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Review
“Samantha Nutt is scrupulously consistent with her hard-nosed, direct, in-your-face style and defiant resolve in her approach to war and the massive abuses to humanity, especially women and children. Samantha is telling us in no uncertain terms that humanitarianism starts by a 'critical reflection concerning our own actions and deeds.' And then she offers some solid proposals to consider. Well done, in a most compelling of ways."
—LGen the Hon. Roméo A. Dallaire, (Ret’d), Senator
"This is an extraordinarily riveting book. The anecdotes are heart-wrenching; the analysis is trenchant, principled, uncompromising. I never read a book in one sitting: I read Damned Nations in one sitting, and I regretted that it came to an end. It's not an easy read, but it's filled with emotional and intellectual power."
—Stephen Lewis, former Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations, and Chair of the Board of the Stephen Lewis Foundation
“This book is a passionate reaction to so much of the stupidity and calumny that leads to death and destruction, and yet, it incorporates insightful and cool headed reasons as to why. An important book for our times.”
—Lloyd Axworthy, President, University of Winnipeg and former Minister of Foreign Affairs
“A brave, eloquent, and necessary book.”
–Lewis Lapham, editor of Lapham’s Quarterly
“When I first met Sam, I was moved by her total and single minded dedication to justice. She thought of people in far away places the way we think of relatives in disadvantage, and she behaved like we do at our best when we care enough to do something. I have no doubt you will be moved by her stories and her work, but I hope most of all, by her example.”
—K’Naan
"This is an extraordinary book. From its opening scenes, my heart was in my throat. Samantha Nutt is a genuine hero for all of us who want to make a difference in the world. She has helped those who, through no fault of their own, find themselves trapped in terrifying conditions of terror, injustice, oppression and extreme poverty. All of us living in the comfort and affluence of industrialized countries owe it to the rest of humanity to read this powerful book."
—David Suzuki, co-founder, The David Suzuki Foundation, and Professor Emeritus, University of British Columbia
“Samantha Nutt drives us to the front lines of an ongoing conflict between empathy and barbarism. Her words, and the lessons she asks us to heed, come from what she herself has witnessed. The passion that Dr. Nutt has for the important work she does is reflected in the pages of this remarkable book.”
—Seamus O’Regan, co-host, Canada AM
"Dr. Nutt movingly outlines the chilling truth about war and offers us a rare, poignant glimpse into each individual's part in the process to attainable peace. An absolute must-read for every person in the developed world, and a manual for every leader."
—Chantal Kreviazuk, Juno Award-winning performer and songwriter, and Honorary Founder, War Child
“Dr. Samantha Nutt is a force of nature. A courageous and tireless advocate for human rights. Damned Nations exposes the 'underbelly' of the humanitarian movement. Her colorful, revealing and heart-wrenching first-hand accounts are a must read for anyone who’s given so much as a penny to an NGO.”
—Raine Maida, lead singer, Our Lady Peace, songwriter, and activist
—LGen the Hon. Roméo A. Dallaire, (Ret’d), Senator
"This is an extraordinarily riveting book. The anecdotes are heart-wrenching; the analysis is trenchant, principled, uncompromising. I never read a book in one sitting: I read Damned Nations in one sitting, and I regretted that it came to an end. It's not an easy read, but it's filled with emotional and intellectual power."
—Stephen Lewis, former Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations, and Chair of the Board of the Stephen Lewis Foundation
“This book is a passionate reaction to so much of the stupidity and calumny that leads to death and destruction, and yet, it incorporates insightful and cool headed reasons as to why. An important book for our times.”
—Lloyd Axworthy, President, University of Winnipeg and former Minister of Foreign Affairs
“A brave, eloquent, and necessary book.”
–Lewis Lapham, editor of Lapham’s Quarterly
“When I first met Sam, I was moved by her total and single minded dedication to justice. She thought of people in far away places the way we think of relatives in disadvantage, and she behaved like we do at our best when we care enough to do something. I have no doubt you will be moved by her stories and her work, but I hope most of all, by her example.”
