3 April 2007 (22:29)
Dear Family and Friends:
After 13.5 hours of traveling from Berlin to London to Dakar to Freetown… the 7-minute helicopter ride from the airport to downtown was refreshingly brief and particularly exciting. As I rode at the front of a Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter loaded to the gunwales with 40 people and more than 100 bags of luggage, I knew I was not in Berlin anymore. I had arrived in Sierra Leone to initiate my long-term election observation mission for the next 4-5 months. I was safe and sound and ready to start the next chapter of my international career.
My first day in Freetown was spent in briefing sessions with the rest of the LTO team. We covered introductions, mission methodology, political history, lunch, technical election issues, and constitutional law overview. The term “information overload” was operative; however, I absorbed as much data as possible and asked appropriate questions. The NDI core team is well-prepared and well-versed on the issues. Our briefing materials are extensive and the local staff well-informed. By the end of the day, my excitement level for the mission was even higher then I before my arrival. This mission has the potential to be a life-growing and career-developing experience. How effective our contribution to the electoral process will be to the civil society is yet to be determined but the possibilities are as rich as they are challenging.
The other LTO team members are all experienced election experts from the US, European Union, and Africa. The group is split 50/50 between Western and African observers. The team consists of a San Franciscan (me), Serbian, Zimbabwean, Slovakian, Ugandan, and Senegalese. Two more members, another American and African, are expected in May. The international group makes for interesting dynamics. I dont know who my team partner will be yet or the region we will be assigned but I should find out tomorrow. There is a chance I will be directed to the Kono or diamond mining area. Nick, the Country Director, has taken a liking to me and mentioned the possibility. All regional areas will be challenging but this one has an added level of difficulty due to the economic issues. When understanding politics in any setting, one has to follow the money trail, and most roads in Sierra Leone lead to Kono!
On a personal note, I feel I am making a good impression, asking intelligent questions, and raising relevant issues. I am quickly building contacts, meeting several people on the long plane ride and reaching out to local contacts through mutual friends. A large part of the mission is building relationships with the national stakeholders within the country. These include, government and election officials, military and police, political parties, civil society organizations, and other groups who have a stake in the electoral processes. If there is anything I excel at, establishing and maintaining networks is one of them. I plan to make this network as deep and wide as possible.
In general, I feel good being here and optimistic the mission will be successful. This is only the first day, of course, and I am sure the shine will wear off after a few weeks up country, but at this point, I look forward to developing programs and implementing projects related to democratic practices.
I send warm wishes to all my family and friends and will be in touch again before I deploy to the countryside on Monday. We have several days of briefing and orientation meetings planned before a few days off for the Easter weekend. There is a trip scheduled to the Tacgugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary for Friday (http://www.tacugama.com) and then an excursion to the beach planned for Saturday. Nick believes that if we work hard, we should play hard too!!! My kind of manager!!! =D
Best wishes from Freetown, Robert.
P.S. I am providing my updated contact information below in case anyone needs to reach me for any reason by mobile phone, text messaging, or even regular postal service.