stradiņš isa review

Impressum

S T R A D I � ! I S A R E V I E W

May 2013

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS`ASSOCIATION

Vo l u m e 1

A r t i c l e E s s a y

Stradiņš ISA Review

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Impressum Articles Section Izem Massensen Ayati Sohini Mukhopadhyay Lukas Herrmann József Virga Leon Schneider Mujahid Kahf Franziska Thimm Proof Readers Izem Massensen Ayati Sohini Mukhopadhyay Lukas Herrmann Leon Schneider Friederike Magerstädt Annija Emersone Design (incl. cover design) Lukas Herrmann Publisher RSU ISA With special thanks to Friederike Magerstädt


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Table of contents THE SENIOR’S STORY: RSU THEN AND NOW 5 TRAVEL REVIEW: 24 HOURS IN TALLINN 7

RIGA DURING THE SPRING 10

VISU LABU! -‐ THE EXPERIENCES OF AN EXCHANGE STUDENT FROM HUNGARY AT RSU 12

THE COURIOUS CASE OF THE LATVIAN WEATHER 15 ABOUT BLONDE GIRLS AND COBBLESTONE PAVEMENT 17 SYRIA-‐ THE FIRE OF THE MIDDLE EAST 19


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The seniors’ story: RSU then and now Back in 2007, RSU was a very different place. Looking back, it is amazing how much the university changed during the past six years. During the first couple of years, we would often notice some renovations here and there, but lately whenever we go to RSU’s main building, we feel we’re entering a different university than the one we once knew. The renovations were among the first things we started to notice. When we began our studies, the hall was different, there were three small canteens, the blocks were not renovated and taking the elevator gave us an adrenaline rush every time. Although we got a guided tour both inside the university and in Riga, confusion was unavoidable from day 1. It was always difficult to know where to go and when, and without Mrs Zeikate’s constant help we would have still been stuck in some corridor trying to find a room in the second floor, i.e. first floor. The fundamental problem back then was that estudies did not exist yet, and all the info we needed regarding the schedules was posted on walls in the departments which we were struggling to find. No estudies also meant no literature available online. With the exception of one or two teachers, we were generally forced to write down everything the professors dictated during their lectures. When one combines hours of non-‐stop writing with strong accents, one ends up with worthless notes that we still needed to cram in somehow. Non-‐stop cramming was the norm, and the reader will surely think that this is one aspect that still hasn’t changed. Actually, when we started our third year, a new law stated that RSU had to cut down on their

school-‐time by fifty percent. Before that, there was no time for independent learning unless one skipped sleeping during the nights. Also, because we had so much school-‐time, the professors had more time to test us.

Test us they did, a lot. We started every lesson with a short test on the material we needed to prepare for that day. That the teachers demanded preparation can be understandable, but risking retake spirals and ending up a semester behind even before the colloquiums and exams raised our daily anxiety to unhealthy levels. Having strict and demanding professors didn’t help ease our anxiety either. Again, the reader will think “that’s no different from now”, but it is. There were many daily examples of professors misusing their power, and sadly we’ve witnessed many tearful students with bruised self-‐esteems. At some point however, the teachers started to get courses in pedagogy and English, which has made a profound effect on how the studies are perceived by the students.

Nowadays, the university has a fresh

feel. The curriculum is western and the teachers are better at teaching in a modern fashion. There is still a long way to go before we can compare RSU to Harvard or Oxford, but if we look at the progress made in such a short amount of time, it won’t take too many years before our university gets an international ranking to be proud of. Even during the worst economic period of this decade, our university flourished like a rose growing from concrete. New buildings, renovations everywhere, new material, new technology, improved teaching and a positive and progressive spirit are the main aspects seniors talk about when they visit our university. However, one aspect


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tends to be forgotten, and it has to do with the administrative structure of RSU.

During our first years at RSU, the

international office did not exist yet. The only people dealing with us were mainly Mrs Zeikate, Dr. Zermanos and Prof. Kroica. Sure, we weren’t as numerous back then, but still there was a huge amount of work to be managed by few people. The trio did their best to help us with all types of problems we would have, and for that we are thankful. On the other hand, also having Simona, Maris, Baiba and the others would have been appreciated even more when we arrived in 2007. This administrative expansion means more efficiency and targeted support, both of which have greatly alleviated the universal struggle of being a foreign student.

