After reading Emergency Sex, there were many experiences and emotions shared from the various characters to which helped expand my knowledge of both humanitarian aid and the sociological factors behind it. Accompanying this, I found almost every character to change throughout there humanitarian aid journey despite the differences among them. Although some characters experienced much more emotionally lacking experiences in comparison to others (i.e. Andrew vs. Heidi) I found that their perspectives on the need and efforts put into humanitarian aid were relatively synonymous. Each character was lacking some form of a substance in life and needed to delve into something a bit more exciting however still understood the extent of stress and work involved.
One of the character’s I found particularly interesting in both his background and experience in the humanitarian aid field was Andrew. Having recently visited Cambodia during my Business of the Pacific Rim trip the conditions outlined and his journey was relatively familiar and reminded me of some of the experiences I had undergone. However, despite his journey being seemingly less emotional and demanding, dealing with the deaths of his patients was something that seemed to be overlooked and would drag one’s morale and will to provide aid to the ground. In the passage, Andrew states, “set out to save lives and…somewhere along the line…lost sight of treating people and became obsessed with [his] own grandiose ideals of service” (Cain, 255). I feel as though this passage encompasses our class and the several lessons on the humanitarian aid imperative. Andrew rather than focusing on the health and well-being of his patients, not just only under his care, but afterward fell victim to the imperative. He found more pleasure in promoting himself instead of providing the care and medical aid he was qualified and relied upon for. Furthermore, in the past following weeks, we have discussed the power of sex as a weapon and how it is used to assume dominance and control over others. Andrew when in Colombia witnesses countless paramilitaries bring in prostitutes to the hotel which he was residing in. The idea that those who were in charge of protecting him, those who were innocent, and those who could not protect themselves brought Andrew to his breaking point. Following this breaking point where Andrew even states how he contemplated his life as he stood on the 4th floor of the hotel, he is forced to uncover the brutal murders and mass killings during the Serbian Ethnic Cleansing. It is at this point where Andrew can see the absolute mockery and flawed system to which not only the United Nations or Red Cross is responsible for, but the humanitarian aid sector as a whole.
Lastly, I found Heidi’s story to be particularly interesting due to her perspective as a woman amongst these massive social and political issues, much of which revolved around gender inequality. Her feeling of absolute aloneness in a country ravaged by Civil War’s and military cou’s which lead to almost half of the Cambodian population being decimated proved her dedication to the role but once again fell victim to the imperative. I’ve also linked a rather long BBC video on the Khmer Rouge and their impact on Cambodia for those interested.
Works Cited:
Cain, Kenneth, Heidi Postlewait, and Andrew Thomson. Emergency Sex and Other Desperate Measures: A True Story from Hell on Earth. New York: Hyperion, 2004. Print.
Arcaro, Tom. The Moral Career of a Humanitarian Aid Worker. 25 Jan. 2016, blogs.elon.edu/aidworkervoices/?p=414
2 Comments
It’s interesting to me that you frame Heidi’s fault as “falling victim to the imperative”. I feel as though this conclusion could be much further discussed, and would perhaps even take the class back a couple steps and and in a new direction. I don’t say this necessarily as a critique but rather I find your phrasing to be food for thought and would be interested to see what others think.
I agree with your point about Heidi not only having to battle the issues of working in the aid sector, but also being a woman working in male dominated cultures. It is difficult to deal with social and political problems in areas where women are still seen as inferior to women.