—K’Naan
"This is an extraordinary book. From its opening scenes, my heart was in my throat. Samantha Nutt is a genuine hero for all of us who want to make a difference in the world. She has helped those who, through no fault of their own, find themselves trapped in terrifying conditions of terror, injustice, oppression and extreme poverty. All of us living in the comfort and affluence of industrialized countries owe it to the rest of humanity to read this powerful book."
—David Suzuki, co-founder, The David Suzuki Foundation, and Professor Emeritus, University of British Columbia
“Samantha Nutt drives us to the front lines of an ongoing conflict between empathy and barbarism. Her words, and the lessons she asks us to heed, come from what she herself has witnessed. The passion that Dr. Nutt has for the important work she does is reflected in the pages of this remarkable book.”
—Seamus O’Regan, co-host, Canada AM
"Dr. Nutt movingly outlines the chilling truth about war and offers us a rare, poignant glimpse into each individual's part in the process to attainable peace. An absolute must-read for every person in the developed world, and a manual for every leader."
—Chantal Kreviazuk, Juno Award-winning performer and songwriter, and Honorary Founder, War Child
“Dr. Samantha Nutt is a force of nature. A courageous and tireless advocate for human rights. Damned Nations exposes the 'underbelly' of the humanitarian movement. Her colorful, revealing and heart-wrenching first-hand accounts are a must read for anyone who’s given so much as a penny to an NGO.”
—Raine Maida, lead singer, Our Lady Peace, songwriter, and activist
Book Description
For readers of Christopher Hedges, Robert Fisk, and Christopher Hitchens, an extraordinary humanitarian gives us a bracing and uncompromising account of her work in some of the most devastated corners of the world -- and a new and provocative vision for changing course on our growing militarization.
In 1995, twenty-five-year-old Samantha Nutt, a recent medical-school graduate and a field volunteer for UNICEF, touched down in Baidoa, Somalia, "the City of Death." What she saw there -- gangs of young men roaming the streets armed with rocket launchers; a woman in a clinic line holding a dead baby; an aid agency working in such an unsafe environment that its workers had to travel with armed escorts high on drugs -- would spur her on to a lifetime of passionate advocacy for children and families in war-torn areas around the world. Damned Nations is the brilliant distillation of Dr. Nutt's observations over the course of fifteen years providing hands-on care in some of the world's most violent flashpoints, all the while building the world class non-profit War Child North America. Combining original research with her personal story, it is a deeply thoughtful meditation on war as it is being waged around the world against millions of civilians -- primarily women and children. Nutt's boundless energy, dedication, and compassion shine through on every page as she lays out real, lasting solutions to these problems and shows how to move beyond outdated notions of charity towards a more progressive, inclusive, and respectful world view.
In 1995, twenty-five-year-old Samantha Nutt, a recent medical-school graduate and a field volunteer for UNICEF, touched down in Baidoa, Somalia, "the City of Death." What she saw there -- gangs of young men roaming the streets armed with rocket launchers; a woman in a clinic line holding a dead baby; an aid agency working in such an unsafe environment that its workers had to travel with armed escorts high on drugs -- would spur her on to a lifetime of passionate advocacy for children and families in war-torn areas around the world. Damned Nations is the brilliant distillation of Dr. Nutt's observations over the course of fifteen years providing hands-on care in some of the world's most violent flashpoints, all the while building the world class non-profit War Child North America. Combining original research with her personal story, it is a deeply thoughtful meditation on war as it is being waged around the world against millions of civilians -- primarily women and children. Nutt's boundless energy, dedication, and compassion shine through on every page as she lays out real, lasting solutions to these problems and shows how to move beyond outdated notions of charity towards a more progressive, inclusive, and respectful world view.
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Most helpful customer reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Unstoppable Force for Good,
By
This review is from: Damned Nations: Greed, Guns, Armies, and Aid (Hardcover)
Samantha Nutt's voice in Damned Nations rings heartfelt and true. Most important of all, it is anchored by the people our choices here at home' affect. From rape victims in Eastern Congo, oppressed women in Afghanistan, widowed young mothers in Darfur and fallen human rights heroes murdered for speaking out and following their hearts are the living definitions of injustice that define the gaps in the humanitarian movement.It is not enough to support 'good' causes. We must adhere to good policy and refuse to exercise apathy. Sam eloquently forces us to reconsider the status quo. She compels us to question the truths that have anchored politics, the practices that characterize charitable giving, the principles on which foreign policy has been built and most important of all, Sam propels us to expect more. To ask more from ourselves, the charities we support, the companies we buy from, the banks with which we invest and the governments we elect. To define this book as a memoir, or another humanitarian's account of the sector is inaccurate. Damned Nations is the book that all of us who shake our heads at the headlines and who wonder what can be done have been waiting for. It is a manifesto for the next generation of bleeding hearts with brains. [..]
