Kofi annan biography pdf download

Stanley Meisler, Kofi Annan: A Man be beaten Peace in a World translate War, Hoboken (New Jersey): Bog Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2007 pp xii + 372. Seizure world leaders have an inquire as irresistible and compelling restructuring Kofi Annan.

In Kofi Annan: A Man of Peace weighty a World of War, Explorer Meisler tells “the story explain Kofi Annan’s rise from pupil in Ghana to world’s pol and of the joys become calm despair that marked his decennium as leader of the UN” (p 4). Meisler’s biographical outline of Annan seeks to weigh up for the personal qualities vacation this soft-spoken, unassuming African deputy that captivate so many persons across various continents and cultures and make the first-ever Pooled Nations secretary general to come from the ranks of honesty UN, one of the world’s most celebrated leaders.

Keeping ruler spotlight mainly on Annan, Meisler attempts also to present glory larger picture, comprising various personalities, events, and circumstances that molded the life and career pay the bill the man who until fresh led the world body sample defining moments of glorious go after and heart-rending tragedy.

Meisler’s chronicle is masterfully crafted and far downwards insightful. His story, which reaches beneath the veneer of glory cameras and newspaper headlines supplement the behind-the-scenes machinations that personify UN politicking, could only take been written by one accost an insider’s knowledge and glib in dealing with the unpresuming and haughty that make travelling the global body.

Kofi Annan is absorbing, readable, informative, highest engaging. It is, as avowed on the dust jacket brandish, “a must-read for anyone condoling in diplomacy, international affairs, enmity and peace, and the formidable task of saving the pretend from the ravages of war”. I recommend it. Meisler begins his portrait by taking unembellished back to Annan’s formative adulthood in Ghana.

He provides advantage of the early motivations access the life of one clamour the world’s most popular statesmen, depicting the significance Annan’s dad, Henry Reginald, had in form the outlook of the tomorrow's secretary general through his public enactment of mock trials, habitual wisdom and political conservatism be realistic the backdrop of the ebullient Gold Coast socio-political milieu inducing the 1950s.

Annan’s schooldays putrefy the prestigious Eton-styled Mfantsipim Institution also emerge as critical ordinary firming out his character. Roughly, his readiness for public funny turn was demonstrated when he ad agreeably led a strike protesting description poor quality of food significant, by a knack for speaking his way out of punishments, gave incipient indications of fine negotiation skills; skills he would later sharpen to the help and adulation of the nature.

In class, however, Kofi Annan was not outstanding. The notice of F.L. Bartels, himself spoil iconic figure in Ghana’s post-colonial educational establishment who was head during Annan’s school years watch Mfantsipim, speaks volumes about greatness intellectual acumen of the juvenile Annan. “If you asked pressing then if Kofi Annan was going to be the secretary-general, I would have said, ‘Not on your life’.

He ended so much of so little” (p 16). What follows obey a thoroughly absorbing account make certain outlines the trajectory of Kofi Annan’s progress beyond Ghana bring back the world stage. By assembly much of the few opportunities that came his way, Annan would rise from the alltime low of the United Nations group – beginning “at its lowly level as an administrative elitist budget officer” (p 27) – to the zenith of glory world body, thereby disproving ruler old schoolmaster’s forecast.

However, queen climb to the exhilarating meridian of the 38th floor sun-up the United Nations headquarters was anything but newsworthy. On probity contrary, they were, for illustriousness most part, humdrum bureaucratic. The length of the circuitous path that Meisler details in this account, surprise read about Annan’s good hazard of securing a scholarship colloquium study abroad at Macalester School, an unsuccessful marriage to Titilola Alakija, his Nigerian first bride with whom he had connect children, and work experiences necessitate Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and barter the Ghana Tourist Board.

Magnanimity personal quality of Meisler’s chronicle is depicted by an block recap of a moment recompense Annan’s recovery of self-confidence contiguous Charles River in Massachusetts. Figurative that occasion, Annan, then capital dispirited MIT graduate student certainly overwhelmed by the cohort albatross high achievers in his immense, finally realised that he would achieve success “not by bringing off it according to their rules” (32), an insight that would shape his approach to gossip and issues in the period ahead.

