A book launch on a Friday night? What a great idea (especially when they mentioned they would have some nice NZ wine!) Off to the Birkbeck University in central London to hear Lisa Blaker talk about her new book, Heart of Darfur.
Fay Weldon did the introduction to Lisa. Now in her own right would have been very interesting to listen to, she certainly has a story or two to tell! Of course tell them she does, with a very impressive list of publications under her name. Fay spent her childhood in New Zealand but now lives here in the UK. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fay_Weldon
Fay called the Heart of Darfur a "remarkable book." She emphasised that it is a great deal to have got into the British market - obviously this was an achievement in itself. She went on to say "it was a really good book, simple, written with great clarity, energy and wisdom beyond Lisa's years. It is moving. It will make you cry." Fay also talked about New Zealanders, and how there was a very high number of New Zealanders in NGO's (non government organisations) and charities, which is probably relatively unknown as New Zealanders "don't make a fuss." "New Zealanders are competent in difficult circumstances - more so than any other nationalities."
Then it was Lisa's turn. She explained that she wanted this to be an interactive session, and as well as Lisa telling us a bit about herself (the nurse from Howick), the book, reading from it, she would also show small sections of the "Sand and Sorrow" film which was recently released and is narrated by George Clooney http://www.sandandsorrow.org/about.html Do have a look at this link, its a great website and you can see small clips from the film there as well.
Photo is thanks to NZPA - my camera stayed home
After questioning us as to how much we knew about Darfur or Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), she told us a little more and also played the DVD which explained the complex situation well. Frankly, the whole situation seemed so bad, so overwhelming, so desperate. Lisa soon picked up on that. "4.5 million of the 6 million people are dependent on foreign aid. What do these numbers mean? In my book, I wanted to get past the numbers and get to the feelings."
The first story Lisa read from her book continued to make me feel that it was beyond hopeless, and while I admired her for what she had done, it just seemed to much. How did she continue in the face of such a huge, overpowering disaster - a man-made disaster. Such cruelty and violence. Other people obviously had the same response, and (being the interactive session it was) soon chimed in with questions, asking how she kept going in such conditions.
"I focus on what is possible, one by one, just treat them, one by one."
Apparently this is the philosophy at MSF. Lisa acknowledged that self doubt and despair would often creep in, especially when she was so desperately tired. It did all seem to be futile and almost impossible. There was no escape for these people, no choices. They have nowhere else they can go.
"MSF desperately needs more people in the field. The situation was frustrating, it's hell of a frustrating; in fact, frustrating doesn't even cover it. That feeling of powerlessness can be overwhelming."
"I was shocked and frightened at the very little control I had over my own safety and my patients' safety. People there are being crushed every day. There are no human rights in Darfur. That's the reality. No human rights at all. There is no UN, no Red Cross, only MSF."
Lisa also mentioned that people in Darfur were generally well informed. Most of them had radios and would listen to BBC, Al Jazeera or other international broadcasters. How must they feel listening to stories making the news, far less desperate than theirs yet getting more attention?
Lisa then shared some stories from her book about hope. She recalled how she was sitting down with some elders trying to explain to them where she came from. Through demonstration of planes, working out how long it takes a plane to get to Khartoum (a place where they understood the distance from where they were currently situated) and then expanding that to the 23+ hours to get to New Zealand. The men could then comprehend just how far she had travelled. They were amazed. "they asked me to give their thanks to my parents for me being here!"
Lisa also talked about the children, and how they gave her hope. She said for every bad memory, there was as many about hope, through children playing and laughing and carrying on in the camps, in their hardship, playing, laughing and showing that there was always hope.
I'm glad I went (and the wine was nice). Lisa is an engaging and passionate speaker and someone who is making a difference, both through her work in the field and through the book. Lisa is not able to go back to Darfur (after having written this book, she cannot get a visa back into the country). We spent about another hour at the venue socialising, and I had the chance to talk further with Lisa, as well as get her to sign my copy of my new book. I then bumped into her again at Paddington station as I changed trains! I haven't read the book yet, but the first chapter (read on the train) has certainly captured my interest.
If you want to hear a bit more about Lisa's experiences yourself, I found this video from an Australian interview Lisa did.
The website for MSF is http://www.msf.org/ - apparently they have a very good e-newsletter according to one of the attendees.
To finish, Lisa's message rings in my ears. "You can all help, by spreading the word. Tell others about the situation in Darfur. That way we can make a difference."
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