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Our joint monitoring teams always includes a national monitor from each side, a language assistant, patrol leader and two or more United Nations Military Observers. Our team is on patrol in our white 4 x 4s. We know it is going to rain and we …

I finally hand out school supplies today to impoverished elementary school girls, near Dilling University. It’s a dirty school that’s falling apart but smiling, laughing girls look at us from the windows and mill around us in the yard. I hope we can help them …

Wow! June already. A thought: Looking at the encroaching village tukols, I am reminded of the growth of Toronto towards Barrie, my home town, destroying and devouring everything in its path. These neighbourhoods look more benign because the tukols are made of straw, wood, dirt …

Well, three weeks have gone by and here I am in my UN trailer, still surviving. Let me introduce you to my fellow team members: Kay and Chat are from Thailand and are nice chaps who work hard and believe in “face.” (Face means to …

Officially known as Lieutenant (Navy) Jim Parker, I stand atop the plane’s stairs leading down to the baking tarmac at Khartoum International Airport and wonder whether to turn around, get back in the aircraft and return to Frankfurt. It is hot. The people look and …

If one were to look up ‘dichotomous’ in the dictionary, the definition could simply be a map of Sudan, and a big map it would be, as this country is the size of Ontario and Quebec combined. Never was there ever a more happy-sad, hopefuldespairing, …