I watch a lot of documentaries, but few leave their mark on me like this one. On 22 August 1962, a 20-year-old German called Heinz Stücke left home with a bicycle and a tent. He was leaving what he described as a ‘life without a future’ to follow what most people would have called an … Continue reading What we leave behind
Category: Spirituality
Ken Banks on technology, spirituality and change: mindful reflections on living, working and creating more compassionate social change.
Beautifully Borrowed: A book about living
Earlier this summer I turned sixty. I wrote about it here at the time, about how it didn’t feel like a milestone so much as a nudge, a tap on the shoulder from someone leaning over to say you know you don’t have forever, don’t you? I talked about sitting down and asking AI to … Continue reading Beautifully Borrowed: A book about living
Technology. Spirituality. Change.
I’ve spent much of my life working at the intersection of technology and social good, something many of us used to call ICT4D. Over the years I’ve been involved in projects that use mobile phones to improve healthcare, increase access to education and give a voice to people often left unheard. But behind the code … Continue reading Technology. Spirituality. Change.
Sixty
I turned sixty this summer. I’ve been sitting with that short sentence for a while now, not quite sure what to do with it. It doesn’t feel like a milestone so much as a nudge. A tap on the shoulder. Someone leaning over and saying, quietly, you know you don’t have forever, don’t you? I … Continue reading Sixty
The Little Book of Mindful Social Change
It’s been nearly four years since I wrote my last book. Given I’m not a professional writer who makes a living from the art, that’s fine. But last week a book idea came to me out of nowhere, and in the spirit of not resting on my laurels I got to work on it straight … Continue reading The Little Book of Mindful Social Change
Trouble in paradise
Most of us have pondered the miracle of life at some time or another. It’s hard to get your head around, but Bill Bryson breaks things down in ‘A Short History of Nearly Everything‘ in the most incredible way. He writes: To begin with, for you to be here now trillions of drifting atoms had … Continue reading Trouble in paradise
kiwanja Buddhism
I don’t yet have an insightful opinion of AI that warrants a blog post of any kind, but I have found one aspect particularly fascinating. You see, the openness of my approach to work over the past 22 years turns out to be something of a goldmine in our brave new AI-driven world. Since 2003 … Continue reading kiwanja Buddhism
Compassion in the face of conflict
A few weeks ago I took part in a weekend retreat at the Cambridge Buddhist Centre, something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. Meditation, Buddhist teachings and vegan food were the order of day, but for me the greatest insight came from conversations I had with the monks about their journeys, beliefs and … Continue reading Compassion in the face of conflict
One day
If there was ever the time and the place for a book, this is that book and this is that time. It’s no exaggeration to say that I was a different person before I started reading it. Powerful doesn’t come close. Whatever your views on what’s happening in Palestine (and, indeed, in many other parts … Continue reading One day
Mindful action. Meaningful change.
Whenever we set out to make the world a better place, our instinct is often to jump straight in and get ‘doing’. Driven by a sense of urgency that pushes us to act without delay, we find ourselves desperate to fix, or to build, or to solve. Perhaps it’s because we’re drawn to the visible … Continue reading Mindful action. Meaningful change.
Travelling the Buddhist path
For the past few years I’ve been taking a growing interest in Buddhist thinking. And I’ve been challenging myself to think more and more about not only how it can be applied in social change, but how I might apply it in my own work. Despite what it says on the tin, social change activities … Continue reading Travelling the Buddhist path
Spirituality, being human, and how to change the world.
“Despite all of the ghastliness in the world, human beings are made for goodness. The ones that are held in high regard are not militarily powerful, nor even economically prosperous. They have a commitment to try and make the world a better place” – Archbishop Desmond Tutu I’ve been home for about three weeks since … Continue reading Spirituality, being human, and how to change the world.
Spirituality: A home in ICT4D?
Back in the early 90’s, when I started to take a serious interest in international development, I spent many weekends flicking through mail order booklets and “Working Abroad” publications that I had to order by post. Back then there was nothing relevant on the World Wide Web to speak of – actually, there wasn’t really … Continue reading Spirituality: A home in ICT4D?