Tuesday 23 November 2010

a diplomat for the poor

I never personally met him. Yet I speak passionately about him. An encourager. An inspiration. His memory and actions are re-lived and accounted for in story and warming anecdote. Someone who dared to challenge their status quo. To question others to see something greater. A servant. I wish I had walked with him.

Their motto: be the change. Words that resonate and uttered by another great.

His name was Ells Culver. He co-founded the group Mercy Corps. I'm an invitee of theirs in the Scottish House building just up from Downing Street. The minister opens his welcome with these words:

"There are International development agencies and then there's Mercy Corp..."

Wednesday 17 November 2010

Forgotten crises

Just been to an event hearing about a BBC journalists on crises that float under the radar.

A Bosnian chap said to my colleague a few years after the war "sometimes I wish there would be war again here"... "because when it was here the world cared".


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Tuesday 16 November 2010

Metanarrative

At a meeting yesterday I was talking about the narratives we employ to describe our relationships. My friend was saying how challenged he has been by the frequent meta narrative or language of economics to describe such relationships. We "invest" in them looking for "return". We "reap" the "reward", or "profit" from them. Relationships add "value" to our lives.

These terms frequently leave our lips as common describers for our reality.

He was saying the economic meta-narrative was a common baseline for understanding.

The conversation quickly ended as we both sought to dash for our next meeting seeking to "implement" "effective" "time management".

The brief "hug" we gave as we said good bye reminded me of another meta narrative that spoke volumes without words.

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Location:Roper Ln,Camberwell,United Kingdom