March 2007
24 posts
Regional Committee starts Countdown 2010 for South... →
If you’re wondering what I’ve been up to the last days: We’ve launched Countdown 2010 in South America.
This is real.
Spent the day today in the IUCN Regional Office for South America, discussing the agenda for the Countdown 2010 consultation, setting up their website, exploring governance structures and writing the press release for Ecuador’s joining on Thursday. The people here have done an amazing job, and I’m marveling at brochures and pens, mugs and caps with the logo of Countdown 2010. They had...
How to explore a city (and avoid jetlag)
(24/03/07) I still can’t believe it: I’m really in Ecuador. My body arrived this morning after a twenty hour trip via Amsterdam and the Dutch Antilles. I feel like my mind is still somewhere mid-Atlantic, and will follow at one point tomorrow. A. met me for lunch to talk through a couple of things, and helped me find an adapter I will need for my presentations. Then I was back to my...
“Ton appart a été cambriolé, j’ai prévenu la police.”
– Welcome back note from my neighbour.
Brussels: It's snowing cats and dogs, my luggage is still in Canada, and I haven't slept. Home sweet home.
Current Location: Washington, DC →
Every meeting we go to is like knocking on open doors.
Exploring Boston
25 hours unstructured time in Boston. What do you do? What do you see? My first mission: Replace the urgent items of my still missing suitcase. I need a suit, some shirts, underwear, cosmetics. After three hours browsing just about every shop between Muddy River and Downtown Crossing, I manage to have found about half of the items on my list. Time for food, then bed. The next day calls for work....
Informal vs formal
What if everyone shared the same intention and decided to take action towards it? What a powerful thought. It strikes me that science, logical frameworks and organisational objectives can only be part of the solution. How can we tap into the wisdom of the many, unconsciously held intentions and take action on what we instinctively know to be true?
“We walk as prophecies of the next age. ”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
Location: In the woods of New England Outside: Ocean, forest, weather Inside: Conversations about organizing change Today: How can we create a deeper understanding of biodiversity loss? What power structures enable change? What role for the market? Tomorrow: Whom to involve to get ‘the system into the room’? How can I translate all this into tangible, actionable items?
Bad news: Still no luggage.
Today: Visiting the Convention on Biological... →
“First they ignore you Then laugh at you and hate you Then they fight you Then...”
– Tripping (Robbie Williams)
Brussels: Sorry, I can't check you in until Washington. You're on stand-by.
Amsterdam: Your flight is leaving in fifteen minutes. You don't have a boarding pass yet?
Washington: Welcome to America. Please queue for ages, have your fingerprints taken and give us your travel schedule.
Toronto: We need to return to the gate, there has been some luggage mishandling. Your flight will be two hours late.
Montreal: Your luggage is still in Toronto.