Being an international student implies

the same challenges more or less, worldwide. The culture shock, the social barriers, the language limitations, the financial pressure and the academic difficulties due to different study habits are common in any country. One of the key advices across the literature is to develop new friendships with locals and actively try to get integrated to some degree in the new society. This aspect marks the greatest and most meaningful change we have experienced since we first arrived in 2007. Our fellow Latvian students interact with us more and more. They invite us to various fun events. They befriend us. As a result we start to feel more comfortable in Latvia and develop a positive attitude and warm affection towards the society we have been part of for more than half a decade.

The International Students’

Association (ISA) is the fruit of the

realization that friendship and a positive attitude is fundamental in order to improve the majority of the barriers and limitations we experience as foreigners. The ISA understands the importance of this essential ingredient and tries to build bridges to allow for more interaction and friendship both within and outside RSU. In addition the ISA also understands the efforts made to improve our university and wants to contribute constructively in order to reach our Rector’s goal to build “a modern, prestigious and internationally recognized university with a person-‐oriented value system”. With the help of the fantastic members of the Student Council, the kindness and cooperation of RSU’s staff and the awe-‐inspiring and amazing members of the ISA, it is our conviction that our university’s future is bright and the Rector’s goal within close reach. It is your turn, fellow student, to take the baton and continue the relay until the goal is reached. Our six years are up, and we did what we could. Now you have the opportunity to help create the RSU we all want. Izem Massensen Ayati Graduate of RSU. Class of 2013.


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Travel Review: 24 hours in Tallinn Sometimes it is nice to take a short break and escape from all the stresses and worries of the real world. We did exactly that with a weekend get -‐ away in Tallinn, Estonia. We started from Riga on a Friday in February with a 10 LVL Ecolines bus return ticket to Tallinn. The journey took around 4 hours but it gave us a bit of time to catch up on each other’s lives as our busy schedules previous to that had hardly given us the opportunity to relax!

Arriving in snowy and cold Tallinn, we were met by Katri who is Estonian, born and bred, and currently works in the city too. Being around 11pm, we were invited to see Tallinn at night. This seemed like an

opportunity not to be missed and later we were so glad to have seen Tallinn in a form that many tourists would have missed. We were whisked away to an Art museum away from the Centre. And then we did something we would have most certainly never have done if we were alone. Katri took us to the side of the Art museum where we entered the gardens by cheekily jumping over a gate. The gardens were lit up with lamps and the crisp snow under our feet gave the place a feeling of a wonderland. Through our fears of being caught in a place where we were probably not allowed, and with Katri’s reassurances, we made it to our destination: The President’s Palace. It stood in all its glory with the glowing lights highlighting its every shadow. Every moment of our fears were suddenly erased as we stood and watched the changing of the guards even at that time of the night in the cold. It was certainly worth every quickened heartbeat. We continued to a park nearby and at the bottom of it, there were some amazingly creative ice sculptures, which had been carved for Chinese New Year. We spent the rest of the time trying to dig out our knowledge about Chinese astrological signs and marveling at the intricately designed structures, which stood before us. Our next stop was to experience the nightlife of the city, and boy, does it have nightlife! We ventured through the medieval streets of Tallinn for a spot of dinner followed by some drinks and stumbled upon the “Labor” bar. From the outside, it didn’t look like much. Inside, it