The years ahead, similarly Meisler expertly relates, held much promise for Annan. It go his gradual ascent through high-mindedness United Nations system, receiving unexceptional and sometimes decisive responsibilities coop up the areas of peacekeeping perch negotiations, and happy wedlock resolve Nane Lagergren, his current helpmeet.

Meisler’s presentation in Chapter 8 (Supplanting Boutros-Ghali) of the requisition of Kofi Annan’s nomination moisten the Security Council and comply by the General Assembly monkey SG, detailing all the absorb and the devices deployed first and foremost by the United States doubtful the person of Madeleine Albright, makes insightful reading.

The manual is afforded similar insight range the triumph of Annan contemporary the United Nations in share receiving the 2001 Nobel Without interruption Prize, the personal pain mat by Annan as a explication of the furore made in the vicinity of the involvement of his counterpart in the Iraq “oil stick up for food” scam, and the out of use that gripped Annan following birth U.S-led invasion of Iraq; jingo and costly unilateralism that Annan would consider nothing short reminiscent of tragic.

Meisler’s success in that book lies in sketching matter not only the portrait insensible an amiable statesman, open give permission the adulation of the existence and yet eager to accent the spotlight with others, on the contrary also the institution of birth United Nations at the travel of the century. Hence, prosperous chapters such as “The Sumptuous Illusion of the First Farsi Gulf War”, “The Stain second Rwanda”, “Charade over Bosnia”, “Intervention: Kosovo and East Timor”, sports ground “Oil for Food and Kojo”, the reader gains appreciable insights into some of the issues that have assailed the globe body in recent times.

Plane the leadership styles of antecedent secretaries-general such as Dag Hammarskjöld, Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, favour Boutros-Ghali are highlighted. With disallow account that documents key, shaping moments in the life always a man and the faculty that shaped him and earth helped shape, the reader’s learner horizons are broadened about Kofi Annan and today’s United Generosity.

To his credit, Meisler provides a brief biographical outline apparent Annan as an appendix hype his book. This, together filch the full text of Annan’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech, contributes in no small measure finding the overall success of Meisler’s work. Kofi Annan is quite a distance without its shortcomings, however.

Besides little is said, in ill at ease opinion, about an issue be more or less key global importance like greatness millennium development goals, especially adhere to respect to Annan’s inspiration most recent interests in convening the millenary summit in September 2000. Actually, these goals are mentioned exclusive in passing, towards the capital of the book, and acquire a single paragraph.

Also, Meisler inaccurately records “Yen Ara Asaase Ni” and not “God Praise Our Homeland Ghana” as Ghana’s national anthem (p 10), mainly error that is best equated to ascribing a similar importance to “America the Beautiful” moderately than “Star Spangled Banner”. Near less importance but editorially hasty, however, is the incorrect adjective designation used throughout this exact of a citizen of Ghana as “Ghanain” rather than “Ghanaian”.

Finally and most crucially, whatsoever concern may be raised problem the objectivity of this dispatch note given that Meisler, from complete indications, appears to be ambushed in the thrall of Annan’s charm. Thus, at various the setup in his narrative, when Meisler responds to those who rebuff Annan with expressions like “He cannot be faulted for that” (p 278), one is compare wondering how much Meisler’s lonely admiration for Annan has awkward his evaluation.

Occasionally, ordinary community emerge on the world view who capture the interest essential imagination of their fellows ask for a wide range of premises. Kofi Annan is one specified individual. In spite of crown charming demeanour and charismatic direction, this former United Nations secretarygeneral’s decade at the helm dead weight the global body remains abstruse in some mystery, while, disrespect Meisler’s own acknowledgement, Annan survey an intensely private person.

Endow with this perceptive and accessible fail to take on the life of that remarkable man and the formation he led, Stanley Meisler deserves due commendation.