Greetings Expats…
One of the reasons why I love blogging is because I really enjoy reading all the nice emails from so many expats living and working in Tunisia.
Although most of the emails I receive are informative and pleasant, sometimes I receive what I like to call “challenging emails”. These are emails from expats that either take difference with the information that I am presenting or feel that I need to modify things.
First thing first…
I think the first item that I should clarify is that I am not a journalist or politician. I am a simple Expat originally from Queens, New York living and working in Tunisia.
As a security professional I simply want to add value to the expat world by empowering expats with practical and relevant security information.
Still there are those that take difference with this blog and to them I would like to say thank you because each time I read a “critical email”…it motivates me to improve the value of this blog.
7 Tools of Empowerment
I know there’s a lot of nervous energy out there and people want to know what they can do to improve their overall security situation.
- Employer connection: Make sure you know the security setup of your employer or your partner’s employer (or the most relevant multinational company in your life)—>In other words…make sure you have a contact person..someone you can actually talk to & trade information with etc.
- Embassy connection: Do you know the citizen services that your embassy offers? It doesn’t matter where you’re from…it’s always good to know where your embassy is located and how they can be of service.
- Neighborhood: While community watch groups and neighborhood councils are very popular in the West, they are not as common in Tunisia. Still many neighborhoods have some sort of council or group that organizes security among other things. It would be a great idea to reach out to the person in charge and ask them a few proactive questions. Additionally, you may want to share some ideas regarding how you think your neighborhood’s security can improve.
- E-resources: On my side I offer (3) ways to stay informed with the security situation in Tunisia: Tunisia SecurityUpdate-Blog, TSU-Facebook, and a Twitter feed which you can link up with @DavidSecurity. Additionally, there are many informative sites out there which you can incorporate into your overall security awareness.
- Personal Safety: In the near future I will be offering a 4-session course intended to give expats a good foundation on self defense & situational awareness. In the mean time, make sure you’re getting your healthy dose of exercise and security knowledge.
- Social Circles: How about organizing a “security awareness” cook out…OK maybe not the best party idea…but take some time to discuss security issues with your friends and family…and if you decide to have a “security awareness party” make sure to invite me 🙂
- Emergency Services: Last but not least there is always the 197 number which will connect you to the Tunisian emergency services. Ask yourself if you feel confident about dialing this number. Perhaps you have certain language barriers…it wouldn’t hurt to write a set of phrases which you can easily refer to in an emergency situation.
Lastly, feel free to email me your ideas on how we can expand this list.
“You may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing there will be no result”-Mahatma Gandhi