The New Archbishop of Canterbury: "Businessification" of the Church.

The appointment of the new Archbishop of Canterbury shows a new departure not only in the skills required of the church leader but also in how he was appointed; though perhaps things have not changed in their media department. 

It’s always been a joke that there's nothing that leaks like the CofE! Justin Welby is the name that was reported after the last meeting of the Crown Nominations Commission and they should have managed the story better in the last 48 hours.  I do wonder who the other short-listed name was that the panel could agree on, thus delaying the announcement; we may find out – I gather there’s a role in Durham which needs filling (!) and the Archbishop of York (now 63) may not wait too much longer before retiring.  But here we are with a new ABC in the wings and a rather welcome appointment

I knew Welby when I  was at Coventry Cathedral. He was intelligent, witty and an impressive negotiator. He seemed wise beyond his years. I think it a brave choice to pick a relatively unknown man but his stance on Women Bishops and commitment to listen to, if not agree with, the gay lobby is encouraging. I think he may surprise us and be more liberal than billed.

The media has been emphasising his time in business but I wonder if they have missed something. He's now spent twice as long in the God trade as in the oil one. And business has changes a huge amount in the 20 years since he was involved in it.  What’s more significant and more of a hint of his “business-mind” is his church background. 

Welby was an early member of Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB) which has successfully designed a more family-friendly, evangelical style of church.  It’s become particularly known for the Alpha course which aims to convert or grow people in the faith.  Alpha is a world-wide brand and HTB has “planted” 20 churches when it has sent staff and members to grow other failing congregations.  A true CofE success.  This model of church has been about getting the message out there and encouraging people to invest their time and money in the church.  The churches staff have already had a bishop and dean amongst its famous alumni and now has a former member in the highest role in anglicanism. 

I don’t mean for a second to suggest that it is all about the money but, rather, that there is a professionalism behind this listening exterior.  This is a man who knows the church needs to improve its image if its message is to be heard: he’s done it before at local and regional level.  Now he has to do it at a national one. 

I think the appointment proves the new system with a revised panel and no government choice has worked. They've come up with a strong, slightly less known candidate as any good recruitment process should. He's going to be more media-savy than Rowan and I think a good choice for the next decade. 

Lasting Impressions of The Balkans

This is my second trip to the Western Balkans, the first being to Zagreb about 2 years ago. I've also been to several countries which only emerged from behind the iron curtain in the last 20 years: the Czech Republic, Poland and Estonia have featured in my travels. Yet, in many senses, this has been a steeper learning and experience curve than those trips.

Throughout many former Eastern Bloc countries and, indeed, most Western European countries, too, there are memorials to those lost in the world wars or in the struggle for independence. There's evidence of change and loss but mostly it has been preserved or sanitised. Although divisions may still exist, they are largely hidden and the process of "moving forward" is well advanced. In Bosnia & Herzegovina and, to a lesser extent, Croatia the divisions remain, the healing is just starting and the physical scars are all too visible.

Even in Dubrovnik with its relative wealth and large number of tourists, gaps remain where buildings have been hit, the suburbs are poor and there are posters condemning the Serbian/Montenegrin bombing, showing where each shell landed. Indeed, when speaking to people the tensions between Croats and Bosniaks, Serbians etc still remain.

In Bosnia, the poverty is much more evident and the damage has been made safe but barely repaired in places. Again, I gather that the divisions remain with schools on either side teaching only their version of history to their people. Signs are meant to be bilingual but often graffiti wipes out one or other language. Political slogans, dates of importance to one side or the other and symbols (including swastikas) can be seen everywhere there is blank wall a spray can can be used on. This is not a sustainable model for peace where a common understanding, respect and future need to be forged.

These countries were at war from 1991-5 with ongoing skirmishes (e.g. In Kosovo) until recently. War is not an historical thing but something that everyone has a story about. Within two and a half of hours of London is a country which is still working through its troubles.

Yet, despite these harsh social realities, there is a softer side to these countries. The scenery is truely spectacular from the coast roads to the mountain passes, from the pretty town centres to the night time panoramas of cities, from the clean accommodation to the welcoming hosts. This was a holiday where I learnt so much of what this area has to offer.

My father remembers travelling through here after his first year at university with its amazing views; I too take away great memories and can wholeheartedly recommend a self-drive trip to explore the area. And it will not be my last trip: the national parks to the north of Croatia and Zadar are a high priority. A trip to Sarajevo is now top on my travel "to do" list.

This holiday has changed the way I see this part of the world and, as with so many of my trips, inspires me travel more around this diverse, fascinating continent of Europe.

