On the Edge of Peace [PDF] (A Baseline Magazine article.) Sierra Leone is a place of unending devastation. Warring factions erupt and kill indiscriminately over things of little value -- it's a country where the young never grow old, and are usually armed to the teeth by rival forces. Drop in this mix, a UN mission made up of disparate forces, cobbled together to assist in ensuring a 2000 peace plan is a success. The mission has faded from most Western eyes, now that the US has pulled out, they've made the movie, and feel good about themselves. Imagine running the IT operation to support the UN troops in such an environment -- where information must flow in order for peace to be maintain -- must flow so that the peace keepers don't die. Information must flow between the UN HQ and it's various remote outposts -- outposts that are staffed by soldiers from different countries, using different equipment. Add to the mix, lightning strikes, a lack of spare parts (this is the UN after all) and rebel armies fighting over diamond mines -- and well -- why would anyone want that job? If you're an IT Project Manager and you think life's tough, quit bitching about your job -- most likely, nobody's life depends on what you're doing.
Convoy of Canadian UNMEE light armoured vehicles near Camp Dunn, central Eritrea near Senafe.

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