My friends at Write Here Write Now (WHWN) at Bishops University in Quebec organized the book launch this past Saturday. It lasted an hour plus but was so much fun. I was able to bring a variety of hats (yes – real hats), scarves and other knickknacks to add some visual accents to my readings from half a dozen chapters of my memoir. It started with my favorite line and the first line in the book – “Are you a spy?” and continued with additional sections from Ghana, Guyana, and others.
February 25, 2023 book online launch
During the Q&A, I made a reference to AMAZON where my book is now available in Canada, the USA, the UK, Australia, and other countries. That is also where you can leave a rating once you have read the book.
The video of the book launch is available above. ENJOY!
Thinking about the next series of topics for my BLOG, I decided to highlight some additional international volunteer agencies. The first agency described in this new series is the Peace Corps which by coincidence is celebrating 60 years of service in 2022.
Peace Corps has a wonderfully rich website which among other things describes two main volunteering options including 2-year, regular assignments, and shorter specialised stints. You must be an American citizen to apply and usually require a relevant degree but in some cases persons with 5 years of relevant experience will also be considered. When I checked the Peace Corps website on December 27, 2002 there were a number of vacancies advertised in different categories, and in different parts of the world including Africa, Central America and the Western Pacific among others.
By clicking on these different sectors, the different vacancies are revealed with descriptions of the location, the job itself, living conditions, essential and desired qualifications. Reading some of the vacancy descriptions reminded me that such assignments are often challenging and not suitable for everyone but for those with the right background, attitude and flexibility, these assignments can be very rewarding from both personal and professional perspectives.
The application process can take several months but there are a series of recruiters available in the US to answer questions and help applicants through the application process.
Even if you are not an American citizen, you may find the descriptions of countries and the work that Peace Corps volunteers are doing abroad to be of interest. If you are a US citizen, “…and ready to change the world”, you can follow the three steps listed on their Home Page.
After a long wait, this interesting set of stories will be released in December 2022.
My memoir is now available however, the book launch is delayed while I work on assignments for the ILO in Jordan and Lebanon; also my book designer in Malawi had power outages as he did a book redesign.
But long story short, the memoir is available in soft cover or as an ebook in epub or mobi format. There is also a pdf version for those who like to read on their computer.
The book launch details are not yet available but will include both a physical launch in Halifax and an online one with my friends organized from the Eastern townships of Quebec. The latter will have an international audience.
My website now has a storefront and shopping cart where you can order whatever version of the memoir you like. The store front and shopping cart are available now – simply click on the left hand button in the menu above – Overseas Adventures.
I will also put the memoir on Amazon and/or other online stores but that will be in the New Year.
Send your suggestions to: aeshears@northstarskillsfordevelopment.ca
You can win a free advanced copy if you are among the first five to reply.
The cost of the soft cover version will be CAD 20 plus shipping. The ebook and pdf versions will be CAD 7.99 – cheap at the price.
The United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) launched its competency framework in April 2015.
What is the UNESCO Competency Framework? The UNESCO Competency Framework provides an inventory of expected behaviors, skills, and attitudes that lead to successful performance. The UNESCO Competency Framework has three components:
• Core Values that are the shared principles and beliefs that unite all staff and should guide us in our actions;
• Core competencies that are a set of related knowledge, skills, and abilities that result in essential behaviors expected from those working for the Organization;
• Managerial competencies that apply to staff with management responsibilities at P-4 level and above.
UNESCO uses the competency framework for a variety of functions including job profiling, recruitment, performance management, and promoting learning and career development. If you are looking to apply for a job with UNESCO, it is to your advantage to review their competency framework which is available online here:
The core values, core competencies, and managerial competencies are listed below for your convenience.
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Core Values
• Commitment to the Organization • Integrity • Respect for Diversity • Professionalism
Core Competencies
• Accountability • Communication • Teamwork • Innovation • Results focus • Planning and organizing • Knowledge sharing and continuous improvement
Managerial Competencies (for Level P4 positions and above)
• Driving and managing change • Strategic thinking • Making quality decisions • Building partnerships • Leading and empowering others • Managing performance
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My last long-term assignment (4 years) was with UNESCO in Malawi as Team Leader on the European Union-funded Skills and Technical Education Project (STEP). We used the elements of the framework when developing job descriptions for new staff and consultants, for performance reviews of the staff, and applied it as well to plan our own professional development.
The STEP Malawi website is still operating and has a wealth of resources available.
Well, you can start by exploring this new site which will expand over time. Check out the What’s New section and the other sites referenced herein, such as CUSO International.
