My first visit to South Korea introduced me to a remarkable country. Everyone I met, from the taxi driver to government officials, was unfailingly kind and courteous. I came away very impressed, on many levels. But the trip certainly started out in an interesting way ... South Korea is in a hurry. I felt this … Continue reading A Week in Super-Fast Green-Growth South Korea
Author: Alan AtKisson
“San-ten-ichi-ichi” — what March 11 means to Japan (so far)
I was on UN business in Korea this week, but on Friday, I took a day off to fly to Osaka and meet with friends Junko Edahiro and Riichiro Oda, at a hotel near Osaka’s Kansai airport. I wanted to find out how they were doing, and how the country was doing, since the last … Continue reading “San-ten-ichi-ichi” — what March 11 means to Japan (so far)
What Lady Gaga and I Have in Common
You might be expecting a humor piece -- “I once dropped a piece of Parma ham onto my lap, where it draped across my leg as though it were a patch on my pants, just like Lady Gaga’s famous meat dress” -- but I’m actually quite serious here. I’m not really a Gaga fan, no … Continue reading What Lady Gaga and I Have in Common
Transparency, Confidentiality, and Consulting
Tomorrow I arrive for a week in the Republic of Korea on UN business. The purpose of this blogging intensive is to make my work more transparent, but this is one of those moments where I just cannot be very transparent ... yet. This is the reality of the consulting life. Working with institutions and … Continue reading Transparency, Confidentiality, and Consulting
Closing Reflections on the Conference on Future Lifestyles …
This photo is from the closing session of the UNEP-Wuppertal "un-conference" on the the future of sustainable lifestyles and entrpreneurship (which I keynoted yesterday). What did I do here? First, I sang. That's not surprising to anyone reading this blog. But it was sort of surprising to this audience ... and I don't think I've … Continue reading Closing Reflections on the Conference on Future Lifestyles …
Sunday: Half-Work, Half-Family
The half-family part of this short post is probably easy to understand ... but why "half-work" on a Sunday with family? Easy answer: Monday deadline for one assignment (teaching an online class for the ISSP), and a keynote speech to give on Tuesday in Germany on The Future of Sustainable Lifestyles and Entrepreneurship. Plus, the … Continue reading Sunday: Half-Work, Half-Family
Elation, Despair, and Professionalism
Yesterday and today, two days that could not be more different. Standing on stage at the royal theater in front of hundreds of people; sitting in the cottage behind my house that serves as my 'Global Headquarters'. Moderating a panel of leaders and ambassadors; sorting receipts and dealing with corporate paperwork. The purpose of this … Continue reading Elation, Despair, and Professionalism
SERIES: A Month in the Life of a Professional Sustainability Change Agent
Starting today, I begin a one-month blogging/tweeting/documentation intensive. I will be writing about my work -- what I actually do, what I'm hearing and seeing and experiencing, and (some of) my reflections about that. Why? Partly, it's motivated by my interactions with students and trainees. I've been teaching an online course this month, some other … Continue reading SERIES: A Month in the Life of a Professional Sustainability Change Agent
Designing a Big Push on Renewables
On May 9, at the invitation of Anders Wijkman, I had the honor of being one of the opening speakers at the World Renewable Energy Congress 2011, which was being held in Linköping, Sweden. Just a few days before, I had gotten the green light from a UN colleague and client to go out publicly … Continue reading Designing a Big Push on Renewables
Watching Egypt 2 – “We r all vry hpy”
The quote in the above headline, "We r all vry hpy", is a real email from a real colleague in Egypt, received not long after the fall of Mubarak. The extreme efficiency (12 letters) was in sharp contrast to another email, from an old college friend, which positively exploded with emotion and language, including the … Continue reading Watching Egypt 2 – “We r all vry hpy”
Alan AtKisson 