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Born in Amarpur village in Gulmi district which had no school, no health post, no running water and no roads, anyone hardly had imagined Kul Chandra Gautam will rise to one of the world’s top most job as a Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF equivalent to the rank of Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations next to Kofi Anan, General-Secretary of the United Nations (UN). ‘Hune Biruwa ko Chillo Paat’, Mr. Kul was known among his relatives and childhood friends as a very inquisitive little boy who would never stop asking endless questions.

Mr. Kul did his SLC from the J.P. High School in Kathmandu. He scored first division and was among the top students in the nationwide SLC exams. He finished Intermediate of Arts (I.A.) from Tri Chandra College and went on to pursue Bachelor of Arts from Dartmouth college in Hanover, New Hampshire in USA, with full scholarship. He completed his graduate studies at Princeton University, earning a Master of Public Affairs (MPA) degree in economic development. In 1973, he was recruited by UNICEF to serve in war-torn Cambodia. This is where the journey of his career in the UN started.

A first major challenge to Mr. Kul came after he became UNICEF’s Director of Planning and Coordination in 1988.  He was selected as a chief architect for organizing a largest gathering of world leathers at the 1990 World Summit for Children at the United Nations in New York.  The Declaration and Plan of Action of the Summit which Mr. Kul had a hand in crafting is known among the most effective instrument of international advocacy and action for the well-being of the world’s children today.

In his 32 years of relentless service to the United Nations so far, Mr. Kul has done numerous remarkable contributions for the good of global humankind. He has visited many countries and met with many influential leaders of the world.

The man who grew up in a little known village where there is still no electricity and phone service has made us all proud with his achievement. He has proved that to become a successful person it is not necessary to be born in a place where all facilities exist. Success depends on the person’s own individual capability and hard work.  If you have the habit of saying-“I couldn’t achieve much in my life because I didn’t go to good school or I didn’t have this and that”, then you are living in the world of illusion where you can see only bad sides. Every people have ability to excel, the only question is how much you try and sacrifice to that.

You can read more about Kul Chandra Gautam here.

We became inquisitive as Mr. Kul was during his childhood and hence asked him what is the main force behind his success. He revealed 5 principles that according to him brought him to this stage:

1. Find a silver lining in every dark cloud. 
2. Take a long-term view of life. 
3. Do the unexpected. 
4. Always go beyond the call of duty.
5. Never forget where I came from.  

He explained all above points to us in detail:

Find a ‘Silver Lining’ in Every Dark Cloud

The world is so full of misery, injustice and hatred. It is easy to be discouraged.  Whenever we Nepalese get together we always gripe about how there is so much corruption inefficiency and inequity in our country. That is, of course true.  But believe me, in my work for the United Nations I come across countries and regimes that in some respects are in far worse shape. 

Whether it is genocide in Rwanda, the medieval barbarism in the Taleban led Afghanistan, the ethnic cleansing in Bosnia, the failed state syndrome of Somalia, the catastrophe of HIV/AIDS that is decimating sub-Saharan Africa…the list could just go on and on. 

But you know, in all such horrendous situations, you can always find some glimmer of hope. A few brave people, making their mark, against all odds. 

Every dark cloud has a ‘Silver Lining’. Positive thinking not only helps keep one’s sanity, but can actually energize you.

Take a Long Term View of Life

In the day-to-day life of a person or an institution or a nation, there are always things that go wrong and upset you. Don’t let that weigh you down.  If you persist and persevere, even against great odds, chances are that things will work out for the better.  Similarly, don't be impatient or tempted to take advantage of opportunities for short-term gains or instant gratification. Go for things that are of lasting value that you will feel proud of over the long haul. 

This principle has served me well in both my personal and professional life.

Do the Unexpected

I have found it both personally and professionally rewarding to do things that surprise people, in a positive way. 

We all tend to do things that our family, society, colleagues expect us to do – and do them well. But if you want to shine and be noticed, sometimes it is good to do things that people don’t expect you to do.  For example, I told myself that I would study something that most Nepalese would not consider doing. Learn French, and be fluent in it.  Well that served me very well. In my career at the United Nations, I have served with great excitement in many French-speaking countries.  When I visit francophone countries in Europe and Africa, and can dialogue with leaders directly in their own language, I feel much more effective in my advocacy role.

In fact, inspired by this experience, I learned Spanish and served in Latin America. I got to know a whole new part of the world, and enjoyed it thoroughly and that too helped in my career advancement.

We Nepalese, and Asians in general, tend to ask and expect our children to study certain subjects, do certain jobs and don’t really value extra-curricular activities. I would ask us to encourage our kids to break new ground and do the unexpected. 

You will note that many of the people being recognized here today for making their mark have done things that are out of the ordinary.   

Always Go Beyond the Call of Duty

In every job I have undertaken, I ask myself what would my boss or my colleagues expect me to do, if I were to be seen as a high performer. Then, I tell myself, let me do something beyond that.  Thus, I often volunteer to do things that are not in my normal job description. I try to contribute ideas in areas beyond the scope of my department’s work. In other words, go beyond the call of duty.  Of course, this means working much longer hours than normal, working on weekends and holidays, cutting down on vacation time.  

I acknowledge that, some of these are bad habits and maybe unhealthy and unwise. But I do these not out of any compulsion, but voluntarily and joyfully.  So long as you enjoy it and find a sense of fulfillment - hard work, I guess, is no sin. 

Never forget where you came from

When one acquires good name and fame and certain prosperity, one tends to get spoiled and begin to take such privileges of life for granted.  We complain so often about little inconveniences and discomfort. Whenever I feel discouraged, I remind myself – but just think, how lucky I am. Compared to the hardships that people endure in my village, in my country, in so many other countries of the world, I am so fortunate.

America is a land of instant gratification with its bountiful wealth and resources. When people do not get whatever they fancy, instantaneously, they tend to feel deprived. But let us remember that all of us in this room are luckier than 5 billion people in the world. 

Whenever I meet world leaders, hobnob with celebrities, interact with people with power and influence, I constantly remind myself of my humble origins. My little village of Amarpur in western Gulmi where there is no road, no electricity, no telephone, no television, and of course, no internet. I remember the enormous generosity and cordiality of the people there in spite of their grinding poverty. The images of my childhood friends and neighbors, who are struggling for survival, mired in poverty, disease, malnutrition and powerlessness, is never far from my mind and heart.

I feel I owe the good people of my village an enormous debt of gratitude. I feel I have been so lucky because of their blessing and good wishes. 

I have started a small community development project in Amarpur in memory of my mother who passed away a few years ago. The project provides help in the areas of basic health care and education, especially for girls and women.  But I know I need to do much more. That will certainly be one of my main post-retirement projects.

We should all be proud of this Nepalese son. We take this opportunity to include him as a member of 'Nepalese Hall of Brain'.