Wheels A-turning

I had to break the hiatus sometime.

Just got back from my meeting with Jennie Lang, Exec Director of UNSW International. I am half a step closer to wrangling the 3k odd that I need to fly myself to Scotland. Couple more hoops I'll have to jump through, but I think I can do that.

I was actually quite pleasantly surprised to find out that John Ingleson, DVC International, is a keen bean on social and global responsibility issues. That'll give my case that much more sale.

Think I'll focus my pitch on 2 prongs: poverty and fair trade, and access to education. Bringing up my involvements in the Oxfam Fair Trade campaign, as well as Student Rights Watch, should help. And of course, the prospect of representing UNSW in a "really positive, pro-active way", to quote Jennie.

An interesting option Jennie suggested, was to gather some intelligence on international students at Stirling Uni, or even Edinburgh. Sounds like it could be an interesting little expedition.

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Dinner last night with Alvin was great. It's encouraging to see other Singaporeans who care about broader social issues. He talked about possibly bringing Oxfam to Singapore, a prospect which totally psyches me. We'd need to somehow try to clear the way around the Societies Act. I can't see how Oxfam would be controversial though.. well, perhaps except for 3 letters - F.T.A.

And perhaps SIF may need some pacifying, if they perceive a threat to their overseas development projects (although I don't see why that should even be an issue, the fact that they get government funding - no matter their claims of being 'non-government' - notwithstanding).

Possibly a greater concern (to the establishment, of course), may be of opening the floodgates for other global NGOs like, Greenpeace, or worse, *gasp* Amnesty?

Interestingly, we got to talking about Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia's Earth Institute, and director of the UN Millennium Project. A familiar name I've been seeing over the last few days reading up on my possible options for the AIESEC development traineeship.

I am still debating the validity in justifying existing trade practices as part of the whole 'stage development theory' thingamajig. Sachs actually argues that they are a necessary evil. In the course of all this, I am gonna have to attempt reconciling development action with development thought. Considering the diversity - and in many cases, conflict - of the latter, reflected in divergent outcomes on the former, however, I am forced to question the plausibility of resolving this potential cause for many sleepless nights. Gah.

Anyhow, some other random updates:

Student Rights Watch now has a webmaster (go Jit)! And we're continuing to draft our constitution.

The Fair Trade campaign strategy is finally crystallising. I still say we need to make a comprehensive flow-chart action-plan type thing.

I am now representing Human Rights Watch on the AMUNC CHR, which should confer me a greater measure of relevance. Bubbling with anticipation.

I got the money to go to Perth - woohoo! Thanks to Mike and the lovely UNSW Ed Department. Decision to speak at QC still pending.

The development traineeship is now looking less like Latin America, and more like Eastern Europe. Checking my options.

Recently re-established friendship with an ex. I'm glad not to have lost her.

Recently re-established friendship with a long lost friend. Amazingly, it'll be a decade, come next December.

Recently got an amazing package from (as Adrian would say) 'one time love of [my] life'. The words on that postcard still have me stumped.

Still working on that last paper. May the metaclorians (and all other determinants of the elusive force) be with me.