Sri Lanka
Aid Worker Killed - Sri Lanka
02/10/07 18:12 Filed in: Security
Incident
I met the Rev Fr Nicholaspillai
Packiyaranjith of the Jesuit Refugee
Services while I was in Mannar district a
few weeks ago. He struck me as a quiet,
principled man, who was dedicated to his beliefs
and service to others. Despite the difficult
security situation in the area he continued to
work hard to bring relief to the poorest and
most vulnerable. In short he was the type of man
I endeavour to be.
On the afternoon of 26 September 2007 while travelling towards Vellankulam in an LTTE controlled area of Mannar his vehicle was struck by a command detonated Claymore. Fr. Packiyaranjith was killed instantly. His driver was severely injured.
No one has accepted responsibility for this brutal and myopic act. Nor is anyone likely to. The government blames the LTTE. The LTTE blame the government.
Over the weekend the sheer senselessness of his death left me feeling frustrated and depressed. This morning however, I had a revelation. Fr. Packiyaranjith was the type who, if he had been given the choice, would have chosen to spend his last moments in his quest to help others.
Sri Lanka needs more like him.
On the afternoon of 26 September 2007 while travelling towards Vellankulam in an LTTE controlled area of Mannar his vehicle was struck by a command detonated Claymore. Fr. Packiyaranjith was killed instantly. His driver was severely injured.
No one has accepted responsibility for this brutal and myopic act. Nor is anyone likely to. The government blames the LTTE. The LTTE blame the government.
Over the weekend the sheer senselessness of his death left me feeling frustrated and depressed. This morning however, I had a revelation. Fr. Packiyaranjith was the type who, if he had been given the choice, would have chosen to spend his last moments in his quest to help others.
Sri Lanka needs more like him.
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Odds and Ends
12/08/07 11:49 Filed in: Tools | Technology
Mashable.com has a collection of 60+ Collaborative Tools
for Groups. Is anyone out there up to the
challenge of an NGO Security Wiki?
I've always thought that something like the SPOT personal GPS tracker would be very useful for NGOs working in conflict zones and complex emergencies. According to the SPOT website it'll be out in November.
Sam at groundviews has a short piece on pledges in Sri Lanka. Wryly ironic.
I've always thought that something like the SPOT personal GPS tracker would be very useful for NGOs working in conflict zones and complex emergencies. According to the SPOT website it'll be out in November.
Sam at groundviews has a short piece on pledges in Sri Lanka. Wryly ironic.
Sri Lanka's Dirty War
07/08/07 07:57 Filed in: News
Groundviews, a Sri
Lankan citizen journalism initiative, is a good
place to find alternative views on the conflict
in Sri Lanka. Recently they posted a quick piece
titled Sri Lanka's Dirty
War. It includes links to an HRW report and
a 13 minute video produced by Journeyman
Pictures on abductions and human rights
violations in Sri Lanka. Check them out, both
for the story and for an idea of what citizen
journalism in a conflict zone can be.