United Nations

Another UN Meeting

Jesus H. Christ!!! Yap yap yap - thats all people do! What is it about people that get together in a room that everyone thinks everyone else wants to listen to them?

Sorry, I just got out of a UN meeting. I’ve been to some very engaging meetings, but it must be something about UN meetings that makes them such a waste of time. I think I’m beginning to grasp what.

Nobody every criticizes. You are not there to argue against the topic under discussion. Meetings are invariably to talk about what you have been doing. Because what you and your organization has done must clearly be the next big thing on this planet! Besides, god forbid the program goes forward and you get left out? So everyone must know you exist. So people talk, even if what they say has no relation to what is going on. So a discussion on pro-poor ICT policy will include mention of what someone is doing in some village with some doctors.

Nobody ever seems to be in a hurry. Particularly when the meetings consist of junior underlings designated by their institution heads to attend. By contrast, meetings with institution heads are so much more productive, because those people really have something to do after.

Its all well and good to brainstorm, but this is just a storm without any brains. I would have been more productive if I had been sleeping.

© 2006 The Discomfort Zone.