Crossing Paths with Madaline Albright

While walking with hurried pace to the Hilton in Addis to hook my Mac up to the only fast connection in the city, I thought about seconds gained or lost and how more or less time spent - skipping over that rock, tripping on the next - influences the unfolding chain of events that is the rest of each of our possible life outcomes. I hurried around the corner, through the gated security entrance, up to the front walkway, and met an arriving black Mercedes, the back door of which swung open and stepping into my path, two feet in front of me - Madaline Albright. Not that this was some huge twist of fate. But it was quite interesting. I acted like I belonged and walked slowly with her reception party, right behind her, and listened to the former Secretary of State as well-dressed men and women politely informed her of their altruistic plans for women's health projects in Ethiopia. Convincing lawmakers and others with influence that your cause deserves funding is a language I'm becoming all to familiar with in Ethiopia. My question is: why does so much of the aidwork action happen in fancy hotels? I suggest a meeting on the farms. Maybe Madaline would like to take a trip out to Idido with me and see whether farmers need handouts or partners. I think time will show that partnering with impovrished peoples may be the shortest and truest path to sustainability. I wish I had asked her to join a trip south. I wonder what she would have said. It would have been an interesting conversation.

Comments

[Aaron Dignan]

Great post. Sometimes actually fixing things isn't as fun as pretending to.