Travel: Learning, experiencing, enjoying

As I walked across Dubrovnik harbour front this morning I witnessed some of the worst stereotypical American tourists. Only they weren't a stereotype: they were the real thing. Loud, dominating any scene, ignoring local practices in ordering a taxi and nearly shouting at the locals who were obviously a bit thick AS THEY DO NOT SPEAK ENGLISH.

That said, I have remarked several times how tricky it is to be a self-guiding tourist here. Coach tours turn up outside a venue, wander around, get fed and wander on again. A tad stereotypical again but there's less risk there. As a self-guided tourist we need direction signs (language unimportant), safe accommodation and info on what we are looking at. These things have not always been obvious here. We have not been able to find museums, monuments and hotels without a bit of search or, in a couple of cases, at all.

Yet it is easy to be a snobby tourist, stating that "my way is the only way"; I know that I have a tendency not to engage with the local population but at the same time want to avoid mass crowds. I am more comfortable in a little hotel or B&B than staying with a family or in a big all-inclusive hotel. We all have our comfort zones as travellers. It's being confident to move beyond those so we learn more, experience more and enjoying more of the world around us which has to be some of the reasons we travel for.

Beauty and Hurt in the Balkans

One of the joys of doing a PhD on a European-related theme is that I can justify trips to less known corners of my continent as "research". It's a long shot but makes me feel better about taking time off. That said, in the case of Bosnia and Croatia, the focus of my current trip, it's not that far from the truth. These countries have been the focus of EU Higher Education policies to help their recovery from the 1992-5 war and some of the students involves in my case study come from this part of the world. If Universities can be used as a "soft power" tool to bring about social change, peace and growth - as the EU desires - then this is a prime example of where it can be used. 

I was 9 when the war in Bosnia started in 1992 and remember my Mother trying to explain that this was important not simply due to the deaths but it's proximity to us. A shooting in this part of the world had lead 80years earlier to war across Europe. This is not some far flung land but part of our continent. 

And that has been one of the striking things since we landed in Dubrovnik 36 hours ago. The Dalmatian coast is a little bit Italian, the Herzegovinan river valleys seeming a little like inland France and the rocky mountains like Provence. Of course, this country is unique and its beauty stunning but, in places, this is a land that is familiar.  So to imagine a war raging through this part of the edge of Europe is challenging. 

As we drove deeper into Bosnia some of the divisions became clearer. Road signs in cyrillic were crossed out or had graffiti on them to correct into what one minority consider the "correct" language. The number of minarets was a little unexpected but with some 48% of the 3.8m population being Muslim, they shouldn't have been. There have been Muslims in this part of the world for 5 centuries. Christians in the UK have left their mark on the architecture of the country with church towers over that time, the same will be true here. At the same time as witnessing the familiar in Bosnia & Croatia, we were seeing new things, too. 

Mostar is one of the places where the divisions in this society were clearest 20 years ago in 1993 when the bridge between the 2 elements of this society was destroyed and crimes committed against the city's populations. The bridge has been rebuilt and is impressive. In the bright autumnal sunshine it is beautiful yet, all around buildings remain bombed out, bullet marks can be seen on buildings and the community remains separated into groups as can be seen by the separate schools, governance and cultural institutions. 17 years may have passed since the peace was agreed and millions invested but there is still much that divides this nation. 

As tourists, we are amongst the minority who come here though numbers are increasing. We strayed from the main tourist sites to small villages or back roads where the divisions become more evident. Schools for one group of children or another. Cemeteries, spray painted slogans, war memorials and, I suspect, local cafes dedicated to one group or another. The infrastructure here is not suited to tourists (the lack of accommodation, food or even signage indicates that) but this is, I feel, what really needs to be seen and talked about. The reality of this country rather than the glossy brochure they want to present. 

And this is where the EU and, in a strange way, my research links back in. This place needs unifying infrastructure and knowledge. The EU has experience of this following the divisions through war, the iron curtain and socio-political shifts. Through the power of schemes like the one I am researching, people learn and engage with new peoples and cultures. The "other" becomes familiar. If this is allowed to continue here, perhaps HE can have a role beyond educating. 

Today I am stunned by the concurrent beauty and still-visible ravages of war in Mostar & Bosnia generally. Tomorrow, perhaps, I can be impressed by the beauty and a country that has continued to move on from its difficult past. 

The Role of A University

I read a blog on my old School's website about how students selected universities, the role those universities play in the UK and I wanted to reply. Here's my reply to the headmaster who is also in charge of the University Brief at the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference which brings together heads of many leading private schools.


