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Huge earthquake in Haiti

Hi xes, I know about the missionaries story and I have a link to a really interesting recent article about it. Just wanted to post a link to it up on the Urban thread that was specifically about the missionaries, rather than on a general Haiiti thread. If anyone can link to the other thread that would be grand, I failed completely to find it, after several searches, and I can't remember which poster started it.
 
Hi folks

Apologies for bumping this thread.

Just want to ask about another Haiti related thread from a little while back, which I can't for the life of me now find.

It was specifically to do with those Baptist missionaries from the US who were arrested in a coach on or near the Dominican Republic/Haiti border with about 30 Haitian kids (not all of them orphans either) that the godsquadders had taken charge of under dubious circumstances.

Does anyone know the thread I mean? It might have been on General rather than here (I've tried lots of searches and failed :( ).

A link would be great. Ta.

This is the latest bit of new about it. Evidently one of them was taken to the hospital:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/02/17/haiti.border.arrests/index.html?eref=igoogle_cnn
 
NGO's got to NGO:mad:
heard some real horror stories about aid workers behaviour and some none western UN troops as well some non western UN troops go above and beyond others actually makes thing worse much like some Aid workers. the fact oxfam gave these cunts a reference so they could continue to work in the sector is mind boggaling
 
4903207400000578-5370247-image-a-1_1518139573085.jpg


Oxfam Director, 68-year old Roland van Hauwermeiren admitted using prostitutes in the wake of the Haitian earthquake at the villa Oxfam rented for him in Haiti, but was not part of the 'Caligula' claims.

He was allowed to resign in August 2011 just a week after an internal investigation was announced. Oxfam did not share details of the termination of contract with his new employer. He went on to become head of mission for Action Against Hunger, who say that they had 'no idea' about his background.​
 
(back after some time off)

The details of the incidents aside- and this is hardly news to many that these things happen, its been an ever present with many NGO/ UN placements- fucking hell, I know of UK forces being bang into brothels during the Balkans excursion from direct knowledge - it is Interesting to see how this is being hawked as a tool to possibly limit the idea of foreign aid by those with an agenda within the UK administration.We all know that aid is not usually suitcases full of money as the Daily Mail would suggest, but combined with recent UKG legislation about charity political influence & UKG funding being emasculated in order to restrict political criticism is a possibly dangerous dynamic.

again, this is sorta not relating to the specifics of this case and in no way condoning it. Obviously the idea of aid itself being contentious is a further discussion that any undegrad IR or geographer would be aware of .

/discuss
 
I know someone who worked as a nurse for MSF for years. 20 years ago, she was telling me about sexual exploitation by aid workers/UN peacekeeping troops of people in refugee camps.

Apparently, it was reasonably commonplace and complaints from MSF etc were largely ignored. :mad::(
 
I've heard some well dodgy things about MSF too though. I'd quite like to get into aid work and I'm probably working towards it. This sort of thing obviously puts you off, but then in health and social care we only really hear about the bad stuff too and it's not a representation of the whole industry. (Though a lot of it is shit because of the bosses.)
 
4903207400000578-5370247-image-a-1_1518139573085.jpg


Oxfam Director, 68-year old Roland van Hauwermeiren admitted using prostitutes in the wake of the Haitian earthquake at the villa Oxfam rented for him in Haiti, but was not part of the 'Caligula' claims.

He was allowed to resign in August 2011 just a week after an internal investigation was announced. Oxfam did not share details of the termination of contract with his new employer. He went on to become head of mission for Action Against Hunger, who say that they had 'no idea' about his background.​
The bit about him being allowed to leave and move on to another job in the same industry is both mind boggling and predictable/depressing at the same time. Akin to priests being moved to another parish. FFS, this was 2011, not the 1970s.
 
