Despite Covid postponements, glass is at least half full

I’ll be leaving next week to teach a series of peace journalism workshops at the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv. From there, I head to Luxembourg to give a session at the Transatlantic Dialogue conference. In June, I’m off to Washington to teach a week-long seminar for journalists from the Caucuses at the US Institute of Peace (USIP). In July, I’ll spend about 20 days in Nepal, working on a project with the East-West Center for Indian and Pakistani journalists. Then finally, in the first week of August, I’ll head for Khartoum, where I’ll be spending a week on a State Department Speaker and Specialist grant working with Sudanese journalists.

Or not.

What had promised to be a busy, fascinating, educational summer now has the looks of the polar opposite. Don’t get me wrong. The Covid situation hasn’t left me whiny, but instead, grateful.

I’m extremely grateful that my family, friends, students, and colleagues are all well. I feel fine, and am fortunate enough to still have a job. And certainly, my inconveniences pale in comparison to actual hardship, either medical or financial.

I’m also grateful that these activities have all been postponed, and not canceled. I’ll visit Ukraine and Nepal in 2021, and Sudan and Washington (tentatively) next fall. Luxembourg has been moved back exactly one year, so I’ll be there in May, 2021.

I’m gratified that organizations like USIP and the State Department continue to see the value of my work—a value that has been underscored, I believe, by the Covid and the media coverage of the crisis.

So despite my understandable disappointment, I’m left feeling satisfied with my (at least) half-full glass.

The best news is that the work of spreading the word about peace journalism will continue virtually this summer. I’ll be making a presentation for a virtual session of the Transatlantic Dialogue later this month (stay tuned to this space for details), as well as a virtual seminar for Sudanese journalists in August. And, of course, I’ll keep my eye on Covid coverage in the media, looking for irresponsible or partisan reporting (see previous blog).  

I plan to continue to stay hunkered down at home, and thus relatively safe. I'm grateful, once again, that I have this luxury.