Flashbacks

February 18, 2025 SFLeave a comment

Today’s conference reminded me of some of my innovations in the 90s

I was inspired by Negroponte’s book ‘Being Digital’ to explore the Internet … and develop projects to help others to do it … before it became monopolised by big business.

A friend Dave and I would use the Commodore Amiga (much more than a games machine) in the late 80s and gopher to visit US Sheriff’s offices wanted lists.

It got me thinking. As Negroponte stated in ‘Being Digital’ we were going through a revolution as significant as the invention of the printing press.

Often my thing was ‘how do we engage people so they’re actively involved?’

Here was a great inspiration

….

My senior role in government with Kirklees Council — who were very supportive of ‘wild thinking’ — had already provided me with the opportunity to innovate.

Here was another possibility: a creative challenge ..

Cyber Coffee Mornings.

Within a year of the introduction of the world-wide-web we hit the local community and throughout the teams in government introducing them to this revolutionary new way to access the internet.

Coffee mornings are community gatherings to meet and share.

Invading these community events with lengths of phone leads, modem, over head projector, LCD panels (what we’d use before digital projectors became available) and a Toshiba laptop.

Cyber Citizens

Was the group that took it to the wider community.

The innovative projects came thick and fast.

We were the first Social Services (social work) department in the U.K. web site in the country and electronic information service

Disabled People’s Electronic Village Hall an idea borrowed from north Europe. This was a community project to promote access to learning about computers, becoming confident and surfing the net.

To help all this along we had ..

An EU — European project to share experiences between Athens, Crete, Manchester and Kirklees.

An exciting time

I initiated the projects but they worked because people got involved including students from the university to make them a success

I was also privately sponsored by Pedigree Petfoods (MARS) to provide a workshop to veterinary nurses throughout the country.

…

Footnote

Reflection

For many this was an opportunity to make money

But not for me … as usual my motivation was to serve the community.

Manjula’s Library

January 5, 2025 SFLeave a comment

It started out as a joke.

Manjula complained about me filling the house with art and books —- and we were running out of space.

She decided that when I was seventy-five (that’s right, i’m —not yet) and stopped leading MYcycle tours (big assumption there) we’d open the house as a library.

In her memory I closed one of the bedrooms to reopen it as ‘Manjula’s Library’

There’s now hundreds of fiction and non-fiction books in English, including those about education, India, history, philosophy, for adults and children.

It’s an idiosyncratic mix already used by our guests, the members of ‘reflective space’ and the time I spend with young people.

My own favourites are the picture books.

It changes by the day ….

… check out the new arrivals.

Yes, it’s not JUST books, we now have a selection of cool badges.

Anti-campaigning

December 28, 2024 SFLeave a comment

Anti-nuke

In the 1970s and 1980s, in my early adult years I joined political campaigns and demonstrations. I believe — that’s part of our democratic rights — nowadays the right wing media might label it woke in a divisive way.

We marched and disrupted against war in principle and the locating of US Cruise missiles in the U.K., in particular.

More recently I’ve revisited one of those places and had people from the military on my training workshops. For example, I participated in research about drone bees on Greenham common ewhere the cruise missile airfield is now closed. I’ve also had a manager from the warfare research institute attend one of my corporate workshops (on ethics 🤔🤭) in London.

Non-violent campaigns.

There’s a long tradition of this around the world, given focus and energised by Mahatma Gandhi in the campaigns against the autocratic, racist British colonialists in India

In addition to anti-nuke demos from the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament or CND (1950s onwards so before I was born) we campaigned against apartheid and fascism.

Modern day examples might be seen as the response to Gaza

BUT in countries around the world governments (for example in the U.K.) are legislating against peaceful demonstrations or intimidating demonstrators through arrest (or in India demolishing their homes.)

Our democracy is diminished through these actions. Our rights to challenge and demonstrate are critical parts of an active participative democracy.

Footnote

Let’s be absolutely clear and challenge a blatant untruth here in India.

The demonstrations in the west against the inhuman attacks on Gaza are organised and attended by a great big mix of different people from all communities including Jews and Muslims.

Keep tidy

December 19, 2024December 19, 2024 SFLeave a comment

Slivers of paper, pencil sharpenings, crisp packets,

Neighbours blame the inconsiderate young people but let’s look a little closer….

Yes it’s adults with babies dumping their diapers (nappies)

A bag full goes in our bin to be collected by the city corporation (MCC).

