Extract from The Saviours
‘So, you could work for the UN anywhere. Why Cambodia?’ she asked him popping a salty green olive into her mouth.
His voice straightened itself up as if adjusting to work mode.
‘I think it’s a fascinating country to have as my first developing country posting given the UN’s history of essentially bringing peace and democracy here. Obviously, there are still a lot of challenges but if you look at how far the country has come since the Khmer Rouge, it’s very inspiring.’
The post-cocktail wine was beginning to take hold and she could feel herself getting animated.
‘I get that things have improved since that awful time but it’s been what? Thirty-five years? The Khmer Rouge time is such a low threshold to compare to. Don’t you think things should be improving here more quickly?’
Tom became more animated too.
‘I don’t disagree with you’ he told her. ‘But we’re talking about building up from a place where nearly a third of the population including its intellectual heartland were wiped out. The starting point for that kind of devastation isn’t even at zero. It’s at like minus 10. Real systemic change takes time.’
Caitlyn filled her water glass with the objective of pacing her drinking. He seemed so docile about it all. It made her want to challenge him.
‘I’m aware of the history. Believe me. I’ve grown up getting master classes from my Mom. But don’t you think there’s any room for critique of the operational pace of the UN, NGOs and so-called ‘international community’? Doesn’t it feel like we’re working too slowly and cautiously and just hoping that things will somehow get better?'
She could hear herself sounding more like a depressive activist rather than a charming date. Former boyfriends had always said in the early stages of being with her how much they loved how opinionated she was but it usually graduated into them liking this quality of hers far less over time.
Tom shook his head.
‘Of course, there are organisations doing amazing work and those who are coasting along and some who are even making things worse but you can’t lump them all into one. It’s not that simple.’
‘I think what frustrates me is the lack of visible impact,’ she interrupted him. ‘It’s been more than twenty years since the UN came in and the country has NGOs working on every cause imaginable but something like only 23% of Cambodians have toilets, one in five of this country’s men say they have engaged in rape, a quarter of the country can’t even read and plenty of other stats that I’m not even aware of.’
She paused and then started up again. ‘This is cocktail talk and I’ve had a rough work week but don’t you ever worry that we may be totally misguided flying in here thinking that we can be the saviours of this country?’Maeve Galvin
His voice straightened itself up as if adjusting to work mode.
‘I think it’s a fascinating country to have as my first developing country posting given the UN’s history of essentially bringing peace and democracy here. Obviously, there are still a lot of challenges but if you look at how far the country has come since the Khmer Rouge, it’s very inspiring.’
The post-cocktail wine was beginning to take hold and she could feel herself getting animated.
‘I get that things have improved since that awful time but it’s been what? Thirty-five years? The Khmer Rouge time is such a low threshold to compare to. Don’t you think things should be improving here more quickly?’
Tom became more animated too.
‘I don’t disagree with you’ he told her. ‘But we’re talking about building up from a place where nearly a third of the population including its intellectual heartland were wiped out. The starting point for that kind of devastation isn’t even at zero. It’s at like minus 10. Real systemic change takes time.’
Caitlyn filled her water glass with the objective of pacing her drinking. He seemed so docile about it all. It made her want to challenge him.
‘I’m aware of the history. Believe me. I’ve grown up getting master classes from my Mom. But don’t you think there’s any room for critique of the operational pace of the UN, NGOs and so-called ‘international community’? Doesn’t it feel like we’re working too slowly and cautiously and just hoping that things will somehow get better?'
She could hear herself sounding more like a depressive activist rather than a charming date. Former boyfriends had always said in the early stages of being with her how much they loved how opinionated she was but it usually graduated into them liking this quality of hers far less over time.
Tom shook his head.
‘Of course, there are organisations doing amazing work and those who are coasting along and some who are even making things worse but you can’t lump them all into one. It’s not that simple.’
‘I think what frustrates me is the lack of visible impact,’ she interrupted him. ‘It’s been more than twenty years since the UN came in and the country has NGOs working on every cause imaginable but something like only 23% of Cambodians have toilets, one in five of this country’s men say they have engaged in rape, a quarter of the country can’t even read and plenty of other stats that I’m not even aware of.’
She paused and then started up again. ‘This is cocktail talk and I’ve had a rough work week but don’t you ever worry that we may be totally misguided flying in here thinking that we can be the saviours of this country?’Maeve Galvin
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