A Life Half Lived

Overview

As a law student, Andrew MacLeod heard a key speaker talk about a moral obligation to use our skills to better the lives of others. It changed his life's direction. Andrew chose to work in aid, first as a Red Cross delegate in the former Yugoslavia, then in Rwanda and later to the United Nations where he was appointed Chief of Operations in the international response to the 2005 Kashmir earthquake in Pakistan. Part autobiography and part controversial dialogue, A Life Half Lived is the account of Andrew's life so far on the ground in the world's disaster and emergency zones. From listening to aid workers' responses to humanitarian crises, Andrew has some tough questions to ask, including can the private sector take up the mantle to better solve the lives of people in extreme circumstances? Covering half a life-time, Andrew MacLeod takes us on a journey from when he was a 'wet behind the ears' idealist entering the aid world to a pragmatist with a vision of partnerships leading to reducing global poverty. With an understanding of some of the deep failings of foreign aid, and some hope from the unlikeliest of sources, military, mining companies, banks and other private sector players, MacLeod challenges us to rethink perceptions of who are the 'bad guys' and who are the 'white knights' in the developing economies.

Author Biography

Andrew MacLeod, humanitarian, solider, business leader, has passed through half a dozen wars, numerous natural disasters, covering more than half the globe. Having coordinated massive relief campaigns, negotiated with military dictators and terrorists, Andrew is often asked to relate experiences from Bosnia to Kosovo, Rwanda to Pakistan to draw lessons in leadership. The author has served in many difficult roles including International Committee of the Red Cross Delegate in Yugoslavia and Rwanda