Sunday, 26 January 2014

Introducing Tom Kaydor, the Blogger

Tom Kaydor's Profile:

Tom Kaydor's Profile:
Born 19 March 1973 in Harrisburg, Montserrado County, Thomas Kaydor, Jr. (Tom Kaydor) is a graduate of the Crawford School of Economics and Government, Australian National University in Canberra, Australia Capitol Territory. He earned a Master of Public Policy with Merit and is specialized in Development Policy. He previously earned a M.A (Suma Cum Laude) in International Relations from the IBB Graduate School of International Relations, University of Liberia, B.A (Magna Cum Laude) in Political Science with emphasis in Comparative Government and Politics with History as Minor, and Mass Communication as an elective, University of Liberia. He graduated from the St. Francis High School in Pleebo, Maryland County.

Tom Kaydor holds several professional certificates and diplomas including a Diploma in International Programme on Management and Development of NGOs, Galilee International Management Institute, Formerly Galilee College,    Israel;   Certificate-Human Rights Based Approach & Results Based Management in development  Programming, UN System Staff College, Turin, Italy, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Diplomacy and Negotiation from the Islamabad Foreign Service Academy, Pakistan. He also holds Certificates in Basic Psychosocial Skills (TOT), and Training for Transformation, (TOT)-Mother Pattern College of Health Sciences; ABC E-Certificate- Professional Writing Skills for Business and Administration, Alan Borman Communications, UK; Training in UN General Service Staff/Headquarters Salary Survey and UN Human Resource Management, Congo Brazzaville; Atlas (UNDP Financial Management Studies), Prince II Written and Online Examinations, Programme Management; Advanced and Basic Security in the Field; Gender Journey, Thinking Outside the Box; UN Prevention of Harassment & Sexual Harassment & Abuse of Authority in Work Place; Peace Building & Programme Management (TOT), RECEIVE Inc., and Computer Operation and networking, CHEALE Vocational Institute, Liberia.

He also received several awards including, but not limited to Pilgrim Certificate: Jerusalem Pilgrim-fulfilled the Biblical calling and ascended to Jerusalem, the Holy city, Capital of Israel; Certificate: Yardenit Baptismal Site on the Jordan River; Certificate of Highest Honour, University of Liberia; Certificate of Achievement:  Mathematics, St. Francis High School; Certificate of Social and Political Change in Liberia, New DEAL Movement.  He maintains memberships in professional organizations including United Nations Coordination Network, Member, UN Peace Building Cooperation Net; Member, Online UN Volunteer network; Member, Humanitarian Law Practice Network.  He also served as Member (Staff Representative) UNDP Liberia Disciplinary Committee.

Tom Kaydor is the current Deputy Foreign Minister for International Cooperation and Economic Integration, Republic of Liberia, leading Liberia's bilateral and multilateral cooperation as well as regional economic integration processes. Prior to this, he served as Assistant Minister for Africa, Asia and the Pacific at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where he oversaw and coordinated Liberia’s diplomatic relations with Africa, Asia, the Middle East and the Pacific.

Before the above positions, Hon. Kaydor served as UN Coordination and Common Services Adviser at the UN System in Ethiopia. In this capacity, he provided the relevant advice on Common Services and harmonized business practices in light of the UN reform-Delivering as One (DaO)- to the Operations Management Team (OMT), its Chair, and the UN Country Team. He supported increased inter-agency operational collaboration and efficiency. In particular, he supported improvement and expansion of Common Services through effective coordination with OMT; facilitation of knowledge sharing; ensuring strategic direction of CS, and assessment, management and implementation of Common Services.

Additionally, he respectively served as the first National Coordination Officer and UN Coordination Analyst (International Civil  Servant)-Integrated Office of the DSRSG/RC/HC/RR-Liberia ensuring effective Country Office Support to the UN System/UN Country Team (UNCT), OMT and IAPT thereby increasing trust and confidence in Resident Coordinator System; cutting transaction costs and promoting UN reform through Joint Programme formulation and Implementation, supporting Delivering as One (DaO) initiative in Liberia; promoting assessment, planning and implementation of Common Services and Harmonized Business Practices.

Since 2010, Hon. Kaydor has been a Part Time Instructor of Political Science (University of Liberia, Capitol Hill, Monrovia; and the American Methodist Episcopal University, Camp Johnson Road, Monrovia). He Lectures Introduction to Political Science; African International Relations; Research Method, and Introduction to Political Theory. He is married to Mrs. Helen Yassah Garbo-Kaydor with six children and several dependents.

Before joining the UN, he served as Chief of Office Staff-Office of the Chairman on Executive, House of Representatives, Republic of Liberia; Field Supervisor RECEIVE/USAID/LCIP Social Reintegration Programme, Liberia; Psychosocial Officer, World Vision International; Editor-in-Chief- Observation newspaper, Liberia; History Instructor, Assembly of God High School, Buchannan and Carey Streets; Registrar, Trinity Lutheran High School-then Matadi Lutheran School; and Teaching/Research Assistant at the University of Liberia, AMEU and AMEZU Universities in Liberia.

