One Year In

The last week marked the one year anniversary since joining USAID.  In the past year, I already learned an amazing amount about development, USAID, and my work, picked up a decent amount of a new language, and worked almost a month in Thailand.  All along the way, I've met many amazing people. 

Also of significance with the first year anniversary was my first promotion to class 5.  Previously, all USAID Junior Officers came in as class 6 ( I think they allow people to enter now at class 5) regardless of education and experience, whereas in the State Department, new Junior Officers could come in at up to class 4.  A bit of a disparity considering class 5 in State is given just by having a Master degree while USAID requires at least a Master to join.  However, we receive administrative promotions the first two years to get us up to class 4 so long as performance is satisfactory.  Additionally, the promotion comes with a nice bump in salary which will make living in DC (apartments there are anything but inexpensive) until post a bit more comfortable.

I'm looking forward to the next year with moving to post, really developing my Indonesian language and cultural knowledge, and having many more new experiences.

He's drinking a soda!

Oh yeah, while visiting a temple up near the mountains a few hours outside Bangkok, I saw monkeys!

The past month

 Been very busy since departing language training.  Finished Indonesian with my test on a Thursday, ran around the office to complete my annual evaluation, and then departed to Thailand for a rotation in the Regional Development Mission for Asia.

This rotation will last a month and a half a will be a great experience to get to understand the operations of a regional mission as well as just how USAID operates outside of DC.  So far, my impressions have been pretty positive.  The office is pretty friendly and it's interesting having the the added dynamic of the mix of cultures on a daily basis having both US staff and local staff.  It's always interesting to ask people where they've been posted to before, talk to the local staff about Bangkok, and adapt to the new location and people.

However, working here seems like the office environment of any other.  People come to work and go home to families afterward.  Perhaps its the fact of being a fairly large mission in lively city environment.  Before arriving, I had this idea of an environment of a close, tight-knit embassy community where life revolves around the embassy activities and events.  I think that type of environment exists only in the small missions in much more remote locations.  Not that I don't mind the city environment, it's just a very different reality than what I originally thought.  I'm very curious to find out the environment in Jakarta.

It also makes me think I'll want to try an assignment in a small Mission in the future.  I think it would be a very interesting experience.  But then again, it really depends on who your colleagues will be as that will always make or break it.

The work has been interesting.  Different yet similar to that of Washington.  Similar in that contracting and grants pretty much will always abide by the same rules and procedures no matter where you go.  Different in that the awards are smaller, though still not that small, and there is more chance of providing awards to local organizations rather the typical large international NGO's or development companies.  Perhaps it's that the RDMA is regional, but a lot of the tenets of USAID Forward are still difficult to achieve in working closely with local organizations since USAID doesn't really do much in terms of bilateral assistance to Thailand.  Much of the work is support to other Missions or to non-presence countries (places where USAID doesn't have a Mission).  I think the work will be even more different in a bilateral Mission.

The type of work I'm really looking for is to do more of small grants with local organizations.  I want to do the time consuming work of walking new organizations through the US grant process, developing their capabilities as an organization, and really allow the places we work to gain the capabilities to make a difference.  An interesting blog post at AidSpeak speculates about the need for a fundamental rethinking of how international development is performed.  While I really have no idea what the best solution is, I think USAID is really taking the right steps in moving away, at least somewhat, from the large contracts and grants to the biggest players in this field of work that has been done over and over.  I think America's interests can best be achieved through the more focused efforts of development that USAID is working to achieve.

At one of the Bangkok temples.

In the meantime, I'm hoping to get out of Bangkok at least once to one of the many beaches at least one weekend.  Though I'm not really a beach or outdoorsy person, it would be a shame if I came back and said I didn't visit any.  Also, I plan to try some of the many varieties of foods while here.  Bangkok has pretty much every type of cuisine you can imagine.  Malls are filled with restaurants galore.  There's also a "4D" movie experience that I've heard about and hope to find the time to try.

Pork patty with spinach and curry sauce.

More curry!  Omelet over rice in curry sauce with beef.

Fried rice with egg on top.  In Indonesian, it's called nasi goreng dan mata sapi.

Tom yum soup with shrimp.

Thoughts on Language Training

Happy to report success in finishing Indonesian language training today.  It was more difficult than I was expecting but perhaps it was nervousness.  When I last tested in Mandarin, it seemed not nearly so nerve-wracking, but I think I had less on the line if I were not able to pass.  I now have the necessary language requirement completed to fulfill tenure and for my position in Indonesia.

Language at FSI is very well run and rigorous.  Despite however good the instruction is there though, it is necessary to anticipate dedicating a significant amount of time to self-study in order to really master the vocabulary.  The idea of learning an alternative word for every word one might have to be articulate in English is an intimidating task.

I think I now have a good foundation of the language but feel I will need much more in order to feel completely comfortable with it.  I fully plan on continuing studying the language and practicing as much as feasible when at post.  Trends indicate a significant role of Indonesia in Asia and becoming adept in the language and culture will only be useful. 

I'm happy to have completed language training and look forward to moving back into my role in international affairs.

Off to SE Asia!

Religion in International Relations with Sec. Clinton

Today, morning classes were replaced with a session on the influence of religion in international relations.  This event was hosted by an organization called the Appeal of Conscience Foundation with the FSI.  The Appeal of Conscience Foundation is an interfaith coalition working to increase dialogue and promote understanding among religions.  Evidently, this seminar has been an annual tradition for the past 30 years.  This session was entitled "Resurgence of Religion as a Factor in International Relations.

When I received notice a couple weeks ago that this event would take place, I wasn't sure what to expect or make of it.  The notice only really said "Appeal of Conscience" and I didn't understand what that was referring to and didn't investigate it further.  So when I arrived today to the event, I was greatly surprised to open the program and see Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as the keynote speaker!  Moving up to the closest front row seat remaining, I eagerly anticipated the program start.

It was actually a very interesting seminar.  Religion plays a very important part of the lives of people who have faith and in order to fully understand the perspectives and situations in other countries, one has to be cognizant of religion.  In terms of fulfilling US objectives overseas regarding promotion of democracy, equality, trade, and many other aspects, religious leaders or the role religion is often very prominent.  Even in countries without official religions like China, religion still plays a major role as that will often will be the source of intolerance or oppression.  So US officials should really understand religion in their country of assignment in order to fully be effective in they reporting, negotiations, and programs.

A message that was often conveyed, even by Sec. Clinton, was that supporting religious freedom and combating intolerance should be on the agenda in every country of assignment.  I very much agree with this as every US foreign policy objective is supported by working with other countries that support openness and discussion.  If every country we worked with was an open and free democracy, US business abroad would be booming and we could expect economic growth for all (with the assumption that open and free democracies lead to economic prosperity).  South Korea was mentioned as case study for this theory.  Being that the peninsula of Korea was a very homogenous society but now has an arbitrary border separating the North and South, the evidence of economic growth in the south supports the theory that democracy is conducive to prosperity.  I suppose the argument could be made that privatization is the key but anyway..

One last point that I like about Clinton is that she has always been a strong advocate for the role of development and USAID in her tenure.  She consistently makes sure to mention the role of development in the US foreign policy strategy and I hope whoever follows her will be equally supportive and knowledgeable.

Following the presentation, I was warming up my lunch and overheard a couple talking about the presentation.  The wife was saying to her husband that she didn't agree with statements by some of the presenters that FSO's join to help humanity abroad.  This got me thinking about motivation.  The motivation to join the Foreign Service.  One's real motivation, not whatever one might have submitted in the Statement of Interest before taking the Oral Assessment.  But that will have to wait for another post.