4.0 out of 5 stars
Damned Nations,
By
This review is from: Damned Nations: Greed, Guns, Armies, and Aid (Hardcover)
The bad."Most of us come into this world amidst a frenzy of pain and unpredictability, and too many of us leave in the same way" and with the annual military spending at the highest point since World War II (higher than during the Cold War) these premature, frenzied and painful departures into Beechers great mystery show little signs of slowing. President Obama's "peace" platforms did not translate into much peace rather much more action as he authorized more attacks against suspected terrorists by unmanned drones flying over Pakistan than George W. Bush did in his entire presidency, killing civilians at a ratio of fifty to one. There seems to be no end in sight when security interests continue to trump humanitarian and development concerns. As recently as of this week I have heard Congressman Mitt Romney arguing that he doesn't want a "hollowing out" of the military. In Canada the Conservative government froze Official Development Assistance at $5 billion a year for fiver years and within months, Prime Minister Harper had the audacity to announce a $9 billion purchase of F-35 American fighter jets. (The 9 turning into a 30) Dallas Willard warned that "Familiarity breeds unfamiliarity" in that words, places, experiencing, people that we come in contact with so often begin to loss the depth and edge and original significance that they once carried. War, weapons, military and aid may be verbs that in recent years have garnered enough debate and controversy to engender a familiarity that has left many at best ignorant at worst apathetic. The bad; Military and military profiteering including modern-day "revolutionaries" including the cause-of-the-month Joseph Kony profit from this ignorance and apathy. The worst, so do many of us. "(War is) in our pockets, generating annuals returns for our pension funds, encircling our ring fingers, and filling up our cars," powering our IPads (1),hidden beneath the cloak of "aid" or "missions' giving, among other luxuries. More bad. Chicken or the egg? What comes first? A nation that does not want to disclose its arms deals or citizens who don't want to register their firearms? A question to pursue another time but what is not in question is that for the past five years, Canada, which is among the world's top ten arms exporters, has had one of the lowest international Arms Transparency ratings among industrialized economies. The fact that "War Sells" puts money in our teachers' pockets as all but two provincial teacher's pension funds are invested in one or more of the world's top one hundred arms producers. Nutt "When teachers start betting on a boom in weapons sales to see them through their golden years, it's time to load the trunk of the car with flashlights and soup cans." This is bad. Worst is that all Canadians are implicated as the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) holds more than $200 million in investments in twenty-four of the worlds' top one hundred arms-producing companies. "Guns don't kill people, people kill people!" If that were the case I don't think Mikhail Kalashnikov would have expressed regret in creating the AK-47 and wished he had invented a lawn mower instead. "Well Mikhail if someone wants to kill someone, they could use that lawn mower." Damned Nations makes the case that war is a big business and to use language from the past five years a business that may "be too big to fail" but fail it must if we want to see the day when "between the two certitudes of birth and death a generous period of life, free from the shackles of violence and poverty" will be available for those who do not have the luxury of collecting retirement pay on blood. This is bad. I was aware of many of these and other issues that Dr. Nutt raises in her book. I knew things were bad but I wasn't prepared to hear how my being uncritical of my good intentions was actually exacerbating the problem. "Only fools rush in believing they have the answers, not realizing how quickly they become part of the problem." It was not till after reading Damned Nations that I came to see how dangerous Bono, Child Sponsorshipprograms (2), the recent Kony 2012 campaign, and my desire to see tangible results right now can ultimately be. It is not my intention to regurgitate the entire book but I will offer her issue orphanages. I cannot claim ignorance as I have read enough Charles Dickens and I have lived in North America long enough to know that orphanages are not a good idea. I know that they are harmful to children physically, emotionally and psychologically. I know that is why they no longer exist in North America. I knew this. Then why did I think it was ever a good idea to build them in developing nations? Why did I think it a good idea to take teams to work in these orphanages for two weeks a year? In reading Damned Nations I came to the understanding that not only do developing countries not need our used shoes, extra holiday candy and Christmas Boxes, they do not