Travel 2023

For environmental reasons, I have tried to reduce my travel to only those events where my contribution would be a "moral offset" for the climate impact of flying, and I have not taken many pictures. In January I went to Madrid for an expert working meeting on revisions to the UN Charter, and returned again for a second meeting in June, when we visited Toledo after the meeting. Another two-day trip to Madrid 28 February-1 March was to participate in the European Center on Peace and Development (ECPD) Council meeting. In early April I went to the Netherlands for two weeks to present a paper at the Justice Conference and contribute to other activities; I travelled by train but missed all the connections through Germany and arrived very late both ways. May 17-21 was the ebbf-Ethical Business Building the Future annual conference in Lisbon. After Madrid in June, I participated in a retreat at the Domain de la Garde near Bourg-en-Bresse in France on "Our spiritual garden", and then went (by train) to Villars-sur-Ollon in the Swiss Alps for the meeting of the Climate Governance Commission and the Villars Symposium with 120 teenagers from around the world, when we went on an Alpine nature walk to Lac des Chavonnes. My summer activities were either in Geneva or mostly virtual. At the end of August I taught at the Baha'i Summer School in Romania (see separate page), and in early September went to Acuto, Italy, for an ebbf retreat (see separate page). On 27-29 October I went to Belgrade, Serbia, to speak at the European Center for Peace and Development annual conference on "The future is to be invented", and to chair the ECPD Youth Forum on "Youth Leadership for System Change", for both of which I prepared the concept notes and served as rapporteur. The next day I flew to Lucknow, India, for the International Conference of Chief Justices of the world (see separate page and report on IEF website). My last trip of the year was to Paris on 15-17 November to participate in a colloquium on Global Ocean Governance at a joint meeting of the Academies of Overseas Science of France and Belgium, where I gave the closing keynote (see report on IEF website).

Lisbon

The ebbf-Ethical Business Building the Future annual conference in Lisbon, Portugal, on 17-21 May is always an opportunity to discuss how to bring values more directly into business and the world of work. This year I led a workshop on global solidarity accounting for business. Travel was a nightmare, with my flights both ways on EasyJet cancelled at the last minute with no alternative arrangements or compensation by the airline.

Events at the ebbf conference, including me speaking at my workshop

ebbf conference group photo

Toledo

While I was in Madrid 16-19 June for the second meeting of an expert group convened by the Global Governance Forum to consider possible revisions of the UN Charter to allow the UN to meet the challenges of the 21st century, we had time after the close of the meeting to take a field trip to the walled city of Toledo, a World Heritage site, (see separate page) for more photos.

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Our group visiting Toledo

La Garde

The June retreat at the Domain de la Garde near Bourg-en-Bresse in France, a one hour drive from Geneva, where I have been going for many years, is always an opportunity to exchange with people of many faith traditions on spiritual topics. This year's subject was "Our spiritual garden," and I shared perspectives on the significance of gardens and nature in the Bahá'í tradition, from historical events like the Declaration of Bahá'u'lláh in the Garden of Ridvan in Baghdad, to the gardens around the Bahá'í World Centre in Haifa, Israel, and the frequent use of garden metaphors in the Bahá'í Writings.

Me with two friends at La Garde

Romania

Baha'i Summer School in Romania (see separate page for more photos)

Romanian Bahá'í Summer School 2023

Acuto, Italy

ebbf- Ethical Business Building the Future retreat in Acuto, Italy (see separate page for more photos)

ebbf retreat at Acuto