Volunteers with no experience can be dangerous for the ones they want to help
By Jon Rosenberg Hagen, Linkedin 25.03.2022
Ukrainerin im Bahnhof von Krakau, Bild: Thomas v. der Osten-Sacken
Norwegian national press spends their time “promoting” the wrong people without any previous experience with refugee crisis to the extent that they may help undermine, and even risk sabotaging the work of serious volunteers on the ground in #Craków.
When Norwegian citizens with absolutely no experience from international rescue operations, and absolutely no regards for the incredible work that Shirin Tinnesand and Wadi have done on the ground to ensure the safety of the refugees, in a battle against time to prevent human #trafficking, not only at the cost of the refugees fleeing from #Ukraine, mostly woman, young teens and children, but also at the cost of their own safety. I wonder why the #Norwegian #press decides to put more focus on totally and utterly unexperienced people, than those with on the ground experience from years of international ops? I have had the pleasure to see the work Wadi have done through the years. In hot zones like #Syria, and #Greece. These are probably representing some of the most experienced groups of aid workers from Norway consulting the city of Krakow with experience.
But out of all places in the world, Krakow is where they end up having to waste time on unexperienced “war tourist”, to make sure people with correct accreditation can transport refugees. And organize some sort of protection in a chaotic situation never seen since the second world war. However, the Norwegian press, seem to have made “heroes” out of those who put the refugees in the most dangerous situations.
I have had tours with international operations, some of the worst situations across the globe. And what we as professionals see repeatedly is the constant disregard for real protection. We see people working to promote themselves, not the situation. We see volunteers with no experience drunk at work. We see smaller organizations sending people into a situation without any backup team when they return. These and many more issues are now surfacing.
Inevitably, the responsibility of media to convey accurate information in such a time is absolutely crucial. By promoting wrongful information, from the most inexperienced of sources does not accredit such a standard. Quick clicks and likes, does not compensate for the amount of important information that has been lost. Such priorities, comes at the expense of harm, not only by endangering those who are trying to safeguard, but also those who are in urgent need of safeguarding. Governments must take responsibility, and the press must stop making headlines out of people that only goes to “war” when it is without risk! At the end of the day, it is all about those who need help and how to achieve this in the best possible way!
Wadi 
