Sarah Martin

Columbia

Sarah signed the petition | about 1 month ago

Protect Women's Rights or Else!
Sarah recruited Yodit to sign the petition | about 2 years ago

Stop the Rape and Abuse of Women Worldwide
Sarah signed the petition | about 2 years ago

Stop the Rape and Abuse of Women Worldwide
Sarah commented on the article | over 2 years ago

'Girl': Is the New MSF Video Good Social Advertising?

From the ICRC Code of Conduct to which MSF has signed on:
10. In our information, publicity and advertising activities, we shall recognize disaster victims as dignified humans, not hopeless objects

Respect for the disaster victim as an equal partner in action should never be lost. In our public information we shall portray an objective image of the disaster situation where the capacities and aspirations of disaster victims are highlighted, and not just their vulnerabilities and fears. While we will cooperate with the media in order to enhance public response, we will not allow external or internal demands for publicity to take precedence over the principle of maximizing overall relief assistance. We will avoid competing with other disaster response agencies for media coverage in situations where such coverage may be to the detriment of the service provided to the beneficiaries or to the security of our staff or the beneficiaries.

TO me - to record the sounds of a woman in labor delivering twins is exploitative. And I seriously doubt that they really know she was raped at gunpoint and got pregnant and then BAM a landmine went off. And if she IS a rape survivor how DARE they record her in labor and then use it to raise money. It makes me sick to my stomach.
Sarah commented on the article | almost 3 years ago

Advice No One Will Give You

I wish the HR would take abuse complaints seriously - they are more concerned about covering it all up but as the UN has learned, the abused will soon start going to the media instead of HR and then when the donors get a whiff of it, there will be hell to pay.
Sarah commented on the article | almost 3 years ago

Sex and the Single Aid Worker

From a conversation with a bunch of female humanitarian workers over dinner:

Some say Nature - we are naturally those who think outside the box because of our work and this feeds over to our personal lives. "My relationships were just as dysfunctional at home as they are in the field" In particular, as a woman in the humanitarian world - we won't take any shit. It's much harder to be in a relationship because you hae to compromise - I"m idealistic in my work but also in the idea of a relationship.

Our generation of women were brought up in the fairy talke but we have options now. I'll stay around as long as its good - not willing to put up with being unhappy. Am I going to be in my job until I retire? No - I job hop. Will I be with the same man until I die? No!

Also - outside of the world of (our org), we women humanitarian workers are scary - men want women they can take care of and we can take care of ourselves.
Sarah commented on the article | almost 3 years ago

Fear Is An Addiction

Sane and rational people also don't usually want to go work in war zones and risk their own lives to help perfect strangers. At least thats what all my family members tell me.
Sarah commented on the article | almost 3 years ago

Fear Is An Addiction

I think I work in an entire organization made up of people addicted to fear. Except now they have all rationalized it and don't recognize it anymore. They get to headquarters and they chase that need for adrenaline rush with illicit affairs, drinking to oblivion every night, strutting about abusing their power whereever they can. Many of the career humanitarian workers that I know seem more like junkies than mid-level managers or caring humanitarians.
Sarah commented on the article | almost 3 years ago

Fear Is An Addiction, Part Deux

Read: War is a force that gives us meaning.... really captured it all for me after I got back from the Lebanon conflict.
Sarah commented on the article | about 3 years ago

NGO Naiveté: The Need To Be Necessary

" Most of what I came across in Afghanistan and elsewhere was nothing but shallow dogmatism, careerism and experience seeking. Hardly the stuff of which new worlds are built."

- I can sympathize with you. for all our high flung talk of ideals to the humanitarian principles sometimes all you see are third rate adventurers posing and talking " security" with very little actual concern or interest with the beneficiaries. Few of them even venture into the neighborhoods or know their 'beneficiaries'.