Tuesday.
We went to an exhibition on Terrorism, called The Cell, Tuesday morning, before meeting with the Consul-General for the UK in Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico, Kevin Lynch. The discussion was lively, and we looked into the past, present and future of the EU/USA links.
We then returned to Colorado Springs and met with the Chancellor of the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs. Although many have discussed the crisis faced by European universities and how they’re losing ground to the American ones, it was intersting to realise the Americans keep our model closeby and are constantly trying to improve.
Wednesday.
Wednesday was spent on a day trip. We visited the premises of Colorado’s Farm to Tableprogram, and we spent the day reaping corn and getting to know about the program, which focuses on raising produce to distribute to soup kitchens and other institutions. I had a short but very pleasant chat with the founder before leaving, and it was very rewarding to realise that there are people who will still push for change, and can make a difference, no matter how limited.
The program was set up with Tony’s own funds and relies heavily on voluntary labour. It has been growing steadily, and will keep on making a difference. It was also quite nice to spend a day with most of El Pomar’s fellows, to see them in a more relaxed environment, and to get to know them a bit better.
Thursday.
We had meetings with the CEO of an NGO called Catamount Institute and with the CEO of the US Olympic Committee on Thursday morning, and with the Legal Counsel of the Foundation and with the CEO of Colorado Springs’ Chamber of Commerce in the afternoon. I was very impressed with the pragmatic approach to environmentalism, during the 1st meeting. An idealist who’s not pragmatic will always be an idealist. By taking a very pragmatic stance and investing heavily in the education of the citizens, the Catamount Institute has been gradually promoting change in the people’s consumption habits and making them more aware of many simple steps one can take to be environmentaly-friendly.
We had a long weekend (as Monday was Labour day), and did a lot of things, which I will try to describe in the best possible way in the nearest future. This week is focused on the future of the region, and we’ll also learn about the military.
