op- ed, which im sure reflects her feelings and attitudes, even if co- written. I absolutely agree there doesnt seem to be any answer for misery and corruption and rape of young girls. Its anti- human behavior, and I have zero idea how to help. At the very least she can assure these people we have not forgotten them, we feel for them, but have no idea what to do to help.
If she wrote that I'll eat my hat
ReplyDeleteand I'll eat my shoes
ReplyDeleteI do some work with Syrian refugees in Denmark, where I live. Most of them are very nice people who just want to protect their families from the chaos in their homeland. But as Westerners (and Easterners, China and Japan are involved as well), we have to decide how much we want to get involved in someone else's war. People talk about sending in the military - but would they really want to send in their own child ? You can't respect the Syrian people's right to self-determination on one level and then say we should intervene to protect them on another level. It's all a huge mess.
ReplyDeleteAgree Nutty. In the past i worked with asylum seekers displaced due to war. It was full on. The refugee camps were mostly worse than the treatment they received when living in the countries they fled. Now our country are retraumatising asylum.seekers all over by putting them in concentration camp like settings. You wouldn't condone animals being given the same treatment. *end rant*
DeleteThis is tough. I wish I had an answer and I think that the West may be at fault for lighting yet another fuse that has caused a mess but then we go oh it's your problem now. The colonial powers have historically played games with the Middle East, after World War 1 and World War II and thereafter.
ReplyDeleteFirst all don't get me started on the United Nations. Can you spell corrupt and ineffective. The other problem is you can't have peace until the main players want peace. ISIS doesn't want peace. Hamas doesn't want peace. It's all or nothing.
And for all the people who complain about how Israel treats Palestinians well shake hands with ISIS. They make Al Queda and Hamas and Hezbollah look like wimps.
The sad thing is the newest crop of refugees. Syria was actually a modern state in the Middle East and ISIS seems determined to drag it back into the 7th century.
"The United Nations’ humanitarian appeals are significantly underfunded"
ReplyDeleteThat may because too many times the money raised to help refugees has gone into the pockets of corrupt government officials and corrupt UN officials. Did you know that Mrs. Arafat is living very comfortably off all the money Yassir managed to stash away in Swiss bank accounts rather than provide food and shelter and economic development for Palestinians over several decades. Did you read about the Oil for Food scandal?
I would love for someone to come up with the money that has gone to various efforts and see how much of it ever got to where it was supposed to because sadly the poor are powerless.
This happened to Bob Geldof. After all his hard work to raise money via Live Aid to send food, I seem to recall at least half the food was "stolen" and sold on the black market. That is why Bono and Bob came up with the scheme for debt forgiveness so at least the corrupt officials of those countries had nothing to steal.
I do respect her and that she has continued to go into these areas and tries to show the world what these people are dealing with and what their living situations are like. There are many that have no idea and some who just do not care. If she can convince some to help or shame others into it then she has succeeded there.
ReplyDeleteI respect her work and the sentiments of this op- ed, which im sure reflects her feelings and attitudes, even if co- written. I absolutely agree there doesnt seem to be any answer for misery and corruption and rape of young girls. Its anti- human behavior, and I have zero idea how to help. At the very least she can assure these people we have not forgotten them, we feel for them, but have no idea what to do to help.
ReplyDelete