Instamatic Focal Point: Washington, US

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Blogging from the Bank

Im sitting in a washington conference room with three World Bank Agencies and 16 of the world�s largest youth organisations. We have convened the Youth Development and Peace Forum- a network working with The Bank on a development and poverty agenda. The focus of this meeting is Non-Formal Education- so it would seem that AIESEC has a fair bit to offer on the topic. However everyone else is working on using NFE where formal education is missing or of poor quality, rather than looking at how NFE can be used to complement education. Again AIESEC seems to be the only org at this level that is focussing on these �top talents� - which gives us a valuable niche. Its also quite short sighted that these agencies don�t see the long-term potential of developing individuals who can make major positive change at a local, national and global level.

The delegates are quite diverse. The differences can be seen in how they act about their attendence here. The Eurocrats and others considering themselves �major players� feel they have the right to be here and are not wasting a moment in lobbying their agenda. It�s incredible to see young people who have molded themselves on political buereaucracy- such a change from the direct, independent thinking and higher outcome focussed mentality more common in @ers. On the other hand we have other global orgs- who are more independent and obviously have less strong relations with the Bank. Most of these reps feel they have a responsibility to be here to contribute but don�t expect much. Then we have the smaller orgs or national reps that seem to be fighting their impact battle in this forum and find a way to bring any topic into their field.

Yet again I am surprise at how different @ is; our people, our cultural space, our discussion and conference environment. In short, we kick ass.

Tomorrow we will be inputting into the World Development Report- the Banks key analysis global development. Signing off- your Bretton-Woods semiskeptic.

The Anti-Arthur

I have found the Anti-Arthur. There is a Japanese anime somewhere in which my blog "Codex Reprio" does battle with his blog "Swiss Skies" upon the tallest tower of NeoTokyo 3. If they hadn't inserted that small amount of methanol into my test tube, it could of been me.

Sith Faced

A while back Tom wrote "Ugh. That is seriously painful. George Lucas should be shot, damn him. I'll still be throwing a crisp 10 euro note into his vast swimming pool of money, however, when I sit down for the final Star Wars installment in Rotterdam. He only hurts me because he loves me, I swear."

But we went to the cinema. Tom warned me it would hurt, but I didn't believe him. This would be it, this would be the film, the one were Lucas rejects his greedy kiddy pandering way and unleashes the definitive Jedi film; a psychological journey through the awakening and corruption of Anakin. And of course Yoda skooling, sabre fighting and the "Passions" style demise of JarJar Binks that would resolve so much that has burdened every mid 20's male since the release of the new Star Wars episodes.

I know I should have learned. The defeat and injustice heaped upon us in Episodes 1 and 2 should have been warning enough. But no... Of course it connected the necessary dots and didn't have us rioting in the streets demanding Georges head or anything but it was pretty close. His choice to replace writers with lower order primates fed only sedatives seems to have left us with pretty one dimensional dialogue. My own immediate five word review "Ending the Saga of Injustice" summates the emptiness felt.

After the film I walked away unsure about why I feeling worse than I did after the two previous, and far more painfully defeating, episodes. I think it is because this was the last chance, this was the final salute to Star Wars and George had has sick way with us all. The disgust and frustration haunted me for a few hours until I made a critical realisation.

In twenty years I will wake on the scheduled day, press the small red button on my Virtual Reality device and be transformed into the ultimate first person Star Wars game. In this game I will not only journey upon a customised Jedi adventure thing but the experience will culminate in a showdown between me and George. In virtual reality I will be able to strike down George Lucas- perhaps mentioning that "Now I am the Master" if I feel in such a mood. I think I will even be able to throw him Darth style into one of those sandmonster things that will then digest his virtual body over several years.

Coming to this realisation put me at a great deal of peace. No matter how bad the new Star Wars were, no matter how adapted it was for merchandising, no matter how much money was saved through the replacement of scriptwriters with semiconscious primates- if we still care in twenty years we will have the choice whether to bow to the darkside and get sweet, sweet revenge.

