Our Embassies Abroad Can Do Better

After reading, Diplomats Evicted over Unpaid Rentals (New Zimbabwe Online 05/28/12) many interesting questions have emerged, causing a friend of mine to sarcastically ask, "Vanomboiteiko ivava?" Implying, "But what do these Zimbabwean diplomats really do?" While foreign missions do not exist to feed, clothe, employ or create comfort and enhance life for their citizens abroad, the cynical question insinuates that these missions lack an immediate bearing or direct positive impact on the life-sustaining policies for ordinary citizens at and away from home. In light of limited publicity or restricted public relations, attention-grabbing news emerging from their operational quarters has mainly tilted on problems as compared to sustainable solutions.

To invoke empathy for their situation and circumstances, the starting point could be to explore the role, impact and relevance of our embassies abroad. That analysis could best be attainable through a cross section analysis of the supposed functions of ordinary foreign missions. Findings could summarize their objectives as including the following:

 - Serving as on the ground references for a country's policies and wellbeing abroad

 - Protecting troubled souls or those facing tragedies or misfortunes abroad

 - Assisting with travel documents for citizens or those wanting to visit their country

 - Marketing a country's tourism, culture and business potential abroad

 - Upholding, maintaining and defending a nation's interests and policies abroad

 - Providing notarial work or data verification and authentication services on behalf of citizens

 - Serving as references or testimonials on information updates or research about Zimbabwe

 - Maintaining a registry of their own citizens in a foreign country

 - Serving as points of refuge or contact in emergencies or disasters

 - Serving as sources of State reports and updated situations on Zimbabwe abroad

 - Providing a synopsis of the political, social and economic situation of their country

While the above tasks remain laudable and indispensable for a recognized statehood, from a layperson's perspective, an Embassy's role in a Zimbabwean citizen's life has been generally reduced to that of issuing or renewing expired passports, birth records or certificates and related confirmation of citizenship documents. Their other common role could be that of taking around visiting delegates to some of the best places to visit in town after business. Besides their daily schedules, the rest of the embassy staff's roles and functions (except for the guard, receptionist, cook and driver) seem theoretical since they generate devoid practical connection with ordinary citizens abroad, leaving their practical impact open for imagination.

In most situations, ambassador-initiated interaction with citizens has remained minimal. Mainly it has been the media that creates awareness where necessary through public events. Such media reports have assisted citizens to be familiar with the name of their country's current ambassador as seen on TV or read in the papers. Resultantly, the relations between the embassy and the citizenry have been marked by a divide or an unwarranted disconnect. Such a divide has mainly been pronounced among those citizens who reside in towns and cities that are hours away from the embassy buildings.

 Given the varying nature and circumstances that bring folks abroad, it is uncertain whether our embassies maintain official registries or statistics on their citizens abroad. Such uncertainty has cast doubt on the potential impact of "one voice-one platform" scenario where issues could be tabled and openly discussed to facilitate progress and development. For example, as part of the upcoming revised constitution, the foreign vote issue could be affected by such absence of confirmed records especially when it boils down to demarcation or classification of electoral zones.

In comparable situations of global performances in various fields like academia, research, sport, and entertainment, some ambassadors from other nations have been openly identified and associated with their citizens at press conferences and public events. The sense of trust and patriotism has been instilled through such developed partnerships. A country's flag has been flown, anthem sung, common experiences shared and many other aspects discussed as the embassy has been considered another home away from home. Such platforms of interaction have ushered in rapport, trust and confidence as they have also triggered an inspiration to do better and find common solutions for the country.

Just to demonstrate solid relations in other countries, even trouble makers of other nations have used embassies for immunity when in hot pursuit. While not condoning crime or fanning trouble, consequent justice has taken its course pursuant to interim relief granted. Such a setup has meant a lot to some of these suspect citizens. Once in the premises of the embassy, the rules of international law have been unequivocally applied, causing diplomats to reach out for negotiations including extradition arrangements.

In struggling economies, disasters and tragedies, embassies have worked hand in hand with their citizens abroad to issue warning alerts and raise public awareness of a situation while also devising means and ways to practically rescue their fellow citizens back home. The embassies have provided updates on security information for their citizens not to travel to certain countries due to epidemics, bad weather, political chaos or civil wars. That way they have been points of contact to coordinate safety, relief efforts and send help home. Such partnerships have been facilitated through open door policies, interaction, mutual trust and renewed relevance of offices.

In developed countries embassies have fought tooth and claw to bring the remains of a dead citizen from unpronounced names of islands or nameless islets where they may have perished in wars, disasters or trapped in private adventures. Regardless of the social standing of such citizens, evacuation and rescue efforts have been uniformly serious and practical. There has been a concerted effort to demonstrate the "injury to one injury to all" doctrine making twin blade helicopters embark on a mission to recover sons and daughters of a nation from any reachable dot on Mother Earth. As a sign of demonstrable care, concern, love and respect for Zimbabwean citizens regardless of their social or diplomatic status, similar commitment could be implemented to rescue souls or repatriate dead bodies from foreign lands. In the past, the affected families have been left on their own to devise solutions for problems at hand.

Demonstrable concern could also include protection of citizen interests abroad, prison visits, verbal assurances on situations, liaising with authorities to address problems and explore solutions, engaging citizens to air their concerns and updates on incurred issues. Such camaraderie has a long term impact in making embassies relevant through established and proven care and practical assistance on technical lines. Instead of citizens asking what embassies exist for, they could be partnering for common problems and solutions to salvage some situations.

It's about time Zimbabwean embassies started seriously engaging their citizens abroad and form lasting partnerships as they explore common problems and solutions that garner progress for the country. At the end of the day international relations remain inseparable from the very citizens who should benefit from given public policies. In any case charity begins at home.