We live in a living planet. Notice I wrote “in” where your mind was expecting “on”. That little word “on” can lead us astray, mentally. We do not live “on top of” but rather inside a sphere of pulsing, dynamic systems, a colorful, evolving kaleidoscope of life that is the most wonderful and visible characteristic … Continue reading Keeping the Earth in the Center — Especially When That’s Extremely Difficult
Government, Policy, Politics
Canada is in the Center
Quick summary: Mark Carney’s speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, with inspiration from Václav Havel, has put Canada in the middle of a global discussion about the future of our world in an age of broken international trust. I just wish he were wrong. (Read the article …)
Greenland is in the Center
Last week I wrote a somewhat dispassionate (on purpose) defense of holding the center — or what used to be the center — politically. The theme of my article was resisting the current tendency towards outrage and ethical compromise that is partly driven by social media, partly by today’s dramatic and extreme political climate, and … Continue reading Greenland is in the Center
Holding the Center in Difficult Times
A reflection on how not to go mad when things seem to be going crazy The first time I voted in the US presidential election, in 1980, I cast my vote for Congressman John Anderson. He was a former Republican running as an independent on a socially-liberal, fiscally-conservative platform. Anderson’s quixotic campaign is mostly forgotten … Continue reading Holding the Center in Difficult Times
Celebrating a very positive, independent evaluation of GWP
This is a copy of a post I shared on LinkedIn, 5 Jan 2026. Reading the evaluation of GWP that I write about below was a great way to start the year, from a personal-professional point of view. /Alan Sometimes, all too rarely, you get to see documented proof that your work has contributed to … Continue reading Celebrating a very positive, independent evaluation of GWP
A song of melancholy and last-chance hope: Why I wrote “The Last Dice”
In September 2011, I found myself unexpectedly wandering the streets of Istanbul. I say “unexpectedly” because there was revolution in Syria, a growing social uprising that would eventually ignite an all-consuming civil war. Security concerns had made going back to the city of Aleppo, which is where I had expected to be, impossible. Click to … Continue reading A song of melancholy and last-chance hope: Why I wrote “The Last Dice”
I asked ChatGPT to analyse the new US National Security Strategy
After reading the new National Security Strategy of the United States of America, recently released by the White House, I thought, "I used to advise US military bases on their sustainability programs. This new strategy seems to be a major change in direction, and it has enormous implications for sustainability and sustainable development work, globally. … Continue reading I asked ChatGPT to analyse the new US National Security Strategy
Baltic Futures = Europe’s Future
Consider the Baltic Sea: Brackish. Beautiful. Highly polluted. Linking (or dividing) the following countries: Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark – and Russia. It might irritate certain EU member states, not mentioned above, both current and former, to learn that for journalist Oliver Moody, Berlin bureau chief for The Times of London, the … Continue reading Baltic Futures = Europe’s Future
Words&Music 2: What a difference a half-year makes
Dear Reader, This is the second installment of my personal newsletter, Words&Music. To receive this in your inbox, sign up here: http://eepurl.com/duzZz9 Dear Reader, Global poverty. Climate change. Political uncertainty. Swedish development aid. Financial markets. The United Nations and the World Bank. The challenge of learning to lead a complex department, in a complex public … Continue reading Words&Music 2: What a difference a half-year makes
Freedom of Information: You Have Chydenius To Thank for That
This short post was originally published on the now-defunct website Worldchanging.com, in 2007. The story of Chydenius serves as a good reminder of the importance of maintaining a free press and the right of public access to government information — principles that seem increasingly under attack around the world. The text has been slightly updated. … Continue reading Freedom of Information: You Have Chydenius To Thank for That
Alan AtKisson 