Budget Blogging

Well the last posting ushered in a period of low-quality, short but frequent blogging I call "Budget Blogging". The only kind of blogging thats possible when you are waaay too busy to ponder on the underlying unknowable reality, swift geopolitical ironies or the true beauty existing all around us. Budget Blogging will involve the random, the half-thought out, the slight observations that could have been something better. But fear not, this dark period will only last until truly powerful egypto-philisophical power blogging begins from Cairo in September.

I salute these guys for having a blog called "Four Bad Men: A Manjournal".

Busiest Director in the Samarkand

So whats up?

This week be loads hectic. Getting pulled in all seventeen directions and trying to stay on top of the game. And this weekend is not really the weekend- I think Ill be writing a few thousand words for the various reports, guides and input papers that have been hunting me down. So this week was tough but great, for example yesterday I kicked off the day with 4 activities that prove that I have the Best Job in the World.

1- Wrote IS networking system strategy input paper- an outline of a system which could change the way we connect, communicate and build networks to impact the world.
2- Outlined learning flow for IC world issues day- building an innovative platform that will take over 600 @ers and partners through intense learning, cocreation and reflection across 5 parallel themes.
3- Drafted some designs for an add in our AI annual report on Learning Networks.
4- Won New York and Samarkand from Brodie in our World Domination/Darts competition.

Good week, but pales into drivel when reading Thea's Blog who describes her- "whole day trying to figure out an evacuation plan for the expats!! (who can imagine I would be doing this! I was terrified!!) as well as trying to figure out which embassy is going to take care of me!!! As obviously there are no Maltese Embassies in Ethiopia!!! Nevertheless I have a good contact with the Swedish Embassy, who is meant to take care of me!!!" There be a novel in there somewhere.

Peace, prosperity and may we each find our own place in the Samarkand.

Inside the Ring: AI vs US Govt

I arrived to the office with just enough time to rub the sleep from my eyes and flick open Googlenews before my first meeting of the day. Startling my slumbering morning consciousness the phrase "Shamnesty International" flickered across the page. A battle that's been raging between Amnesty and the US administration was heating up.

In their 2004 Human Rights report, Amnesty International referred to Guantanamo Bay prison as "the gulag of our times", as part of the identification of a series of human rights violations conducted by the US. The US administration jumped on this exaggeration to discredit the reports statements on the US entirely.

Bush stated, "I'm aware of the Amnesty International report and it's absurd, it's an absurd allegation" adding deftly that, "The United States is a country that promotes freedom around the world".

AI hit back stating US interrogation and detention policies and practices during the "war on terror", have deliberately and systematically breached the absolute prohibition of torture and Ill-treatment". AI finished with a clean shot calling the US to allow "International Committee of the Red Cross full access to all detainees including those held in secret locations".

But for a real blow-by-blow account of the battle so far, lets get ringside on googlenews.

The US comes in with a Right-Right combination....
Bush calls Amnesty criticism of US 'absurd'
Reuters AlertNet, UK - May 31, 2005

Rumsfeld rejects Amnesty's 'gulag' label
CNN - Jun 1, 2005


AI defends the blows and throws a counter...
Amnesty defends 'Gulag', urges Guantanamo access
Stuff.co.nz, New Zealand - 18 hours ago

Amnesty International throws down the gauntlet: Let the world see ...
Daily Times, Pakistan - 14 hours ago


The US throws jabs and haymakers in furious attack..
Shamnesty International
Tech Central Station, OH - 8 hours ago

Hyperbole and Human Rights
Washington Post, DC - 6 hours ago


Ignoring the flurry of punches AI focuses on it's target...
The real message in the Amnesty report
Miami Herald, FL - 4 hours ago

Don't Dismiss the Torture Report
Los Angeles Times, CA - 5 hours ago
So, the term "gulag" is a bit harsh to describe the conditions at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp (June 1). "It's absurd," President Bush says. . OK then, let's be politically correct. Why not call it an "internment/torture facility." Will that help? Will that help you live in denial a bit longer? Wake up, people!
Les M. Glasser


In this battle it seems that the only referee is the media and googlenews is a schizoid ref at best. On this topic alone it ranged from Reuters to CNN to Daily Times, Pakistan to the famed Tech Central Station, OH. All "news", all seemingly equal- whether from a global information company, an established media channel, a local web newspaper, or a blog. The imaginary line between "reporting" and "editorial" has been blurred beyond repair.