Hon. Tom Kaydor has received several awards and has been a member of several societies as follows: Member of the Asia Pacific Policy Society, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT; Australian Post Graduate Scholarship Award to emerging leaders in Developing countries; Pilgrim Certificate-Jerusalem Pilgrim (fulfilled the Biblical calling and ascended to Jerusalem, the Holy City); Member (Staff Representative) UNDP Liberia Disciplinary Committee; Certificate-Yardenit Baptismal Site on the Jordan River; Scholar-Joseph Jenkins Roberts Scholarship for Outstanding Graduate students in Liberia; Certificate of Highest Honor-University of Liberia; Certificate of Achievement-Mathematics, St. Francis High School; Certificate of Social and Political Change in Liberia, New DEAL Movement; Member-United Nations Coordination Network; Member-UN Peace Building Cooperation Net; Member, Humanitarian Law Practice Network.

His extra-curricular activities and religious leadership include the following: Post Graduate Students Representative, College of Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University, and College Representative to the Postgraduate and Research Students Association at the Australian National University (PARSA).   College Incorporator-Liberia Foundation for Education (LIFE, Inc.); Founder and Sponsor-Thomas Kaydor Scholarship Fund; President-IBB Graduate School of International Studies Students Union; Standard Bearer-Independent Camp, University of Liberia Students Union elections; Chairman-Vanguard Student Unification Party (SUP), University of Liberia; Chairman-Membership, Recruitment and Mobilization Committee; Reporter-Varsity Pilot Newspaper, University of Liberia; Insurance Agent-Continental General Insurance Company. Hon. Kaydor served as Vice President-Men Department, Trinity Lutheran Parish; Board Member, Trinity Lutheran School; President-Monrovia District Lutheran Youth Fellowship (presided over 11 parishes in Montserrado, Bong, Margibi, Grand Bassa, Grand Cape Mount, Gbarpolu, and Bomi counties) ;Secretary, Trinity Lutheran Youth Fellowship. Choir Director-Voice of Trinity, Trinity Lutheran Parish.

He has carried out several Consultancies including : National Consultant-Developed training module on Democratic Governance in Liberia, Liberia Institute for Public Administration (2007); National Consultant-UNDP sponsored research on the Traditional Forms of Reconciliation in Liberia (2005); National Consultant-UNMIL national human rights review study (2006); Facilitator-UNDP Annual Retreat (2008); Facilitator- UN Liberia OMT Common Services Retreat (2008); Facilitator-UNDP Annual Retreat (2009); Facilitator-Operations Management Team Retreat, United Nations Ethiopia (2010).

On National politics, Hon. Thomas Kaydor, Jr. was a Representative Candidate of the National Democratic Coalition (NDC) in District Nine, Montserrado County, and supported the re-election of H.E. President of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in the 2011 Presidential Run Off Elections. He served as two times Chairman of Montserrado County for the New Democratic Alternative for Liberia’s Movement (the New DEAL Movement).

Tom Kaydor's research focuses on Development, Diplomacy, Governance and Public Policy. His major publications include, but not limited to the following:

Kaydor, T 2014, Liberian Democracy: a critique of checks and balances, Authorhouse, Bloomington, IN, USA.

Kaydor, T 2014, ‘What might Africa-China bilateral relationship be in 2030’, in A.S Patel, J.S.G Teo, & S.W Dempsey (eds), Global Perspectives on International Affairs: Collection of Essays, Forum for Global Affairs, ANU, Canberra, Australia, pp. 107-125.

_____2014, ‘The impact of poor infrastructure on poverty reduction in post-conflict countries’, New Dawn Newspaper (online edition), 12 June, Monrovia, Liberia,

_____2014, ‘Offering cash alone to the poor is not enough, New Dawn Newspaper (online edition), 2 June, Monrovia, Liberia;

_____ 2014, ‘Obstacles to achieving MDG2 in the Republic of Liberia’, FrontPage Africa (online edition), 10 June, Monrovia, Liberia;
<http://www.frontpageafricaonline.com/index.php/op-ed/commentaries-features/1902-obstacles-to-achieving-mdg2-in-the-republic-of-liberia>.

_____ 1998, ‘An Effective Legislature, the Alternative to Presidential Autocracy in Liberia’, unpublished Postgraduate Thesis, IBB Graduate School of International Studies, University of Liberia, Monrovia, Liberia.

_____ 2002, An Analysis of the Balance of Power Amongst the Three Branches of the Liberian Government, unpublished undergraduate Thesis, Liberia College of Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Liberia, Monrovia, Liberia.

_____ 2005, A Concise Manual for Community and Social Workers, Monrovia, Liberia.


He also published several articles in local dailies and on his personal blog: www.tomkaydor.blogspot.com.au.

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