I am at this very moment watching CNN. I heard what US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, as also what UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, had to say on the crisis created by North Korea’s nuclear test.
The world is facing a real crisis. Answering a question from a reporter, Kofi Annan made it clear that although the UN Security Council is working hard to plan a united strategy against this provocative action of North Korea, the US administration must engage the North Korea at a one-to-one level.
Coming from Kofi Annan, his statement must be taken seriously as North Korea seems to be more interested in getting a convincing assurance from the United States of America, and not from the UN Security Council alone.
Now President Bush is on TV talking to media…I am still glued to CNN. He sounds tough but is surely on the defensive. For a change he is talking of diplomacy and the United Nations’ role…I sincerely hope he shows the leadership qualities needed to ward off a dangerous situation.
This I am adding to the post:
The Press Conference is going on at the White House. President Bush has made a historic change in his attitude. From ” shock and awe” and taking the countries to “stone age”, now Prsident Bush is talking about “giving diplomacy a chance”. He is also explaining in detail that diplomatic efforts do not offer quick solutions…you have to wait for the results.
Thank you President Bush for taking a realistic look at International Relations!
Swaraaj Chauhan describes his two-decade-long stint as a full-time journalist as eventful, purposeful, and full of joy and excitement. In 1993 he could foresee a different work culture appearing on the horizon, and decided to devote full time to teaching journalism (also, partly, with a desire to give back to the community from where he had enriched himself so much.)
Alongside, he worked for about a year in 1993 for the US State Department’s SPAN magazine, a nearly five-decade-old art and culture monthly magazine promoting US-India relations. It gave him an excellent opportunity to learn about things American, plus the pleasure of playing tennis in the lavish American embassy compound in the heart of New Delhi.
In !995 he joined WWF-India as a full-time media and environment education consultant and worked there for five years travelling a great deal, including to Husum in Germany as a part of the international team to formulate WWF’s Eco-tourism policy.
He taught journalism to honors students in a college affiliated to the University of Delhi, as also at the prestigious Indian Institute of Mass Communication where he lectured on “Development Journalism” to mid-career journalists/Information officers from the SAARC, African, East European and Latin American countries, for eight years.
In 2004 the BBC World Service Trust (BBC WST) selected him as a Trainer/Mentor for India under a European Union project. In 2008/09 He completed another European Union-funded project for the BBC WST related to Disaster Management and media coverage in two eastern States in India — West Bengal and Orissa.
Last year, he spent a couple of months in Australia and enjoyed trekking, and also taught for a while at the University of South Australia.
Recently, he was appointed as a Member of the Board of Studies at Chitkara University in Chandigarh, a beautiful city in North India designed by the famous Swiss/French architect Le Corbusier. He also teaches undergraduate and postgraduate students there.
He loves trekking, especially in the hills, and never misses an opportunity to play a game of tennis. The Western and Indian classical music are always within his reach for instant relaxation.
And last, but not least, is his firm belief in the power of the positive thought to heal oneself and others.