August 2020: re-setting the programme

In August 2020 the following was posted as a page on the web site:

Developing the Project during the Covidian Pandemic

The Green Bridges project had not even started when the first major issue occurred: the withdrawal of the Polish partner.

Replacing this partner took 4 months to arrange.

On the day that the signed formal contract amendment arrived (March 10th 2020), the impact of Covid 19 occurred & the planned partnership meeting in UK was abandoned.

The period since then has and remains, for most aspects of social life and existence in most places across the world, uncertain. For many, there is disruption and a sense of unease.

It is very difficult to understand & assess the personal impact of this continuing ‘pandemical disruption’.
The report in Pandemic Times:First Actions sounds merely tentative, almost romantically hopeful.
The difference between then and now (mid August 2020) is that there is a greater realisation of what we were being told then by those more expert in these matters:

The situation is not simply bad, it is ‘very bad’ & it will take a long time before (if ever) our previous normality returns.

It is easy to state that ‘change is painful’ but this situation is one in which (most western) societies were unprepared both in technical and socio-psychological terms.

It is not just the practical issues but the manner in which these practical matters become metaphorical – images of something that happens at a deeper level of individual and social consciousness.

For Green Bridges a key element (international meetings) of the project has been removed & most partners are also restricted in their planned practical actions.

The situation also creates a unique situation for those who are responsible for coordination.
The pre-financing has been provided, assessments are made & contractually, work should be occurring.

The summary duty of a coordinating agency is to
“monitor and ensure the project is implemented in accordance with the grant agreement “

But in this situation how is that to be achieved?

The pages attached to this page demonstrate the work that is being developed – and other pages under the “Pandemic Times” page illustrate some of the actions that partners have been able to promote.

During the summer of 2020 ‘Briefing Papers’ were issued & a structure for the autumn period in which partners were to report to each other. This led the project to the 2nd Interim Report due in November 2020.

The ‘Briefing’ and other Papers are available here: