Jottings - Slice of Life - 230 ( Dr Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of UN (1938 - 2018))

Jottings - Slice of Life - 230 ( Dr Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of UN (1938 - 2018))

In Ghana, children are named with great care and attention, as they do in many parts of the East. Depending upon the ethnic group, village and community, Ghanaian names vary considerably. My long time cab driver is from Ghana, and he once recounted to me the naming convention in his home country, and its significance. They are usually given a "Day name", indicating the day of the week on which the child was born - "Kwasi" means Sunday, "Kwaku" means Wednesday, and "Kofi" means friday. Our Former secretary, general of United Nations, Dr Kofi Annan, who passed away today, after brief illness at the age of eighty, was a man born on a Friday ( Kofi), an auspicious day in Ghana. Elders believe that a child born that day is notably blessed by the stars and planetary alignments, and parents particularly rejoice in an offspring who chooses to come out on a friday. Kofi Annan, led the United Nations for ten years between 1996 and 2006, years that marked tremendous pressures of globalization, terrorism and increasing economic and social disparity between nations. Dr Annan was the seventh Secretary General of the assembly - following an illustrious line of intellectual and moral stalwarts since its inception.

Considering the circumstances in which the United nations was conceived and bought to life, it is amazing how it has in its 75 years of existence, found some of the brighest and men of great integrity to run the organization. The USA played in an important role in establishing and funding the UN, but the way it joined the assembly is worth remembering once again. August 8th 1945 was a queer day in World history by any stretch of imagination. After having ordered the US air force to drop the devastating atomic on hapless civilians of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, President Harry Truman walked into his oval office to sign and officially ratify the charter and join the United nations for world peace and stability. Nothing could be more ironical than this. The entire event was a simple, mechanical affair intended only as show of optimism, amidst the depths of pessimism America and the world had descended to after two world wars. In fact Truman, signed this important document, with a ten cent pen, and did not bother to use his ceremonial writing instrument. To him, and the other three world powers who ratified the charter, it was only a symbolic gesture hoping for better times to come.

The post of the Secretary General is like a CEO of a company. All administrative, financial and operational authority rests in him. With 192 Member countries, billions of dollars in common fund, variety of issues to battle and solve, the person who occupies that chair is chosen for reasons that go beyond academic qualifications and professional expertise. The role needs a rare blend of integrity, humanitarianism and toughness in the face of moral dilemma. Fortunately, the Secretary generals so far have been such men ( a woman is yet to occupy that chair). The role model was set by the second Secretary general between 1953 - 61, Dag Hammarskjöld of Swedish origin. An Intellectual stalwart, aristocrat, an incisive economist, poet and writer, thinker and philosopher, he raised the level of the office to a pedestal that gave hope and dignity to the institution as a whole. His tragic death at the age of 55, in a plane crash enroute to Congo cut short what could have possibly been many more years of mercurial leadership. But Dr Hammarskjöld had set the pace. Secretary generals who followed after him were fortunately able men in their own right. Dr Kofi Annan, took over office from Boutros Boutros-Ghali - who had a long and illustrious career in that office.

Dr Kofi Annan was known his grace and poise. Never flustered, always gentle and had enough wit and repartee at his disposal. Seven weeks into his first term in 1997, the Soviet ambassador asked him " What took him so long to put the world in order, when God himself needed only seven days?".
Dr Annan, paused, smiled and replied " God did it alone, and did not have to wade through committees, security councils and advisors". He knew his job well, and he equally knew well enough how tough it was going to be to do justice to it. During his tenure, international terrorism took its worst form. Political alignments drastically changed after September 11th. But Kofi Annan stuck to his task and kept the sanctity and high ideals of UN alive and vibrant. He knew the most important thing for an assembly like the UN is to stay above partisanship and and weak mindedness. Yes, there are pressing needs, and there are priorities to be juggled, and if the UN has to have relevance in world order, it should judiciously select its battles and fight it with all that it has got. Thats exactly Dr Annan displayed in his ten years. When the Nobel prize was awarded jointly to UN and him in 2001, he made a significant point during his acceptance speech. He said " I have sought to place human beings at the center of everything we do -- from conflict prevention, to development, to human rights ..". That the individual matters, and not abstractions has been the guiding force of his life.

In his death, we again lose in quick succession, after Dr Vajpayee, a statesman, a deep intellectual and philosopher. Dr Kofi Annan had an uncanny resemblance to Actor Morgan Freeman. Place them both together, it is difficult to distinguish who is who. In 2007, during a vacation in Italy, after his retirement, a man came up to him and said " Morgan freeman, can I have your autograph?" Dr Annan did not disappoint. He smilingly signed as Freeman and patted the man on his back. What does it matter, if ones facial identity is mistaken, the work stands as ample testimony to a life well lived and cherished.

God bless..

yours in mortality,

Bala