Engaging Internationally

Navigating towards cultural change

January 24, 2014

A Twitter conversation around the effectiveness of advocacy campaigns and my recent travels to several countries where garbage disposal is a major problem have me thinking about this question of how we bring about significant cultural change.   In the U.S. it took decades to change the culture around garbage disposal and personal littering habits with …

End of the Year Reflections

December 15, 2013

Traveling, especially by train, often provides time for reflection and writing. I am spending the end of the year traveling in India. Here are some of my reflections on the year that is about to end:

1. Post-2015 – Although many deadlines can seem artificial, years can be useful barometers for looking at what has …

Asking the Tough Questions

November 12, 2013

Through the wonderful technology of livestreaming and a number of conference organizers who planned livestreaming into their events, I was able to travel recently to conferences and workshops in Rome, Washington, DC and London while still carrying on work based elsewhere.  Here is some of what I have been listening in on and what I’ve …

Making the Most of Online Events

September 24, 2013

The past few years have found numerous new opportunities to follow and sometimes engage with conferences and more informal conversations around the world online.  In any given week  – from annual conferences (this week) like the Clinton Global Initiative and Social Good Summit to more regular chats with high profile individuals such as former UN …

International engagement: new trends and ‘time honored’ patterns

August 12, 2013

In support of a few organizations that are increasing their international engagement, I have been surveying a number of organizations further along the international engagement spectrum  for their experiences.  I started to follow a number of these ‘further along the spectrum’ organizations over a decade ago, and it has been interesting to see some new …