Dear Friends and Family,
It’s been a while since my last update, but there hasn’t been too much to report. My boss, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG), was travelling and away from the country, so the pace of work slowed down a bit.
Some of you asked about my job. My title is Special Assistant to the SRSG. The actual content of the work of a Special Assistant can vary, depending on the SRSG. In my case, I do a variety of things, including screening and commenting on documents that come to his attention or signature, attending meetings with him and preparing notes of those meetings. The most time-consuming part is to coordinate his schedule, which includes making judgment calls about which meetings and appointments to prioritize and also turning down requests for meetings when necessary. I also work very closely with the team here that handles human rights, transitional justice and rule of law issues and with the person who is responsible for women’s empowerment. There is another Special Assistant, as well as a “Personal Assistant” who is like an executive secretary, so it’s all a team effort. We all assist in making the SRSG’s job easier, and keep an eye out for things that may not come to his attention from individual teams within the mission (e.g. making suggestions for better coordination among the various teams).
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| Anti-Qadhafi graffiti in Tripoli |
Last week, I attended a workshop on reconciliation, involving international experts and Libyan stakeholders. The discussions were fascinating and highlighted many of the challenges of promoting reconciliation here. The discussions started with what reconciliation means. Many Libyan participants focused on justice and accountability, especially on holding those in the Qadhafi regime responsible. The experts emphasized the need to also have a broader effort for truth-seeking and inclusive dialogue, eventually leading to a new “social contract” between society and the state, where there is better trust in the system. All of this would take time, and the fact that the country is still awash in arms makes it extremely challenging to create an environment where national dialogue on such issues can take place. Many emphasized the importance of a common ‘vision’ for the country as well as leadership that can transcend differences.
Now on to some fun stuff. I managed to have TWO Japanese meals in the last couple of weeks: first with the Japanese ambassador here, and the second with a Libyan banker who is a huge fan of anything Japanese. I attended the lunch with the ambassador along with a Japanese colleague, who is a nurse in our mission. The lunch, which was at the ambassador’s residence, was prepared by his chef. We had wonderful sashimi (very fresh tuna and squid, obtained locally), stewed vegetables, rice, miso soup, etc. It was extremely authentic and delicious. The presentation was amazing too, but unfortunately, I didn’t take any pictures, so I can’t share how pretty the meal looked (sorry).
We had an interesting conversation about Libya, mainly focused on economic issues. The ambassador is fairly new to the country. He seems to specialize in the region, as he has served previously in Dubai and Baghdad. Some of you might recall pictures of construction sites that I posted before. I was snapping away those pictures thinking that these were constructions in progress. According to the Ambassador and his economic advisor, these sites are from 2-3 years ago, and the majority of them halted work when the conflict erupted last year. As these are half-built, they have been exposed to the elements, so companies cannot just come in a resume where they left off. Apparently, there are numerous negotiations between foreign private companies and Libyans regarding who will pay for the additional work that is needed. Since the lunch, I paid attention to the cranes, and I don’t think I’ve seen one actually move.
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| Friendly bakers |
Embassy staff told us that my UN Japanese colleague and I are the only Japanese expatriates in Libya at the moment. The ambassador mentioned that there are a few Japanese women who have married into Libyan families, but no other expats. Most Japanese companies pulled out during the conflict last year and are yet to return. The ambassador said that he would be happy to invite us back to lunch frequently, which we are very excited about.
The second Japanese meal was at a dinner party hosted by a Libyan banker, Ehab. He left Libya when he was 18 to study in the US and now splits his time between Libya and Bahrain. He speaks perfect English and knows some Japanese phrases. I’m not quite sure how his fascination with Japan started, but he served quite a nice Japanese meal, with careful attention to presentation and aesthetics. I helped him make sushi rolls (with salmon, avocado and carrots). He also served cooked eel (brought in from Bahrain), fried shrimp, and fried fish. For me, it was quite a surreal experience to be in Tripoli, enjoying a Japanese meal served by a Libyan man.
Last week, a few women in the mission organized a belly dancing class. I don’t know what possessed me, but I ended up going and made an utter fool of myself (though it was fun). The “teachers” included a Lebanese, a Syrian, a Palestinian, an Iraq and an Egyptian -- all UN staff members. Basically it was just an excuse to have fun and share food (everyone had to bring a dish to participate). There are many social events in the mission, like this dance class, or farewell parties, birthday parties etc. They serve an important function of allowing staff to unwind and relax a little bit. I tend to go to most events that I’m invited to, but at times it can be overwhelming.
We have a six-week “rest and recuperation” cycle, which means that you get 5 days off for every six weeks served in the mission. So I get to go back to New York to see Charlie and the kids at the end of the month! I’m really looking forward to the visit.
That’s it for now. Until next time!
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