Tonight I went along to a Rotary Club meeting to hear someone speak. He's been in this region for nearly 30 years, and really seems to talk a lot of sense about the complicated situation in these parts. So he gave a talk tonight, which I attended for $6 (which included 2 chicken wings, a samosa, a bottle of water, and a chair in an air conditioned hall!).
This guy was talking real sense. With a room full of UN, Diplomats, and NGO workers, this guy just told it like it is. Did you know that the average term of work for UN, Diplomats and NGO workers in this country is 9 months!? 9 months! No wonder I've gotten tired of all the coming and going and turn-over in this country. He said a lot of really interesting things about the political situation here, but he also said some serious things about the NGO and humanitarian community. Pretty much lambasted them for staying for such a short time, never getting to know the culture, the people, the language, and just coming and living in their "Fortified Aid Compounds" and pretending to understand the situation here.
However, this guy had a real way about him, that he said it all more as a challenge to people, to try to get everyone to think about how things can be done differently, rather than offending and criticizing everyone in the room! This guy has a lot of "field cred", that he has seriously earned, and he knows all the players, and has watched the situation for so many years. So people listen to him, and really seem to respect his words, even when they're not exactly what people would want to hear.
Besides hearing a really good talk that had started my brain turning a bit, it was kind of neat to be a part of a Rotary Club meeting! They have quite a few traditions and rituals that they go through, and in a way, it's sort of like "Church" without any mention of Christ. They say a prayer to begin with, they do good things in the world, they meet together regularily for "fellowship" and sharing, and as individuals, they are committed to the group, as they work together for the common good. From the outside looking in, at least tonight, it seemed like they were being more of a "church" than some actual Churches that I know of!
This guy was talking real sense. With a room full of UN, Diplomats, and NGO workers, this guy just told it like it is. Did you know that the average term of work for UN, Diplomats and NGO workers in this country is 9 months!? 9 months! No wonder I've gotten tired of all the coming and going and turn-over in this country. He said a lot of really interesting things about the political situation here, but he also said some serious things about the NGO and humanitarian community. Pretty much lambasted them for staying for such a short time, never getting to know the culture, the people, the language, and just coming and living in their "Fortified Aid Compounds" and pretending to understand the situation here.
However, this guy had a real way about him, that he said it all more as a challenge to people, to try to get everyone to think about how things can be done differently, rather than offending and criticizing everyone in the room! This guy has a lot of "field cred", that he has seriously earned, and he knows all the players, and has watched the situation for so many years. So people listen to him, and really seem to respect his words, even when they're not exactly what people would want to hear.
Besides hearing a really good talk that had started my brain turning a bit, it was kind of neat to be a part of a Rotary Club meeting! They have quite a few traditions and rituals that they go through, and in a way, it's sort of like "Church" without any mention of Christ. They say a prayer to begin with, they do good things in the world, they meet together regularily for "fellowship" and sharing, and as individuals, they are committed to the group, as they work together for the common good. From the outside looking in, at least tonight, it seemed like they were being more of a "church" than some actual Churches that I know of!
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