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was a scientist’s dream! There were beakers filled with coloured drinks, shots were served according to strength in test tubes and racks. The bartenders even wore lab coats to look the part! Definitely an experience if you’re a bit of a science geek! After an amazing night out, we stayed the night in a cheap hostel, The 16€ Hostel, which, as the name suggested, gave us a comfortable and clean bed for the night with an en-‐suite bathroom, for just 16€! The next morning, we ventured out to Old Tallinn. Old Riga and Old Tallinn are miles apart in the way they look. So, if you think you’ve seen the Baltic capitals just by seeing Riga, you’re in for a surprise. Tallinn has a much older feel to its core with its medieval cobbled streets and buildings. As soon as you cross the Viru gate, it is like you’ve been warped back in time straight to the 13th Century. The place has a highly touristy feel to it with shop owners and guides dressed up in medieval dresses. We headed up the hill using the Long walk (Lühike Jalg) to the Toompea. I am a great fan of viewpoints so this was definitely

one for me. We were told that the hill was from the medieval times when the rich and prestigious used to live at the top, out of harm’s way while the poorer people lived at the bottom. At night, to avoid

attack, the gates leading to the hill were closed to protect those living at the top. Clearly the poorer people at the bottom were not worth a thought. The top of the hill presented something I had not expected. There, behind the snow-‐capped, bare trees, was the breath-‐taking sight of the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. The gorgeous cathedral was built in the 1900s and is Estonia’s main Russian Orthodox Cathedral. It was a beautiful sight and equally as gorgeous and yet peaceful as we toured the inside. Afterwards, we headed towards the Kohtuotsa Viewing Platform from where we could see the red, snow-‐covered rooftops of Tallinn and admire their beauty despite the freezing cold. We warmed up soon enough at a medieval café at the fort wall. The café is situated within the castle and involves a slightly scary climb up some very steep steps. But the result was worth it. The inside of the café was definitely something not to miss and the hot and delicious coffees got us up again in no time for more sightseeing! I would definitely recommend a walk around the Old Town. There are lots of things to see and do and there are definitely some amazing museums there. I would recommend seeing the Tallinn town hall, which houses the oldest continuously functioning pharmacy in Europe, and dates back to 1422. Also, check out the St Mary’s Cathedral, feel the town walls, eat some Kalev chocolate at their main shop,


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drink some Vina Tallinn and get a taste of classic Estonian food while you’re there! The journey back was utilised well for catching up on some much required sleep but amidst it all, there were happy dreams of Tallinn and a craving to return to the city of the red rooftops! I’ll leave you with one of the coolest photos I’ve ever taken: a shadow of the Tallinn Town Hall tower in the clouds.


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Riga during the spring Weird coincidences happen all the time, but during Ryan air flights they somehow occur more frequently. The woman sitting next to me wouldn’t believe me, that I was actually looking forward to get back to Riga to start 3rd Semester. She emigrated to Germany 15 years ago and is only going back to Riga to renew her passport. She couldn’t imagine to go back and live in Latvia ever again. I have to admit in situations in which we had to wait for 4 hours to start an Anatomy exam, I wished to be somewhere else. Getting grumpy answers to questions

about the location of a room in order to get signatures for our red books, does not change the feeling. However, looking back on the variety of events, which were organized by many dedicated students and university staff alike the journey at RSU becomes more and more exciting. It doesn't matter if it's the anatomy Olympiad which was well attended by internationals for the first time or the pub quiz at Madhouse, but breaks during which we get to meet our colleagues in a different setting help tremendously to get through times of colloquia in each week. (Its also good to see our dean sing a Christmas song during the internationals evening in contrast to the usual grimly look in the physiology department.) The same applies to the academic ball which gives interesting insights into Latvian festivities. Not to forget Taurenis, a full day of sport games and a great chance to get out of the city to get a taste of the country side. Nurali at Anatomy Olympiad

Pubquiz at Madhouse


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Luckily studies are supposed to be less time consuming in the third year so that there is more time to explore not only the Riga area, but also other parts of the country such as Kolka, Ventspils and Liepaja. The variety is remarkable and it seems we just have to step outside, see what’s going on and choose.

Riga during midsummer

Taurenis 2013


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Visu labu! -‐ The experiences of an exchange student from Hungary at RSU

In September 2012, I went to Riga to start one of the greatest experiences and adventures of my life: I became an exchange student at RSU. You probably have heard about the ERASMUS/Life Long Learning program (soon to be replaced by Erasmus 4 All). This program allows you to study abroad for 3-‐10 months via bilateral contracts of two universities and be exempted from the tuition fees of the host university as you pay the tuition fees of your home university. I came from Debrecen, Hungary. Hungary is a smaller country in the heart of Europe, you know, the country where the inventors of things like ball-‐point pen, computer, helicopter or hologram came from. But this article is not about my – lately a bit controversial – country but about my experiences as an exchange student at RSU.

