Now it becomes a target. MacPherson helps set security guidelines for CARE and trains Country Office staffers in tactics and practices that will help keep them out of harm's way. The third aspect of MacPherson's job at CARE is crisis response. He's involved in the initial phases of an emergency response when CARE gets involved in a humanitarian crisis. This involves assessing the greatest needs and coordinating with other relief agencies to best meet those needs.
Caution signs warn of mined area near a village in Cambodia.
The learning curve is steep, but experience has given me a reference base and I don't have to 'relearn' how to cope with each new situation. Still, there's no pat answer in a complex emergency situation. MacPherson also sees a great deal of idealism in each organization. You have to believe in something bigger than yourself if you're going to face the dangers of this kind of work.