Dear Mr Ramsey,

Just to prove how widely your blog is read, I am an OKS from 2001 and keep my eye on your blog for its comments on current eduction trends and updates about Kings. It is a different school to my day but the values seem to resonate through the years.

Since leaving school, I took a degree in French at the Universities of Warwick & Grenoble and a Masters in Broadcast Journalism at Sheffield University before taking a job in International Business Development at Roehampton University, putting together international research and teaching projects. I am currently a Research Development Officer at the University of Westminster where I "sell" research in the School of Social Sciences, Humanities & Languages to UK & European Research Councils, foundations, government departments and business as well as helping develop the research culture and preparations for the Research Excellence Framework assessments. In addition to this, I'm 4 out of 5 years through my PhD (in my spare time!) on European Higher Education Policy. Which leads me to a unique (if personal!) view of Higher Education. Which brings me to 2 points on your blog.

1. I agree with your advice on visiting an institution on an ordinary day. That's how I fell in love with Warwick and knew that would be my home. However, I'm not as keen on the National Student Survey (NSS) and it has a mixed reputation amongst universities and Students' Unions. It's not just because it doesn't give the answer we want (!) but issues with the questions asked and how the data is collected. Response rates vary hugely both between institutions and between individual courses at a single institutions. Conclusions are drawn from surprisingly low percentages of students on programmes. I was told by Mr Neal (I think, it could have been Dr Heritage my form tutor) when I applied to look at the percentage of students getting 1st/2:1s as this shows how well academics are teaching the talent they welcome. It's a good metric and the stats from HEFCE are based on entire student bodies on a programme rather than partial snap shots.

2. The main reason for writing is your comment on why our decision makers are based in Business, Innovation & Skills. It makes sense to those of us working in Universities. Though 18 year olds coming for tertiary level education are the focus of our reputation and our media presence, their significance is a bit more mixed. Yes, the majority of our income comes from them but we make more money on Taught Masters which is a sector-wide growth area and the most profitable area is student accommodation lettings. Universities have a rapidly growing portfolio of Continuing Professional Development opportunities and opportunities for more mature learners, a significant market in a country with an ageing population. However, though Government would want us to grow these areas and thus is part of the reason we are included in BIS, the primary reason is Research. Teaching is often only a third of an academic's contract. Academics see themselves as researchers; their PhDs are not for teaching or "knowledge transfer" activities but for their research. Universities offer a lot in terms of economic growth through research and, indeed, it is one of the things that makes us distinctive. Universities contribution is not just about education but about furthering knowledge. Some (more political) people might say it gives us the excellent Willets rather than the more divisive Give but I try not to be as partisan!

I suspect none of this comes as a surprise to you given your role on the HMC but in the spirit of discussion inspired by both the Internet and my education at King's I thought I would send a few thoughts.

With all good wishes to you and the school,
Christopher Grinbergs

Keeping Momentum Going

So another 2 months gone, another 2 chapters submitted. And what a hard couple of chapters they've been to write. The longer that this PhD goes on, the more I realise there is to do both in terms of work on the PhD and in terms of my development. I am repeatedly told that this is the highest level of degree available and it shouldn't be easy. I am also told that things get harder before they are finished. Doesn't exactly fill me with joy.

It's been a busy few months at home; there have been some serious changes in the family with 2 engagements: my Brother (expected) and Daddy (unexpected). I've also been going through some changes at work as well as trying to sort a house move in the coming weeks. Trying to keep things going on the PhD is the least of y worries and yet when I was sitting writing I remembered how much I was enjoying things. This is one of the best thugs that I have ever done which is just about enough momentum to inspire me to finish things off.

Above all, there's been the Olympics and Paralympics this summer. I was lucky to attend some brilliant sessions and also to perform in the wonderful Paralympics Opening Ceremony. Witnessing the drive and determination that the athletes had had to go through to get to those finals was inspiring. They must have dark mornings and days when they want to hide away. When I was practicing for the Paralympics Opening Ceremony there were hours of hanging around followed by slightly mindless repetitive activities. A bit like the PhD. Yet throughout on the whole we managed to keep the enthusiasm going. And of was worth it, for that moment when we walked into the stadium and performed our section. The buzz of 80,000 people cheering for you was great. The effort behind the scenes was worth it for the final public performance. And that's how I can be inspired with my PhD by the Olympics: keep going, it will be worth it.

President Hollande: the battle starts now

"oh look they're already at it" complained the daughter of the. Cottage we've hired as she saw Hollande's supporters lighting fires in Place de la Bastille n Paris to celebrate the socialist's victory.