That whole incident was a nightmare! The way the Americans controlled the airport to militarise the place... the only aid coming in by road from the neighbours... more amputations than the American civil war, no anaesthetic, racists and twisted BBC and CNN coverage... nasty
 
(back after some time off)

The details of the incidents aside- and this is hardly news to many that these things happen, its been an ever present with many NGO/ UN placements- fucking hell, I know of UK forces being bang into brothels during the Balkans excursion from direct knowledge - it is Interesting to see how this is being hawked as a tool to possibly limit the idea of foreign aid by those with an agenda within the UK administration.We all know that aid is not usually suitcases full of money as the Daily Mail would suggest, but combined with recent UKG legislation about charity political influence & UKG funding being emasculated in order to restrict political criticism is a possibly dangerous dynamic.

again, this is sorta not relating to the specifics of this case and in no way condoning it. Obviously the idea of aid itself being contentious is a further discussion that any undegrad IR or geographer would be aware of .

/discuss
I had a student in Birmingham tell me this once: "I took African studies because I wanted to work in the NGO world, but now you're telling us it's a load of crap".

I'm not surprised in the least by this scandal. I'm also not surprised that it's come out just as Jacob "don't marry off your own planet, the offspring might look like me" Rees-Mogg is prepping his leadership challenge by attacking foreign aid.
 
The bit about him being allowed to leave and move on to another job in the same industry is both mind boggling and predictable/depressing at the same time. Akin to priests being moved to another parish. FFS, this was 2011, not the 1970s.

I've heard rumours that this is standard mo for oxfam, they don't want to be seen to have been employing these people in the first place so rather than discipline them as they should do, they quietly make the person leave one way or another.
 
The bit about him being allowed to leave and move on to another job in the same industry is both mind boggling and predictable/depressing at the same time. Akin to priests being moved to another parish. FFS, this was 2011, not the 1970s.

Sounds very much like a settlement agreement to me.
 
I've heard some well dodgy things about MSF too though. I'd quite like to get into aid work and I'm probably working towards it. This sort of thing obviously puts you off, but then in health and social care we only really hear about the bad stuff too and it's not a representation of the whole industry. (Though a lot of it is shit because of the bosses.)
Sadly, I suspect these absolute scumbags are spread across lots of organisations.
 
Sadly, I suspect these absolute scumbags are spread across lots of organisations.

Yes, these creeps have a habit of worming themselves into such positions, where they think their actions will be unaccountable and untraceable. Oxfam now will be forever tainted by this, and in the end they have no one else to blame but themselves. No amount of damage limitation will off-set that. And neither should it.
 
what surprised me was auld penny mordaunt saying that the government wouldn't work with anyone who didn't have moral leadership.

the government don't show moral leadership, e.g. that minister who was at the presidents club is still a minister. boris de pfeffel johnson is still a minister. the tory party benches are filled with people whose moral compass is broken beyond repair.

so while oxfam workers have done dreadful things, the government's in no position to take the moral high ground.
 
what surprised me was auld penny mordaunt saying that the government wouldn't work with anyone who didn't have moral leadership.

the government don't show moral leadership, e.g. that minister who was at the presidents club is still a minister. boris de pfeffel johnson is still a minister. the tory party benches are filled with people whose moral compass is broken beyond repair.

so while oxfam workers have done dreadful things, the government's in no position to take the moral high ground.
Maybe they will put David Meller in charge of sorting this out, now he's at a loose end.
 
Yes, these creeps have a habit of worming themselves into such positions, where they think their actions will be unaccountable and untraceable. Oxfam now will be forever tainted by this, and in the end they have no one else to blame but themselves. No amount of damage limitation will off-set that. And neither should it.

Exactly. It's this sort of underhand cover up that allows abuse to happen. It's what allows people to slowly progress their abuse. Really fucking dodgy.
 
The OXFAM response is piss poor:

... particularly the bit about making sure offenders don't just move on to other organisations. It's the point these PR jobs always reach - 'we did an awful thing ... and we are committed to making sure awful things like this don't ever happen'. So, why the fuck did you do the awful thing in the first place?
 
The bit about him being allowed to leave and move on to another job in the same industry is both mind boggling and predictable/depressing at the same time. Akin to priests being moved to another parish. FFS, this was 2011, not the 1970s.
Happens at home too. I know of a counsellor working with a vulnerable DV victim who entered into a sexual relationship with them. Charity didn’t want to know and brushed it under carpet! Case worker is still working with vulnerable adults for another organisation.
 
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