Alexander Bauer's Blog – June 2012 Archive (4)

In my opinion, the most important point is how to manage panic. For the bulk of the world's population a pandemic is something they probably have never experienced before. So it is an unknown situation and people don't know how to react at first. The typical reaction, when people dont know what they are confronted with, is fear. But fear, if not controlled, soon becomes panic.

That is, why I think that the media has to elucidate the situation. People have to understand what they are…

In the past, for many African tribes and communities hunting animals was the only way to ensure their survival. Many of these animals, however, were endangered species and thus, governmental instructions forbid to go on with hunting. Changing their way of living made life much harder. People had to look elsewhere to find a way of feeding their families.

Now, however, governments decided to assign possession of lands and let local communities and tribes manage hunting quotas from which…

In my opinion, the most probable disaster to occur in Western Europe is going to be a pandemy. With more and more people moving to the cities, the outbreak of diseases is eased. Germs and viruses will be easily transmitted from one person to the other and because of the areal density entire cities will soon be contaminated.
Devices such as Ushahidi might help to find cures for diseases, by people posting their symptoms or possible medicinal advice.

Thinking about indigenous peoples, I always figured that they have a great community without violence and social and economic pressure. This week however I was made aware of the cruelties, women obviously have to endure in such communities. It almost recalls medieval practices: In some Asian Pacific communities, indigenous women have to fear to be accused of being a witch, which would implement torture. In some African countries, up to 100% of women have undergone female genital mutilation.…