She saw this as five year's of chaos and social unrest. Her father saw at as a time of higher taxes and increased trade via "Le black", the black market.

Last night I was sat watching the French elections with a family in Alsace. They're hard working people; factory technicians at day and at night they build they're children's homes. They built from the foundations up their home and the cottage I am sitting in. Impressive stuff.

Like two thirds of the people in Alsace last night they vote to the right. Now cannot be sure but I suspect that they voted for Maine Le Pen in round one. They, like many people in France, don't vote for an extreme right party. They vote for a party which protects jobs which are being seen as taken by immigrants. They vote for a party with lower taxes that protects pensions and a classical, family way of life.

The French far right party, the Front National, cannot be confused with neo-Nazi or fascist parties. Though some supporters may be, the majority are working people like those I sat with last night. They're not like members of the UK's British National Party and it is lazy, liberal commentators (and at times the media) that confuse their political stance.

As the family watched M Sarkozy concede victory, they were moved as they saw him moved, too. They wondered if the former president was about to retire and did not want to contemplate a role as Prime Minister if he got unelected to the legislative. Whatever, Sarkozy and Le Pen launched the fight back of the right last night with the start of the campaign for Assembly vote in a month.

Could like, Mitterrand before him, be a socialist president trying to fight his agenda through a right-wing assembly. The political fight for survival starts now for Hollande. Hollande's margin of win is only 0.09% less than Mitterand's 31 years ago. As in 1981, this socialist president is not universally accepted and it seems Hollande has won simply not being Sarkozy and, according to the family I watched this with, not being married to Carla Bruni.

Unlike in 1981, though, the pattern of voting is different. In 1981, the pattern of voting was fairly constant across the country, in this election the right have won a whole collection of central France from Alsace to the Loire with up to 67% of the vote. Presidents are president over all the country, not just those who vote for item bit this is not a ringing endorsement.

In our conversations over a glass or 6 of local wine, it became clear that the major issue for these people was immigration which challenged their jobs, a general loathing of America which has taken their money as well as a sense that Price are going up and no-one is stopping them. These opinions may not be universal but they are common. These are the issues facing a divided, economically challenged France.

The cottage in which we are staying is reflective of many areas of France. Up the road is Strasbourg for tourism, Mulhouse for factories, Germany for cash 10km away. People here stuck between employment zones, identity & in middle of EU borders. Our French hosts need to be convinced this is a president who will work for them.

Up the road in a near-by bar over a glass of wine, the general malaise and dissatisfaction with France came out again as the bar man told us a joke. The French, German and French presidents are in hell and notice a phone. The devil tells the usage is very expensive. So Obama uses it for 10 minutes for which the devil charges €2million. Merkel gives a quick call for 15 minutes and is charged €3million. Sarkozy calls for 6 hours and the devil asks him for 50 centimes. The others looked shocked and question the devil. He replies that "France is hell so it's local rates."

In many ways the joke could have been of Sarkozy or Hollande. The French are disillusioned with all their politicians and their state.

My Father kept saying that Hollande is "only five years"; those who oppose him in France are bracing themselves for that period. But to just over half of the French this is a huge opportunity for social change and something they have not seen in a generation. Hollande's battle to be a success for all the French and for elections in 2017 starts now, and it won't be easy.

France & Greece: Unexpected Twins

Being a twin, you learn to share your big days; someone also the same birthday, exam results day, personal crises, all at the same time. This was good as a child as you learnt to share and unknowingly see your own position in a wiser context at a young age than most. But very few are lucky enough to be a twin! Most older siblings a remember the time when they were the sole attention of their parents, it coming as more of a shock to share the limelight. Younger ones remember their older one getting to do things first or newer toys, some feeling they cannot live up to their older family.

Well France &Greece must feel a bit like this today. Every time France have elected a President in the past they have hit the top of the news agenda as one of the world's top countries and receiving hours of dedicated news coverage. Conversely Greek elections would be somewhere at the bottom of a UK news bulletin really if something odd had happened.

Well today the little brother in Election terms is probably the most significant. What happens in Greece will affect a whole currency and the political structure of a continent. Whether the new government can accept EU set cuts is hard to tell. Whatever, the Greek people do not like them and tonight's electoral results will reflect that.

In France, it is looking likely that Hollande will beat Sarkozy. However, turn out and how many of Le Pen's follow her in casting a blank ballot or vote for Sarkozy are unknowns so could make for a tighter race with difference between the candidates cut to a couple of points.

