Evening of 23rd December, it is getting quiet at the PRIO premises. Nobody to chat with at the coffee machine. We have one refugee at the first floor – Jeff Checkel, who stranded after Monday’s CSCW meeting – and will be late for Christmas on Bowen Island. Myself, I came back last night after three inspiring days at the PRIO Cyprus Centre, and must confess my home front contributions to prepare for the upcoming season have been unacceptably low (despite a suitcase full of gifts).
At the Winter Party, my speech this year was composed of multiple elevator speeches (the little things you give to shake money for peace research out of the rich in the course of a 20 second elevator ride). One of those were meant for you PRIOites. I wanted to have each an everyone of you in the lift down to the catacombs. For some reason that ride never happened. Here is my elevator speech to you:
PRIO’s work is noticed around the world. It is a great privilege to lead – and to represent - PRIO. It is no coincidence that the ‘Peace Research’ entry in the new International Studies Encyclopedia, published by Blackwell in collaboration with the International Studies Association, says that PRIO is now ‘probably the world’s premier peace research institute’. It is because you are hard-working, smart, innovative, inspiring, mutually supportive – it is because you are such wonderful colleagues.
I look forward to be working with all of you in the new year. I am about to log of. I wish you all a wonderful holiday season!
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