This just in: It’s Christmas, again!

If feels like Christmas again, and I don’t mean the orthodox Christmas which is happening as I’m writing this, rites conducted by potbellied bearded people with a somewhat medieval edge, under the watchful but generous eyes of dignified visonary leaders:

It feels like Christmas because shortly after I expressed the wish that Global Warming (the up and coming gravy train in our business) be somehow linked to one of the areas where HRI has significant expertise, and a reader already sent me a link to the document that may very well be the base of our future strategy. It’s official – there is a clear and UN-endorsed link between HIV/ AIDS and Global Warming, which will make HRIs attempts to bag Global Warming money look less like spin and more like following the "modern paradigm". I can easily visualize our future applications to the Global Fund for Global Warming and HIV money. No wonder that USAID & UNFPA have been some of HRIs closest affiliates over the years.

Sure, you may say – this report has been issued a few months ago which means it is yesterday’s news (in fact it's so last decade, really). But I only found out about it today so let me enjoy another HRI Christmas right now. We are not that up to date here in Moroni you see, which is yet another argument in support of my proposal that HRI implement a proper dedicated VSAT system to improve the island’s bandwidth which would also allow all of us to spend more quality time in front of our computers reading and  then sharing groundbreaking UN reports on facebook, one of my and most Comoreans' favourite pastimes.

And while we speak about money, I think it’s about time we start building a feeling for China the Donor. The Chinese continue showing the money around Africa and I don’t know about you but it doesn't feel quite right that HRI & affiliates wouldn’t adjust their overhead around this reality if you know what I mean. I for one retain significant karaoke skills, acquired during my hardship HRI days in south east asia, and I could easily imagine myself making ground-breaking deals with this or the other Chinese delegation, on health, human rights - you name it, over beer-on-the-rocks and lobster. Plus, it was about time that we build the capacity of the chefs in Comores who will greatly benefit from learning chinese cooking skills - sustainable, poverty reducing stuff, i assure you.