Having spent most of my professional career in civil society (both local and international), my knowledge and expertise about international relations still left room for improvement in terms of etiquettes and experience. Further, Malawi, like many other developing countries, does not have academies to prepare its diplomats before deployment. The programme was therefore a huge opportunity for me to have practical orientation in the field.

We had a great list of speakers who spoke on various topics, including climate change, immigration, peace and security, smart technology and Germany’s feminist policies. For me it was profoundly inspiring to learn that despite not being relatively one of the major polluters, Germany’s commitment towards zero emission remains strong and the country has already made significant strides towards its 2030 targets. I find this inspiring because it concretises the moral call for every country to play its role in protecting a common good.
Further, as an advocate of common pool financing in dealing with global challenges, the excursion to the EU in Brussels confirmed for me that a lot can be achieved when nations come together to counter any phenomenon that threatens our existence, such as climate change, geopolitical polarisation and democracy erosion. The African Union is currently working hard to bolster ties between and among member states to accelerate the much-needed Pan African Free Trade Area agenda and regional peace. This was an eye opener for me as well as an opportunity to draw some best practices in our quest for a prosperous Africa. At the same time, hearing from cohort members from ASIAN, South America and other regions was highly rewarding.

The visit to NATO in Brussels provided clarity for me on the narrative around NATO enlargement. Thanks to the interaction with the permanent representation of Germany to NATO, it became clear that countries apply for membership and not the other way round. We also learnt that NATO does not only focus on military but also on other cross-cutting thematic areas such as education and gender, where it partners with non-member states. This clarity changed my opinion about NATO and made me think of other areas where my country would also benefit from interacting with the organisation.

Finally, being the only African participant, I was a little nervous at the start when I looked at the list of participants and the different countries and regions they came from. However, thanks to the great programme team led by Ambassador Mr Michael Zenner and supported by Ms Aurelia Pfaffmann, Ms Johanna Stibbe and Ms Lisa Kocher, these concerns vanished the very first night at the welcoming reception. I easily interacted with my cohort members as if we had been together before. I learnt a lot from the programme and feel more confident now in my role. The IPD14 did not only help participants understand Germany more but also created space for the much-needed networking and cross learning. I know there are a lot of diplomats out there who would significantly benefit from this programme if they had the chance.

Happy Mhango