need our failed systems and programs. The bad, when it comes to aid, is not that we do it the bad is that often we are uncritical in doing it and that, argues Dr. Nutt, is exactly what we have to be and her book serves as a guide in helping the reader take the first steps. While the reader has to walk alongside her as she ventures into some dark stories of rape, abuse, murder some being helpful in personalizing the conflicts, others at times, seem gratuitous and meant to shock more than explain or even inform. There are moments when it seems like she is willing to forgive misspent funds and time for the cause of long term gain but when that money and time is misspent by Oprah or Madonna none of her caustic ink is spared in pronouncing judgment. For the most part Nutts methods match her message. As harsh as the material is at points her respect for the people and situations is evident enough to keep the reader from cringing to the point of "turning it off" or closing the book which is important because once the reader has walked through the bad a rough blueprint is given for what can be done. Nutt distills her years of research and experience into initiatives she feels are worth supporting. They are; A. Eliminating the Gender Divide B. The Burden of Poverty and Unemployment C. Legal Aid D. Search for Alternatives Dr. Nutt is a woman I would never want to cross the wrong way but someone who I am thankful to for opening my eyes and directing my future steps in foreign development and aid. Which reminds me, for my birthday, don't give a village a goat for me. Get them a lawyer and get yourself Samantha Nutt's Damned Nations. Notes [1] "Coltan is an ore that yields the metal tantalum, which is one of the four minerals mined in eastern Congo used to make capacitors in electronic devices including cell phones, digital cameras, video game consoles, and computers. Between 60 and 80 percent of the world's coltan deposits are in eastern Congo, where it is collected by hand. This resource is used in developed countries every day, yet most have no idea what it is or where it comes from." Think Leonardo DiCaprio and exchange "Diamond" with "Minerals" [2] Nutt likens the dehumanizing consumerist approach to advertising sponsor children with buying a Cabbage Patch Doll or Pound Puppy.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews) 4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book!,
By A. Franco "afranco" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Damned Nations: Greed, Guns, Armies, and Aid (Hardcover)
The author, Dr. Nutt, is an award-winning humanitarian with years of experience in the field having traveled and worked in places including Iraq, Afghanistan, The Democratic Republic of Congo, and Somalia. Her book is a great launching point for discussions about foreign aid, the use of armed combat in creating peace, and how our growing demand for electronics is correlated with instability in developing countries. This is a well-researched, thought-provoking book full of facts. However, that doesn't mean that it's boring - she includes a number of personal stories to help highlight the issues that she raises making her arguments have a strong impact. I plan on buying it for a number of my friends and family for the holidays and would recommend it to anyone.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Why the incidence of rape in the Congo should be listed daily side by side with the Dow-Jones Industrial Average,
By cvairag - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Damned Nations: Greed, Guns, Armies, and Aid (Hardcover)
The courageous and beautiful Samantha Nutt has worked on the ground, in the field,with various government (UNICEF) and non-government organizations in Africa for the greater part of the past 15 years. She now directs her own NGO, Warchild, dedicated to ameliorating the horrid conditions she personally experienced which are chronicled in this important book - namely the ongoing war against women and children, indirectly or directly, perpetrated as central to the international corporate powers' policy of resource extraction in the long term war zones of Africa. Dr. Nutt connects the dots between the causal motivations for the gendercide/genocide in the Congo where over five million have been slaughtered since the mid-1990's. What eerily emerges is a map which indicates that the highest incidence of rape (with often concurrent mutilation)is found in the areas where coltan (columbite-tantalite) - a resource essential to the construction of all instruments of telecommunications - all cellphones, the internet, etc. is found to the tune of 80% of the world's supply. Remember this startling statistic next time you text.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Damned Nations,
By Chickpea - Published on Amazon.com
For anyone who has ever sent money or supplies to war torn or needy countries, Samantha Nutt's book reveals the dark side of these well-intended charitable donations. Not a fun read, but a must read.
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