I did not come alone to RSU, two fellow students from my university were also in

Riga that time and we knew we could count on each other but it was still a big adventure for all three of us to study in a different country (no news for you, I guess) and experience something entirely different from what things are like in our university. I was very well experienced in exchange student life in Debrecen, as a leading member of the committee in the Students’ Council that’s responsible for exchange students, and I have had 4 years of experience in the matter already but to be on the “other side” was something really new for me. One big plus has been that RSU provided a student mentor to the exchange students, one Latvian student. I just would like to encourage you, international students of RSU to go to Lana, the ERASMUS Officer and ask her to give you such mentors as it would be a lot of help for the new exchangers in Riga because we all have classes with you international students not with the Latvians and it would be easier to get integrated to the student life with international mentors. But anyway, this mentor program is good but not always efficient, I haven’t met much with my mentor after the first week but others had better experiences. Either way it is very helpful in the first couple of weeks.

In my point of view, Latvia is a very charming little country. Latvia is a very small country and the capital, Riga, is not much bigger than the city where I came


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from. However, Riga enjoys the advantages of being the capital. This means that Riga offer a wide range of cultural-‐social activities. I’ve been visiting the opera a couple of times to watch operas or ballets, which was something new to me. Usually I am the “cinema and/or theatre only” guy. If you haven’t been there yet, do not miss it. Also, Riga has lots of museums. Fine or modern arts, medical history, open air folk museum and so much more. I met a couple of other Erasmus students and we had our own international dinners and very often we visited some markets and fairs together, many of them is held in the same place. I can’t quite recall the name but bus 21 goes by it between the city centre and RSU Main Building – there is a blue wooden house on the corner, I hope you find it. I highly recommend visiting those markets organized every other weekend because of the atmosphere. You can get very delicious homemade cheese and other dairy products, buy handmade stuff, there is some other food and alcoholic beverages which you can buy there, it was very nice drinking a glass of wine, walking in the fair and tasting all those delicious food. Visiting the Kemeri National Park or the beaches of Riga (before autumn came and after the snow has fallen – on a sunny winter day the frozen Baltic sea is spectacular). I also recommend visiting parts of the sea-‐side other than Jurmala. My favorite one is/was Vecaki Beach. Go for it, guys!

I am very grateful because of the fellow international students made it very comfortable to us to study at RSU. Almost everyone has been really, really helpful, patient and interested in getting to know us. We felt as the members of the group which we had only joined recently as if we had been there for a longer time (we visited 5 groups in total, mixed from 4-‐5-‐6th year, if I’m not mistaken). We got invited to group events/nights, many common memories, good laughs, interesting talks and positive experiences, even when not everything went smoothly because I believe we can learn from these occasions.

Study abroad has been one of my best decisions. Trust me, when I say that what you international students are experiencing now is study “abroad” but it is not exactly. RSU is your university now; let it be not in your homeland. This is why I highly, from the deepest of my heart (as we say it in Hungary) recommend you to go and study abroad. Visit the ERASMUS office, ask about your opportunities, and take the chance! Experiencing a different point of view in education is very helpful in the clinical subjects because doctors have different point of view in every country on how one should address the patient, what is important in being a doctor and you will find someone to learn


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from. Learn something that is not in the curriculum. Something that cannot be learnt from books. Make friends that will last long. Meet people from various countries, meet their culture, taste their cuisine, try their national drinks, learn a few words from their language. Open up. Study abroad, go and be an Erasmus student! The University of Debrecen has a long lasting contact with RSU and you can count on me when you get here, I will be here for a little longer, do not hesitate to contact me so I can give what I have experienced in Riga back to you, to make it even, to make you want to come back one day and recall every memory you have about the place where you have been Erasmus. Because one thing I know for sure, I am coming back to Riga one day. Thank you for reading my experiences and thoughts about my exchange semester, my name is József Virga, and I am a 5th year medical student from the University of Debrecen, Medical and Health Science Center, Hungary


