Blessed Frustration
by Wivina Belmonte on September 17, 2008 in Features
Public service is an exercise in blessed frustration.
It lies in the gap between change taking root and the heartache of how much there is left to do.
It lies in the chasm between the power of possibility and the excruciatingly slow pace with which change takes place.
It is motivated by the will to make a difference, even if change is unpopular.
The passion for public service is rooted in the belief that we have a duty to make the world a better place. It matters because the purpose with which we pursue that passion can, at time, lead to flashes of brilliance.
In 1985, Nils Theden of Sweden floated an outrageous idea. He proposed to UNICEF that, during times of conflict, children of war needed special protection. Convinced by Theden’s idea, UNICEF successfully negotiated three “days of tranquility” during El Salvador’s civil war. The three-day window allowed 250,000 children to be vaccinated against disease. Since then, days of tranquility have been negotiated with warring parties in Uganda, Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Sudan.
For each flash of brilliance, however, there are also lightning bolts of horror. Just over two weeks ago, Damien Gugliermina, a 34-year old French national, died in a plane crash in the Democratic Republic of Congo. I first met Damien in UNICEF’s Iraq country office in 2003. He was a good friend, and like many of us, he was driven by a single-minded purpose – to make the world a better place. Those who knew him mourn his loss, stand by in frustration, but nevertheless, continue to serve.
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