I write this in the aftermath of the really uplifting and wonderfully diverse conference which I had the privilege to host and chair recently in my home city, under the auspices of the International Academy of Mediators. Nearly 120 mediators from over 20 countries attended and shared deep discussions about how we as mediators can… Continue reading The Edinburgh Declaration of International Mediators, May 2018
I don’t think I really expected to gain anything from the Better Conversations Bus Tour. I am very familiar with the North Coast 500 route, and have been to all of the towns and villages several times. As a tour guide I know their histories, I know the local landscape and geology, and I know… Continue reading Thoughts From Our Driver, Helen
Saturday morning marked the end of the Better Conversations Bus Tour 2017. The final meeting took place in Dingwall. Participants from the area around Dingwall came along because of an interest in how to conduct better conversations. Whether participants had a background in public administration, private businesses or politics, most could relate to how conducting… Continue reading Day 6: Dingwall
The last full day of the Better Conversations Bus Tour began, like many other days, with a Business Breakfast – this time in Ullapool. The meeting was well attended and had a different feel to other similar meetings. The group was diverse and each participant came with a different set of experiences and knowledge of… Continue reading Day 5: Ullapool and Gairloch
“All it takes is a small group of committed people to change the world” – Margaret Mead Local advertising for the Better Conversation Bus Tour and the public meeting in Lochinver has been great. As a result, John and the team were kept busy most of the day meeting groups and individuals in the area,… Continue reading Day 4: Lochinver
The email from the office was headed “Negative Feedback”. My heart sank. It was Day 3 of our Better Conversations Bus Tour and we’d had a number of really good meetings so far. What was this about? “He is enraged by the marketing of the bus tour”… “an example of poor communication”….”A further example of… Continue reading Day 3: “You’re the first people in 40-50 years to talk about…”
“I can’t believe it’s only Tuesday. I feel like we have been on the road for weeks” – John Sturrock With a million impressions from the previous day still fresh in mind, the Better Conversations Bus Tour 2017 team woke up in Wick yesterday morning. We started the day having fascinating conversations with representatives from… Continue reading Day 2: Wick and Thurso
Before dawn-break, our Rabbies bus embarked from Inverness on the Better Conversations Bus Tour 2017. All members of the team felt the excitement of the unknown on the first day of a project like this, where our ability to connect and engage with local communities on the North Coast 500 would be so important. Our… Continue reading Day 1 on the Better Conversations Bus Tour
Listen to John’s interview about the Better Conversations Bus Tour on Monday morning’s Good Morning Scotland. On BBC iPlayer here starting at 2:49:20.
Our Better Conversations Bus Tour takes off today, offering free events and workshops for communities across the north and west of Scotland. This is part of a new project aiming to build real dialogue and problem-solving capacity, while helping to take some of the heat out of difficult decisions about contentious matters in Scotland’s communities,… Continue reading On the road with the Better Conversations Bus Tour
