Magical moments in story telling and collaboration at TED India

I just watched three presentations from TED India, held earlier this month.  Presentations from that conference are just now being released to the world.  There are more to choose from.  All of these videotaped presentations are under 20 minutes in length.  They are the highest quality.  Each tells a story.  Each tells it in a […]

Peeping as information sharing: How much is a good thing?

On my recent assignment with CESO in the Philippines, I made it a priority to give people I worked with a voice; appreciatively inquiring into their stories.  I posted articles, including pictures and videos, to this blog.  All the while, in the back of my mind were questions like Shouldn’t some of this stuff be […]

Caring about others around the world – another calamity in the Philippines

I don’t know what to say other than more heartbreaking news from the Philippines. Just finished communicating with some people I was working with, in Manila, only a few weeks ago. Over the weekend just passed, they were fighting for their very survival! On Saturday, September 26, a tropical storm brought almost 14 inches of […]

Acknowledge your thoughts then say "hello": A good strategy for working abroad

Just back in Canada after a six week assignment in the Philippines, with the Canadian Executive Service Organization (CESO), working as a Volunteer Advisor to the e-Governance for Municipal Development (eGov4MD) project.  Orchestrated by the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP), the project exemplifies the potential of collaboration (see my post 27 Ways Filipinos […]

How all things connect: Adapting to unintended consequences in Hagonoy, Philippines

Rice farming was the main agricultural activity in Hagony, a Philippines coastal community, at least up to the 1980s. It was around that time that the salinity of the water started to rise; eventually to levels unacceptable for growing rice. Many believe the salinity increase stems from drainage canals and dikes built in the 1970s […]