AES Cargo's Baghdad staff contributes to local Ramadan celebrations
Donation just one of many steps that company has taken to establish positive relations with neighbours in Baghdad.
In an environment that is has offered little to celebrate of late, a festive note was struck at the end of October as many Iraqi citizens began celebrating Ramadan - the holiest month on the Islamic calendar. AES Cargo's staff in Iraq took part in the celebrations by donating a cow that, as tradition dictates, was subsequently slaughtered and distributed amongst the neighbourhood's residents.
"Our neighbours in Baghdad have been great to us and we wanted to do a little something in return," remarked Erik Hemphill, AES Cargo's Iraq Office Manager. "It gave us a chance to get to know them and become a little more familiar with their traditions and way of life."
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Muslims uphold this month as the time that the Holy Quran "was sent down from heaven, a guidance unto men, a declaration of direction, and a means of Salvation". It is during Ramadan that Muslims fast. The month is regarded as a time for Muslims to put aside their everyday concern and concentrate on their faith.
It's interesting to note that Ramadan is a "shifting" holiday. This is due to the fact that Islam uses a lunar calendar-that is, each month begins with the sighting of the new moon. Since the lunar calendar is about 11 days shorter than the solar calendar used elsewhere, Islamic holidays "move" each year. For example, while Ramadan began on Oct. 27 in 2003, next year it will begin on Oct. 15.
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Since commencing their Afghanistan operations in 2001, AES Cargo and sister-company Move One have been called upon to ship in everything from power generators to house pets. As the focus in Afghanistan shifts from military operations to civilian reconstruction efforts another busy year lies ahead.
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AES Cargo unloads a charter in Kabul
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For the staff at AES Cargo's Afghanistan office, 2003 began with a big burst of light. The company was contracted in early January to ship 20 General Electric generators into Baghram and Kandahar to provide emergency power supply to the two Afghan cities.
The shipments kicked off the New Year on a high note, making AES Cargo the largest shipper of power supply components into the region. It also provided a hint of what was to come in terms of cargo over the coming year. For, while the majority of AES Cargo's Afghanistan freight during 2002 was related to military operations, the international community's shift in focus to rebuilding the country made 2003 a different year altogether.
"The trend we're seeing in Afghanistan is a sharp rise in construction and power generation contracts," commented Paul Cziraky, Operations Managers at the AES Group's Budapest headquarters. "The increasing stability of the country is allowing for a greater focus on reconstruction efforts and that's being reflected in the jobs we're handling. For example, we were recently contracted to assist with the delivery of construction materials being used in the construction of the US embassy in Kabul."
Another development trend that Cziraky emphasized is the fact that other regions of Afghanistan are becoming the focus of development efforts. "In the beginning, most of the jobs we handled were bound for Kabul. However, nowadays, cities such as Kandahar are undergoing a great deal of construction. It's come to the point that we have to station staff there in order to handle the incoming shipments."
Arriving alongside the power generators and various construction materials are an increasing number of civilian contractors to assist with the various reconstruction projects underway. Many of these personnel are arriving for stays of at least two years and are bringing their personal possessions with them. To assist with their relocation, Move One, AES Cargo's sister-company, is applying its household goods forwarding expertise.
"Our cargo operations have gained a reputation for providing reliable, quality service under less-than-ideal conditions and this has rubbed off on our household goods division," reflected the AES Group's Managing Director, Curt Clements. "Our extensive experience in challenging environments has convinced a lot of people that we're the best, and safest, choice when it comes to Central Asia."
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A potent mix of bravado and violence, the strange sport of Bukashi is a popular draw in Afghanistan.
Although the country has been a regular participant in the Summer Olympic since 1948, Afghanistan is still waiting for its first Olympic medal. It's a fact that, given the country's tumultuous history, should be little cause for surprise.
However, it could be argued that Afghanistan's streak of bad luck is due to the fact that truly Afghan sports have no representation at the Olympics. One sporting event that Afghanistan would surely be a gold medal favourite in is Bukashi. Don't bother looking the word up in your dictionary - you won't find it. In fact, about the only place in the world you'll find people who can explain what this term means is in Afghanistan. (A similar sport is played in Uzbekistan but there it is referred to as 'Ulok').
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Bukashi: Afghanistan's favourite pastime
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Bukashi is a game played by two teams of horsemen that compete to place the body of a headless calf in one of the chalk white circles placed at either end of the field. Play begins with the two sides positioned at opposite ends of the playing field. For the novice spectator, this is likely the only point in the match when it's possible to distinguish the two teams from each other. The glitzy, logo-laden team jerseys that sport fans in the West are accustomed to have no place here. In fact, the only reliable indication of who's who on the field is the padded leather headgear worn by the captain of each team. (The headgear is a relic of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, taken from the dead bodies of Soviet tank drivers).
The game itself appears to have few rules but requires accomplished riding skills and a great deal of courage from those who play it. A potent mix of bravado and violence, game play often consists of opposing players crashing into each other and the concrete walls of the arena as they vie for the bloody carcass lost somewhere in the scrum.
