Memoirs de la Trinité et Tobago

I'm happy to let you all know that my journey around the world has finally brought me back home to Trinidad and Tobago:) In November of last year, mere weeks after returning from the Democratic Republic of Congo, I travelled to London to sit Trinidad and Tobago's International Relations Exam, which Alhamdudillah I was successful in. Following a phone interview a month later, I was offered a position as an International Relations Officer (IRO), with Trinidad and Tobago's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. So one of my life's dream to serve my country has finally become a reality:) I officially started the position in February and despite an extremely challenging start and reversed culture shock, it has definitely been worth it:) The IRO position is similar to what is commonly termed in the US as a Foreign Service Officer position. The first few years are based at headquarters and following that Officers are posted to missions abroad.

It was after facilitating the 2009 Commonwealth Youth Forum (CYF) which Trinidad and Tobago hosted, that I decided if life gave me the chance and I could find a "bridge between the international world I held so dear to my heart and my beautiful Trinbago" I would definitely embark on it, all costs aside.

So, Alhamdudillah I now have that opportunity. I've been placed in the Multilateral Division and my responsibilities are mostly UN thus far; everything from UN Women to UN Reform, Security Council, Political Questions such as Palestine, Libya, North Korea, UNICEF, UNDP and and even the WHO. And every now and then I get to assist with thematic areas that overlap with the Commonwealth, which is exciting as the theme for the Commonwealth in 2011 is "Women as Agents of Change."

One of our most interesting initiatives I've been working on is hosting a High Level Colloquium on Women in Political Participation  in the margins of this year's UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York in September. It will be co-hosted by Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil, the European Union and the USA, with support from UN Women and UNDP. Women Heads of Government will participate in a panel discussion on challenges affecting women's participation in political processes across the globe. The outcome is expected to be a Joint Communique from Women World Leaders and the tabling of a resolution on the political empowerment of women in the Third Committee of the UN. I've been honored to add some of my field experiences to my work on the Colloquium, and am very happy that women will get more of a focus at this year's UNGA:)

In the midst of my work responsibilities, all IROs have had to undergo diplomatic training at the University of the West Indies, specifically designed for "New Diplomats in the 21st Century." While balancing work with training was not unchallenging, all in all the the program was worthwhile and an excellent experience. Our official graduation ceremony was held yesterday and members of the Diplomatic Corps were invited to share their words of wisdom with us:)

In the past few months, I've had to retrain myself to speak and write as a diplomat. Those who know me best know that I pride myself in saying exactly what I think and that I view plesantries as a waste of time. Things have changed. I've learned that words are to be chosen with a great deal of caution and that pleasantries can have its benefits. A comma in the wrong place can make a difference in the interpretation of a UN resolution and listening is without a doubt one of my greatest tools. I continue to learn.

One of the greatest pros of Trinidad and Tobago's foreign policy is that it is simple, moral and  based on the UN Charter. The tenets include respect for sovereignty, adherence to international law and "non-interference" unless collective action is necessary in cases of gross violations of human rights, genocide etc. So I'm happy to say that I can represent Trinidad and Tobago diplomatically with a clear conscious and without (I hope!) facing grave moral dilemmas.... although these are bound to surface at some point. 

Apart from work which seems to take up most of my time, I've had brief but priceless moments with my family and best friends:) I've been to the beach a few times since I got back and to Tobago twice, which is by far my favorite place in the world. Its turquoise waters, white sand beaches, beautiful people and amazing food always makes me very happy and it's only a 2 hour ferry ride away:) The weather here is beautiful and I've had everything from callalloo, doubles (chick peas in fried dough), alouepie (a potato pie that is fried), coconut bake, buljol (salted fish), dumplins and fried plantains:) So I'm pretty happy and excited about what life has to offer:)  I'm not quite sure how to explain it, but Trinbago has always been my place to "recharge my batteries." So it's been great to be back, albeit a bit surreal.

And it is is one of the most diverse places in the world. My family members are Muslims, Hindus and Christians; we're of East-Indian descent, African descent and Caucasian descent. And contrary to popular belief, my family is not an anomaly, we're like most other Trini family. Trinbagonians have public holidays for all religious celebrations and so what is normal here is quite unusual for the rest of the world. But maybe this is why no matter how far I go, Trinbago will always have a very special place in my heart:)

But that does not mean that I am without obstacles. The more time I spend here, the more I think of my short time in the field. I miss the Democratic Republic of Congo very much, and while this is my shot at diplomacy and I want to give it my best, I am concerned about what the upcoming November elections could mean for the beautiful Congolese people, whose smiles have remained etched in my heart. But maybe life will, when the time is right, also take me back to Kinshasa in sha Allah!