The Time of my Life

Returning from an international assignment always leaves me in a state of awe and reflection. The people met and the experiences acquired added to my reservoir of knowledge in a most inconspicuous manner. Strangely, whether in Kabul or in Kigali, the sum of these experiences is always revealed as a parting gift; never before. As soon as the first boarding pass is issued, the last suitcase is checked in and the first stamp is added to my passport, the contents of this gift begin to unravel. Each time I explore the contents of this gift it leaves me inspired, energized and extremely grateful. Here are a few thoughts found under the wrapper:

1. As international consultants, we cannot be successful in what we do unless we first understand that what we know is worthless unless the client feels otherwise. That is all there is to it.
2. We should never confuse our client’s will with that of the donor’s, but neither do we want to ignore who’s will bring about change.
3. International development can be applied in ways that exclude large numbers of people from ever participating or even being aware of what it is. We must never forget to tell.
4. We must remember that promoting development amongst clients is a career not a mission, and that both the client and the career are constantly developing.
5. For some people running out of breath is what brings a sense of accomplishment – international development is made for people like that…

… and I am having the time of my life.

Photo: new housing development in Kabul, 10.08

On Visions

Government of Botswana Vision 2016 (1996)

"By the year 2016, Botswana will be a compassionate and caring nation. Income will be distributed equitably. Poverty will have been eradicated, and there will be an efficient social safety net for those who suffer misfortune. All Batswana will have access to good quality health services, sanitation and nutrition. The negative impact of the AIDS epidemic in Botswana will have been halted and reversed."

Government of the Northwest Territories Vision of the 15th National Assembly (2004)
"Self-reliant individuals and families sharing the rewards and responsibilities of healthy communities and a prosperous and unified Northwest Territories."

Government of East Timor Vision 2020 (2002)
"A prosperous society with sufficient food, shelter, clothing and security for all its people All towns and villages with access to adequate and appropriate roads, transport, electricity and communication All East Timorese to be literate, skilled and participating in the economic, social and political life of the Nation. Increased productivity in all sectors, creating job opportunities for all"


National visions inspire people but they do not map the journey nor do they guarantee an outcome. It is the combination of a vision and the acquired experiences and culture of a people that produce the strength required to translate the vision and show the path. This unique combination of vision and people produce unique results – every time.

This same combination of experience and vision also makes results impossible to replicate elsewhere. In other words, the journey - or practices, tools, priorities, systems - selected by people to achieve X in one organization will not achieve the same X in another. The collective experiences and culture of a people will make their vision grow at a rate and in a manner that reflects that experience.

This means that tailoring a practice may make it fit but it may not necessarily guarantee results typical of this practice. It also means that the framework of organizations and rules built from people’s experiences will greatly influence the growth of a vision and the anticipated results. A vision is a public quest of a very personal kind. They promote inclusive results in a very exclusive manner.

Photo: Kabul Golf Course

The Treasure Chest

Blessed Eid!

September 13th marked the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan in Afghanistan. Ramadan is an Islamic religious observance which begins with the appearance of the new moon during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and ends once the full moon returns to the skies. During this time all Afgans begin a fasting ritual which forbids any eating and drinking during daylight hours. To break the fast during Ramadan is considered a sin. The exact beginning and ending of Ramadan is not confirmed until a day or so before it occurs. Likewise, the exact time which marks the beginning and end of the fasting also changes from day to day to reflect the shifting amount of daylight hours. It is a highly religious period driven by the rotation of the moon and the earth.

Eid is a muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan. This year it is anticipated to fall on this coming Friday or Saturday. Eid celebrations are very similar to the Christmas celebrations: there is a gift exchange, family feasts, singing, dancing and the traditional religious ceremonies. This week is quite busy in downtown Kabul. People are everywhere shopping for their loved ones, looking for the ingredients that will enhance their local dishes and preparing for the Eid celebrations.

One cannot help but be swept up by the excitement of people scurrying across local shops and bazaars with large plastic bags, bicycles loaded with new clothes, wooden carts filled with local vegetables or with overflowing wheelbarrows carrying a child or two– only if there is space. Even our guesthouse cook, Shafi has been singing, laughing and sharing increasingly more good humoured conversations with local staff, despite his weakened demeanor (…and brought me while I was writing this blog three cornfritters covered with ketchup so that I could do a taste test on his behalf.)

عید شما مبارک:
ایام عید را برای تمام مردم افغانستان از صمیم قلب تبریک میګویم


حلال عید را در کنج ابروی تو میبینم - مبارک باد برتو عید و برمن دیدن رویت



[Eid Mubarak! [Blessed Eid!] to all of Afghanistan! Traditional Afghan Poem: I can see the moon on your eyebrow, The EID should be congratulating for you and by seeing your face it is a form of congratulations of EID directed to me. As translated by Azim Hakimzada]

4th Photo: Urban Afghan on bicycle

3rd Photo: carpets laid on bridge and on banks of Kabul River Oct. 7.07

2nd Photo: Local lady in midday rush Oct. 7.07

1st Photo: Oct. 7.07 Bazaar in downtown Kabul Oct. 7.07

The Roof Top

A little girl skipping rope on a roof top inspired me today. As I was overlooking the houses and buildings from my small seating area on the roof, I noticed her skipping rope amongst the rubbles left on the roof of an adjoining house. I quietly witnessed her cadence and was stricken by the familiarity of her skipping rope. This very same contraption also managed to keep me quite busy in my pre-teens. The skipping rope is in fact quite a remarkable toy. It not only triggers a consistent outcome - that of girls skipping rope - but it also brings a certain amount of enjoyment; which brought me back to my work in Afghanistan

The international development vocabulary sometimes falls short of promoting mutual understanding. Both the legal and medical professions have their dictionary of special terminology. It might be equally of service to introduce an “international development dictionary” to standardize communication and promote understanding across territorial boundaries.

For example, the words “capacity building” appear in almost every document produced by international consultants; every log frame designed by delivering entities; and every terms of reference crafted by international donors. It has been overused, abused and confused for everything that has anything remotely in common with training, growth, progress and improvement. Hence, decoding the term “capacity building” has not only become a project in itself, but it has also broadened the “do to” list to something that includes everything that never ends. There are other words such as modalities, infrastructure, institution, support, commitment, systematic, that can be just as confusing to all involved.

As with the skipping rope, an international development dictionary could promote understanding, standards and applications, and possibly trigger a reliable and consistent set of actions . Both the dictionary and the skipping rope through clarity and simplicity would have similar effects: bring about a consistent set of activities and similar outcomes – across oceans and across cultures. Something to ponder as I end my day on the roof top…