i remember i was a reporter once, and being in the refugee camps in eastern sudan where there were probably in excess of 300,000 or 400,000 refugees from ethiopia and eritrea and they sent in all the relief workers and set up clinics. and the refugees went on strike. and they said, we can run our own clinics. we have people who know how to do the basic tests. we have midwives. we don't need all of you to come in and do it. people were completely flabbergasted. you're supposed to be a dependent, passive, helpless individual, we're supposed to be here to help you. i think figuring out how we can rely more fully on people to organize themselves is one of the most important things i think of an effective humanitarian operation. i think there was some of that in haiti. i'll just tell you, from where i sat, there was no airport one day, then your guys went in and there was an airport the next morning. so, you know. >> but there is a factor that i think we haven't mentioned yet, and that is, the discovery -- although it shouldn't be a discovery -- of the critical role that women in these communiti

being in a refugee camps in eastern sudan where they were in excess of 300,000 refugees from ethiopia and eritrea in the camps. this and relief workers and set up clinics. the rescuers went on strike. -- the refugees went on strike. they said we can run our own clinics. we do not need you to run in and do it. people were flabbergasted. you are supposed to be a passive, helpless individual. we are supposed to be there to help you. figuring out how we can rely more fully on people to organize themselves is one of the most important things, i think, of an effective humanitarian operation. there is some of that in haiti. there was no airport one day, then you guys went in and there was an airport the next morning. >> a factor that we have not mentioned is the discovery, though it should not be a discovery, of the critical role women in these activities play. in haiti, where i spent a lot of time, in colombia, in african communities, women organize these tent cities. they did not break down the fence, but they organized the food chain. i know there will be panels later on in the program an