Hi everyone,
Long time no hear :-).
I just want to comment on a conversation between two African diplomats I overheard walking to Bole International in Addis.
We, my former boss and I, was on our way to Algeria from Kenya but since there was no direct flight, we decided to fly via Addis. We landed in Addis the previous evening, slept over in the Hilton and that morning we caught a cab to Bole International. We were dropped in the parking lot and made our way on foot to the departures lounge.
In front of us two African diplomats were walking and chatting. I have not idea which African country(ies) they were from but the conversation peaked my interest. They were discussing where they would like to retire one day. One went on and on about wanting to stroll the boulevards of Paris with his grandchildren, while the other was sold on central Washington. Listening further, it became clear that the two were willing to support any American and/or European initiative that would guarantee them retirement in the cities of their choice.
I was incensed. I do not begrudge people a safe retirement but that they were willing to sell out whichever African agenda to guarantee this was unacceptable. The main problem I had with the wishes of these gentlemen, is that they were unwilling to plough their collective experience back into African society and so assist in growing the country(ies) they were from. Their experience would be of zero benefit to Parisians and those living in Washington while they could have significant effect in the societies of the countries that supported their rather cushy lifestyles.
It made me wonder how are decisions like that motivated - and I do not want to examine the issues of corruption which retards development in Africa. I always ask the question who benefits from lack of development of other countries, because the issue of corruption is multifaceted and not simply a character fault in leaders in the developing world (which is the angle that the press hammers on ad nauseum).
I remember this conversation most poignantly from my walk in Addis. I remembered this conversation every time when border control officials at European airports makes one feel unwelcome in their countries. I went as far as to say to Scottish border control that I am more than happy to return to my own country and that I've lost nothing in Scotland, when asked the obligatory question of how long I was planning to stay. The time was inscribed on my visa and I was there to attend a space conference. Either these people cannot read or they have seriously over-elevated opinions of the attractiveness of their own countries.
I must go back to Addis and hopefully, I will overhear more pleasant (to my palate) conversations.
Keep travelling people, one picks up deep perspectives in other places.
Long time no hear :-).
I just want to comment on a conversation between two African diplomats I overheard walking to Bole International in Addis.
We, my former boss and I, was on our way to Algeria from Kenya but since there was no direct flight, we decided to fly via Addis. We landed in Addis the previous evening, slept over in the Hilton and that morning we caught a cab to Bole International. We were dropped in the parking lot and made our way on foot to the departures lounge.
In front of us two African diplomats were walking and chatting. I have not idea which African country(ies) they were from but the conversation peaked my interest. They were discussing where they would like to retire one day. One went on and on about wanting to stroll the boulevards of Paris with his grandchildren, while the other was sold on central Washington. Listening further, it became clear that the two were willing to support any American and/or European initiative that would guarantee them retirement in the cities of their choice.
I was incensed. I do not begrudge people a safe retirement but that they were willing to sell out whichever African agenda to guarantee this was unacceptable. The main problem I had with the wishes of these gentlemen, is that they were unwilling to plough their collective experience back into African society and so assist in growing the country(ies) they were from. Their experience would be of zero benefit to Parisians and those living in Washington while they could have significant effect in the societies of the countries that supported their rather cushy lifestyles.
It made me wonder how are decisions like that motivated - and I do not want to examine the issues of corruption which retards development in Africa. I always ask the question who benefits from lack of development of other countries, because the issue of corruption is multifaceted and not simply a character fault in leaders in the developing world (which is the angle that the press hammers on ad nauseum).
I remember this conversation most poignantly from my walk in Addis. I remembered this conversation every time when border control officials at European airports makes one feel unwelcome in their countries. I went as far as to say to Scottish border control that I am more than happy to return to my own country and that I've lost nothing in Scotland, when asked the obligatory question of how long I was planning to stay. The time was inscribed on my visa and I was there to attend a space conference. Either these people cannot read or they have seriously over-elevated opinions of the attractiveness of their own countries.
I must go back to Addis and hopefully, I will overhear more pleasant (to my palate) conversations.
Keep travelling people, one picks up deep perspectives in other places.
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