The next group of Vietnamese detainees were more fortunate. Ellen had tickets for ten of the eleven. Seven men and three women. The lone unfortunate was a few weeks away from being given the same good news. Ellen tenderly touched his cheek and told him to be strong as he waited patiently for release. A [...]
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The first group of Vietnamese men marched from their block two by two. Handcuffed in pairs, free arms holding the shoulder of the detainee in front of them, heads down. They entered the small building, sat in two neat rows, cross legged, leaning against each other. Seven in total. They were all young. Haggard and [...]
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The Detention Centre we visited is tucked away in a small town, about an hour and a half drive from the main city where we met. We drove through the rain, a down pour of tremendous rain drops that threw themselves against the windshield with incredible force. Ellen drove her small Proton at a casual [...]
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Change Noor’s name – he has done so himself – to another. Make it Hashim, or Ishmael. The names change but the stories have similar strands. Yet the threads that tie the stories together are not rich in hue: golds, emeralds, reds, weaving together a beautiful coat of colour. They are more like the clear [...]
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He had no reason to lie to us. The tears on his face said it all. They appeared suddenly, streamed clear lines on his dark skin. The first, the only tears I saw during my time meeting with refugees in Malaysia, listening to their stories of survival, of exile, of suffering and displacement. Tears precious [...]
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Together We Examine My Heart, Seven Years Later i. I swear it was right here the last time I checked cold and sticky as a frog frantic except when cupped in your hand uglier, more fascinating than expected ii. you should have known it would be a costly endeavour that it would take time to [...]
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Way back in the 1490s, a man of many talents was commissioned by the French ambassador in the Holy See to sculpt one of his most well known works, the Pietà. Upon its completion, one of the artist’s contemporaries wrote, “It is certainly a miracle that a formless block of stone could ever have been [...]
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Invitations to self-sacrifice and selflessness are seldom extended today. We’re a Get-Anything-You-Want-For-Cheap kind of culture whose convenience and blessedness comes at the expense of others we don’t see and, gosh-darnit, we want to keep in that way. We’re insured or have access to insurance to protect the kingdoms we build for ourselves. We’re padded, protected, [...]
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Interview: Bryan + Katie Torwalt, "Here on Earth"
Andrew's TEDx talk, "Considering Danger"
Interview: Kidnap Survivor and Inspiring Humanitarian Amanda Lindhout
If God Had A Facebook Account, What Would He Write on Your Wall?
Mephiboseth, a short story by Andrew Kooman
If Rudyard Kipling had Fridge Magnets
Chasing Tradition: Herbert's "Altar"
View popular categories and access Andrew's writing for the web from 2006 - the present, including:
Fridge for Thought - Weekly Poetry Feature
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