JPO Stories
Walid Badawi:
From Dutch-funded Egyptian JPO in Indonesia to UNDP Deputy Resident Representative for Programme of the Iraq-country office based in Jordan
Walid Badawi was a Dutch-funded Egyptian JPO with UNDP in Indonesia (1993-1995). He is now UNDP Deputy Resident Representative for Programme of the Iraq-country office based in Jordan.
Published in UNDP Bulletin, March 2007.
Vitals:
I was born in Cairo, Egypt in 1969. My father was a diplomat, so I grew up all over the place, but I spent a lot of time in New York. I also lived in Portugal, London and Egypt. My wife Laila and I have two boys. Tarek is four, and Taymour is one.
Current post:
Deputy Resident Representative (Programme), UNDP Iraq-country office based in Jordan
Previous post:
Deputy Director (Programme for Assistance to the Palestinian People), Senior Policy Advisor to the Director (Regional Bureau for Arab States) and Regional Programme Advisor for HIV/AIDS, UNDP Headquarters
His story:
I am a third generation "UNer." My grandfather headed the Egyptian delegation to the San Francisco Conference in 1945 when the UN was created. In fact, he was one of the 50 original signatories to the UN Charter, as Egypt's foreign minister. He then went on to become a judge at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. My dad served with the UN also, but with the Egyptian Government. He retired as Egypt's Ambassador to the United Nations in 1990. So in a manner of speech, I was breastfed the UN. For me to work my way into the UN was a family obligation and commitment.
I started out as a UN tour guide working for the Department of Public Information for two years before getting my master's degree from Thunderbird in Arizona. Then I worked with UNDP in Indonesia for six and a half years. I was a Dutch- funded JPO for the first two years, and after that I was on all sorts of contracts, including SSAs, ALDs and Service contracts. In 1999, I moved to Egypt and became a national officer with UNDP, before moving to New York to join the Regional Bureau for Arab States.
Crowning glory:
Mark Malloch Brown once called PAPP "one of UNDP's most impressive programmes anywhere," and I feel very fortunate to have been associated with such flagship initiatives that restore one's faith in the UN. In Indonesia, I was part of the core elections team and had the opportunity to train more than 2.7 million poll workers around the country. It was a remarkable undertaking that pulled the country together at a time when it was on the verge of collapse. I also feel proud to have been able to establish the HIV/AIDS programme in the Arab States, which has generated a massive social movement to break the silence.
Last great book read:
President Jimmy Carter's Peace, Not Apartheid. It's a brilliant reflection of the history of the conflict in the Middle East, coming from the man who was intimately involved in forging the Camp David Accord.
Behind the suit:
I used to be a professional squash player and it was a big part of my life. I played with the Egyptian and Indonesian national teams. Unfortunately, I don't play anymore because of back problems. And now all my energy is directed to my family. I am a very proud father. My wife and kids are wonderful and they are the biggest joy in my life.
Role Model:
My dad has been my guiding light throughout my career. His wisdom, intellect and humility have taught me a lot. He also taught me how to think analytically, how to make decisions and not be judgmental. Most importantly, he taught me to respect myself and others.
There are many frustrations as people make their way into the UN. When I was in Indonesia, I had about 20 short-term contracts for more than four years. Each time when my contract was renewed for a two-, three- or four-week duration, I did not know whether it would be renewed afterwards. This can be very unsettling. But this is part of the package. We all go through it at some point. If you subscribe to the fundamentals of this organization, it is important that you do not give up.
Why it's all worth it:
There is no greater satisfaction than going to bed at night knowing that you have tried to make the world a better place. You have a clear conscience. The biggest perk of working for UNDP is the people you meet and work with -- they come from all over the world and they are passionate and committed.
