Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Out but still IN


Two interns working at the United Nations Development Programme office in New York said they want to acquire experience while studying hard for their master's degrees in Political Science.

Coincidentally, the two are Africans; one from West Africa and East Africa - Ivory Coast and Ethiopia. I did not understand why they were hellbent on pursuing their post graduate degrees, I did not know where the inspiration was coming from until I set my eyes on these portraits fixed at the entrance of the main UN building.

A number of Africans have held respectable positions at the United Nations, when Egyptian diplomat Boutros Boutros Ghali occupied the post; it marked a turning point in the history of the United Nations at long last African from the Arab peninsular has been appointed to serve in most of the most highest offices on land. Boutros served at the UN from January 1992 to December 1996. May be those interns have been told that one of the best ways of serving the UN is to be armed with a Master's degree so that they too can make their mark like Ghali and Annan.

History was recorded again in 1997 when Kofi Annan another African from sub saharan Africa was appointed to take over from Boutros at the end of his tenure of office. While both of them have played their part very well depending on how you judge them, one can say without any iota of doubt they have stepped aside, working [possibly] in other fields. The point we want to hammer home is that at the United Nations history does not anyway forget them, their portraits and other S.Gs who had served before them are beautifully displayed prominently in the UN building.

History students, and the younger generation who were not fortunate to see them in action would look at them and say, 'this man is from Egypt and that man is from Ghana'

They are out but they are STILL IN.

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