Isn't it off topic? Rohit ----- Original Message ----- From: "Atul R Sahay" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, July 09, 2007 7:18 PM Subject: Re: [AI] The blind diplomat
>A correlation between marriage and blindness? > I read in statistics once that we can show some correlation enen by > plotting > our shoe size with IQ. It doesn't mean "cause and effect relationship" by > any stretch of imagination. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Dr. Vipin Malhotra" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Monday, July 09, 2007 6:40 PM > Subject: Re: [AI] The blind diplomat > > >> The very basis are mythical! >> There are instances where blind persons have married >> not only once but so >> many times. >> Its an issue of attraction not of accessibility! >> Atleast I never faced such >> dearth in my life, whether the occasion is of getting >> married or making girl >> friends. >> With love and regards, >> Vip >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "rajesh asudani" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> To: <[email protected]> >> Sent: Monday, July 09, 2007 3:07 PM >> Subject: Re: [AI] The blind diplomat >> >> >>> Yes, I do also inclined to hold the same opinion, >> even David Blunket seems >>> not to have married! >>> >>> Exclusion is ubiqutous. >>> >>> Rajesh >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>> From: "dr.u.n.sinha narain" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>> To: "Geetha Shamanna" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; >>> <[email protected]> >>> Sent: Monday, July 09, 2007 1:28 AM >>> Subject: Re: [AI] The blind diplomat >>> >>> >>>>i met mr. rabby. i saw his capacities, when i met >> him in lucknow. >>>> since he is transferred from india, i could not >> contact him, as i do >>>> not have his e mail now. my questionis the gentle >> man is so qualified >>>> but why he has not married? is it general blind >> problem everywhere? >>>> regards >>>> drun >>>> >>>> On 7/8/07, Geetha Shamanna >> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >>>>> The Saturday Profile >>>>> >>>>> A U.S. Diplomat With an >> Extraordinary Global View >>>>> >>>>> By [4]MARC LACEY >>>>> >>>>> PORT OF SPAIN, [5]Trinidad >>>>> >>>>> AS chief of the political section at the >> American Embassy here for >>>>> the >>>>> last two years, Avraham Rabby has had the job >> of surveying >>>>> Trinidads >>>>> political landscape for Washington. >>>>> >>>>> The fact that he has not actually seen the >> Caribbean island or any >>>>> of >>>>> the places on five continents where he has >> been posted has not >>>>> stymied >>>>> him. >>>>> >>>>> I necessarily listen more than a sighted >> person would, he said. If >>>>> Im >>>>> walking along a street, I can tell there is a >> building next to me >>>>> because of the echoes of my feet or my cane. >> A blind person sees >>>>> the >>>>> world differently from a sighted person. Our >> impressions are no >>>>> less >>>>> valid. >>>>> >>>>> Mr. Rabby, who lost his sight at the age of 8 >> because of detached >>>>> retinas, is the State Departments first blind >> diplomat. It is an >>>>> achievement he fought for in the 1980s, >> passing three written >>>>> entrance >>>>> exams and two oral exercises along the way. >> But even then, the >>>>> State >>>>> Department barred him from the diplomatic >> corps. >>>>> >>>>> You dont ask a blind person to drive a bus or >> be a bank teller, >>>>> George >>>>> S. Vest, who was the personnel director for >> the Foreign Service, >>>>> explained in a 1988 interview. There are jobs >> which are dangerous >>>>> or >>>>> unsuitable for them. And in the Foreign >> Service, were full of jobs >>>>> like that. >>>>> >>>>> The department contended that diplomats, >> blind ones included, had >>>>> to >>>>> be able to work anywhere in the world and to >> work with confidential >>>>> documents without any outside aid. In >> addition, State Department >>>>> officials said, diplomats had to be able to >> pick up on nonverbal >>>>> cues, >>>>> such as winks or nods, which can sometimes >> have more