The Evolving Dynamics of International Relations

It used to be widely said that the interdependent bilateral relationship, developed particularly by the private sector's trade and investment, together with the cooperation of government and non-government sectors through overseas development assistance (ODA), could considerably help maintain peace and security between the countries involved. This ethical doctrine-based belief was one of the strongest pillars of my job commitment. Unfortunately, from recent observations of the unsettled state of the world, it cannot always be applicable. I cannot help but regard it as the most challenging issue for ODA cooperation, at least in the first half of the 21st century.

Popular posts from this blog

Rediscovering Purpose in Retirement

Image
  The other day, I received a message from one of my social media friends saying, “I have just retired, and to be honest, I do sometimes feel a lack of purpose.” Immediately after reading these words, I felt sympathy for his despondent mood because I have been through a period of experiencing a sort of burnout syndrome, even though I eventually found relief from heavy work stress. During that time, I learned from another social media friend that it is very helpful to ask oneself three questions to create a bucket list for post-retirement life. These questions are as follows: 1.     What have you enjoyed doing the most? 2.     What have you been doing that made you shine the brightest? 3.     What things have you left behind so far? Surely, asking these three questions worked effectively and enabled me to discover new reasons for living in the rest of my life.
Read more

The Power of Mind Mapping

Image
When I used to receive an oral briefing on something unfamiliar or entirely new from someone, I made it a habit to create my own-style mind map instead of simply taking traditional verbal notes. This allowed me to quickly grasp the overall concept. To be honest, it took me several years to develop the skill of creating practical mind maps through hands-on work experience. However, once I acquired this skill, it significantly improved my abilities in explanatory presentations, fact gathering, problem-solving, and strategic project planning and execution. This is because visual representations, such as diagrams, matrices and graphs, provide strong reinforcement for verbal and numerical information.
Read more

The Wisdom of Japanese Proverbs: Leading by Example in Parenting and the Workplace:

Image
There is a Japanese quote, “Ko wa oya no senaka wo mite sodatsu,” which can be literally translated into English as “Children grow as they look at the back of their parents.” This suggests that parents should lead by example, both in their words and actions, when raising their children at home. In this context, reflecting on my experiences at work from the perspective of my personal growth, I believe I have learned much more from observing my bosses' actions and attitudes than from their verbal advice. Returning to the Japanese quote, from my own interpretation, the reason it uses “the back of their parents” rather than simply “their parents” is to emphasize the importance of actions over words. In this sense, I am now pondering whether I can serve as a good role model to my younger colleagues by setting an example through my own actions.
Read more