Catching Up

I've been on the road almost constantly for the past three weeks or so, and it's been hard to keep up with critical correspondence, much less blog posts. But there are some things of note going on.

The SMU class is working on proposals for three projects (one on race relations capacity building, one on women's e-commerce issues and dispute resolution in Afghanistan, and one on child trauma in the West Bank) that are all fundable. Their compassion and concern energizes Alma and me.

I just did a pro bono training day for North Mississippi Hospice - it was a very cold and windy day by a lake near Oxford, so we cut things a bit short, but the group was very interested and engaged, and the work they do is easily worth me getting a little chilly if what I did can be of any help to them.

SMU has asked me to put together a "learning abroad" course for Israel and Palestine, to be offered in 2011 - I'm working on the prospectus for that now. In the meantime, I think there are some intern possibilities for Wi'am in Bethlehem, and I'm going to try to get those off the ground through Mediators Beyond Borders and the SMU student chapter of MBB.

I've been going to bed at night frustrated that there are many things in the air that I need to work on - October and November look pretty brutal in terms of travel and commitments, but I hope a few days away in the UK with Julia in November and a bit of slowing down toward the end of the year will recharge my batteries.