The summer in which news of the climate crisis and humanitarian crises seemed to become part of daily life is now coming to an end.

 

A very dry summer

I keep wondering if there has ever been a summer with so little rain. This dry Dutch summer is now coming to a close. The water level in the nearby park where I usually go for walks and runs has also dropped very low (see photo).

 

The first summer I experienced in the Netherlands was in 2011. In that year, and also in 2012, I can hardly remember more than a few days when I thought, “It’s hot.” On most days there was always a time when drizzle fell, and often it even felt chilly. I remember thinking, “Why do shops sell sunscreen here? Who on earth buys it?” (Later I realised it was because people go to hot places and beaches for summer holidays, and they need it at their destinations, of course!)

 

Since returning to the Netherlands in the autumn of 2016, almost every summer has made me think, “This hot, dry summer isn’t normal!” And now, nearly ten years have already passed. At last, towards the end of August, the mornings and evenings are getting cooler, and rain has finally begun to fall.

 

Humanitarian work and coaching

August has always been a month that makes me reflect on the meaning of humanitarian work. It is a month filled with opportunities to remember war, conflict, and human suffering. Hiroshima and Nagasaki’s atomic bomb anniversaries, Japan’s end of the war memorial day, the “Day of Liberation in Indonesia” or “Remembrance Day” in the Netherlands, and World Humanitarian Day on 19 August. While I was on holiday in Italy or back in The Hague, these dates gave me much to think about.

 

This time I felt I wanted to explore more deeply the relationship between “humanitarian work” and coaching, so I began writing about it in my blog. Since the policy changes during the current US administration, many people have lost jobs at USAID, NGOs, and even UN agencies, both within the country and in around the world. As someone who coaches people working in the humanitarian field, and who once was a humanitarian myself, I started by sharing some reflections and hints that might be useful for both clients and fellow coaches.

 

If this resonates with you, I would be glad to welcome you for a trial session anytime.