What are the Americans plotting this time? I’ve just spent a week in Athens enrolled on the second edition of Harvard executive education course for NGO leaders. I’m persuaded the new administration is planning something in Europe.
I joined to discover the secret of our rulers, the magic recipe which makes them strong, lofty and beautiful as generous and compassionate. Why do we – the others! – look like Kim Jong-il, the Korean leader in Team America, when we try imitating the Americans?
As you can read in the website the course aims to empower NGO leaders from across Europe – Middle East and Northen Africa have been already joined Europe in my blog. I’m waiting for the Council to ratify.
The faculty is a pretty singular group of people. The director is on the ball in general.She must have been in the Marines before specialising in the NGO sector. She has two faithful aides who never leave her alone. The first one is an undercover peace-corp activist well connected with some of the most radical groups which aggressively promote peace&love across the world. The second one is an EU fan but with American-Chinese origins. The gang is complemented by a retired CIA agent who hangs around with a very secretive lady – she must be his body-guard – and a west cost upper-middle class witty academic; a reassuring face who could fool any board. He even made exciting the session on governance. Very suspicious!
During the course we were introduced to the secrets of American NGO leaders.I felt like being in the middle of War and Peace: conflicts, passions, power-struggles, money and some swearing. Our leadership has been nurtured for a week with simulations of negotiations, strategy and board meetings.
Especially during the action I realized that the participants were also quite remarkable. I found myself handled by a Catholic Jew mummy who aggressively forced everybody to come to an agreement. Another mummy was actually pregnant, almost ready to deliver. I’m wondering if she did it to maximise the benefits of the course by providing early training for the baby, or she wanted to save time attending the course and give birth at the same time. Leaders and breeders!
The rate of mummys was pretty high – we support family values – but you must to watch out for some of them. The most dangerous was a revived Cleopatra who didn’t refrain from using any means to succeed. When she was busy somewhere else, her fellow Egyptian took charge having all participants agreeing on his terms before even starting the negotiation.
The Greek government also provided a contingent of tough females infiltrating a group of undercover agents: the mermaids. They offered you a cigarette and you didn’t go back to the class!
Amongst the participants we also counted a Georgian survivor whofundraised to take youth to anti-Russian training, a Saudi Prince, a Nigerian High Excellency and the wife of Libanese Minister.
Natually, I couldn’t avoid the Balkans after my glorious trip in the region which has entertained my readers for the last three weeks. So I ended up sharing my hotel room with a worrisome Serbian. He was actually well educated and a devoted husband. Neither fond of religion nor nation he just forced me to eat an apple a day for the sake of my health and to remind me who’s in charge. He left before me but left his toothpaste to remind me that I MUST brush my teeth before sleeping. Yes, Dusko. I do it everyday.
What an exiting week. I haven’t discovered if Obama is planning to take over Europe but I learnt:
– I love playing the role of the wealthy beachy donor dressed in a pink Coco Chanel tailleur
– Serbs love playing the teddy bear when properly fed with apples
– You should never get into a negotiation with Egyptians
– If you can’t win over your enemy make him your best friend
To capiatalize on the lessons learnt this is my strategic plan:
– To buy a pink coco Chanel tailleur and start a foundation with my 2500 euro savings
– To include a generous supply of apples in the budget of our next application for the British Foreign Office’s support in the Balkans
– To get married with an Egyptian before planning any expansion in the Mediterranean
– To make a long term partnership with Harvard!
For a full reportage of the course click here
