Diplomat
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Syria at Work
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Diplomats are people who work in the shadows, the people always behind the politicians. To get a whole picture about the good and bad sides of the job, we are talking to a diplomat of Foreign Affairs in Damascus. I’ve been working since the year 2000. In the beginning, I studied at and graduated from the diplomatic academy in my country, and after that I started to work as a third secretary. I did have a job before that. After I graduated from law school, I worked as deputy military prosecutor for two years, and then I joined the foreign service. I’ve been working in Syria since December last year. Before I came to Syria I had been working in Iraq from 2002 to 2006. The job of the diplomat is a complex one. It is divided into three main parts: multilateral diplomacy, bilateral diplomacy, and consular area of work. Within the first two, the work is generally portioned into three parts: political, economic, and legal parts. Consular duties address all kinds of legal and status issues for domestic and foreign citizens. Beside this, the job of the diplomat is to represent one’s country and to protects its interests, but always with the idea of promoting peace and boosting friendly relations among countries and nations. There is no routine in the working day of the diplomat. Usually, I love to meet different people and discuss different topics, go to diplomatic dinners and receptions, watching the news, and so forth. For me, the biggest advantage is the fact that I’m paid live in a foreign country and to learn about the country and its people as much as possible. The disadvantages are many, for example one of them is not having enough time for family and friends. It is a difficult profession and it is understandable that the family suffers up to a certain point, mainly because I don’t have enough time to spend with them, especially with my son. He’s almost two years old. But on the other hand, they have a rare opportunity to live in different countries and cultures that will enable them to see the world in all its varieties and to understand it better. It’s hard to say that there is something like a proper reward for this kind of job, because we are mostly behind the scenes. Ordinary people hear about us only when we make some mistakes. It is very hard to measure who is ‘good’ and who is ‘not that good’ a diplomat. We might say that our best reward is when we do not make mistakes. Would I choose the same career over again? I have asked myself this question and the answer is no. I like the dynamism that comes along with this job and my life would not be complete without it. I wouldn’t say that this job is something special and that diplomats are special people, but from my personal point of view, being a diplomat is a kind of job that suits me the most. - Sladjana M. |
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