This quotation seems eerily consistent with the current British and US approach to communicaton with the electorate: “Of course the people don’t want war… That is understood. But after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it’s always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it’s aRead more about An unsettling similarity[…]
I was in Brittany last week at a wedding (a wonderful experience in itself!), and I met a person who leads a foundation focussing on teaching and promoting peace with children. The website is http://www.graines-de-paix.org, and it’s a multi-lingual site. Read more about A Foundation for Peace …
We came in from San Francisco without event. The security here was a little tougher than we’d seen at Heathrow – our carry on bags were briefly searched at the gate right before we climbed on the plane.
We travelled to the US a few days after the height of the crisis – they had just allowed one small carry-on bag.In fact to my surprise the security process was no more onerous than usual – we were never searched, and the only change was the additional question (and restriction) related to liquids.We madeRead more about Travel restrictions not as severe as the media portrays[…]
The government response to the Moslem leaders’ letter is remarkable for its defensiveness. The letter suggests that Britain’s foreign policy is not working, and asks for change. As evidence it points to the failure of our policies to create a solution in either Iraq or the Middle East, and to the rise in terrorists targetingRead more about It’s sad to see the government so defensive[…]
This was published earlier today by Moslem leaders in the UK:
“Prime Minister, As British Muslims we urge you to do more to fight against all those who target civilians with violence, whenever and wherever that happens.
It is our view that current British government policy risks putting civilians at increased risk both in the UK and abroad.
During the late 1980s, I was working for Schlumberger in Cambridge, and they gave us training in how to behave in a world where terrorism was a risk. I thought I’d pass on the elements that I remember. This was the era of hi-jacking, when we had to worry both about bombs and about being taken hostage when travelling by air.So here are some of the points I remember: Read more about How to travel safely by air …
United says our flight will leave only a few minutes late, but we decided to stay home until we know more. We may travel next week, or perhaps just I will go – it depends on what we can get and our assessment of the risks.In reality it’s unlikely that anything untoward will happen. The controls are very strict, and in any case the chances of being on an affected flight are very small. How should one look at these risks?
Today we see headlines about the foiling of a terrorist plot to blow up planes flying from the UK to the US. This resonates with me as I’m supposed to make that trip tomorrow. I will probably delay my flight – both to minimize risk and to avoid the hassle of extra security.One of the key elements of the heightened security is the banning of carry on luggage – down to elements like spectacle cases. It’s obvious that there are many ways for a suicide-bent terrorist to create something poisonous or damaging from apparently innocuous carry-on items, so these restrictions are not surprising. But they do make travel very unpleasant for all of us. Read more about UK – US travel threatened …
I’ve started a second blog – this is about my experience of digital photography with Nikon DSLR cameras. As I learn more I’ll publish my discoveries. You can read it here.It’s a complex field – from camera to lens to backup of photos to developing and printing – lots to learn and share.
Nancy Wolfberg is a wise consultant and a friend for many years. She describes herself as an Executive Pathfinder. She has a website at http://www.wolfbergandassociates.com, and a blog here.When I was first getting started as an independent consultant she was kind enough to introduce me to one of her clients, and she gave me aRead more about A link to a friend…[…]
We just came back from a trip to Kenya and Tanzania (Zanzibar). Lots to say about that – and I’ll publish a lot of it on my web site – in fact the pictures are there already and accessible from the front page…But the point of this blog is that we made a mistake. WeRead more about Travelling in Africa[…]
I can’t help being a bit philosophical. Life has given me so many experiences and so much diversity. I wish more than anything else for people to better understand each other, so that we can have peace. I know it’s a dream, but why not? As one of my ex-colleagues pointed out, in order forRead more about A blog about our place in the world[…]