Sylvia's Journal

Today we learned from the organization that warns us through multiple daily email messages about adverse events in the provinces and in the capital, that a rehearsal of ‘in extremis’ support involving elements from the international military (IMF) as well as the Afghan national security forces (ANSF) was going to take place at the main UN compound earlier this morning.

We were told that this would in all likelihood include several vehicles (‘and other associated gadgets’). The warning continued that, if one was to venture near the UNICA compound (strongly discouraged), one would also see ‘men with grimacing faces and overt displays of various types of weaponry.’ The message concluded with the advise ‘to postpone any intended squash matches.’ Darn!

Of course people play squash here; and cricket (the national cricket team qualified for the Asian Cricket Council), and volleyball, and soccer and tennis. Today our drivers, guards and some of the TB doctors, dressed in blue and white jerseys leftover from World TB Day, played a tournament right outside my office while I was doing a (required) quiz about procurement integrity and struggling with Adobe on how to sign my certificate (I passed) electronically.

After pulling some handles here and there we received word from the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through their Kabul mission that the decision to deny a visa to my two colleagues (to attend a conference in Geneva) was being revisited. After three phone calls from various officials we finally got the word: the visa is granted and they should go back to Islamabad to pick it up. Those who have followed this drama, unfolding over several months with what we thought was the final (and maddening) denouement in Islamabad two weeks ago, can appreciate this new outcome.

The world does run on relationships, which comes right after oil, weapons and drugs I believe. It is once more a reminder that the switch is at the top and if you can make a connection with ‘up there’ everything becomes possible.

It is funny that for some of my Afghan colleagues who are several rungs below me in the hierarchy, I am their switch. This is a new experience and I am starting to learn to recognize when I have a switch-seeker at my door. The higher you climb the easier it is to see the possibilities, and then grant or deny access to them.