We’re all in this together

Remember a couple years ago when you couldn’t turn on the Disney channel without hearing about High School Musical? Well I just met the girl who played Taylor McKessie. That’s right, call all the 12 year olds and tell them the news, because they’re the only ones who will care or be jealous.

In all seriousness though Monique Coleman (Taylor’s real name) is an amazing woman, she’s also the first ever UN Youth Champion. If you didn’t know August 2010 – August 2011 is the International Year of Youth, and to celebrate that Monique is travelling the world to inspire youth and encourage dialogue and mutual understanding.

Last week she started her tour of South Africa. I happened to play a major role in planning all of her events, high school visits, and media exposure so I was invited to one of her tour days. Of course I was invited as an intern which meant I spent my time trying to juggle a still camera, video camera, take notes on all of her speeches, and answer any and all questions without skipping a beat. Not to mention, I was expected to write a full report afterwards that will be sent to headquarters boasting of the good work that UNIC Pretoria did. Don’t worry; I will be given no credit when it is dished out. :)

Anyway the day I was assigned to accompany Monique was being hosted by the US consulate. We started at a high school in Johannesburg where she met with a group of 8^th graders. She talked about the importance of being confident and facing challenges in our lives. The 8^th graders were probably more interested in her alleged relationship with Corbin Bleu (which is false by the way), but she spoke to my soul. I was going through a hard time that day and looking back on what she said it turned out to be advice that I desperately needed.

From the high school we went to the consulate building where I was asked to endure US security measures. People should probably feel uncomfortable when they’re asked to spread their legs and are promptly searched head to toe, but I was too excited about the American accents and the promise of being introduced to important people to care.

Sure enough, before lunch was over I had met the public affairs officer and the consul general. They both told me how impressed they were with my internship and other things I have done at such a young age. It was a good and timely ego booster. They also gave me all kinds of advice on how to get in with the State Dept. and other profitable employment focused on international politics and development, and more importantly how to get stationed outside the US. The consul general even gave me a hug and a wink before I left. Moral of the story: I may have a future after all, let’s just wait and see. (Please no jokes about old men hitting on me)

After that we went to visit more high school kids and talk about how “our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” (Marianne Williamson, one of my favourite quotes)

All in all it was a good day. I got to hang out with someone who is almost famous, her talent manager showered me with compliments, I got tons and tons of business cards from uppity up people, and I realized that I don’t need to be half as hard on myself as I usually am.

Fancy Pants

Last week was the UNEP-SEED Symposium on the Green Economy. I would explain all the abbreviations, but it won’t mean anything anyway. Basically a bunch of people were getting together to discuss their efforts towards a green economy, maintaining the rain forest, and other like actions. Cool for them. I really wanted to attend, but I got snuffed and told to go babysit high schoolers instead. Oh the joys of being an intern.

I did, however; get invited to the awards and ceremonies dinner. AND I was treated like a big shot. They had all these beautiful fruit cocktails out that I was turning down, turns out my boss lady also doesn’t drink. I won brownie points. So during the cocktail part of the party I mingled with some people from the United Nations Development Programme (please don’t mock the spelling, I do it because I have to) they told me that I should get a masters in NGO management and community development. We’ll see where I end up on that front. One member of this group was a man from Kenya named Kibee. He was telling me all about how he was leaving for DC in the morning, would be in London in two weeks time, and Spain by September. He also told me that he wants to marry someone just like me so that she won’t mind joining him on all his travels. I haven’t decided if that was a compliment or not, and if I should be flattered or not.

So everyone was mingling and cocktailing and whatever else when suddenly we all heard this loud shout. Then a bunch of half naked African men started shouting/singing/dancing their way through the crowd. We all followed them into the main dinner hall. They made a tunnel for us to walk through and then followed us in to do a complete stomp presentation. I was won over. I love traditional dancing and song. They were amazing. My camera was dead so I’m trying to track down the photo and video footage, wish me luck.

Anyway, the night progressed. I listened to a German man and a Chinese man attempt to give speeches in English, which was entertaining. Then I acted like a proper glutton at the buffet table. Though I was nothing compared to one of the winners from Germany who ate three full plates. But can you blame us? Half of the things offered we had never even tried before, and everything was divine. I mean seriously, the recipes here are perfectly to my liking: lots of fruit, lots of pork, lots of bbq sauce. I was in heaven. Then there was the dessert table. Malva pudding, if you ever have a chance to eat some GO FOR IT! Then there were some other treats and their main ingredient was sweetened condensed milk. That stuff is the nectar of the gods, I promise you.

There really is no point to telling you this, other than it was an exciting night for me. It was my first night out in South Africa. It was also my first time being treated like a professional and colleague in the international development arena. It was nice. Good incentive to graduate, grow up, and get my named printed on business cards.

I was able to track down a couple pictures from the evening, still waiting on the dancing pictures though. Enjoy.

UNIC, Jari speaking

The internship. That’s the whole point of being here, right? So it seems that something should be said.

To be honest, I was bored to death at first. Spending two hours looking at newspapers and then surfing the web for the next six isn’t really that stimulating, but progress has been made. At the end of last week I was asked to develop my own work plan. I was told I could include anything I wanted to learn, or anything that I thought may be useful in the office. Intriguing.

So after playing with the idea of telling them that I should be a special envoy sent throughout all of Africa (and of course hitting all the tourist spots along the way) I came up with something that is actually productive, and turned it in. Since then I have been trained how to update all web articles, how to draft and send UN Newsletters to appropriate audiences, I have been given access to UN Pretoria Twitter and Facebook accounts and manage them (social media for a job, genius!), I am creating an itinerary for Monique Coleman’s South Africa visit (eat your heart out High School Musical fans), and I’m in charge of all contact with prospective interns. I still have way more free time than I’m used to; and I still have to do the mundane photocopying-like tasks that always seem to crowd the desk of an intern, BUT it’s progress. Also they keep telling me how ambitious I am, and that I’m such a great worker. So, at the very least, I’ll get a lovely letter of recommendation at the end of this shindig.

Though, I can’t help but think that the hours I spend with nothing to do could be spent outside exploring. There are some touristy things I want to do that require company and time, and I have neither. There is a way to remedy this though. I was promised time off if my family came to visit. I was even told of some cool places to take them. So everyone, please peer pressure my mom into coming to Africa, and bringing the little brother along. I promise to return the favor some day.

In other news, when I'm at work is when I am most aware of my "competitiveness." I'm kind of cut-throat and a little bit mean to the other interns. Because all of our work is presented as a team I get penalized if they do stupid things. So I end up playing the captain of the ship role. I read over everyone's work to make sure that it's presentable and get a little agitated if it's not. I also find myself having to explain the easiest concepts. For example: how to play a youtube video, how to type with more than just my index fingers, how to search for news articles from a certain date using Google News, etc.

On top of everything I have this strange compulsion with indoctrinating everyone in the ways of the American Dream. "Come on girls, pull yourselves up by your bootstraps. If you try hard you can do anything!" Yes, I'm seriously that girl. I'm a firm believer in it though. So never fear America, I may tease your food and some of your customs but in my heart of hearts I love you.