What to do?
If you’re longing for a UN job, you need to get off your butt and do something.
I love watching Navy CIS because it reminds me so much of experiences I had at work. There is even one episode about a nuclear safeguards inspector where the IAEA is mentioned.
Retiree
I’ve retired from my staff position at the IAEA. However, I am still passionate about the UN and what it can do. Note I said what it CAN do. In order to DO what it could do; it requires the right people with the right attitude doing the right things at the right times in the appropriate places. Logical right?
Well, the thing is that, as Steve Jobs said, you only see the relevance when you look back and connect the dots in reverse.
Volunteer
I came into the UN as a volunteer and got my staff position after serving my NGO for free for many years. I became secretary of an NGO committee and worked together with the official UN. We organized a conference where the NGO representatives were the officials, and the actual UN Ambassadors were invited to participate as observers. This was a first time at the VIC.
Consensus
I was amazed at the negotiating skills of my fellow NGO representatives and became quite inspired at what was happening in that United Nations Conference room. And then the action was taken out of the conference room as small groups continued negotiations on language to present to the conference for ratification/verification. We decided to go for consensus. It took hours of talks with skilled negotiators. And then finally a consensus document was agreed.
Recordings
My addiction to visual recordings was already tuned on high as I soared on the feelings of significance and contribution. My disappointment and dissatisfaction with the quality of the recordings were a constant source of self-impediment and perfectionism. Occasionally I managed to expose my inadequacies by overcoming my sense of vulnerability – driven by the conviction that I was a witness to history.
Published
Once I was asked by a representative of the City of Vienna to take a photograph at the event for International Human Rights Day (10 December) at the VIC. The photo was published with my name as the photographer. That boosted my confidence briefly.
International Civil Servant
Eventually I got a paid job at the UN and continued recording events with photos and video recordings. Then the time for processing my material never materialized, as I continued working full-time and commuting to Vienna, while sustaining my seven-headed family in the countryside.
When the time arrived for compulsory retirement from the UN system, my health challenges pre-occupied me beyond my expectations and delayed my launch into the processing of the masses of digital material I had accumulated.
So, now as I deal with Google’s storage challenge, I take the opportunity to start reassessing some of my material.
PWN-WiN-IAEA
The Professional Women’s Leadership conference took place in the Diplomatic Academy in Vienna on 12 June 2017. I was already a member of Women in Nuclear – IAEA (WiN-IAEA) and had attended events by the Professional Women’s Network (PWN). Robert Baker urged us to Tweet on Twitter, and I took up the challenge to appreciate that I could do with a lot more practice to become proficient. I have to admit that Twitter has not been my social media channel of choice.
So here’s a slide show of that event from 2017.
Lessons learned
I have learned that done is better than perfect.
I have realized I can still be a role-model and motivator despite my poor-quality photographs.
I’m realizing I can even do just a little bit at a time to get the job done.
I am permitted to continue watching my favourite series for inspiration in-between.
Now my motivation to support the values of interdependence, mutual prosperity and universal values can take substantial form through my blog articles.
Please enjoy and be inspired.