Sometimes I am frightened but I'm ready to learn

(This post was written on Wednesday 15 May but only posted today for lack of time.)

 Today is the first day of ILRI’s 2013 Annual Planning Meeting; it is a regular strategic meeting where many of ILRI’s staff members get together to discuss the way forward for the Institute.

I am part of the organizing committee of this year’s meeting. It has been hard work to come up with a relevant program of activities that will keep a mixed crowd of researchers and administrators engaged during three days. The meeting also has to reach its objective: to figure out how ILRI can unlock livestock development potential through science, influence and capacity development. This is all part of delivering our new strategy.

Together with colleagues Barry Shapiro, Iddo Dror, Peter Ballantyne, Siboniso Moyo, Stuart Worsley, Sylvia Silvestri, and an army of diligent and helpful national support staff, we have worked under the stimulating supervision of Peter Thorne, chair of the organization committee, to devise the program of activities, set up an enormous tent to hold the event on the ILRI Addis campus, make arrangements to feed and house more than 200 participants, and try to keep everybody happy.

Last night, the biggest worry for some of the organization committee members was that the 'sauce' we had prepared for our colleagues to taste might not go down well. Some of the facilitation methods we have chosen require strong commitment from participants to attain the desired objectives. We can only be confident that these proven knowledge sharing methods like open space will work once again. 

There are still a few things to sort out before the meeting starts this morning but I am sure it is going to be a great event.

The power of love

Céline Dion, My love - essential collection, Sony BMG

APM2013 logo: ILRI/Apollo Habtamu

Photo: ILRI/Zerihun Sewunet