Muriel Glasgow, recently nominated as Ambassador of Peace and United Nations Mentor, has worked at the United Nations Children's Fund for more than three decades, from 1966-1998.
Born in Georgetown, Guyana in the 1940s, she received her formal education in Guyana, where she also worked until she left the country in 1966 to pursue studies as a dentist. After a term of looking down people's throats, she decided to change her focus, but while deciding what path to take, she applied at the United Nations for a position at that time. With no experience she started in the General Service category as a statistical typist, and was promoted to editorial assistant due to her command of the English language.
She attended classes at New York University, Cornell University and finally obtained a Master's Degree in Public Health in 1982 from Columbia University. She has a penchant for languages, completing her studies in French Languaage and Literature in Besancon, France; Spanish Language and Culture in Barcelona, Spain; and during her transfer to UNICEF, Haiti from UNICEF, New York, acquired an understanding of Creole; and recently after her retirement in 1998, she has been studying Arabic in the Arabic Language Programme at the United Nations.
Three decades plus of working at the United Nations, UNICEF, have exposed her to different cultures, climes, communities and helped her get a better understanding of the intricacies and dimensions inherent in valuing, building and sustaining relationships, especially among the communities with whom she interacted. Her responsibilities were to provide drinking water, clean hygiene and sanitation facilities to communities in various countries. Using her training in public health (health education, health behavior, health promotion), coupled with an understand of local cultural practices and indigenous knowledge, she introduced new health behaviors to various communities in Asia, Africa, the Americas and the Caribbean, simultaneously appreciating what existed and applying and creating different methods and techniques to influence behaviors.
She travelled across the globe appreciating at first hand their culture, workload, livelihoods , lifestyles. She appreciated the importance of building sustainable relationships with donors, private sector, governments, civil society, local and other indigenous associations, etc. Being an expatriate and interacting with other expatriates as well as the local communities, she also understood the importance of respect, tolerance, patience, appreciation, etc in building relationships.
One of her lasting experiences while at the UNICEF, and she had many, was an interaction she had with the First Lady of the Philippines, Ms Imelda Marcos. Her recent book - The ABCs of Building Sustainable Relationships: Communicating in a Globalizing World, stems from the author’s experience in the Philippines in 1977. There, during a United Nations event, she encountered the President’s wife and greeted her in Tagalog. The First Lady was taken aback that a foreigner would greet her in her language and invited Ms Glasgow to Malacanang Palace, on 7.7.77.
This interaction helped increase the author’s interest in languages and their cultural implications. She has since then learned hellos in languages of countries visited, visit the website http://www.hellotoyouworld.com.
Observing and listening are two of the most important skills she learned, skills which influence her mindset and her relationships today. These two skillsets have led her, since her retirement, to build a web presence as she sees the importance of technology in the policies and projects of sustainable development. Among her platforms and activities on the internet is the production of podcasts and radio shows. In her podcasts on the Yakkers’ Corner, http://www.unitednationsyak.com, she interviews people involved in socio-economic and humanitarian development who are committed to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations; people who are dedicated to reaching the bottom billions and helping restore their dignity by improving their lives and livelihoods.
She also hosts an internet radio show on issues of concern, one of which is the plant Moringa Oleifera and its contribution to economic development, nutrition and the environment - http://www.blogtalkradio.com/moringapartners; see also a discussion site where members and promoters of this plant interact with each other and promote the plant and its interaction with the people and the planet. The Moringa Oleifera is one of the most commercially viable plants as each part of the plant is commercially marketable; it is nutritionally sound; the Moringa Oleifera has a very high carbon absorption capacity and can contribute immensely to the ongoing debate and narrative on climate change.
Ms Glasgow is a reservoir of visionary possibilities and ideas. As idea generator, and using the knowledge and experience gained over the years, she provides support to profit and not-for-profit companies in strategy, international outreach and liaison, helping them understand and appreciate the importance of culture in achieving and building sustainable business relationships. An avid learner of languages, as stated earlier, she has added the challenge of Arabic to the languages she is comfortable with – French, Spanish, Creole…and am in the process of building out a global hello platform on Hello To You World
She understands that what is is not necessarily what has to be. There are many ways of addressing issues at hand, most importantly there is a need to think outside the box. One of her ideas - outside the box - is the creation of ICUs, innovation/imagination and creativity units which would provide an environment for the under-six population in villages and urban slums as well as disadvantaged areas, to have access to equipment and tools not usually available. The ICUs would also he where education in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) plus reading would be made available to this population of children. She is calling all to imagine a world with lots of ICUs which would be supported by University Level Institutes of Technology, and other Science Institutions e.g., Institutes of Technology in India, China, the Caribbean, Africa all have a role to play in researching issues and identifying emerging trends affecting children and youth, under six years of age in the 21st century and beyond.
There is a need to be moving always towards straddling new frontiers and involving young people to interact with older people, permitting what is called an intergenerational transfer of knowledge, with all groups involved in moving the world towards a better place.
Ms Glasgow has authored two books - Sudden Departure Syndrome: Tips for Organizing your Life; The ABCs of Building Sustainable Relationships: Communicating in a Globalizing World. She has just finished a book for publishing - Amazing Gray Hair.
She has also been declared a Dame of Africa and a Dame of Malta...of the Malta Sovereign Orders of Saint John Of Jerusalem Dame Muriel.