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PROJECT UPDATES

What we’ve been doing, where we’ve been travelling, and what’s next.

New Books

This month I've (finally) completed two new books. One is a novel. The other is a book on photography in higher-risk environments. More details below.

Syria Workshops

In November 2025, I'll be coordinating two workshops in Syria.

The first workshop is "Restoring Hope and Resilience: Supporting Individual and Collective Recovery" — a one-day workshop delivered in Damascus and Homs. The initiative brings together local psychologists, students, and community leaders to strengthen capacity for trauma recovery, resilience, and community healing in post-conflict Syria.

Learn more about this workshop here.

Our second workshop will focus on the crucial role of fixers in Syria. "Fixing for Foreign Companies" will bring together individuals already working in part-time fixer roles to help them better understand the motivations and needs of foreign companies exploring business opportunities in Syria. More details will follow soon.

In addition, we provide support to Western organisations considering entering Syria. Learn more here.

Crisis Simulation Exercises

Designing and delivering crisis simulation exercises is something we’re genuinely passionate about—and it’s an area where we bring world-class expertise. If your organisation is considering running an exercise in 2025, please reach out. For a deeper look at how we approach this work, you might enjoy The Crisis Simulation Handbook.

TRAINING

Training workshops and customised training solutions.

New Workshop: Designing and Delivering Effective Crisis Simulation Exercises

Well-designed crisis simulation exercises are one of the most powerful tools for preparing teams to face real-world crises. Yet many exercises fall short and fail to achieve effective learning outcomes.

This 2-hour workshop gives you a practical framework for creating and running exercises that truly build competence and deliver actionable insights to leadership. Drawing on experience from more than 120 simulations across multiple regions, we’ll focus on what works in practice—not just in theory.

What you’ll learn:

• How to select scenarios that engage participants and promote learning.
• Practical ways to calibrate difficulty and manage complexity.
• Techniques for designing interactions that drive engagement and test decision-making.
• Approaches to debriefing that translate lessons into action.
• Tools to measure performance and report outcomes effectively.

If your organisation would be interested in me running Designing and Delivering Effective Crisis Simulation Exercises for your crisis management team, please get in touch.

View our other training workshops here.

PUBLICATIONS

We’ve published a number of books on crisis management, travel security and security evacuations.

I've published two new books this month:

Memoirs of an Assassin (a novel)

Memoirs of an Assassin offers a chilling glimpse into the mind of a professional killer. This unflinching fictional memoir follows an unnamed contract assassin from his accidental recruitment to his evolution into a disciplined predator. Written with stark honesty and clinical detachment, it reveals the tradecraft of sanctioned murder while exploring the razor-thin line between civilisation and savagery. Dark, unsettling, and thought-provoking, it’s a thriller that lingers long after the last page.

Learn more and purchase here.

Photography in Higher-Risk Environments

I've also published Photography in Higher-Risk Environments, a comprehensive guide drawn from over three decades of work in challenging locations including Syria, Afghanistan, Nepal, and Somalia. The book covers everything from risk assessment and equipment selection to fieldcraft, subject protection, and working with local guides. Whether you're a photojournalist, humanitarian worker, or independent photographer planning to work in conflict zones, post-conflict regions, or areas experiencing instability, this guide provides practical frameworks for capturing important images while protecting yourself and the people whose stories you document.

Proceeds support humanitarian projects in Syria and Afghanistan, particularly in mental health and women's education. Learn more and purchase here.

View all our publications and download samples here.

Buy copies for your team

Several highly regarded organisations (and one prestigious university) have purchased copies of our books for their teams. If your team would benefit from the knowledge and experience contained in our books, please reach out. We'd be happy to provide a discount for bulk orders.

STATION XV

Updates on our in-house gear.

Just a reminder that due to US tariffs, we are no longer able to ship orders to the U.S.

For people outside the US, check out the full range of Station XV bags and accessories here.

APPLICATIONS

Updates on our applications.

Whistler

A simple, secure whistleblowing app for organisations to receive and manage confidential reports. First launched 10 years ago, Whistler 2.0 now features stronger encryption and case management tools.

Pricing starts at $19 a month.

Learn more here.

Incident Manager

Incident Manager help teams to effectively manage crisis events. It brings everything into one place—tasks, logs, comms, support cases—so teams can focus on what really matters. After 25 years in this field, I wanted something that actually helps in the moment, not just looks good in a demo. If you’re curious, I’m happy to show you how it works—free demo and trial available.

Now with incredibly useful AI features.

Please reach out if you'd like a demo.

Exercise Manager

A streamlined tool for planning and delivering crisis exercises while tracking team performance. Originally for internal use, now available to clients.

Please reach out if you'd like a demo.

Tenacio

A project management app for individuals handling diverse workloads. It prioritises tasks based on deadlines and personal work preferences, ensuring you stay on track.

If you'd like to try Tenacio, get in touch.

READING LIST

Links to interesting articles worth your time.

China’s Military in 10 Charts. (CSIS). Read here

How Disinformation About the Minnesota Shooting Spread Like Wildfire on X. Under Elon Musk’s leadership, X has become the perfect platform to supercharge the spread of dangerous disinformation during breaking news events. (Wired). Read here

A Playbook for Winning the Cyber War: Part 1: Executive Summary. (CSIS). Read here

America Surrenders in the Global Information Wars. The U.S. is reorienting its foreign policy to protect governments that manipulate and suppress information. (The Atlantic). Read here

Scamland Myanmar: how conflict and crime syndicates built a global fraud industry. (ASPI). Read here

How to Avoid Another Syrian Civil War. (Foreign Affairs). Read here

As Sabotage in Europe Mounts, So Do Calls to Retaliate Against Russia. Drones in Poland and GPS jamming attributed to Russia have intensified a debate over whether the West should impose stiffer penalties for such “hybrid warfare.” (NY Times). Read here

From Seoul to Pyongyang: the secret remittance networks keeping North Korean families alive. (The Guardian). Read here

Russia Is Shrewdly Playing the Long Game in Africa. (War on the Rocks). Read here

Hosting a WebSite on a Disposable Vape. (BogdanTheGeek's Blog). Read here

Putin’s Lies Hide Weakness. (Tomorrow's Affairs). Read here

AI-Generated “Workslop” Is Destroying Productivity. (HBR). Read here

The Mass Shooters are Performing for One Another. (The Atlantic). Read here

That’s it for this month, folks.

Thanks for reading and stay safe out there.

Grant Rayner

Spartan9