That was an interesting letter: it shows, bare and simple, what's the purpuse of human interest journalism. Surely "humanizing the other side" ain't enough to stop the war, but it surely improves things. About the reactions from the foreign aid worker, I had similar experiences: for some reason, I've always found it easier to discuss MidEast life with Arab folks than with some fellow Europeans. I dunno why, but it's not the politics for sure: there's just more mutual respect, go figure.