Look at all the photographers. The reporters who bring you your news. Only when somebody is there to share will you hear their stories.
This week I was at a number of meetings. I do not feel like an adequate reporter. I was gratified to see a good report about the meeting I attended on Tuesday evening.*
Women in Nuclear IAEA on the occasion of the 66th IAEA – General Conference
This recording of the DG of the IAEA is a work of pride for me. I am not proud of the quality of the recording. I am not proud of the technical editing.
I am proud that I made the effort. I am proud that I decided to join WiN.
I joined WiN while I was working at the IAEA. Mr Grossi was the assistant to the DG Mr Amano at that time.
I was a database assistant in the Division of Nuclear Security. I was passionate about my work. I was passionate about cleaning up the duplicates in the contacts database. I saw the hundreds of entries for WNA.
Today I recorded the representative Sama Bilbao y León (Director General of World Nuclear Association) speaking together with DG Rafael Mariano Grossi and Dominique Mouillot (Women in Nuclear Global president).
The meeting was organized by WiN-IAEA and President Janet Donner spoke at the end.
Women in Nuclear
All the meetings I attended this week were in the genre of gender and promoting women. The whole issue of promoting women means including the men.
Women in Business
*Mag. Susanne Kraus-Winkler, MRICS the State Secretary for Tourism in Austria referred to her husband and said we can’t do anything without men.
Sama Bilbao y León urged us to look around and see who is here attending this meeting referring to the missing men.
US Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Bonnie Jenkins also mentioned a mentor who supported her in her early career as an intern in the White House.
So even though I’m not on my way to the White House, the presidency of Women in Nuclear, nor a political role in Austria, I’ve been contributing to Women’s Federation for World Peace activities since it’s inauguration in Austria in 1992, and recognize we can always do something.
You may wonder why the camera was jumping all over the place as I recorded the video. I arrived early and managed to secure a chair from the stand next to the WiN stand. The kind gentleman who appears with me towards the end of the video kindly place the chair next to the WiN stand. Unfortunately, I was then blocked by a couple of people standing in front of me despite my early “front row seat”. So I just got out my “handy-stick”, and held it above my head and those in front of me.
Life-long Learning
That could be my excuse. It’s a good reason to just give up. It’s another reason to just forget it.
However, I’m in the process of improving, of learning by doing. So, in exposing my inadequacies I am creating accountability and getting even better. I’m a work in progress and I motivate others to get out of their comfort zone. Just do it. Then talk about it.
Janet Donner refers to the next event I attend next day. #IAEAGC66 @WIN_IAEA @IAEAorg
https://youtu.be/cBtkNYG6ItM