Back at work

The 2007 Amsterdam Conference on Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change is over and it was a success. More than 300 people from all over the world gathered in Amsterdam to discuss aspects of Earth System Governance. It was a demanding but interesting experience to organise this conference. Now I finally get back to my research work!

The End of This Blog?

I posted on "Yet I Will Rejoice" regularly since August 2005. Now I'm thinking of discontinuing this blog and starting up two new blogs. The blogs will be more thematic, one dealing with the relation between man and creation; and the other dealing with identity in Christ. This would leave little room though for categories that fall in between, for instance: travel, Amsterdam posts and daily life. However, I'll try to give the thematic blogs a very personal touch. Moreover, Suggestions are welcome.

Also new title suggestions for the thematic blogs are welcome.

Ready

Out I came of the basement of the UN. My last interview was the best. I learned a lot, not only for our project, but also for my personal research on partnerships. I untie my tie, take a deep breath and walk into New York. I want to go to Central Park. When I ask the way, people tell me it's too far to walk. I don't care. I feel energized to finally hit New York after almost two weeks in the UN building.
It's the warmest day since I've been here. Central Park is the most beautiful place. On the sunny side of the hills, people bath in the sun. Kids are playing soccer, lacroix, baseball. Mothers entertain their babies, and there are joggers all around.
I'm looking forward to spend the last two days in New York, exploring the city.

Back in New York

I spent the rest of the weekend in Maryland. I was hosted by Suzy and Brian from Bay Area Community Church. It was exciting to see how this church attracts young people and how they are aiming at planting a new churches. Brian and Suzy are going to do a church plant in Richmond, Virginia.

Back in New York, my colleague Aysem and I decided to leave the dungeons of the UN a little earlier to go downtown and finally see some sights. We really enjoyed Lower Manhattan. In our UN accostumed suits we mingled easily into the Wallstreet crowd.
We also went to the movies, to go out as the New Yorkers do. So we bought a giant size popcorn and a small coke (a 0.7 L), and watched Spiderman 3. The 'moral' of the story is: never date a superhero, villains wıll use you as bait.

"So what do you think of America?"

"So what do you think of America?" people ask me wherever I go. I don't really know how to answer. Probably, people are not expecting an elaborate answer, so I usually say "I like it". Sure, I like the States, as far as I can tell from the few places I visit, and from the Americans I know.

The question "what do you think of America?" can be interpreted in many ways. It could be understood in a geographical sense, a societal sense, a political...

I remember my parents would occasionally criticise the States for its China policy. However, that hasn't resulted in anti-American sentiments. During my political science study, I became more critical of the world's only super power. Only when I studied European Integration in Turku, Finland, in 2000-2001, did I become... well ... Europeanist.
Most of my (international) circle of friends in the European integration programme were avowedly anti-American. The underlying assumption of many of our professors at the time was "the EU's going to be the world's next super power and it will certainly do better than the US". More than 50 years of peace and economic prosperity were proof of Europe's strength, resilience and commitment to peace. Whereas the US' unilateralism, and support for corrupt and dictatorial regimes proved the bad intentions of the US government. (We conveniently dismissed or disregarded Europe's neo-colonialist tendencies and its corrupt leaders [Berlusconi, Chirac,...], it's incompetency to solve the Yugoslav crisis...)
At the same time, there were also some American students on our campus. They seemed to be a a closed group, always together. To us, Americans seemed exclusive and disinterested. Only later I learned how welcoming and hospitable the average American is compared to the North-Western European.

Our class would project a very positivist image of European integration. Europe would become a federated nation, a European people. The European Parliament would get more power, and national sentiments would be gradually phased out, and replaced by a sentiment of European unity. It's ironic, how much of these projections are actually inspired by the political institutions of the US. Indeed, my diploma paper was a comparative research about the division of competences in the German and US federations, projected on the future development of the EU! In my investigation of the USA Constitution's 10th Amendment, I couldn't help but admire the political institutional setup in the US.

I'm still a critic of US politics, but I also appreciate the people, and even more as I come to know more Americans. On the other hand, my stance of European integration has been subject to more radical change. Over the last years, I've gradually changed from a fervent Europeanist to a mild critic.

Washington DC

I left New York for Washington DC on Friday. It was quite a hassle, since I went to the wrong airport; my flight was from La Guardia, but I went to Newark... Only in the terminal at Newark I found out. I had to rush to the taxi stand to get to La Guardia. The ride was as expensive as my air ticket. In spite of the traffic jams in Manhattan, and arriving at the wrong terminal in La Guardia (!), I could catch the flight, due to a half an hour delay!

I stay in Woodbridge, Virginia, not far from DC. Yesterday I visited DC with my friend JR. To my surprise downtown Washington is very quiet (at least on Saturdays). Monumental buildings such as the Congress, the White House, and the Smithsonian museum along the Mall, a great stretch of green, give Washington its capital allure. After the hustle and bustle of New York; in Washington I can forget about the networking and meetings and enjoy the parks and the museums.

Ready to Hit the UN

Third day in UN HQ. The first day was confusing. We had to figure out the logistics and the culture of the UN. Entering the diplomatic and lobbying circles seems like visiting another world.
The second day, yesterday, we could finally do our first surveys with experts on sustainable development partnership. We attended a meeting where a new partnership was launched; the World Nuclear University. Interesting that nuclear energy is now considered sustainable!
Today my colleague Aysem and I were busy doing surveys with experts on the effectiveness of CSD registered partnerships. I was in intergovernmental settings before, but never have I 'networked' that much before. Never underestimate the corridors...

And about New York... New York to me is the window view from the transit bus commuting between New Jersey and the Port Authority. It is 42nd street, the Bus M42 bus route to the UN head quarters. In other words, I haven't experienced much of the city yet. Or, I experience New York more as a commuter than a tourist.