Conversations

I went to a very interesting event this evening. I knew a bit about the Edinburgh Conversations, and indeed I referenced them when I recently opened an international conference about conflict research on behalf of the School in the Playfair Library. But it was really interesting to hear much more from someone who was actually there, in a conversation facilitated by someone else who had a more limited connection to the Conversations, who has written about them not so long ago in the Scotsman. Funnily enough, I will be hearing more from John Sturrock in another capacity tomorrow....but more then. When I first arrived at the University of Edinburgh in 2005, John Erickson had relatively recently died, and he was still remembered with reverence for the difference he made.

The scariest bits of the discussion involved notes on the absence today of anything like the Edinburgh Conversations, to bridge the gaps between the various parties in the more complex conflicts that exist in the world today, as well as notes on how extraordinarily destructive non-nuclear weapons are these days.

For most of the rest of the day, I was busy with my own version of holding conversations. It was quite draining. But at least it was another beautiful day.

Home late for fried eggs on toasted muffins. One of my favourite 'home alone' dinners.