Why can’t the people give their rubbish to the MCC who collect most mornings?

The fading Firangi (foreign pensioner) chooses to clear it up. My neighbours blame the students and it’s partially true but on closer inspection — it’s the babies shit now smeared all around by the dogs — who’ve adopted the park that’s made it worse.

So all ages are responsible together with their team mates, the dogs…. It’s not just due to the corporation not clearing up. People need to learn to put things in a bin and not expect other to clear up after them.

We had similar problems in the U.K. in the past.

So there was a countrywide campaign, decades ago to stop people littering.

Creativity Days

December 6, 2024December 6, 2024 SFLeave a comment

Were organised by Manjula’s Mysore at Kaliyuvamane, the ‘open’ school that Kaveri attends in Mysore and separately for an NGO working with visually impaired young women.

Why?

… because it’s an ‘alternative’ approach we think reflects our way of thinking and that of the school.

Betty Edward’s writer of ‘Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain’ puts it well…

“throughout many cultures … there is much talk of creativity and our need for innovation and invention. “ …. Yet …

“our education system seems bent on eliminating every last bit of creative perceptual training of the right side of the brain, while overemphasising the skills best accomplished by the left side of the brain: memorising dates, data, theorems, and events with the goal of passing standardised tests.”

Edwards believes that “with careful teaching transfer, drawing and reading together can educate both halves of the brain.”

Indeed the management guru Tom Peters declared innovation as the no 1 competency for successful, thriving organisations. That was also reflected in the work of John W Gardner author of ‘excellence’ and ‘self-renewal: the individual and the innovative society’

As I look into this more, I realise that creativity helps us develop and use the right side of the brain to enhance our perception and to bring meaning into our increasingly complex worlds.

It’s therefore no accident that we’ve promoted “two vital global skills: reading and drawing.”

I hope MAnjula was happy and proud that in her memory we’ve tried to better equip young people for the challenges they’ll face, bringer greater equilibrium and help them find their passion.

Details of our creativity days are here and here

a man, his dog a girl and a tree

December 1, 2024December 1, 2024 SFLeave a comment

Yesterday evening as I was waiting outside a shop selling dots for one’s forehead —

—Manjula used to give them as gifts as we travelled through England—

A woman asked where she was.

I pointed to, inside the shop and after a perplexed reaction, realised she wasn’t asking about the little girl (Kaveri) or Manjula, for that matter, but the dog (Lucie).

The girl was stocking up for the return to school.

I’m well known in my area and in Mysore generally but usually because of my appendage.

I am nothing, not even a number.

…

I once walked into a hotel (restaurant) right on the other side of the city, for the waiter to ask me where’s the dog. He also lived in Siddarthanagar.

So I’m well known for who I’m with …

As of this morning, as I realise, I stick out like a sore thumb as generally there’s rarely other firangis (foreigners) here. There’s a new appendage.

A tree

As I was tossing and turning in the midst of my AWOL, nightly sleep I realised there was only this morning for me to be able to decorate the tree for Christmas.

Kaveri will be going back to school.

Kaveri is here for less than 24 hours and we’ve decorated it together for the past three years since we met. I’ll not see her again until a few days after Christmas Day when we’ll belatedly celebrate Christmas.

A bit too late to do the tree

Plus our usual totem is now too big and heavy for the hall aka lounge.

What to do?

Easy

Get up before the girls and after walking as man and dog, I go out again, to the nearest ‘nursery’. It’s run by guys from UP on the roadside. I haggle with them from the Firangi-Gora (white) — tax – price, to something resembling the price a local would pay. About half.

Then as I’m trudging home— convincing myself that I’m exercising my muscle diminishing 60+ years arms —- with very regular rests. I realised I’m another spectacle of the foreigner ‘variety’ who is entertaining the locals, especially the men at the chai shop and the women sweeping the streets. They’re interested as no one can possibly work out why the rich foreigner is carrying a tree and not using an auto rickshaw.

A wonderful young man, rescues me from the ordeal of the last stretch, stops for me to balance precariously on the back of his bike and gets me home.

I’ve become the foreigner, not only with dog and girl but now the tree

It suits me

…

Ok it doesn’t look very heavy but the weight is in the pot.

It’s now decorated.

But now the cats eyeing it up, for a potential attack thankfully for the moment she seems satisfied with the empty decoration boxes.

