What protective gear do you wear? What about training?
We’re always given a flak jacket and helmet. In Afghanistan, we also travel with a first aid kit, medical kit, trauma kit, and battle field dressing. A good amount of water. GPS equipment. We accumulate it over the years. In a riot situation in Kenya, I took my flak jacket but not my helmet because you don’t want to give away that you’re wearing protective clothing. CNN gives us a week-long training on battle field assessment, first aid, situational awareness. Those help a lot, but by the time I took it, it was almost second nature.
(This story appears in the 14 August, 2009 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)
Understanding and feeling what it is like to be in a conflict zone is very different if you see it on the news or if you are actually there. Sure, go ahead and report on it, but why stop there and not start to use your unique experience, gift for writing, media connections around the world and help people to understand that war is futile? Everything in life starts with a thought, your thoughts and actions make a difference. Thierry Bosnia and Herzegoviva
on Aug 6, 2009