That is a slight understatement. Jonah cautioned against joining the UN, unless it’s out in the field. Today people work for the UN because it’s a job, not because it’s a passion and vocation. The good work done nowadays, he said, is by NGOs.
In 1963, men and women of his generation looked ahead to a booming Africa, an effective and hopeful UN, and an international civil service to be proud of. One can see how he would be disappointed.
Rather than steer young people away from public service, he wanted them to see it unadorned. “It’s a very brutal business being in politics,” he said, “You have to persevere, and idealism doesn’t take you anywhere.”
His mantra: Patience, thoughtfulness, and perseverence. “The world is a very difficult place,” he ended, “If you are tending sheep, it is better to know where the wolves are.”
via “The UN of today is not the UN I entered” – Chris Blattman.
Giancarlo Angulo's Blog