Purpose of the blog

[Detlef Palm]

Is there unanimity about the purpose of the blog? Is it about

* trying to rally members to take influence on children's issues in their community or country? Creating taskforces?

* nostalgia about the good old days?

* connecting people who, in their deepest heart, care about the same things, i.e. children, equity, fairness, and a better world?

* being the source of intelligent entertainment?

* a feeling of community in the widest sense?

You may have other reasons. 

For me, the reason to engage is that I do  not easily find people around me (relatives exempted) who share my thinking, or who want to talk about the things that I care about. For me, the blog is not so much a one-way street of passing information, but (hopefully) of a community where people of similar background and experience can discuss, exchange views, get excited (or frustrated) and laugh.

What do you think?

[Tom McDermott]

Good question to get us thinking !!  When we started News and Views in 2017 the idea was mainly to move us beyond the annual reunions as our way of staying in touch with each other.  Some members wanted XUNICEF to be more of a group of still-engaged professionals who were active in protecting the rights of children.  There was also the campaign for freedom of our colleague, Baquer Namazi and his son.  That campaign raised interest in what we might do as a group.  There were also discussions underway with UNICEF about reviving the history project and access to the archives and to the intranet.   All these led to a demand for more frequent communications.  

Nowadays several purposes come to my mind. The need for:

* a regular medium of communication through which our XUNICEF / UNICEF family can stay in touch

* a platform on which members can share information, news, and opinions they want to bring to the attention of others concerning UNICEF or the welfare of children

*  a means of connecting staff who are approaching retirement with those who have already retired, 

* a means of connecting former staff with others in the countries in which they live

I am sure others can suggest more.  This exercise can be healthy in helping us become more clear about our objectives.

[Murzi, Ezio Gianni]

I tend to agree with Detlef, "I do  not easily find people around me (relatives exempted) who share my thinking", as this is a common feature for many of us who spent considerable number of years outside our won country. But I find that we still do not find an egalitarian  platform to engage.  The email chains are somewhat terrifying, while we still have engrained in our thinking the hierarchy of the past, meaning that when a Deputy to exdir talks  or writes his or her authority of the past may still be flet and and some of us may tend not to engage. 

Mostly, the purpose of the blog is to share news among ourselves, and connect us. following one fo the email chains, I managed to reconnect with Muthuswami after soo many years.  No doubt that the blog and email list serve  the purpose to keep us connected--we shared so much in the past that we are happy to receive words acknowledging the times spent to work  together for a purpose. 

The forum platform may be a good thing to further explore as it may be more democratic.

[Sree Gururaja]

I tend to agree with both Detlef and Gianni and for now this is reason enough to engage the interested, like-minded members. Also it could refresh, re-energise the network to reflect and reminisce on the past, present and the future- recommend that we give it a try

query: 1) Can we have discussion concurrently on multiple topics? this would widen the participation .

2) We may need to clarify that this forum is separate from the clusters (2-3 are active) and  open to all , including members in the clusters. 

and that while we may disagree , we do so with decorum and  malice towards none.

finally learnt how to converse  on a google group, thanks to Detlef

[DOREEN LOBO]

Agree with comments made by my co-editors for establishing this forum. I think multiple topics can be concurrently discussed as long as properly labeled? Forum could also be used to ask questions related to retiree benefits, etc. 

Detlef, Thanks for initiating this again. Doreen

[DOREEN LOBO]

Agree with comments of co-editors.  This could also be a forum to ask advice or questions related to retiree benefits, etc. Detlef, thanks for re-initiating this discussion platform. Doreen