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The curious case of the Latvian weather. It has been four years now for me, since I came to Riga. Many things which I done, saw, heard, tasted, did let me think: "What is wrong with this Latvian thing", some I understood by now, some I didn't, some of them, maybe, I never will. One of this things -‐ the weather -‐ is very curious for me. The weather namely, is one of the worst things in Latvia, if you talk to the Latvians and the foreigners. But the way of dealing with it -‐ there is the big difference between both. You see, since I am from the North-‐West of Germany, Lower Saxony, living in a village which lies between Bremen and the Dutch border, I am used to rainy weather and let's say moderate temperatures throughout the whole year, especially the summer. The grass is greener than the Kerrygold-‐butter-‐commercial-‐spot-‐grass in Ireland, thanks to all the rain, the cows do also look the same and every warm day is a gift. ( Many people in my region do speak the East Frisian Low Saxon. It is a West Low German dialect spoken in the East Frisian peninsula of northwestern Lower Saxony. (Thank you Wikipedia, as always).) Besides complaining about many things of the daily life, there is one special topic the people do complain about the most: the weather. It doesn't matter where you go, whom you meet or what you do. The first thing you start your conversation with, is the "Schietwetter" which literally means "shitty weather" in East Frisian. Also some other common expressions like "Schweinewetter" (pig weather) etc. are used. So if you're not German and first time in my region and you do understand only

this, then you must think that we do not have many worries besides the weather since this is the only thing you hear all the time. During my four years in Riga I have seen the craziest weather changes so far. I walked through the snow in the park when it was -‐29° and I was there when it was +31°. When I was a freshman, I was told that the sunshine in October will be the last sun I'll see for the next months. Luckily that was not the case. But having heating in the flat till the May, that is normal as you know. One more thing which was impressively new for me, were, as I call them, "Snowgrannies". If I had to clean up the 10 cm snow from our driveway back home, I came home feeling like a great hero, a hard working man, having blisters on my hands and sore muscles in the whole body. But this ladies taught me something totally new. They do manage to clean the streets from the tons of snow in only few hours in the morning. I mean, Germany is known in the whole world as a high-‐tech nation. But as soon we get some snow fall, the whole country collapses in chaos and the government is talking about the "snow crisis". All the modern machines can't work, because they were not constructed for so much snow -‐ seriously? The Latvians have again an easy solution for this. The do send their "armies of grannies" out and these amazing and obviously superstrong women do manage to keep the whole city and traffic going. The onion-‐layer-‐style clothing became also a normal thing for me during the four years. Not only due to the cold temperatures. What I mean are the craziest weather changes in one day I have experienced so far. If it's freeizing cold in


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the morning it is not unusual that you will walk home with a T-‐shirt and sunglasses in the evening. Besides global warming etc. Latvia seems to be also regarding the weather, the land of confusion. Umbrella, rainboots, rainjacket, sunscreen and sunglasses are the daily accessories you should have with you throughout all the year. And now the Latvians themselves. They all do complain about many things but if it comes to weather they do mention it like: "Oh, it's too cold", "too hot", "too dark", but they do never start with cursing about it. I tried to find out if there do exist some expressions in Latvian which express the same emotion which we do feel if we complain about the weather. But I couldn't so far. The Latvians are pretty polite to the weather compare with the Germans expressions. They just take it more or less as it is and go to the solarium, use tanning spray and disappear to the beaches as soon there is some sunshine. Pretty impressive, if you ask me. And maybe, speaking for my region in Germany, we can learn from the Latvians and just buy some pink rain boots with flowers and other friendly pattern on them and try to make the best out of it. Since walking outside in the fresh air is healthy anyway.

