fueling the fire

Don't worry, I didn't fly into Sudan from Jordan, nor am I in, or planning to visit, Khartoum. Frankly, I'm not even allowed into the capital of Sudan proper, given the Israeli stamp in my visa. That said - I'm fine, though the footage from the terrible plane crash is beyond upsetting.

During lunch, over the cries of tonight's dinner (ubiquitous goat, yech) coming from the back yard, an interesting newscast raised the question of sanctions and the costs on human security. What is the impact of cheaply manufactured, counterfeit, and recycled replacement aviation parts - perhaps utilized in response to international sanctions prohibiting the export of advanced technology to countries like Sudan, Myanmar, and Iran? Clinton banned exports of technology to Sudan in '97 and the July 2003 crash of a Sudan Airways flight that killed 115 people, left the Government of Sudan (GoS-Khartoum) quick to blame sanctions for restricting vital, sophisticated aviation tools for the crash. And this round?

I'm certainly not arguing against the U.N. Security Council's embargo on providing arms and military training to armed groups in Darfur, nor that the travel ban and and freezing of assets of certain key figures isn't essential. Where else can the "international community" leverage it's weight against perpetrators of heinous crimes? Madeleine Albright's op-ed in the Times couldn't have come out at a better time:

At the heart of the debate is the question of what the international system is. Is it just a collection of legal nuts and bolts cobbled together by governments to protect governments? Or is it a living framework of rules intended to make the world a more humane place?

In reviewing project documents all morning, reflecting on work in Uganda, and recognizing the inherent issues in trying to implement an early childhood education program using teachers that have no education themselves, I've grown a bit weary. If nothing else I can lend a big thanks to SIPA for strengthening my critical eye of the humanitarian field.

On that note, I plan to stop complaining about the heat when I start complaining about the rain. Check out this map of my upcoming destination. After downloading the file, zoom into towards the bottom right corner, look for the green airplane, and find Pagak, right on the border.

p.s. For the record, Deet does not deter black flies and I've become really good at throwing shoes.