meaning than >>>>> the >>>>> words being uttered. >>>>> >>>>> But Mr. Rabby illustrated another essential >> quality of diplomats: >>>>> perseverance. No international treaty has >> ever been decided on the >>>>> basis of a wink or a nod, he retorted, after >> hiring a lawyer and >>>>> challenging the State Departments policy, >> which dated from the 18th >>>>> century. >>>>> >>>>> Aiding Mr. Rabbys effort was a federal law >> barring the government >>>>> from >>>>> disqualifying prospective employees because >> of disabilities. >>>>> Eventually, after the news media and Congress >> found out about his >>>>> case, the State Department reversed course. >> The new policy would >>>>> consider disabled diplomats on a case-by-case >> basis. Mr. Rabby >>>>> became >>>>> case No. 1. >>>>> >>>>> In 1990, he was off to London, where he was >> posted at the embassy >>>>> there as a junior political officer. He moved >> next to Pretoria, >>>>> South >>>>> Africa, where [6]Nelson Mandela had just been >> freed from prison and >>>>> where Mr. Rabby witnessed the countrys first >> free elections. It was >>>>> one of the most stimulating experiences in my >> life, he said, noting >>>>> that he was one of the embassys election >> observers. >>>>> >>>>> People ask me how I can assess a political >> rally if I cant see it, >>>>> he >>>>> said. I tell them that I listen to the crowd >> and to the speakers. >>>>> You >>>>> can sense what is going on. >>>>> >>>>> He spent time in Washington at the State >> Departments Bureau of >>>>> Human >>>>> Rights, and in postings in Lima and New >> Delhi. During a stint at >>>>> the >>>>> United States Mission to the [7]United >> Nations, he helped write >>>>> resolutions dealing with literacy, global >> health and the rights of >>>>> the >>>>> disabled. >>>>> >>>>> His final posting he retired at the end of >> June at the mandatory >>>>> retirement age of 65 was to Port of Spain, >> where he became an >>>>> expert >>>>> in Trinidads political system, which has long >> been divided between >>>>> parties, one predominantly Afro-Trinidadian >> and one >>>>> Indo-Trinidadian. >>>>> >>>>> When journalists descended on Trinidad >> recently in search of >>>>> information on the suspected plot to set off >> a bomb at a fuel line >>>>> at >>>>> Kennedy International Airport that was traced >> back to this >>>>> Caribbean >>>>> island, he became one of the officials to >> talk to. >>>>> >>>>> A diplomat does a lot of writing, a lot of >> reading, a lot of >>>>> thinking, >>>>> a lot of talking and has to attend a lot of >> meetings, he said. >>>>> Thanks >>>>> to technological advances and a full-time >> assistant, Mr. Rabby >>>>> could >>>>> do all of those things too. >>>>> >>>>> He wrote his cables to Washington using a >> machine that wrote in >>>>> Braille. He then read them back to his >> assistant, Rhonda Singh, who >>>>> typed them up. He also had a computer with a >> speech program that >>>>> allowed him to listen to his e-mail messages. >>>>> >>>>> As for tracking news developments, Ms. Singh, >> an American citizen >>>>> who >>>>> lives in Trinidad, read him the local papers. >> I was basically his >>>>> eyes, she said. >>>>> >>>>> BORN in Israel, Mr. Rabby, who is known as >> Rami, was sent to live >>>>> with >>>>> an aunt in England at the age of 10 because >> his parents believed >>>>> there >>>>> were better schools for the blind there. A >> Hebrew speaker, he >>>>> quickly >>>>> mastered English at Worcester College for >> Blind Boys. >>>>> >>>>> I remember the headmaster used to go out and >> speak to groups about >>>>> the >>>>> school, and he used to say that we teach our >> boys to stand on their >>>>> own two feet and, if necessary, to step on >> yours too, Mr. Rabby >>>>> recalled. >>>>> >>>>> He went off to Oxford, where he studied >> French and Spanish. Finding >>>>> a >>>>> job after college proved a challenge. Time >> and time again I met >>>>> recruiters who felt that a blind person could >> not work in >>>>> management, >>>>> he said in the British accent that he has >> never lost. >>>>> >>>>> Eventually, he