by Leon Schneider


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About Blonde Girls and Cobblestone Pavement A Quick recount of Studying Medicine at LU As a common occurrence, you will be asked what took you to Riga. You may declare, that you happen to be a medical student, whereupon the great majority of people, including virtually all taxi drivers, will instantly conclude: “RSU?!” Founded on September 1st 1950, Rīgas Stradiņa universitāte (RSU) is by many considered Latvia’s most renowned institution of higher education when it comes to medicine and health sciences. Offering courses for both domestic and international students from more than 30 different countries1, RSU has created a collaborative community of learners that oftentimes continue to be dedicated to the University’s values after graduation. Proud to be an RSU alumnus is Valdis Zatlers, who served as the former President of the Republic of Latvia from 2007 to 2011. However, contrary to popular belief, RSU does not have a monopoly on preparing prospective physicians in Riga. The University of Latvia (LU) (Latvian: Latvijas Universitāte) is the largest University in the Baltic States currently providing higher education for 17.000 students of 13 faculties2, which in fact includes its well established medical faculty. I first arrived in Riga in September 2011, after having been offered admission into the medical program of LU’s MF(medical

1http://www.rsu.lv/eng/index.php/about-‐rsu/rsu-‐in-‐numbers 2 http://www.lu.lv/eng/general/about-‐2 http://www.lu.lv/eng/general/about-‐university-‐of-‐latvia/about/

faculty) in mid-‐August. The application process, comparable with any other, includes submission of a certified copy of the secondary education diploma, documents confirming proficiency of the language of instruction, et cetera. A compulsory application fee of 20LVL is to be transferred to the University’s bank account in order to be considered for admission. A tuition fee of 4920 LVL for the first year of medicine is obligatory. Admittedly, I wasn’t surprised to find that Latvia’s capital had drawn plenty of international students, but I was left flabbergasted by the enormous number of the mentioned. One could meet medical students all over old town’s cobblestone paved alleys, the cozy shops, and bustling bars. LU’s MF had admitted 35 new international students into its well respected medical program in fall semester 2011. Freshmen typically attend courses in Anatomy, Cell Biology, Physics, Psychology, Inorganic Chemistry, Latin, Latvian, and Introduction into Medical Studies. Professors are predominantly demanding, and class attendance is mandatory. Notorious among medical students, one anatomy professor in particular, is well-‐known for ridiculing ‘blonde girls’, or rather girls in general. Nevertheless, an outstanding lecturer, she continues to offer great expertise in her field, and has proven advancement in handling of students: rewarding hard work with good grades. I can confirm that being blonde does not negatively affect your grades in any way. I would also like to introduce to you, our Cell Biology and Histology Professor, who has been a well-‐respected member of the faculty for a long time. Teaching first years students can be a tough nut to crack. Therefore, newcomers might perceive her


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as intimidating, which has in fact led to tears in the distraught student in the past. However, the academic value conveyed is incomparable, and will be fully appreciated in second year at the latest. Speaking of second year, taught in 3rd and 4th semester, Physiology is by many considered the foundation of ongoing medical education. Physiology is highly valuable at LU, comprising both lectures and weekly practical classes, at which every student has the chance to gain hands-‐on experience in common clinical procedures ranging from measuring blood glucose levels to dissecting a frog, WBC count to Harvard Step test, various intelligence tests to measuring lung volumes. Although the student body of the faculty’s internationals is limited, dedicated international students from higher semesters continue to offer common (sporting) events (Thank you). Participation is optional, however especially the paintball tournament has enjoyed great popularity in the past. In addition, LU offers a wealth of sporting activities, all open for international students, too. They include Basketball, Volleyball, Table Tennis, Soccer, Wrestling, Aerobics, Gymnastics, Floorball, Athletics, Skiing, and Handball. Recently, the dean, Professor Ingrīda Rumba-‐Rozenfelde has moreover approved a medical student international council, which is solely concerned with the demands of LU’s international medical students -‐aiming to improve the international student’s overall experience at the faculty. Wild accusations, on whether RSU or LU is offering the ‘better’ medical program have been made by students from both Universities. Nevertheless, both Institutions present their strength and weaknesses, and in the end it exclusively

depends on how you respond to what is offered to you by your faculty. As for the students entering fall semester 2011, we have largely concluded our preclinical studies in June 2013, and whilst some proceed to apply at Universities in their home countries, others resume their medical studies in September of this year at LU.


