Our first appointment this morning was with a guy named Steven, a colleague of Kwame, who is a member of the planning group for Ghana’s new Youth Parliament. Kwame and I had been discussing possibilities for a Ghanaian delegation to visit this year’s annual meeting of the UK Youth Parliament, known as the Sitting, which is taking place in July – and this was the man who could help make it happen. The previous day Steven had met a government minister and asked about funding for the programme; the answer was positive. That is very good news. Now we can start making preparations for the trip, but things will have to move quickly because there is limited time.

Next on our agenda was a meeting of civil society leaders in Ghana, which Kwame had been invited to attend. Representatives from many NGOs gathered to organise campaigning ideas for the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); one item up for discussion was the creation of a new Youth Platform in the structure of the group. There are already platforms for MDG issues, e.g. Health and Education, but the young people present made a very strong case to have a separate category even though youth is a cross-cutting issue. Lively debate took place and the rest of the committee eventually accepted the proposal, after my friend Emmanuel had made a great speech to convince them. And I got the whole thing on camera as well – could make interesting content for the documentary.

So I guess you could that was the second victory for Ghana’s young people in the space of two days. The next big question was: could the national football team match these historic achievements and overcome Brazil in the World Cup second round? The chair of the civil society meeting hurried it along, trying to get everything covered in time for kickoff. He did a good job and we were out with a couple of hours to spare.

Palpable tension gripped the afternoon air. Accra an atmosphere of great expectancy and nervousness. The streets suddenly became littered with every kind of football merchandise imaginable: items ranged from shirts to lanyards to hats and wristbands. Nearly everyone had purchased something like this – I saw few people not displaying some kind of national icon in support of the Black Stars. Flags were everywhere. Many drivers had decked out their vehicles and others chose to make improvised bandanas or capes.

The match began in a brisk manner. Ghana’s coach had obviously outlined the need to get at Brazil early on and not let the defending champions reach their stride. Then, suddenly, we were hit by a mini disaster: another power cut at Kwame’s place, in the middle of a promising Ghanaian attack. We rushed outside to see if anyone else was watching nearby, but no luck. If we’d been in central Accra it would have been easy, but this was the outskirts. Then, abruptly, we heard a great uproar from a bit further away – had Ghana taken the lead? Kwame ran off to try and find out, shouting questions to the sky and hoping for a positive response. Another minute passed and electricity returned to the house. The TV set flickered once, twice and the match was back on screen. The score: 1-0 to Brazil. Disappointment.

The Black Stars went on to dominate the rest of the first half and much of the second. The team was playing out of this world to keep Brazil at bay and make opportunities for an equaliser. But as the strikers missed chance after chance I felt a distinct sense of impending doom to the possibilities of a Ghana comeback.

This proved to be painfully correct. A combination of outrageous good luck and clinical finishing gave Brazil a final score of 3-0; this result was massively unreflective of the way the game was played. Ghana had superior possession (a stat people could not stop mentioning afterwards) and created more openings to score than the opposition. The key difference between the two sides was that Brazil took their chances and the Black Stars did not.

Many Ghanaians (and indeed others) argue that another main factor in the loss was the referee. It’s true the officiating at this World Cup has been of a horrendous standard, with referees showing blatant bias towards the big teams. Questions marks were also raised about FIFA’s decision to put a Slovakian in charge of this particular clash, after Ghana had previously defeated the Czech Republic. This country and Slovakia used to be the same nation – Czechoslovakia – and the languages, people and cultures are virtually identical. It is also known that, after the match, the ref was seen pleading with Brazilian players for a souvenir shirt. Is that the world football governing body’s idea of being impartial?

All of that said and done, the people of Ghana are still immensely proud of their team’s performance. Africa and African football will gain a lot from the Black Stars’ brave displays. In Accra a few hardcore fanatics were even still celebrating, although somewhat mutedly. I just hope that, for once, people will remember the match itself – not just the result. So many other heroic efforts have been lost in the archives because they ultimately came to nothing and it would be sad to see that happen again in this instance.

OK, here's to another richly clichéd title for a blog entry... But it really is a case of returning to normality after that frenzied stay across the pond. I think I've gotten over most of the withdrawal symptoms from NY, which had started to feel like home, by this stage - but of course everything's on a much smaller scale when I go out.

