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John Elkington

John Elkington

A world authority on corporate responsibility and sustainable development.

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In the footsteps of Leon Trotsky

John Elkington · 27 September 2009 · Leave a Comment

Ferry arrives at Buyukada Ferry arrives at Buyukada Splendid Palace Hotel, where we stay, on left Splendid Palace Hotel, where we stay, on left Under refurbishment, like so much here Under refurbishment, like so much here Trotsky's erstwhile home Trotsky’s erstwhile home Fire axe in hotel Fire axe in hotel Horses and carriages Horses and carriages Istanbul on the horizon Istanbul on the horizon

We took the ferry out to the Princes’ Islands, having lunch on Heybeliada, where we saw the house of Mustafa Ismet Inonu (Ismet Pasha), who followed Ataturk as President. Once on Buyukuda, the largest of the islands, we walked among the huge villas, enjoying the almost complete absence of cars, although the racing horse-drawn carriages almost filled the gap in terms of safety hazards, before finding our way to the house where Leon Trotsky lived in exile, between Moscow and Mexico.

Couldn’t help fretting about the condition of the horses, which seemed pretty poorly treated – something a woman who had lived on the island for 35 years sadly confirmed. But I always enjoy the smell of horses – and the view from our front-of-house room in the Splendid Palace Hotel, a place that had clearly seen much grander days, was fabulous. The bathroom, however, left a great deal to be desired, a plastic implant in the room which seemed designed to leak into the rest of the room.

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Introduction

I began this blog with an entry reporting on a visit to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on Cape Cod, on 30 September 2003. The blog element of the website has gone through several iterations since, with much of the older material still available.

Like so many things in my life, blog entries blur the boundaries between the personal and the professional. As explained on this site’s Home Page, the website and the blog are part platform for ongoing projects, part autobiography, and part accountability mechanism.

In addition, my blogs have appeared on many sites such as: Chinadialogue, CSRWire, Fast Company, GreenBiz, Guardian Sustainable Business, and the Harvard Business Review.

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About

John Elkington is a world authority on corporate responsibility and sustainable development. He is currently Founding Partner and Executive Chairman of Volans, a future-focused business working at the intersection of the sustainability, entrepreneurship and innovation movements.

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john@johnelkington.com  |  +44 203 701 7550 | Twitter: @volansjohn

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