As we start heading off to the AEA conference in Minnesota next week, it’s timely to share the original theory of change that seems to have been part of Australia’s (successful) bid for a temporary seat on the UN Security Council:
The Australians wooed the 193 UN delegates with gifts including chocolate-coated hazelnut pralines shaped as kangaroos and koalas, while our rival for a security council seat, Finland, opted for a healthier gift of dried fruit – blueberries, in fact.
And the vote? The Aussies blew Finland away in the first round, with the northern Europeans then put out of the running altogether by minnow Luxembourg.
Made by chocolatier and retailer Koko Black, the seductive sweets are being hailed as a vital enticement in the crucial vote-gathering.
Jane at Real Evaluation
Patricia at CIRCLE (RMIT)
Real Evaluation on Facebook
How sweet! No wonder they got a seat.
In breaking news, I have brought two different types of chocolate koalas for the AEA Silent Auction, which raises money to support evaluators from developing countries to attend the AEA conference. You’ll find them marked “Tools of international diplomacy”