Dear Friends
I was in London on a conference. I also caught covid.
This is my first work related trip in a while. It is an opportunity to reflect of where I have been and where I am going.
As I moved country, I also moved role. I gave up management for consultancy. I was now looking after my career freeing me to look at other parts of my life. Now as I grow in the other part priorities are emerging.
One priority is to help maintain our flora and biodiversity. This advert upset me.
We need to do better.
Anyway happy reading.
Nish
What problems are we solving?
In the budget allocation was given for 8000 civil servants to be hired, but what problem is being solved with the hire.
Maubank and NIC are to be sold, why not privatise? There have been no new listings on the Stock Exchange of Mauritius.
The budget mentioned electric cars being duty free, great.., we also need the fast charging network and matching renewable generation.
Refugees
A topic of discussion came up.
“the problem with the UK is that it takes in too many refugees”
This was from an economic migrant to the UK, I explained the difference between economic migration and refugees. She did not see herself as an economic migrant?
Why?
Petra Lazlo, a camera woman who was filmed kicking a Syrian refugee child, had previously won an award for a film about the refugee crisis in 1958 Hungary. They were fleeing the Hungarian revolution which saw Soviet Tanks roll into Budapest, and the city saw heavy shelling and street battles. As a result people fleed. Syria has been involved in a multi sided civil war with the people living under the regime of Bashar Al-Assad, who took over from his father in 2000. As a result of persecution and the war people fleed. Both peoples are considered refugees.
She saw these refugees as different. Why?
Anyway where did the humanity go?
Song lyric
As I fly into London, wondering what has changed with Covid and Brexit.
The Clash were at the forefront of Punk Rock and the album and song in particular raises questions over police brutality.
Ways to change Mauritius
A report commissioned by the UK government suggests raising the age of smoking each year.
If implemented in Mauritius within several decades no one will be smoking in Mauritius and would have a knock on effect of reducing smoking related illnesses, cigarette waste within several decades.
The report highlighted the effect of smoking with poor people spending a disproportionate part of their income on cigarettes.
Winning 15 minutes at a time
I have mentioned this previously and the reason I mention it again is for me it works. When writing I am present for those 15 minutes and I have no further purpose. We live in a world of distractions, this means we are not giving our complete self to the task at hand.
Why 15 minutes?
It is a short amount of time and I can commit to it. The more it is done, the easier it is done.
I base this on the pomodoro method which is based on 25 minute then take a short break. The time limit allows for resting and avoiding mental fatigue and structures your day effectively.
Building the conversation.
I write these, as an intellectual exercise, trying to understand the world, and it’s need to change. Adrock said once “I’d rather be a hypocrite than the same person forever.”
There is a need to change and a need to practice that change.
About me
This is where I put annoying descriptors, but simply I like looking at problems, fixing them, and asking questions. Outside of this I love film, music and books. I can be found on twitter and instagram and linkedin.
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