For the past nine months, I have been engrossed in trade issues for a Masters programme at a University somewhere in the prettiest region in the world – ok, maybe I am a little biased. As part of our graduation requirements, for the latter part of May 2010, I have been touring international organisations affiliated with trade issues in developing countries.
Disclaimer: – For the last part of 2010, my goal is to be more positive as I have a tendency to accentuate the negative rather than the positive. So I will start with the positive aspects of the trip.
Geneva is amazing. It is one of those cities that you have to see in person, not for a day or two but really intermingle with the people and the culture. It is definitely the most pristine cities I have ever been, with an unreal element to it, kind of like Disney World without the rides. Sometimes, you may venture into an area that is less immaculate than say, Palais de Nations or Rive but it still has a kind of order, and cleanliness that is so not real but comforting.
Switzerland, on a whole, is an interesting country. I ventured on my free weekend to Lausanne, Montreux, and Vevey. All the cities were an experience, but Vevey was breathtaking. The walk on their lakefront is the most serene experience. It’s like you found a little secret of nature because the Alps were so close, you felt like you could just reach out and touch them. I could have sat on that lakeside forever, listening to Bob Marley. It is the same feeling I have when I return to the beach after a long absence.
However, Geneva was not all play but work and study too. We were hosted by the UNCTAD Virtual Institute and most of our sessions were in the famous Green Room, where the negotiations for the formation of the League of Nations were held. The history in the whole compound of Palais de Nations was amazing. Historically, it beats the UN HQ in New York hands down but even though, we were there during an annual WTO conference, you didn’t feel the electricity associated with being around ambassadors and diplomacy that is synonymous with the UN HQ.
We were introduced to the work of UNCTAD, particularly the programmes providing specific technical assistance in competition policy, business links of SMEs and TNCs, creative economy and other areas related to building and diversifying trade in developing countries. In addition, we took site visits to and were briefed on the work of WIPO, IOM, ILO, ITC and think-tanks, like South Centre and ICTSD. However, our trip to the WTO was like a pilgrimage to mecca for us because we have been working from WTO agreements from the beginning of our studies.
Needless to say, we enjoyed the experience of visiting and engaging with professionals in their field. However, here is the rub. We learned very little added knowledge, because i don’t think that the presenters knew that we were Masters students in trade policies so certain issues we would know like the back of our hand, especially for developing countries. In addition, we are introduced to a lot of programmes and resources that could aid our region in facilitating trade and when we inquired about the region’s participation, it seem like the region didn’t exist. Now, I understand that enhancing the profile of small states, such as the Caribbean, is a task in itself in a world being run by developed countries and slowly being taken over by the BRIC countries, Brazil, Russia, India and China and the SouthEast countries, who are just as small as our islands but a hundred times more strategic. However, excuses are for losers and our region has been pumping out intellectuals and university graduates for almost a century now. We have Noble Peace Prize winners and internationally known experts in almost every field, yet we clearly not on anyone’s purview.
A week into our trip, we definitely got our moment in the spotlight with the unrest and state of emergency in Jamaica. What a time to be overseas, when your region is making headlines on major news stations and front page of every newspaper.
However, the trip was a little bit of an awakening for me. I have been toying with the idea of staying in the region and building my career here but I realize I have to know the beast to conquer it metaphorically. I need the exposure outside of the region to understand what to do inside of the region.