Different worlds

November 29, 2024November 29, 2024 SFLeave a comment

Ganesh, originally bought from the stone carvers in Tamil Nadu with representations of — (from the left) the moon, earth and sun.

I’ve adapted one of his key stories to share with Kaveri and Radhika.

It traditionally goes like this …

Ganesh and his brother have a race round the world to prove who’s fastest.

If we were asked to predict who would win we’d think his brother, as Ganesh aka Ganpati isn’t lithe and doesn’t look fit. Plus .. He eats a lot!

His brother is shocked to find Ganesh already there when he breathlessly reaches the finishing line.

It turns out Ganesh raced around his world (his parents) and his brother raced around the whole world (planet earth).

My addition.

There’s no right or wrong here, both raced around important worlds. Fact is — we occupy many worlds— at school, where we live, amongst our friends, work. It’s important for us to realise these different worlds — an understanding of which — helps us realise how people see things differently.

Only then … can we — Be Kind— (a regular message to Kaveri), as that depends on us understanding how each person sees things. No point ‘being kind’ in ways that ‘the other’ person doesn’t value or recognise.

Factoid !?

Kartikeya ), also known as Skanda, Subrahmanya, Shanmukha and Murugan, is the Hindu god of war. He is generally described as the son of the deities Shiva and Parvati and the brother of Ganesha.

Lifted off the t’internet

All images are in Mysore Bed and Breakfast but non of his brother as he’s still racing around the world.

Help – Break the crate..

November 29, 2024November 29, 2024 SFLeave a comment

Revealing possibilities

Broadening Horizons

Passing through Barriers

Help girls (and boys) prepare for adult life by introducing yourself and sharing your insights.

Manjula’s Mysore is inviting its guests and members of its monthly meeting: ‘reflective space’ to create a short Introductory video — talking to camera — to reveal what’s possible.

I often use the story of Ganesh and his brother racing each other to reveal to young people that we live in many different worlds — with our immediate family, at home, with friends, at work, our extended family, while travelling.

It’s important to recognise and value difference reflected in those different worlds. That helps us to realise what wide variety of opportunities exist for us.

Many young people don’t understand how different their lives could be.

If we know more, we’re more enlightened and can better choose the life we wish to have, and find what suits us best.

Breaking the crate.

It might mean challenging the status quo and breaking away from what’s traditionally expected of us.

Sharing examples gives others strength.

This idea came from how much Kaveri learned about other people’s worlds by meeting guests of all ages — from India and around the world—- at Mysore Bed and Breakfast.

I hope this helps broaden her horizons and seize opportunities

Manjula realised — that even with a limited education, from a poor background having experienced so many difficult challenges throughout her life — she could create a wonderful home, share it with people from around the world, become a company director, manage our business and teach a Firangi a thing or two!! (Many things actually)

Manjula continues to give.

Look at what she had to put up with …

Surely you can do better than this!!

Critical management.

November 28, 2024November 28, 2024 SFLeave a comment

I’ve tried to help people become active participants in the decisions affecting them throughout my life.

I’ve worked to develop and improve their organisations as facilitator and manager since the early 80s.

Initially this was in NGOs and government but later in my career i was guide: consultant and trainer working with MNCs (multi-national companies) and by developing partnerships.

Occasionally, here I’ll post opinion pieces and insights from my experiences. These are for anyone but particularly young people and especially members of our reflective space group here in Mysore.

Here’s the latest.

Dancing Elephants about personal and organisational change

Management styles: whimsical

Management Styles: Banyan Tree

More subjects will follow about innovation, motivation, developmental stages of an organisation, responsible business, thinking…

blah blah blah

Uncanny coincidence.

With dancing elephants we introduced an award scheme. Years later we found an incredible coincidence.

Sometimes things were meant to be.

….

Manjula’s Library

There’s a great range of books including those on learning, management, history, philosophy and education in Manjula’s library at our house aka Mysore Bed and Breakfast. My favourites are the children’s picture books which are of course for all ages!

….

My MPhil was a research degree in Critical Management undertaken at Lancaster University in the 1990s

In my studies and practice, I focused on human behaviour in different contexts. When I reached my 60s, I realised I’ll never understand human behaviour 🤪

I’ve helped develop hundreds of projects over the years. As a facilitator no one probably associates them with me.

I’m satisfied with that.

Stephen