If I Were Prime Minister Romano Prodi

As the new leader of the Italian government, if I were Prime Minister Romano Prodi, I will put premium on a special relationship with AFRICA. It will be creative, ambitious and futuristic. And it will be massively-mutually-beneficial (mmb) and proactively-people-based (ppb).

First and foremost, everyone else is looking or heading there now, why not Italy? Next, we do know that the continent is immensely resource-endowed. It is a traditional European (hate the term, if you like!) colony and ally/trading bloc. Then, as EU President, he dealt with African leaders under the (yes, very unsuccessful!) ACP-EU Cotonou Agreement and the (very slowly emerging!) New Partnership for Africa's Development, NEPAD. Besides, he was prime minister before!

But now the stakes are higher. Italy's economy is in dire straits. It needs an overhaul. It needs to be competitive again. It needs new deals, and thus new partners. Not on previous terms, nor by those measures. Italy needs a new destination of two-way bonds, and bonding. It can find some windows elsewhere; but it will find a gateway in Africa - if it tries anew, and hard enough.

If I were Prime Minister Prodi, I will humbly and boldly engage Africa. I will proudly enlist the leverage of the Vatican in particular, and the Catholic Church in general. I will do so for my new deal with Africa in particular, and for all other outreach zones in general. Know ye that Faith is very potent, and the Church be its vehicle. So are mosques, temples and synagogues - all faith movements around the world. Shy not away.

What's on offer? A million chips and zillion gems. Look hard, my friend....and you'll be dazed! As an economics professor and practised politician, it's hard not to see!! Indeed, it's impossible!!!

For Italy's sake, I will SEE...if I were Romano Prodi.

If I Were Former President Charles Taylor (War Crimes Indictee)

You know, life is sweet and strange! One day, you're victor; another day you're villain!! Tough and rough. High and low. No matter. But you can choose what to be, even for all time. Yes. In the tops of victory, you can be humble and magnanimous. In the throes of villainy, you can be contrite and cooperative. That is why there's plea-bargain in law, and amnesty in practice.

If I were Charles Taylor, former president of Liberia, now standing trial for war crimes at the UN Sierra Leonean War Crimes Tribunal sitting at The Hague, I will repent and cooperate with the prosecution. Then proceed to plea-bargain on very creative and earth-shattering basis. Here are the gems:

a) Tell all
b) Help expose all others
c) Show the way to stop guerrilla war fares in Africa
d) Point to the hidden vaults in illegal trades of diamonds, lumber, arms, etc
e) Expose hypocrites in the Western bloc and collaborators in the Eastern bloc
f) Serve some prison period for penitence, and serve the UN as honorary consultant later
g) Write my "Truth Commission" expose as a purgative memoirs, passing all proceeds to war victims and kid soldiers rehabilitation/restitution.

If I were Mr Taylor, I will tell the lawyers that it will be wrong to feast on my case. Let's use it as a chance to heal wounds, to heal the world. We all make mistakes, even gruesome ones. And we can all change for the better, and the betterment of the world. And then, our soul.

Ultimately, it is a personal cross, a personal choice. If I were the one, I'll choose as said.