One thing I instantly noticed about my local area, as I travelled down the highstreet on the bus to meet a few friends and catch up, was how many shops have changed. I clocked at least ten new arrivals before losing count - in the space of just over a month this is quite incredible. Why there's such a huge turnover of property is a mystery to me. The depressing fact is that nearly every time something closes down, it's a coffeehouse which takes over. Starbucks is everywhere you look; I'm starting to resent the familiar green, white and black of its corporate logo.

In some ways it's good to be back. On Wednesday I had an enjoyable photography assignment in Cambridge, one of Britain's most attractive cities. We had perfect weather for taking pictures and I used the opportunity to visit one of my friends from school who's studying medicine at the prestigious university. It was great fun meeting new people in the bar that evening and made me look forward to when I go to uni even more. That's not for another eleven months, although I'm pretty sure the time will fly along. I was going to visit Oxford this week as well for the same purpose, but unfortunately that was cancelled.

Reach for the dust goggles!

During the time I was away, I forgot about what a terrible state my bedroom had been left in. Clothes and papers were everywhere, it was impossible to see the floor through a sea of wires, garments and random documents and the desk was unusable. So I've spent pretty much the last two days tidying up and banishing much of the accumulated detritis and it's much nicer now. I can't remember last time such a major operation has taken place and I'm going to try and keep things clean from now on.

Working my way through the room, it was really interesting to find lots of items which brought back particular memories. A letter from one of my old music teachers, pieces of work from primary school days and birthday cards from several years ago all turned up as well as pieces of paper with other things I'd drawn or written a while back. It was slightly worrying to see that at an early age I was thinking of ways to slyly plagiarise George Lucas and his multi-million dollar Star Wars concept!

DIY Disaster!

Another thing left for weeks during my absence was the fitting of a bathroom cupboard. Apart from a few minor mistakes and a hideously innacurate instruction booklet, it was easy enough to assemble. The real problem came when trying to attach it to the wall: we discovered an unexpected layer of solid brick blocking the way. The cupboard is still on the floor and holes all over the wall; I think hired help may have to be called in...

Ghana in need

Recently I've been in touch with young people in Ghana about helping out on a project being run by the Global Youth Action Network and the Student World Assembly. It's called Save the Rural Dweller and is designed to help achieve MDG number eight: a global partnership for development, among other things. I've pledged to try and help recruit volunteers who will go out there and particpate in the project, as well as advise on the creation of a Ghanaian youth parliament - very exciting! People have done lots of hard work to get the ball rolling and they deserve results, so if anyone's interested please drop me a line!

Here are some extracts from the project document:

Every day at the various entry points to Accra, the capital, and some of the other major cities in Ghana there is an influx of youth trooping in from the towns and villages in search of jobs. Some engage in prostitution and have been victims of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and other hazardous diseases. Many others resort to armed robbery and other social malpractices to make ends meet.

Demographic studies show that some of these children, who engage in “kayayo” by carrying heavy loads for a meager charge or selling on the streets and roadsides, are surprisingly as young as 10 years old.

Information on the Upper Denkyira District:

The area falls under a forest – dissected plateau rising to about 250m above sea level. There are pockets of steep-sided hills alternating with flat bottom sided
valleys. The district also falls within the semi-equatorial zone, with a mean temperature of 29 degrees Celsius in the hottest months and 24 degrees in the coolest. The district has 2 rainfall regimes.

According to 2000 population and housing Census, the district has a population of 108444 - now projected to be 122,537 (2004), with a 3.1% annual growth rate. The district is made up of 53749 males and 54695 females (i.e. 98.3 males to 100 females). Of these 82,229 live in the rural area. Dunkwa-On-Offin is the District
capital with a population of 26,215.

Based on the 2000 population and housing census, of 108,444 people in the district, 45,546 (42%) were found to be living below the poverty line. This is higher than the national average of 39.5%. 15.182 (14%) people fall within the 'Hard Core Poverty' category. This situation calls for urgent intervention in the area of poverty reduction, taking cognizance of the fact that the current thrust of the government development policy
is reducing the level of poverty.

So, now you've read about it. Please get in touch if you'd like to help out.

Scandal!

