Moses from Somalia dropped me off in his cab at the hotel near our CFMS bi-annual general meeting in Edmonton. I had asked him where he was from and felt a bit funny doing that even though he was a recent immigrant. In our Canadian melting pot sometimes I feel inappropriate asking about a place of origin other than Canada. I point out this cab driver because he had such a distinct positive energy about him. He reminded me of my few friends and acquaintances from Eritrea and Ethiopia. Complicated histories. Incredibly warm hearts, maybe the warmest. He helped me to feel a bit warmer towards this weekend meeting.
I’ve been in the CFMS for three years now. As an organization it has been formative in my personality, my strengths and my weaknesses as a leader and global health learner. It has given me the space to persue some of my goals. I have created a community through the CFMS that is unbeatable in terms of inspiration and support.
But I feel a little out of the loop now. I have out-lived anyone in the CFMS at this point, I think. There have been almost two cycles through new people since I started. People I recruited and hired for our global health positions have since left before me. The second oldest would be a national officer who was hired almost a year after me.
It feels a little unceremonious and I’m not sure what to make of this meeting. Because of my work at the CFMS I’ve become utterly confused about all things “global health”. I see a lot of fresh faces and inspiration around me; a lot of re-inventing the wheel. Institutional memory can only be carried for so long. I have no idea what the global health program was doing five years ago, for example.
Moses from Somalia dropped me off in his cab at the hotel near our CFMS bi-annual general meeting in Edmonton. I had asked him where he was from and felt a bit funny doing that even though he was a recent immigrant. In our Canadian melting pot sometimes I feel inappropriate asking about a place of origin other than Canada. I point out this cab driver because he had such a distinct positive energy about him. He reminded me of my few friends and acquaintances from Eritrea and Ethiopia. Complicated histories. Incredibly warm hearts, maybe the warmest. He helped me to feel a bit warmer towards this weekend meeting.
I’ve been in the CFMS for three years now. As an organization it has been formative in my personality, my strengths and my weaknesses as a leader and global health learner. It has given me the space to persue some of my goals. I have created a community through the CFMS that is unbeatable in terms of inspiration and support.
But I feel a little out of the loop now. I have out-lived anyone in the CFMS at this point, I think. There have been almost two cycles through new people since I started. People I recruited and hired for our global health positions have since left before me. The second oldest would be a national officer who was hired almost a year after me.
It feels a little unceremonious and I’m not sure what to make of this meeting. Because of my work at the CFMS I’ve become utterly confused about all things “global health”. I see a lot of fresh faces and inspiration around me; a lot of re-inventing the wheel. Institutional memory can only be carried for so long. I have no idea what the global health program was doing five years ago, for example.