Kristof and bandits

Kristof and bandits

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New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof offers an online degree in evading bandits for Americans abroad. Although I suspect that most IPAers would agree with the spirit of Kristof's recommendation - that young people should spend time abroad - I wonder if his safety tips are a bit more controversial.

Kristof sends a little love our way: "If students can learn about microfinance while sitting comatose in 9 a.m. lectures, couldn't they learn more by volunteering with a lender in a Bangladesh slum?" Although we can't offer anything in Bangladeshi slums just at this very moment, we do highly recommend several delicious alternatives in Mali, the Philippines, Liberia, Kenya, and India.

Since we have a lot of collective experience living in many countries, I'm curious what IPA staff and other friends and readers think of Kristof's tips.

My favorite is #14:

                If terrorists finger you, break out singing "O Canada"!

What do you think of Kristof's advice? Wise? Paranoid? Otherwise?

 

PS. Five bucks to any American IPA staffer who is actually capable of singing O Canada. Without googling. Seriously.

 

June 08, 2009