Last week a new book was published, written by the UK's former Ambassador to Washington. Sir Christopher Meyer reportedly reveals a lot in his warts-and-all account, ridiculing government ministers and the way they acted in dealings with the White House - particularly concerning Iraq. Several cabinet members, including the Foreign Secretary, are described as "pygmies" and an amusing episode in the bedroom of former Prime Minister John Major is also narrated. Here are a couple of extracts from a serialisation in The Guardian:

Hindsight usually follows failure. As I write, things looked bad in Iraq. At regular intervals over the last two years I have asked the same question of former colleagues in the British and American governments: in Iraq, is the glass half-empty or is it half-full? With one exception the answer has been "half-full". The exception was a trusted American friend and government official, who, after paying a recent visit to Iraq, returned to tell the White House: "We're f**ked."

Iraq ran like a toxic stream through my time in Washington. When I arrived in 1997, Saddam was already playing cat and mouse with the first generation of UN weapons inspectors. It was hugely embarrassing to President Bush, and more so to Tony Blair, because he had rested his case for war exclusively on the Iraqi leader's failure to disarm.

I had a handful of especially important contacts in the higher echelons of the US administration - people at the heart of planning for the Iraq campaign. I was told things that were highly sensitive. Absolute trust was the indispensable ingredient in our relationship. After each conversation, one of them would always say: "Don't get me burned." Sensitive information was not given to me because my friends liked the colour of my eyes. I had to give something in return.

*Taken from Guardian Unlimited Special Report.

Looks like an interesting read! One of the biggest questions being asked is exactly why the government allowed this book to be published. Relatively recently, the Foreign Office notoriously blocked the memoirs of Sir Jeremy Greenstock, the UK's last ambassador to the UN, because of the sensitive nature of content. Meyer's book, entitled DC Confidential (sounds like one of those crime drama TV programmes) was sent to the FCO and returned with "no comment". So is it really as sensationally controversial as everyone thinks?

Preparations...

Can't wait for my next trip, set to begin at the end of this month. First of all is the youth summit in Lithuania, then a couple of nights in Prague, the youth delegates' evaluation meeting in Geneva, visiting my aunt and uncle in Basel, down to Campobasso in Italy for the OBESSU students' conference and finally up to Trieste via Rome, Florence and Venice to visit a friend there. It's going to be 25 nights away in total - I'll return on December 24 in time for Christmas - and my arrangements are incredibly complicated! Lots of train tickets still need to be booked, but the whole thing is going to be an awesome experience. I'm really lucky to get these opportunities for more travel - I had thought there wouldn't be any more after the stay in New York.

The final day of a weird and wonderful wonderful week. What can I say? To be perfectly honest, it was a bit anti-climactic after the hectic previous days. I didn't even spend very long at the UN - had to pack everything up in the hotel and check out first.

Once that was all done I went to one of the final side events with Keeley, which was surprisingly well-attended considering the timing. It was hosted by the European Youth Forum and TakingITGlobal, an interesting combination, and went pretty well. Presentations about both organisations were followed by a short discussion in which people reflected on the week. A Secretariat employee from the Youth Programme summed everything up.

It really has been unbelievable. I never thought it would be so busy, but that was part of the experience. I've hardly had any time to myself at all. People did warn me, but it's impossible to predict anyway because you never really know until it happens.

All the people I've met are absolutely fantastic. I still struggle to comprehend that within the UN there are 191 countries and representatives from each. Hearing global perspectives from other youth delegates was one of the best things about the week.

I've learnt a great deal about how the institution functions and it's a lot more complicated than I ever thought. For example, when I'd read resolutions or other documents before I never realised how much negotiation and deliberation it takes to get things agreed. You just see it on the page and it's impossible to tell, but people have worked for hours and hours to make it happen.

The youth resolution was looking decent last time I saw. Most others I've discussed it with have said positive things and that's a good sign. Unfortunately I didn't manage to organise things for the paragraph I wanted on youth-led development, it just went too fast and a few major circumstances were beyond my control. But there's still some strong text in there on that subject, so I'm not too worried really.

I think the youth delegates achieved good things as a group. Managing to get photo opportunities with Kofi Annan and Jan Eliasson shows we were on the radar and people knew what we were doing. Statements made by youth reps were all of a very high standard as well; although I didn't see them all I'm reliably informed everyone was great!