joined Ford Motor Company in >> Britain, where he >>>>> worked >>>>> in human resources. After about a year, he >> moved to the United >>>>> States >>>>> and earned an M.B.A. at the [8]University of >> Chicago. >>>>> >>>>> After graduation in 1969, he sought out a >> management training >>>>> program, >>>>> but had few offers after dozens and dozens, >> if not hundreds of >>>>> interviews. >>>>> >>>>> He finally landed a job with a management >> consulting firm, Hewitt >>>>> Associates, and later moved to Citibank. He >> also spent time as an >>>>> independent consultant, writing a number of >> employment guides, >>>>> including one giving advice to blind job >> seekers. >>>>> >>>>> One of my problems in my working life, after >> a few years I get a >>>>> bit >>>>> tired of what I am doing and I want to >> change, said Mr. Rabby, who >>>>> became an American citizen in 1980. >>>>> >>>>> It was while living in New York that he >> decided to make the jump >>>>> into >>>>> international relations, a longtime interest. >> The State Departments >>>>> regular rotations of its diplomats proved a >> perfect fit. >>>>> >>>>> His fight to join the Foreign Service has >> helped others along the >>>>> way. >>>>> There are now four blind Foreign Service >> officers stationed around >>>>> the >>>>> globe, the State Department said, among about >> 170 disabled Foreign >>>>> Service employees overseas. >>>>> >>>>> MR. RABBY said blind Foreign Service officers >> had recently been >>>>> restricted from adjudicating visa >> applications because of their >>>>> inability to verify photographs and >> signatures of applications. >>>>> >>>>> Mr. Rabby, who attributes the decision to the >> increased >>>>> restrictions >>>>> after the Sept. 11 attacks, said he did visa >> work at the start of >>>>> his >>>>> career in London, with the assistance of a >> reader, who verified >>>>> documents for him. He asked the questions and >> assessed the >>>>> responses. >>>>> >>>>> The State Department is not yet completely on >> the side of the >>>>> angels, >>>>> he said. A State Department official disputed >> that there was a >>>>> policy >>>>> in place restricting the assignments of blind >> diplomats. Decisions >>>>> on >>>>> assigning personnel, the official said, are >> made on a case-by-case >>>>> basis in accordance with the law. >>>>> >>>>> Even before Mr. Rabby headed out into the >> world as a diplomat, he >>>>> was >>>>> already testifying before Congress on his >> quest for the job. He >>>>> said >>>>> back then that he did not want to be put in a >> pigeonhole as a blind >>>>> diplomat. >>>>> >>>>> Blind people are as different from one >> another as sighted people, >>>>> he >>>>> told members of the House Foreign Affairs and >> Civil Service >>>>> Committees >>>>> in 1989. There is no such thing as a category >> labeled, blind. >>>>> >>>>> Prior Beharry contributed reporting. >>>>> >>>>> To unsubscribe send a message to >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>>> with >>>>> the subject unsubscribe. >>>>> >>>>> To change your subscription to digest mode or make >> any other changes, >>>>> please >>>>> visit the list home page at >>>>> >>>>> >> http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in >>>>> >>>> >>>> To unsubscribe send a message to >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>> with the subject unsubscribe. >>>> >>>> To change your subscription to digest mode or make >> any other changes, >>>> please visit the list home page at >>>> >>>> >> http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in >>>> >>> >>> >>> To unsubscribe send a message to >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>> with the subject unsubscribe. >>> >>> To change your subscription to digest mode or make >> any other changes, >>> please visit the list home page at >>> >> http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in >>> >> >> >> >> >> ____________________________________________________________________________________ >> Choose the right car based on your needs. 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