This morning, I forgot it was my birthday until one of the Oxfam staff wished me a happy birthday. I never expected to be celebrating my 42nd birthday at the United Nations World Summit in New York.
In Rwanda, I don’t usually do much to celebrate my birthday, except for what my children insist that we do, which is usually a small party. They give me flowers, a cake and a small gift. I think it is a time of reflection to be thankful for finishing one year and starting another.
Wednesday was the opening day of the UN World Summit and the media here were flat-out covering speech after speech by world leaders. The president of Iran and United States President George Bush both spoke a lot about nuclear weapons. The leaders of Mexico and Jamaica focused on the urgent need for free trade and debt relief and more aid for poor countries. Mexico’s President Vincente Fox said that regional conflict is fuelled by poverty, which I think is very true.
On Wednesday night, British Prime Minister Tony Blair spoke about the agreement on responsibility to protect civilians against genocide. I was watching him speak on the web broadcast live from the UN and I felt so proud that we had played a small part in making it happen.
Today [Thursday], the speeches have continued, as have the protests outside the UN. Many of the world’s most famous people are also congregating in New York. Economist Jeffrey Sachs, rock stars Bono and Bob Geldof, and former US president Bill Clinton are all holding events to discuss what needs to happen to end poverty. Clinton is bringing together politicians, business and religious leaders, as well as civil-society organisations including Oxfam, together to find ways to make progress in ending global poverty.
Since the outcome document came out on Wednesday and world leaders are dominating the headlines today, it is a bit quieter for Oxfam and I really needed a little bit of a rest and time to call my children.
They were worried because they hadn’t heard from me since Sunday and they thought that there was a problem. I told them not to worry — it was just because I was busy. They know that we are always busy in Oxfam and many times don’t even have time to eat lunch. There’s a seven-hour time difference between New York and Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, so it isn’t always easy to call when they are awake.
My children told me that they had bought me a cake and that they will put it in the fridge until I come home. Tonight, I am going to celebrate my birthday with the Oxfam staff at a restaurant downtown.
Compared to Kigali, New York is busy with many cars. In Kigali, there are mountains, but New York is full of skyscrapers. People eat and talk on the phone while walking everywhere. I don’t understand why they are always on the phone. On Wednesday, I had a short break in the afternoon, so I went shopping. I bought “I love New York” T-shirts for my children and I went up the Empire State Building.
Grace Mukagabiro, from Rwanda, works for Oxfam and is reporting from the UN World Summit in New York
On the web
Oxfam
UN World Summit
M&G Online UN World Summit report