It's sad that many of us have left now. Keeley and Kristofer went tonight but I'm sticking around for another week to try and get the film organised. I didn't manage to sort out my NGO pass today so will have to do so on Monday. There's always something interesting happening at the UN so it will be good to stay and witness some of the 'normal' non-youth business.

October 6 was always going to be a big day. The General Assembly Plenary took place and there was a massive list of speakers! It was good to see many youth reps take the podium. Structurally speaking, the meeting consisted of two three-hour sections with two hours' break in between.

During this break we had another good photo opportunity - with Jan Eliasson, President of the GA. He was a very friendly, energetic man and spoke with many of the us after the pictures were taken.

Since there are three youth delegates from the UK, we decided to split the time between us. I had the first hour of both parts and saw some good speeches. Unfortunately I also missed quite a few, but I had to go downtown on the subway to collect a video camera for filming next week.

Although many youth delegates have now gone home, a few will still be here and I want to try and do some interviews about their experiences this week. It's a shame I couldn't get the equipment before but there's just been no time!

Apart from these things, nothing much really happened. The Plenary took up a lot of time, but this wasn't as busy as the previous days. Some youth delegates were on their way out and it was sad to say goodbye. In the evening there was another gathering with people from NGOs and that was good fun.

Wednesday was another early starter. A couple of youth delegates had been rushing around all the previous day trying to arrange a meeting with Kofi Annan and the result was a hope that he might show up at a side event at nine. Unfortunately, this didn't happen and we were in the Vienna Café with little to do and quite disappointed.

However, the Secretary General did give us a very brief photo opportunity a bit later. We assembled in the delegates' lounge a good half hour before he actually showed up and we were standing around for a while after being ‘arranged’ for the photographer. Mr Annan came and went very quickly, but it was all we could really expect since he was apparently scheduled to depart for Switzerland later that day. And there's still hope that we could have a proper meeting when he gets back, although many youth delegates will have since left NYC.

I sat in the Third Committee for about an hour after this, before leaving to make my final preparations for another side event I’d been invited to speak at. Entitled ‘Youth-led Development: Linking the MDGs to the WPAY’, this event was organised by the Global Youth Action Network, Peace Child International and a few other NGOs. My role was to deliver a speech on youth employment and then sit on a panel to answer questions from the floor. This is a tricky job because quick thinking is required in response to people’s points and I haven’t got that much experience of this kind of situation.

It went well, with quite a few people showing up; we were happy because there was another side event taking place at the same time being organised by the Swedish Mission on the subject of its national youth policies. That event also had a special guest: Jan Eliasson, President of the General Assembly – so to be ‘competing’ against this and still have a full room was a good achievement.

Side events ended at 2.45 and next up was the interactive round-table session on ‘Making Commitments Matter’. Everyone was allowed to speak and the meeting was designed to produce recommendations for action and implementation of the WPAY. What I enjoyed most was the fact that NGO representatives had the chance to voice their opinions; a great number were present, all with different ideas and experiences. They’re not allowed to talk in formal meetings so this was a real opportunity.

The three-hour session was split up equally between the three WPAY clusters, with a different chair for each part. Participation was the dominant topic and took up most of the discussion, overlapping into other sections of what was supposed to be a structured discussion. That can be the disadvantage of open sessions: people often stray away from the prescribed subject. Another problem was the tendency of people to speak for longer than the four minutes they were supposed to have.

Keeley and I presented the recommendations from our side event the day before and I was pleased to be able to share those with everybody. The next step is for the three of us to produce a formal outcome document which can hopefully be sent around to all the relevant UN departments.

In the evening there was yet another side event. Two people from MTV came in to talk about and screen a film they’d produced, featuring world poverty expert Dr. Jeffrey Sachs and Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie on the road in Kenya. They travelled around villages, farms and a hospital with no running water where one doctor looked after 300 people every day. I could really feel emotions stirring in the Dag Hammarskjold Auditorium and the show has been very popular on MTV already. Using popular media is a great way to reach young people, raise awareness about global dilemmas and hopefully get them involved in making a difference.

After the film there was a rousing discussion and the producers answered questions from the audience. Following this, a few of the youth delegates went to a bar and discussed the day’s happenings. It was one of the busiest yet for me, but also very productive and enjoyable at the same time.