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Blue Grit: A Life on the Front Lines of Humanitarian Action with the United Nations
A fascinating, funny and sometimes harrowing account of the global crises that have defined how the United Nations responds to today’s most intractable humanitarian emergencies. Written by a veteran crisis responder of the United Nations, Blue Grit is a true insider’s account of “the good, the bad and the ugly.”
214 pages, Paperback
First published February 24, 2015
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August 6, 2019“I have been shot at, taken hostage, bombed, threatened, and evacuated. I’ve witnessed the evidence of massacres and famines. I’ve put colleagues in body bags.”
This is no global thriller we’re talking about. Those are the words of Ulf T. Kristoffersson, reflecting on his real-life 40-year career with the United Nations in his fascinating and often-harrowing memoir, Blue Grit: A Life on the Humanitarian Front Lines of the United Nations (CreateSpace).
Kristoffersson served six Secretaries-General, joined four UN agencies, was posted to 17 duty stations, operating in nine emergencies and traveled to close to 100 countries. His memoir is an up-close account of how the United Nations operates, how it affects the people who serve it, and a primer of history and the international crises in which the UN has tried to step in and offer relief.
“I do not pretend that my story is unique or, conversely, stereotypical of an international civil servant or humanitarian emergency aid worker.”
The author notes that some workers show up regularly at every emergency and others avoid fieldwork altogether but still achieve important humanitarian objectives. There are global citizens who can make every country feel like their home and technology wizards whose behind-the-scenes contributions play important roles.
The rest of the review: https://booktrib.com/2019/08/ulf-kris...
This is no global thriller we’re talking about. Those are the words of Ulf T. Kristoffersson, reflecting on his real-life 40-year career with the United Nations in his fascinating and often-harrowing memoir, Blue Grit: A Life on the Humanitarian Front Lines of the United Nations (CreateSpace).
Kristoffersson served six Secretaries-General, joined four UN agencies, was posted to 17 duty stations, operating in nine emergencies and traveled to close to 100 countries. His memoir is an up-close account of how the United Nations operates, how it affects the people who serve it, and a primer of history and the international crises in which the UN has tried to step in and offer relief.
“I do not pretend that my story is unique or, conversely, stereotypical of an international civil servant or humanitarian emergency aid worker.”
The author notes that some workers show up regularly at every emergency and others avoid fieldwork altogether but still achieve important humanitarian objectives. There are global citizens who can make every country feel like their home and technology wizards whose behind-the-scenes contributions play important roles.
The rest of the review: https://booktrib.com/2019/08/ulf-kris...
Displaying 1 of 1 review