Jay Cziraky, AES Cargo's Business Development Manager, was in Afghanistan in 2001 to open AES Cargo's Kabul office. While there, he managed to take in a Bukashi match but almost ended up getting more than he bargained for. "We just wanted to watch them play but the players actually ended up inviting me to join in," recalls Cziraky. "I was considering hopping on a horse but our local Afghan staff wouldn't let me play, saying it was too dangerous. After watching the match I was inclined to agree with them."
Given its chaotic and violent nature, the sport will no doubt continue to be a regional curiosity, its macabre elements being too much for queasy Western audiences to stomach (to make no mention of the inevitable protests from animal rights activists). However, with the International Olympic Committee introducing new sports into its competition with each passing Games perhaps Bukashi will one day reach a wider audience. After all, who wouldn't prefer watching the riveting anarchy of a Bukashi match over the comparative ho-hum of a synchronized diving competition?
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Environment Matters
Perhaps unfairly, the global logistics and transportation industry is often given a failing grade when it comes to environmental awareness. However, forward-thinking companies in the industry recognize the importance of reducing their environmental impact and are actively taking steps to do so.
AES Cargo is one such company. We are implementing a comprehensive program to minimize the impact that company activities have on the environment. From utilizing packing materials made from recycled products to instituting a rigorous vehicle maintenance program that ensures company vehicles meet environmental emission standards, the steps AES Cargo has taken are diverse and many.
Indeed, identifying every measure AES Cargo takes to reduce its impact on the environment would amount to a dizzying list. In general, company policy aims at the establishment of efficient and environmentally sustainable freight forwarding and logistics systems.
The main goals of our environmental policy are:
- Reducing and, when possible, preventing negative impact on the environment.
- Readiness for risks resulting from the activities of the company.
- Efficient usage of resources.
- Adherence to western environmental standards Knowledge and following of the legislation, and readiness for changes.
- Increasing the environmental responsibility and awareness.
- Continuous improvement of activities.
Adherence to this policy is of utmost importance if AES Cargo is to be successful in its bid for the next level of environmental standardization. The company is currently undertaking the steps necessary to attain an ISO 14001 certification. The ISO 14001 certification is an international environmental management system (EMS) standard that provides us with clearly defined guidelines for lessening our impact on the environment.
The certification process is comprehensive, encompassing all aspects of our operations, from our activities in the field to daily office procedures. Our move towards ISO 14001 certification is a useful way to demonstrate our commitment to environmentally sustainable practices to our employees, clients and partners.
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The content's changed but the address remains the same. Our IT department has overhauled the AES Cargo website and the end product is definitely worth a visit.
www.aescargo.com is easily navigable and features new tools designed to enhance communications with our partners and clients. The chief vehicle for this is the recently unveiled Intrack, an online tracking system that allows our customers to view the current status of any consignment in transit.
Other changes include an upgraded news forum that features all the latest company information and news from the global logistics and freight forwarding industry. Also make sure to drop by our photo gallery where you can get an 'inside view' from AES Cargo's field offices.
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Andy Harris
Kuwait Operations Coordinator
Leaving a comfy 9-5 desk job in Canada for a round-the-clock logistics position in Afghanistan is not the career path most people would choose to follow. For Andy Harris, however, the shakeup was just what he needed.
Now managing AES Cargo's Kuwait office, Andy got his start with the company in Kabul during the summer of 2002. Since then, the possibility of Andy returning to an office environment has become increasingly remote. "My time in Afghanistan was great," Andy recalls. "The project's we handle there are high priority and critical to that country's development. Because of this there was a pressure to perform, which I enjoyed."
As Andy describes, the people were an equally important part of his time in Afghanistan. "There's a large and diverse group of international workers in Kabul which is a reflection of the scope of the international community's involvement in that country. But it wasn't just the foreign workers who were a pleasure to work with. The locals we do business with are also a dedicated bunch - very eager to work."
If Andy still seems a little wistful for his Afghan days, well, he is. "Maybe because it was my first assignment I look back on my time in Kabul with a bit of nostalgia," Andy observes. "However, Kuwait has its own challenges and perks. Besides, with the volume of work we have looking back on the past isn't really an option at the moment."
Indeed, with Kuwait acting as a primary staging ground for shipments entering southern Iraq the workload remains high for AES Cargo's Kuwait office. If nothing else, Kuwait offers the sort of Western fast food fare that's lacking in Afghanistan, a fact that Andy readily acknowledges: "It's nice to be able to ring up for some home delivered pizza again."
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On the Horizon is
published monthly by AES Cargo for cargo
professionals and clients.
Send comments, questions, and ideas for this publication
to editor@aescargo.com.
For other assistance, contact AES Cargo headquarters
at: Millennium Center Building Pesti Barnabás u.
4, 3rd floor 1052 Budapest, Hungary Tel.: +36-1-266-0184 Fax:
+36-1-266-3010 info@aescargo.com
www.aescargo.com
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