A few weeks ago was Erika Paredes's birthday. Her friends flew from all over the world to party with her. She works hard, parties harder. 'I’m a hardworking woman who aspires to settle global problems, particularly climate change,’ Erika describes herself with uncanny clarity of mind. Her conviction is not misplaced. She has held leadership positions in the United Nations (UN) and her never-say-die spirit made her excelled in the multilateral establishment that remains a male bastion.
She’s a good example of why women have to play a greater role in all spheres of life, particularly in solving existential problems, local or global, if this world is to become a better place to live in.
She had to fight for her seat all the way up, but now she has reached a point where ‘I don’t have to fight anymore. I’m privileged. And this privilege is a responsibility,’ she adds. At the UN, thanks to her multidisciplinary approach and ability to bring on board all stakeholders, ensuring a high-level partnership in financial climate negotiations, she delivered big tangible results.
Erika is instrumental in signing USD 7.2 billion in development projects, in the process, the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)—mandated to help people build better lives and help countries achieve peace and sustainable development—became the UN agency with the largest portfolio in Latin America.
A feminist who’s a global climate leader, strategist and negotiator. Erika likes to travel and imbibe new cultures, which makes her a very vibrant and lively person, and insightful into how societies function in their own quintessential ways.
Now, a founder of Climate Solutions For All that endeavours to provide climate solutions by supporting communities and governments in developing countries to maximize the benefits from the carbon market, and in the process, ensure an equitable distribution of proceeds from the sale of carbon bonds.
Erika is a global citizen, born in a humble family residing in a small town in Ecuador, her folks worked hard to give her quality education; she learned French and English and at the age of 18 travelled to France to study. Her stay in Paris changed her perspective on life, what she intended to do in/with life. An Ecuadorian girl became a woman with global aspirations.
Erika pull herself out of the comforts of familiarity and sought adventure in life. This open attitude to what life may have to offer did wonders for her. She has lived in the biggest cities of the world, like New York, learned major languages, can converse with half of humanity without an interpreter. Her life is a good message. Being good to oneself is a good way to be good to humanity at large.
Her formula of success is twofold, requires a balance of sorts that she’s apt at maintaining. Firstly, she takes care of herself—do things that make her happy—travel, learning, and be open to life. Second, and equally important, is to be true to the purpose of life—that’s where her professional life comes. Her personal goal is to work for the larger good of humanity. “I’m the trailblazer,’ she says, unapologetically. She takes pride that she’s fearless. Uncertainty motivates her to do better because she’s open to the idea that ‘anything can happen in life’.
Recently, she was the running mate of the presidential candidate of Ecuador; they lost. That hasn’t changed the larger picture. She aspires big, bigger. There’s fearless focus, success but follows her, almost a logical outcome, as has been the case in the past, and she intends to continue this way, and in the next 20 years sees herself as the leader of her country. ‘Not just that, by then I would have headed a big UN organisation—internationally,’ she says without blinking an eyelid. This a great attitude to life, which, like her, many would agree, is a blind date with destiny.
Erika likes to travel and imbibe new cultures, which makes her a very vibrant and lively person, and insightful into how societies function in their own quintessential ways. A feminist who’s a global climate leader, strategist and negotiator. She works hard with passion and perseverance; there’s no doubt in her mind when she applies herself to a task. She is good at negotiating because she tries to understand the other’s point of view, needs and seeks a holistic solution that’s for general good, rather than self-seeking.
Despite our limited interaction (we had one-on-one over a cup of coffee, and once when we attended an art exhibition with common friends) I can say this with a lot of conviction: she’s leading a balanced life and is open to being inspired by people, cultures, polity, society…. Lately, in India, she was in Odisha participating in a tribal school event; she also did a safari in Kanha National Park and was lucky to have sighted a leopard, later a tiger.
I wondered what gives her this sense of balance and stability, when she’s mostly on the move, across the globe, meeting people, living with varied cultures, and enriching herself by soaking in new experiences. That her core is strong, she is so sure of who she is, where she stands in the dense fog of information boom that is existentially challenging. This is almost paradoxical. Her strong core makes her malleable to influences, and to her travelling is the best way to learn how varied cultures have traditionally organised life.
She’s also fearless to express her views without filters is what I admire. It can be argued that the way the West developed over the last couple of centuries, to put it mildly, wasn’t sustainable. And now when it is the turn of the East and the South to expedite their growth process, and catch up with the West, the concerns of global warming are being used as a road black. That there’s a divide.
They—the West—are responsible for the environmental crisis, and now they want us to pay for it. ‘This is ridiculous,’ she says. And the way it is being done is objectionable, they just pass on the technological know-hows; it’s not a grant, but a loan. ‘This is not fair,’ she adds.
She feels that challenges are opportunities to change for the better. There are independent ways of developing—which are not to replicate the growth experience of the West—that are consistent with the ground realities, local needs, and environmental protection. Going local is a good way to deal with climate change challenges of global scale.
The rich and the poor nations, and the multilateral organisations, like the UN, need to be reformed, to reflect the aspirations of the Global South. Women and the Global South is where the emphasis should be. They have to set the agenda for change and development that is consistent with the environment imperative but also to the growth aspirations of poorer countries. ‘I’m not naïve,’ she says. And, it’s not a pipe dream.
The great advantage is the technology boom that has resulted in the connectivity of most parts of the planet—local is becoming glocal. And to her, the greatest asset of the Global South is the young population. They are connected like never before. They can be leaders in their chosen areas. Access to knowledge is at the press of a button. Social media is a powerful tool, especially with the youth. It has been used to manipulate popular sentiments and beliefs and ideology. But the same tool can be used to galvanize their effort towards a better sustainable future.
The development effort has to be equitable, particularly gender wise. This makes her leadership even more crucial. There has been so much exchange between the East and the West; and the South and the West. In this new age, as we enter the second quarter of the 21st century, there’s a greater need for interaction between the East and the South, Erika could be that bridge, and help shift global development paradigm that is equitable and sustainable.
Last heard she was organising her birthday party, friends from across the globe
will congregate, make merry. Happy birthday to you and may you find success in your quest for an equitable and sustainable world.
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