Whatever, though many will focus on France tonight, Greece remains the needy younger brother. However they vote, to misquote, "We are fearful of the Greeks, even when they bring (electoral) gifts."

So that's the UK Vote

Sometimes Eurovision has the right idea. 4 hours of gripping TV and then the world elects a winner.

Well tonight scenes were more like the contested 2000 Florida election than any Mayoral vote I have seen: missing boxes, delayed counts & all the melodrama of a good 19th century play.

And Boris won. Just. And I underestimated the strength of the Labour vote but predicted correctly that all coalition parties would be hit in the local elections.

So my UK predictions were a tad out but I stand by my prediction of Hollande just beating Sarkozy and that Greek minority parties will do well. o

But this morning Labour must be pleased but unsure how to win the elections The Lib Dema need to save themselves. And the Tories need to work out how to appeal to both left and right to guarantee success.

So democracy roughly worked in the UK. But the result and the futures are becoming even harder to predict, as are the scores. So now to France and green. It'll be fascinating.

Local Elections: Anything but Local Results.

And the right voting for anything bar the Tories. 

As with all local elections, it is not a surprise that the results are mixed, complicated and that the incumbent government has done badly. 

However, some 4 hours after the polls closed the results seem to have been fairly conclusive this evening with Labour up about 18% and the Cons plus Lib Dems both down 9% each.  For me, this shows that all the coalition parties have been hit hard by the policies rather than just the Lib Dems as was the case in 2011.  The 2011 vote may have been particularly hard on the Lib Dems given the relative disappointment with them in government.

The Tories and Lib Dems will be challenged and disheartened by this but not surprised with this case of mid-term blues.  The Lib Dems will be encouraged by some of the challenging councils they managed to hold but the shift to Greens or local interest parties (e.g in Wire Forest) indicate an ‘anyone bar this lot’ vote.  Likewise, the Tories may be disappointed by the gain in the UKIP vote.  Though UKIP will only end up with a handful of seats across the country but their significance will be greater.  These UKIP successes, coupled with their high poling in other areas, indicate dissatisfaction not with a right government but with this right government’s policies. 

Just as I did not predict such coalition losses, I think the Labour gains may be beyond what they expected.  It still doesn’t feel like a slide to the Labour Party.  Their leader may be safe after tonight, their policies may be less so if they are to win the next election. 

And yet we are still in the very early days of these results. If the exit poills are right, the results from London will be used by the Tories to defend their position even though the Assembly results may see them with reduced power. 

This evening seems to show 3 things.  Firstly, people are returning to the left.  Secondly, many people are still leaning to the right at the moment.  But, thirdly, they are not always that keen on these coalition policies.  Not an easy message for Cameron to contemplate and these local results will have national consequences.  

Elections Across the UK & Europe

Elections go in cycles in the UK much to the confusion of some of our neighbours and this year is one of the slightly fuller sets with local elections in Engand, Wales and Scotland, a handful of mayoral referendums and, of course, the London Mayoral election. These aren't quite the largest set of local elections but they're significant so I'll be watching England & Wales' results overnight, the Scottish vote tomorrow morning then the London Mayoral result late tomorrow afternoon.

But we're not the only ones to be voting: after a sharp debate last night, France will be deciding on its new President on Sunday and I'll be in Alsace to see that. Possibly more significantly, Greece will also be voting which could have important consequences for the future of the Euro.

Some predictions:
UK:
- Conservatives down but do better than some predict with Lib Dems again taking the hit, as in 2011, and just scraping double figures. Lab good night with Tories arguing that any gains insignificant and down to mid-term blues but Miliband does not need to worry about his job tomorrow. SNP to have poorer showing in Scotland, the party suffering from distraction from the economy with independence issues.
- Boris to win London. Ken has mixed night but does better in second round, some will question whether this is the end for him. Paddick goes to single figures and I wouldn't be surprised if Siobhan (or Greens) beet him into 3rd. However, Tories lose seats in Assembly to Lab and bad night for Lib Dems.

France:
- Hollande to win but Sarkozy to run it a bit tighter than expected, gaining a little of Le Pen's vote. Turnout down/more spoilt ballet papers showing voter dissatisfaction with both.

Greece:
- Minority p armies do well with coalition talks following. Vote seen as condemning of main party's acceptance of cuts.
- EU markets wobble on Monday expecting renegotiations of EU agreements and again when the UK opens on Tuesday.

All of these are pure guesses based on reading around, having followed these things for a number of years and talking to people in London/France/Greece. So all highly unreliable but good fun to look out for overnight.

Job List

So this is the first blog from the new IPad and basically it is a job list of what I have been working on at the moment and what needs to be done by mid June!