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Syria-‐ The fire of Middle East Syria, lies in the heart of the Middle East and is a surrounded by Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Israel. Since 1963 it’s a military dictatorial regime, ruled by the Baath party, on its head the Assad family. Nowadays the son of the former dictator Hafiz Al-‐Assad, Bashar Al-‐Assad is ruling the country. The media, financial politics and military is controlled by the Baath party. All other parties are forbidden. Syria is the only country in the world that allows the execution of political enemies, especially the Islamic parties.

Syrian citizens suffered ever since the Assad family is in power. Poverty due to high taxes, poor human rights, brutal torture in prisons and no freedom of press or political opinion makes life unbearable. Poverty led to corruption and people are paid to report on political enemies.

This caused fear and distrust even between siblings when it comes to politics. My grandfather who fled in 1980 out of the country was always saying: “be quite the walls hear us”. His brother was a general in the military and was judged for execution because he prayed in the army. But he was able to flee, and since that day we are not able to enter the country. The first time in my live I entered Syria was during the revolution. But that’s only our family. There are 20 million Syrians inside Syria and also 20 million Syrians outside the country. Many of them are not able to go back to Syria since half a decade.

When the Arab spring started with the revolutions against the dictators, also Syria started to demonstrate against the Assad family. The demonstrations were unexpected. In 1982, when the demonstrations in Hama started, 50.000

people were killed officially, many tortured and about one million prisoned. The survivor fled out. Since then Syrians live in fear. In March 2011 the first demonstrations started in Dara where children were kidnapped who claimed freedom on blackboards in schools. The demonstrations spread all over the country, but got tackled immediately by Shabiha. (Criminals, who are paid to kill demonstrators, so the regime can say that it didn’t stop the demonstrations) The numbers of killed and kidnapped increased very fast. After half a year of peaceful demonstrations (from the side of demonstrators) the first weapons were used. It developed into a civil war between armed Syrians and the military. Many generals and soldiers defected from the army to the newly founded Free Syrian Army. The Free Syrian army liberated most of the small cities and the nonurban area. The big cities are still controlled by the dictator, who is using heavy weapons, like military airplanes, artillery and tanks to bombard civilians or young people who are fighting in the name of the Free Syrian Army. After my two trips to Syria, working in field hospitals, I saw a lot of blood and a lot of amputations. The hospitals are poor in hygiene and poor in equipment. Anesthesia was rarely used, only in big operations. Sometimes doctors are absent and me as a medical student had to preform operations. I never saw people with so much patience before. The situation is not describable.

The dictatorial regime stopped to supply the liberated areas with electricity, oil, food and water. Regime soldiers rape women and the overall situation worsen day by day. Partners like Russia, Iran, China and Lebanon keep supporting the regime, which is why Assad is still able to


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continue the war. Western countries do not want to react, because they fear diplomatic tensions with Russia and China. Moreover the security of Israel may be in danger if radical parties are elected.

The victims are children, women and weak civilians. Officially about 150 thousand civilians died and more than 3 million refugees fled to neighboring. Field hospitals take care of hundreds of injured people after bombarding. The equipment and doctors are not enough to help all the victims. Therefore the usage of the same materials in several operations without sterilization is common. Infections, amputations and death occur daily in Kafar Sijneh near Idlib, in the field hospital where I worked. Sometimes nurses and students had to do operations, because the staff is overworked. Anyone can help. There is no need for language knowledge. A trip with some presents to orphanages, helping medically, or humanitarian, or at least with a donation, is possible and it really helps a lot, especially during Ramadan where the people eat only one meal a day. With small amounts of money, through helping organizations or directly through me, you can feed a family for a whole month. Buying presents for the children in an orphanage for the Ramadan celebration and bringing happiness to small hearts in mid of darkness and inhuman killing, is a very big gift.

Nobody knows how it will end. Countries and regimes need to change in order to find a solution. The geographical and political dimension of this war is very central and complicated, and that’s why no country until now had the ability to help the people there.

Mujahid Kahf

[email protected]

Franziska Thimm

stradiņš isa review

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