Came back from Mali this week. Working with Save (USA) to develop HIV/AIDS education programme for young people in and out of school in rural area (Kolondieba) to the South. Poor country, amazing people. Stay at Hotel Djenne if you find yourself in Bamako.

After a relaxing Christmas and New Year work has taken over. The trouble with relaxation is that it makes me realise how stressed I can be the rest of the time. I found myself, fairly idly I must admit, checking out the workplace stress policies of the organisation in which I work. Rather too much, I think, about individualised forms of stress management (progressive muscle relaxation, meditation and, honestly, 'cognitive behavioural skills training') rather than alleviating harm by way of changes to organisational culture and structure. A few days later I found myself in Bookmarks, the socialist bookshop, and came across the rather more critical TUC (Trades Union Congress) publication about rights in the workplace.
But what got me more interested (after hearing an excerpt on Radio 4) was 'An Audience with Tony Benn' (1). Audiobooks are great for lengthy train journeys. You can stare out the window and learn a few things at the same time. I also bought Bello's short book on Deglobalization (2). It seems that 'governance' (an alternative system of) is, erm, the new black. Inspiring ideas from others about changing the world, especially when they come with humour as Tony Benn's do, are a good reliever of stress. And, I'm rather hoping, more significant in the longer term than progressively relaxing my muscles.
(1) An Audience With Tony Benn - Audio Cassette, by Benn, Tony. Published/Distributed by Hodder.
(2) Bello, W. (2002), Deglobalization. Ideas for a New World Economy, London, Zed.