Little girl, big city - Episode 4: Translators, delegations and celebrity sightings.

So the UN General Assembly is in session and it’s been causing some chaos as entire avenues have been sectioned off to make way for the Pope, President Obama and other VIPs. I find it annoying all of the security measures being taken to be honest. Does the Pope really need an entourage of six SUVs and 6,000 police? The guy rides around in his little Fiat with the window down. I mean if someone really wanted to shoot him, it wouldn’t be that hard. 

Snipers on the roof of UN HQ

Also, the avenue sidewalks are more crowded than usual with delegates in from all over the world. Cultural differences manifest themselves in a number of ways, including the time it takes to get through a speech or down a sidewalk. Africans don’t seem to be in a hurry ever, and are completely immune to time constraints. I freely admit, I have no idea what this feels like. 

In other news, I’ve been here for six weeks now and I still haven’t seen any famous people walking around. The only celebrity sightings I’ve had have been at the UN this week. I missed seeing David Beckham by a couple of hours which is unfortunate (Instagram informed me of this). But I have sat in the same room as Kaká (the Brazilian fútbol player and WFP ambassador) and Laura Carmichael (the actress who plays Lady Edith in Downton Abbey). Shakira and Connie Britton (actress from the TV show Nashville) also spoke at forums I couldn’t get in to but watched via UN webcast. Normally I’d be able to get in to most seminars with my UN badge, but since everybody and their grandmother is in town for the General Assembly, only delegations and staff are being allowed in to certain events and suddenly I’m much less important than I used to be. It stings, I’m not gonna lie. 

That's Kaká to the far left

I feel I’ve been a little bit negative in my attitude regarding the UN. But there is one aspect that I am sincerely impressed by. Every high-level event will have translation into the six official UN languages: English, French, Russian, Spanish, Arabic and Chinese. This is reasonable and not that impressive until you take into consideration that each of these languages is being translated into each of the other ones. And when there are non-UN languages being spoken on the floor, they also have to be translated into each of these six. Which means we are talking about translators who are translating to and from upwards of five languages. That to me is amazing. For example, one time I noticed the same natively British male voice translating from Kazakh, Belorussian, Russian, French and Arabic into English. How does a person learn all of those languages to such a sophisticated level? That takes years of study and/or immersion in those languages and cultures, which makes me tremendously curious about the lives these UN translators have lived… 

Little girl, big city - Episode 3: An important dinner

As mentioned in my previous post (http://annikagreco.blogspot.com/2015/09/little-girl-big-city-episode-2-united.html), a large part of my role as “UN intern” at the WEA is attending UN events on a variety of topics and writing summary reports that are forwarded to the relevant person within the alliance. For example, if I attend an event on gender inequality, my report goes to the Executive Director of the Women’s Commission, or if I attend a forum on religious freedom, my report gets sent to the Co-director of the International Institute for Religious Freedom. I really like this role as I enjoy writing and I’m gaining a lot of insight into some very important topics that are affecting the global geopolitical and socioeconomic realities.  

In my last post I ranted a bit about the egos that work in diplomacy and foreign affairs. There are a lot of people who are in it for the status and/or cushy job. But I do need to say that there are also a lot of career diplomats, both in and outside the UN, who truly do care about making the world better. There are many people who hold very stressful positions and juggle an enormous amount of complexities and contradictions and continue to do so because it matters. Last night I was able to spend some time with a few of these individuals. 

The entire WEA executive team is in town this week and I got to join them for dinner at a very expensive establishment on Wall Street (http://www.thecapitalgrille.com/locations/ny/new-york/nyc-wall-street/8039) where we were ushered downstairs into a private dining room which used to be a gold vault. I spent the evening hoping it wasn’t obvious that I’d never been in such a swanky restaurant before (I mean, I’ve been to some pretty nice establishments, but this was a whole other level). The food was rich (both in price and quality) and I could go on about how good it was, but I don’t want to make you jealous of me even though you should be. 

Apart from the amazing gastronomic experience, this was a really significant dinner for me personally. Understand something - I am a nobody in this field. But I got to sit next to and converse with some very influential somebodies because I am just busy living in the favor of God. Here’s what I mean: The WEA’s permanent representative to the UN (and the one footing the bill for this splendid meal) invited me to join after having known me for about five minutes. She absolutely insisted. And then during dinner she told me she’d received high praise for my reports from some of the other executives and heads-of-commissions around the world and apologized profusely that the WEA didn’t have enough funding to offer me a paid position upon graduating but that I should send her my CV and she’ll pass it on to some contacts she has in Washington DC and New York. And I’m like, whaaaaaaat!? That’s favor. 

And then the Under Secretary-General of the United Nations and Acting High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Mr. Kim Won-soo, walked in and joined us. And I’m (very calmly and collectedly) freaking out in my head because I just saw him speak at the UN event on nuclear testing last week and included his statements in my report. To meet the man in person was kind of awesome for me. And as I listened in on the conversation, I realized that he has probably the most difficult and the most important job at the UN right now. With the geopolitical situation as it is, with all of the divided politics surrounding the issue of nuclear weapons and disarmament, and with Russia exerting its influence in the Middle East in increasing measure, this guy is kind of important. If you a person who prays, pray for this man. 

In conclusion, I am a nobody. I’m just busy living in the favor of God. And right now He’s allowing me to make some incredible connections that may be significant in the future. I graduate in June of next year and have no idea what the next step is. Truly no clue. But I am genuinely unstressed about the whole thing because I know that I don’t have to worry. I’m just enjoying the ride. 

