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The "Elite" of the Fourth World
The Ministerial retreat was a great success. Luminaries included the Nobel Peace Prize winning Minister (of course), former President of the United Nations Security Council Mr. Jose Luis Jesus and Australian filmmaker David Bradbury.
I think it's opportune to remind gentle readers of this journal that the Ministry staff are the "elite" of the country. The best educated (literate and invariably speaking 3+ languages), with the best jobs (indeed, they have a job) and the most highly paid - and this is a country where the prices of most goods and services - including food - is actually significantly more expensive than those of "advanced industrial nations".
Just to get this into perspective, here are some facts on their budget.
Total Ministerial budget: $1.1 million ($.85million on managing overseas embassies)
Total Staff: 74 full-time (including overseas embassies)
Total Wages Cost: $159K USD.
Mean Annual Wage: $2148 USD.
Mean Monthly Wages: $179 USD (or $265 AUD).
Now, if these people are the best paid (and most of them are supporting their extended family on these "wages"), I think it's worthwhile to ponder on how others in this country and in similar countries live. We all "hear" about what it is like, we "see" it on TV, but believe me, until you've directly experienced people scraping a meagre existence you have no real idea what it is like.
OK, enough said. More on the retreat.
Held at the Metinaro army training camp and conducted over two and a half days. Initial session by the Senior Minister was way off-topic and was orientated on trivial things such as staff not wearing ties to work and taking days off. A few people have had a quiet word in his ear that the "carrot" may be a better means to motivate staff than the "stick" since then. Achievements report from each Division indicated the remarkable progress the Ministry has undergone in the first year of nationhood. All were thoroughly charmed by my use of the local language in giving the report for IT developments.
Key presentation was an excellent draft white paper on foreign policy by the senior advisor to the Ministry, a Malaysian ambassador. The paper was especially good on matters concerning multilateral relations and agencies. A couple of comments I made to improve the consistency of the document on matters concerning self-determination for people in the region were extremely well-received as were my suggestions on the very difficult issue of foreign policy for the Korean peninsula.
I was particularly pleased that my comments were widely considered and approved whereas the obsequious stumbling remarks of the former Yugoslav ambassador - a career diplomat who betrayed his own nation, one of the laziest people I've ever met and prone to lie with alarming regularity - were utterly ignored.
(Yes, there is a side of me that genuinely doesn't like some people - but only with grounded reasons. Apologies to those who thought I was friendly to everyone.)
Later sessions dealt with role of the diplomatic corp and future directions and development of the Ministry, including the budgeting process. Extremely worthwhile sessions for the new staff.
The final sessions were on national security concerns. The senior army officer (I forget his name) provided an excellent summary of the nation's ability to prevent invasion (i.e, none at all, 1500 troops total) and thus the requirement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to be primarily responsible for national security. Following this a step-by-step analysis of the border disputes that arose after independence. Numerous disputes, covering hundreds of miles and requiring analysis of maps from former colonial powers.
The final event was a soccer match between the Ministry and the army. We were soundly thrashed (4-0) but that was to be expected. The ground was complete treachery as well, a microcosm of the national landscape. Mind you, we do have some excellent players and I suspect with the exception of the defense forces our Ministry would do well in any Ministry-Ministry matches.
All in all, an excellent weekend. Not much of a jungle (more like open woodland), and rather than a crocodile I managed to meet a nice deer with a very impressive set of antlers.
I think it's opportune to remind gentle readers of this journal that the Ministry staff are the "elite" of the country. The best educated (literate and invariably speaking 3+ languages), with the best jobs (indeed, they have a job) and the most highly paid - and this is a country where the prices of most goods and services - including food - is actually significantly more expensive than those of "advanced industrial nations".
Just to get this into perspective, here are some facts on their budget.
Total Ministerial budget: $1.1 million ($.85million on managing overseas embassies)
Total Staff: 74 full-time (including overseas embassies)
Total Wages Cost: $159K USD.
Mean Annual Wage: $2148 USD.
Mean Monthly Wages: $179 USD (or $265 AUD).
Now, if these people are the best paid (and most of them are supporting their extended family on these "wages"), I think it's worthwhile to ponder on how others in this country and in similar countries live. We all "hear" about what it is like, we "see" it on TV, but believe me, until you've directly experienced people scraping a meagre existence you have no real idea what it is like.
OK, enough said. More on the retreat.
Held at the Metinaro army training camp and conducted over two and a half days. Initial session by the Senior Minister was way off-topic and was orientated on trivial things such as staff not wearing ties to work and taking days off. A few people have had a quiet word in his ear that the "carrot" may be a better means to motivate staff than the "stick" since then. Achievements report from each Division indicated the remarkable progress the Ministry has undergone in the first year of nationhood. All were thoroughly charmed by my use of the local language in giving the report for IT developments.
Key presentation was an excellent draft white paper on foreign policy by the senior advisor to the Ministry, a Malaysian ambassador. The paper was especially good on matters concerning multilateral relations and agencies. A couple of comments I made to improve the consistency of the document on matters concerning self-determination for people in the region were extremely well-received as were my suggestions on the very difficult issue of foreign policy for the Korean peninsula.
I was particularly pleased that my comments were widely considered and approved whereas the obsequious stumbling remarks of the former Yugoslav ambassador - a career diplomat who betrayed his own nation, one of the laziest people I've ever met and prone to lie with alarming regularity - were utterly ignored.
(Yes, there is a side of me that genuinely doesn't like some people - but only with grounded reasons. Apologies to those who thought I was friendly to everyone.)
Later sessions dealt with role of the diplomatic corp and future directions and development of the Ministry, including the budgeting process. Extremely worthwhile sessions for the new staff.
The final sessions were on national security concerns. The senior army officer (I forget his name) provided an excellent summary of the nation's ability to prevent invasion (i.e, none at all, 1500 troops total) and thus the requirement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to be primarily responsible for national security. Following this a step-by-step analysis of the border disputes that arose after independence. Numerous disputes, covering hundreds of miles and requiring analysis of maps from former colonial powers.
The final event was a soccer match between the Ministry and the army. We were soundly thrashed (4-0) but that was to be expected. The ground was complete treachery as well, a microcosm of the national landscape. Mind you, we do have some excellent players and I suspect with the exception of the defense forces our Ministry would do well in any Ministry-Ministry matches.
All in all, an excellent weekend. Not much of a jungle (more like open woodland), and rather than a crocodile I managed to meet a nice deer with a very impressive set of antlers.
no subject
in other news i love these lines:
All in all, an excellent weekend. Not much of a jungle (more like open woodland), and rather than a crocodile I managed to meet a nice deer with a very impressive set of antlers. <\i>
And ta for answering my little quentionnare on my lj :)
no subject
Hey thanks. Comments like that keep me going during the many and varied moments of frustration.
There was do doubt about it it was pretty cute deer. Seemed quite interested in what was available in the mess hall. ;-)