Data Collection, Presentation & Analysis
- Sorting the analysis of the questionnaires.
- Arrange interviews based on questionnaires.
- Planning the data presentation and analysis chapters.
- Interviews & arrange transcription.

Methods Chapter
- Reading more up to date materials on methods.
- Finalise the data from the pilot questionnaires.
- Re-writing the methodology chapter given the above.

MPhil/PhD Upgrade
- Writing a presentation based on the questionnaire data for the upgrade process.
- Writing an abstract for that presentation.
- 3000 word review of PhD to date.
- Prep for interview.
- Annual Review Document.

All of this, as usual, has taken more time than I expected but very soon there should be some concrete data to discuss on here!

Krakow & Poland: Fascinating, challenging & beautiful

So four days almost to the minute since I was sitting on a plane predicting what I was about to see and experience in Poland.  It feels like longer than 4 days that I have been out of the country and the experience has made me think afresh about this country, as I hoped travelling here might. 

It is a fascinating country with a diverse history; indeed, its borders have shifted so much that it has only really existed in its current form for 70 years.  The sense of pride and belonging to the state can be seen everywhere.  It is undergoing rapid change and yet has been caught by many of the problems of the economic crisis in Europe.  

It is a challenging country with a very mixed history: not only through the concentration camps we visited but also in its recent past.  The architecture reminds us that the communist era only ended 30 years ago  though, I feel, wealth has been more equally increased since the late 1980s than, say, in the Czech Republic.  This is a country which is still living with scars of its recent past. 

It is a beautiful country and in places you would not expect: the castle & cathedral in Krakow are, of course, impressive; the countryside around Krakow has a rugged beauty; the alcohol (as you can see from the photo) has won me over; but the lasting memory is the beauty of the modern churches in Nowa Husta which will stay with me (as seen below).  Impressive, beautiful and saying so much about Poland and its population. 

And it is a country I will be returning to – and one that has reminded me to keep traveling through Eastern Europe.  

The Modern Independent Traveller

I class myself as a vaguely experienced traveller in Europe. Packing the rucksack is a bit of an art, knowing when to book flights and where to look for good value hotels are all part of the game.  However, I am no-where near as experienced as my Father, my current travelling companion who must average 4 flights a week and has mastered the Ryanair system to a tee.  When to queue, where to stand and which end of the plane to get on, it’s all a quick routine. 

But we’re not alone; in the past the only way to travel would have been through organised tours and yet the freedom of low-cost carriers and the internet for booking accommodation has made us, the individual, the travel agent.  That’s made things easier over the last five days: having a car has meant we could travel as we pleased and saved time (and money) on local transport. 

And there are various tools in the modern traveller’s armour: the smartphone for those web checks of maps, emails from the airline and telephoning the hotel.  The sat nav as a way of getting easily from place to place.  For me, my mini-laptop to write read, check details and locations as well as using social media to share experiences and get recommendations via the free wifi. 

Yet, some argue there’s something lost, there’s a sanitisation, a westernisation of the whole travel process.  We spend less time with our eyes looking outwards to the new world we are visiting and more downwards to contact the world we come from.  I don’t agree.  Using the technology empowers me to travel: to walk through areas and see things that I might not have done.  It allows me the time to stand and think when I want to rather than when stuck or lost. 

Travelling to see and learn is important but just because we can be “connected” back home doesn’t mean that I am not connecting with the world I am visiting.  In the end, the modern independent traveller is just that: using the technology at hand to see the world around him without support from ‘professionals’. Modern, independent, travel.  

Communal Guilt & Learning from Past Horrors

In the Austria National Hut at Auschwitz, there’s a sign saying that they are in the process of re-writing their exhibit.  Instead of being a victim of past errors they are saying that they are wanting to acknowledge the part that everyone played in the history. 

This exemplifies the change in history over the last 70 years better than any historical text.  In the years after the war there was a need for individuals to be tried and to take responsibility, as exemplified by the Nuremburg trials.  Today there is a need for us all to show our part as well as for someone, ultimately, to say “sorry”.  And it’s not always possible. 

We visited one of the lesser known concentration camps today in Krakow: Plaszov.  Bleak, eerie and sinister as the snow came down.  At many corners the remaining concrete blocks of huts.  Yet the one remaining building was the Commander’s House.  It is now council flats and behind it a modern estate.  The world has moved on and yet this memorial, this memory continues.  And it must continue.  But rather than searching for new people to condemn for the actions of our forefathers and blaming ourselves, perhaps communal guilt needs to be replaced with communal learning.  

