I worked in the Fiji Embassy in Brussels from 1988 to 1998, as Head of Mission. Before that, I had worked at the Fiji High Commission in London from 1984 as Commercial Counsellor and as Company Representative for Fiji Sugar Marketing Co Ltd. Between March 1993 and March 1997, I wrote columns for the Embassy’s monthly reports. The subjects of these columns depended on the choice of subjects or issues that were the flavour of the month. As you can imagine, these varied widely. But one thing was certain: they were thought-provoking. There were those that were topical and controversial; overly technical issues; global issues, IT etc.

These columns, 45 of them, spread over 3.75 years, were penned under the title: ‘The Community at a Glance’. I wrote them under the pseudonym: ‘A Diplomat’.

In reproducing them here for a wider readership, I have opted to give each column a new title that befits the contents. Furthermore, my pseudonym is dropped.

The subjects of these columns were intended as personal reflections. They provide an offering of issues that were current and relevant at the time. Furthermore, they present a perspective of a non-EU citizen with over a decade of work experience in the EU that was undergoing critical and structural transformation.

Other informal writing emanating from 14 years of family’s sojourn in Europe will follow.