Cambodia Calling
Published last month, Cambodia Calling: A Memoir From the Frontlines of Humanitarian Aid, chronicles the adventures in rural Cambodia of Canadian founder of Médecins Sans Frontières, Richard Heinzl. As the author states; "I was so blown away by my experiences overseas, I just had to write about it. I needed to make sense of the experience. I wanted to write it right away, but I was too close to the experience and required some time to allow it to percolate through me." Heinzl's memoir, published by Wiley, includes his time in Uganda before working in Sisophon in northwest Cambodia in the early '90s. A medical doctor from Hamilton, Ontario, he's the founder of Doctors Without Borders / Médicins Sans Frontières in Canada. He studied at the University of Toronto, McMaster University, Harvard University, and the University of Oxford. His travels and work have taken him to over 70 countries, and he is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including a citation from the Government of Cambodia and an honorary doctorate from his alma mater, McMaster University. He travels widely, speaking about his adventures in the field to enthusiastic audience at universities and organizations and lives with his family in Ontario.Tags: cambodia
posted by Andy Brouwer at
12:20 PM
3 Comments:
one thing that makes me sick is, how is it possible that the most powerful countries in the world - like the US, UK, Russia,largely responsible for the scourge of landmines - have not yet developed state-of-the-art technology to effectively address the issue of locating and deactivating landmines and UXOs??? I just can't believe that people who promote the "Star Wars" program and are capable of spotting buried archaelogical sites and scrutinizing people's lives over poor Earth from outer space just aren't capable of effectively tackling this issue... And if you allow me the remark, Andy - I know this is a potentially negative issue, as far as tourism is concerned - but one thing I lack in your blog is an update of the whole issue of LMs and UXOs in Cambodia. An interview with demining experts and organizations wd be great! - Anne Marie
I couldn't agree more with Anne Marie. It seems that landmine removal technology hasn't made any progress since WW I, while mass-destruction... detectors beeping at silver paper from cigarette packs and halting the work for hours... Specifically with regard to Kampuchea, I found an excellent interview with Richard Boulter, the local program manager of Halo Trust, at the talesofasia website, but it's quite outdated...
///Jonathan Donahue
Thanks for your comments. I can direct you to this website which has some good info on the landmine situation in Cambodia. http://www.seasite.niu.edu/khmer/Ledgerwood/Landmines.htm
Post a Comment
<< Home