The photo is terribly out of focus, but the Under S-G is the man in the middle with the magenta tie.

Little girl, big city - Episode 2: The United Nations

A large part of my internship consists of attending meetings/seminars/forums at the UN HQ or at other designated locations in the area. These events cover topics like nuclear arms testing, the culture of peace, human rights, civil society and democracy, religious freedom, etc. A lot of it is very interesting; some of it is incredibly long winded and sleep inducing. After having spent a few weeks in this environment, I have mixed feelings. On the one hand it’s tremendously exciting to breathe the same air as distinguished diplomats and NGO workers who have been in the thick of it and are in great part responsible for setting the global political agenda. I won’t lie and say that I don’t ever want to work here. I want the power suit, I want the badge, I want the status. 

On the other hand, it’s pretty ridiculous. And what I mean is, while it’s necessary and meaningful to discuss these important issues that impact people all over the world, so much of it is merely the importance of being important. Granted, the panelists who speak on the topics are often not career diplomats and they have dedicated their lives to advocating for a certain issue or people group. This part of the forum is often quite interesting to listen to. But then the member state delegates start taking turns reading their prepared speeches and the majority of the content is just politically digestible soundbites that are void of sincerity or any actual bite. When the delegate from Qatar touts the importance of upholding human rights, or the Russian delegate says that his country is committed to full nuclear disarmament, or the American representative praises the role of the media in promoting peace, one wants to just roll one’s eyes and say My God, do these people have no sense of irony? 

I acknowledge that it is necessary to gather and exchange ideas in a neutral setting so that we are aware of what is happening in the world of development and diplomacy and so that we can be reminded of what we should be doing. There are so many organizations, working groups, committees and coalitions that it is hard to keep tabs on everything that goes on. Case in point, I’m learning to navigate the endless list of UN organizations and their acronyms. I defy you to know what all of these stand for without googling: WFP, WHO, UNHCR, UNDESA, UNICEF, UNEP, UNFPA, UNDP, ILO, IMO, IFAD, FAO, IAEA, ICAO, ITU, UPU, WBG, WIPO, WMO, ECOSOC…..But I digress. 

Here’s the issue: Words are being spoken but nothing is being said. Or what is being said has already been said a thousand times. When does the status quo actually get challenged by actions instead of words? The United Nations doesn’t have that much power. It can’t legislate, it can only make suggestions. And the only UN body that actually has any power (the Security Council) is more often than not paralyzed because its members don’t get along. The system is broken. It’s dysfunctional. So the only thing it can do is organize meetings and seminars and forums that gather the organizations and the working groups and the committees and the coalitions to talk about things that have already been discussed and that every informed person already knows. 

So. It is clear to me that what is truly important in the world of diplomacy is the importance of being important. The hierarchy, the bureaucracy, the verbose job titles all serve to prop up the egos of the insecure, the comfortable, and the (sometimes) inept. 

There. I’m done spewing. 

Little girl, big city - Episode 1: Restaurant etiquette, air conditioning and the United Nations.

I’ve been in the Big Apple for almost two weeks now and I’m feeling quite at home. It’s a livable city under the right circumstances and I’m favorable to moving here for a period of time if I end up getting a (very well paid) job after graduation. These 10 weeks are a trial run if you will. 

I’ve not lived in the US for eight years, so there are a few things I’m having to get used to again. Like tipping in restaurants. Waiters in Europe are salaried and the service is included in the price, so tipping isn’t a norm - something I find quite efficient. Of course I want to support waiters everywhere in their pursuit of the American Dream, but it gets hella expensive. It’s a bullet I need to bite unfortunately. Everybody eats out all the time here and I am inclined to follow suit since I’m sharing a minuscule kitchen with four boys, three of them very messy. Needless to say, this doesn’t inspire me to go at it in the culinary department. And so I’ve resigned myself to returning to Sweden destitute and rotund…sigh. 

Another thing I’m reacquainting myself with is the aggressive usage of AC. Within one hour I experience the gamut of temperature variation during my daily commute. It’s a wonder I haven’t gotten sick yet. The air in New York is still heavy with heat and humidity, and by the time I’ve walked the four blocks from my apartment to the subway station, I’m dripping sweat. It gets worse. By the time I’ve descended the stairs into the furnace that is the subway platform, I want to shoot myself. Then I climb onto a train that blasts ice cold air and I have to sit there for 30 minutes as I feel myself growing hypothermic. Then it’s out onto the street to defrost before settling into a chilled office for the day. Uff, it’s a tough life. 

But like I said, New York is a livable city under the right circumstances, and I am learning my way around. It’s not the city of my childhood and I feel like a little girl stepping out into an unexplored yet distantly familiar world. The people around me are stressed, but I’m still excited. 

I attended my first UN event this week. It was a panel discussion on revolutionizing data on women’s leadership in public life. Data collection is not my favorite topic by any means, but I found the tensions and dynamics in this area of development work nonetheless interesting and important to discuss. Besides the fact that the seminar was held during the exact hours I yawn uncontrollably and struggle to stay awake - between 2 and 4 pm every day without fail - I was glad to be there. I mean my goodness, it’s the freaking UN and I’ve dreamt of setting foot in this place for years. 

One thing though: My introverted self hates to mingle. I always cringe when the mediator says it’s time for a coffee break and wouldn’t it be a great time to have a chance to talk and exchange ideas. NO!! Even though I may be bored out of my mind, I’d rather sit in the seminar and not have to interact with any of the strangers in attendance than make small talk during the coffee break. Oh the agony! Oh the discomfort! 

Obviously this is something I must get over if I’m to rule the world. Hmm…