Poland and the EU

When I visited Ireland in late 1990s, everywhere one turned there were signs saying “funded by the EU”: from new roads to broadband internet in remote communities. 

And this was the deal that Poland signed up to: that by coming in line with EU beliefs and structures they would get massive investment.  But it hasn't happened.  Then the economic crisis struck and the money that might have come to the poorer corners of Europe is needed to balance the books.  Furthermore, although Europe has expanded, the fundamentally rich countries has not expanded: Germany, France, the UK, BeNeLux, Scandinavia remain the majority funders.  There are more States justly pulling on a resource and funding which is no bigger. 

So Poland has not had the funds that they could have expected.  Unlike my trip to Croatia, there are not EU flags everywhere but there are prices in Euros fairly regularly.  This is a country wanting to commit to Europe but which has been denied full privileges of the club. 

 This poses a challenge on how the EU holds together where countries are not getting quite what they expected but are still getting the kudos of being in the EU.  Poland has positioned itself to be politically and culturally EU-facing – from its architecture and politics to its history and culture selections.  But how long can that continue without the money they hoped for?  How long can socio-cultural union mean the economics are overlooked?  Poland may lead the way in a new type of Europe to get the deal it hoped for.  

The Faith and Hope of the Polish

Today has been a day of two halves: the established, historical faith against the new, reactive faith.  Before I arrived in Poland I was aware of the different values that existed and the high-level of Catholic respect. 

And when one enters Krakow’s castle and cathedral, one sees the historical element of this.  The place where royals were crowned is beautiful and surprisingly intimate.  Religion and politics have always been interlinked with people using one to gain power over the other. 

But in the middle of the 20^th Century that was challenged by the communist regime.  The creation of an ideal communist town in the Krakow with the building of Nowa Huta was about creating a dream to challenge the old regime, including its faith.  Therefore, if the religion was to be communism, then no churches were constructed for the old Catholic faith.  On entry you see row upon row of straight, concrete blocks along wide roads.  The size and fulfilment of a vision is impressive. 

However, behind the scenes the faith continued and, after much campaigning, a church was built and dedicated by the Archbishop of Krakow, the later Pope John Paul II.  And the Arka Pana is spectacular, shaped like an ark as if to carry its people to safety.  This was about the church challenging society, challenging the norms.  This was about the church being its best. 

Just as the Catholic church was trying to say something different to this communist world, so is this building to those around.  Amongst the blocks of straight-lined concrete apartments you find the rounded, circular corners of the church.  In a world of concrete, you find natural wood and stone as if symbolising the difference between the things man constructs and the things God inspires.  The flowing lines, for me contrasted certainty with possibility.  The church building was showing the cultural change the institution of the church can bring.  Inside, the light, the materials and the images are beautiful. 

The church is being used, as I entered mid-afternoon we were scowled at as tourists disturbing the dozen people who had popped in for a moment’s prayer.  Faith is strong here, as seen in the construction of this building 30 years ago and in its continued use today.  Just as the ancient Cathedral has stood for centuries, so will this church as a powerful symbol of hope.  

Stopping the Banality of Evil

My father reminded me of a phrase today: the banality of evil (Edward S Herman/Hannah Arendt).  Today I saw that as well as the scale on which evil can operate. 

Today is my second day in Poland and, for me, one of the main reasons to visit was the camp outside Oswiecim known more commonly as Auschwitz.  The numbers are well known, around 1.5 million killed including at least 1.1 million Jews.  Terrifying and impossible to imagine death on such a scale. 

And it is not that this is my first encounter to human loss on such a scale: I have seen the graves on all sides in both world wars to the concentration camps at Dachau and, particularly, in Struthof in Alsace, France.  The scale of the suffering is huger there, but so much greater at this camp. 

On arrival I was surprised: Auschwitz is in a surprisingly urban setting.  It is a little smaller than I had expected.  The rooms describing the death (particularly in the death block) were chilling.  And yet the thing that stuck me was the permanent nature of the camp.  One imagines wood sheds but here were 2 storey brick buildings: this was a long-term elimination of a race and the nature of the project surprising.  But these houses also reminded me of the 19^th Century Work Houses one sees in the UK and Belgium/the Netherlands.  Blocks to house large populations needed for major industrial projects.  The normal used in a truly awful way: the banality of evil. 

Some 3kms from here is Birkenau, more often seen as part of Auschwitz and labelled as Auschwitz II but actually quite distinct and the only camp created solely to kill people.  This was more what is expected: the sidings where people were removed from cattle wagons and selected for death or work; the cold, basic, accommodation designed for animals not humans; a vast scale taking 20 minutes brisk walk to cross any boundary.  Awful. 

