The selection of Hillary Clinton as US Secretary of State was a masterstroke by president-elect Barack Obama to win over the disgruntled Democrats, and to provide a feminine touch to the American foreign policy that had fallen in the hands of macho men who have created havoc in different parts of the world during the past few years.
In fact the leaders in Europe, Asia and elsewhere have remained a mute witness to the barbarism that has been practised in the name of diplomacy. Nearly all these leaders belong to the male of the species who cheered the outgoing boss in The White House from the sidelines. They must now CHANGE or quit.
With Obama having won the US presidential race on his slogan of CHANGE (and just a week to go before he occupies the White House), it is imperative that this CHANGE is reflected in all parts of the world where people’s patience have been tested during the past eight years.
At times I wonder why the post of foreign minister (equivalent to US Secretary of State) in all the governments in the world can’t be reserved for women. A majority of women have displayed patience, maturity and a natural inclination for healing…
In recent times men have shown preference for brawn and not brains, and forfeited the right to conduct diplomacyPlease click here for more…
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.