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”
Watching Egypt 1 – Private Worries, Public Hopes
It was a relief to finally hear my client's voice on the phone. She was a bit breathless, but not sounding in distress. She had been out food shopping by taxi just that afternoon (this was Monday, 31 January), able to find what she needed, "though many people are just buying up whatever they can … Continue reading Watching Egypt 1 – Private Worries, Public Hopes
Letter from Syria / the Tigris-Euphrates Region
Picture the cement superstructure of some future small office building, vaguely futuristic in form, strange angles, sitting on scrubland. No walls yet, just empty space between the beams. Strung between the beams is somebody's laundry. It's hard to imagine who would hang laundry here. The nearest residential housing is at least a kilometer away. More … Continue reading Letter from Syria / the Tigris-Euphrates Region
Alan AtKisson 