Yet, one of the most striking moment for me was the shower block.  The 1 in 4 selected for imprisonment rather than instant death were processed here and we could follow their passage: undressing, losing their hair, washing, dried and allocated new clothes then being sent to a camp.  Daily tasks here each flowed easily on from the last in a ruthlessly designed example of organisation efficiency which aimed to dehumanise and terrify the individual ahead of their residence at the camp.  The banality of evil. 

And this is tangible history; the camp closed only 7 years before my Father was born.  This is not some historical event but truly living history.  Only 8 years after Auschwitz was closed, was Europe trying to form the European Coal and Steel Community.  The leaders of countries at war which had committed atrocities such as these were trying to find a way forward, trying to find a “durable peace”.  The fact it has stopped war for a generations though mass death has still been seen too close to its shores.  

Standing there, amongst the horrors that had happened, it reminded me of the need for us a European citizens and, more fundamentally, as human beings to stop evil ever becoming banal again.  

The Polish Tiger

Dzien dobry from Krakow. 

Many of us are aware of the Irish Tiger - the artificial property boom and subsequent bust in Ireland - but I am currently sitting in an apartment on the edge of Krakow which seems to prove a Polish equivalent.  The flat's 15-20 minutes easy walk from the centre and very nicely appointed. 

But out of the 15 blocks of some 15-20 flats each, I can see but a handful open, perhaps 5%.  Most are empty and have never been lived in.  They lack furniture and even the protective plastic on each of the new doors has not been removed on most of the flat doors. 

It is a complex, built in a rush to fulfil an anticipated market need and no one has taken it up.  Just are there are housing estates in Dublin with no inhabitants (check Michael Lewis’ Boomerang Tour of Europe out for details), the same is true of Krakow. 

In the UK some complain that Poles are taking many of our jobs; other point that these are roles (plumbing, cleaning, fruit-picking) which some Brits are not qualified or willing to do.  I have heard rumours of the reverse here in Poland: Poles complaining of Brits taking their jobs in academia, management or building.  I have no evidence.  Bar the fact that I have just spent a naughty evening in an Irish Pub. 

Not my normal choice of holiday drinking venue but when there is a need to watch some cracking 6 Nations Rugby, I will find the best location I can.  [As an aside Ireland/Italy a good match, England/Wales a great match but rugby was the ultimate winner]

Anyway, as I sat there, a variety of Irish, Welsh and English companions joined my father and I for conversation as the matches progressed.  It was clear that people are coming to Poland for work as well as culture; the relations between our countries are not simple and both countries are employing each other’s citizens for work. 

And this is one of the successes of the EU: we can travel and work far more easily than any time in the last century.  But it is also a problem. 

This apartment complex is empty because international travellers have not bought a little holiday flat for their breaks away in Poland’s second city.  The professional firms have not provided enough jobs for Poles to need a little flat near to the work.  There has been a perceived need for accommodation which has not materialised. 

Now that migration back to Poland is increasing, the balance may change but with blocks of flats so empty as this one, it is clear that boom and bust has a few more years to play in this and many other EU countries.  

And So To Poland

I am sitting on the Ryanair flight from Livepool to Krakow with my father gently snoozing on the other side of the row.  The plane is bouncing a long and it is one of those moments where it is still early in the morning but one has been awake for hours. 

So Poland; another country on the grand European tour – I think this makes number 18 in my tour around Europe with only another 34 to make all those that possibly be within Europe.  Again, another language to try and follow, another culture to understand.  It’s Krakow where we are headed, the old, royal capital and also famed as being the starting point for a trip to Auschwitz.  Poland’s beautiful and troubled past in one trip. 

And, yet, from what I know the present is no less troubled or difficult.  It’s been a part of the EU for five years now and had wanted to join the Euro.  It can’t given the current economic crisis.  A country which is known for atrocities committed to Jews, Gays and other minorities, has a far right movement which continues to threaten those groups.  The political crisis which lead to its freedom in the 1980s has – like its leaders – matured but not completely been resolved.  This is an interesting country with the same social, economic and political problems as the rest of Europe and is yet working within its own unique historical and cultural context. 

Over the next few days, once again, my view of Poland, Europe and the EU will be most likely challenged and developed.  Which is, after all, one of the reasons we travel and I want to make my way around all of Europe.

 

PS: Countries visited to date: France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Estonia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Ireland, UK, Denmark, Switzerland, Monaco, Vatican City and now Poland