Perhaps my most substantive consulting gig ever was running a training course, under the auspices of an Italian NGO, for Palestinian architects and engineers in Beirut in the winter/spring of 2003. The zealously contentious political power structure of Lebanon denies Palestinians full residency status thus greatly limiting admittance to universities or any licensed professions. My job was give this bunch of young, underemployed, professionals a primer in what skills they’d need to procure, perform and complete real world projects.