Editors Comment
Do any of you remember this? Click on the link.
Someone recalled the Zoom song during one of our online Large Groups at the start of the pandemic. Later that year we had the experience of attending the Barcelona symposium online and in three languages. What an achievement by everyone involved in the organisation of such a different and unexpected experience for all of us who attended.
This August we had our first hybrid symposium in Belgrade. 476 participants from across the globe meeting in person and online. The most diverse symposium to date. A truly amazing experience. Thank you to all who were involved in organising the event.
The journey to and in Belgrade, and as a participant in the symposium, was a hot experience for me in so many ways: The fact that I made it to Belgrade at all was extraordinary. I hadn’t flown in over 20 years. I only did so this time with the support of many individuals from GASi and elsewhere. Thank you to all who “held” me as I stepped on those planes (including the flight staff from Lufthansa). The temperature in Belgrade was often overwhelming for me and caused me to reflect on the awful changes to our climate and its impact on many across the globe. The “heat” of the symposium itself was inspiring and uncomfortable. There was a richness of physical, mental and emotional contact. I felt privileged to be able to convene one of the daily median groups and to also be one of the facilitators of three workshops.
The rich and hot experience didn’t end with the symposium. As with many from the UK, I had additional adventures due to UK Air Traffic Control Systems failure, arriving home four days late without my luggage with only the clothes on my back that I left Belgrade in, having acquired Covid along the way and now still feeling unwell. I know many struggled with travel and illness so I hope you have all recovered.
We have a full Belgrade Symposium edition of Contexts. Numerous interesting contributions, including the wonderful pre-symposium hike. We have much GASi news to share, a Serbian flavoured Art and Poetry Corner, a new endeavour in the Book Corner being suggested by Francesca Mineo, and our usual Quantitative Easing section. And last but not least, David’s forward as outgoing GASi President.
Enjoy reading and do send in your views, ideas, articles for the December publication.