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John Elkington

John Elkington

A world authority on corporate responsibility and sustainable development.

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Jordan: Looping Desert Castles

John Elkington · 21 October 2023 · Leave a Comment

Arrived in Amman very early this morning and got to hotel (which had been switched to a different location due to pro-Gaza protests in the city) towards 02.00. Travelling with Exodus Travels, who make a feature of sustainability. Up at 07.00 and spent the day hammering around the so-called Desert Castles Loop, east of Amman, in a minibus. Roads full of sleeping policemen and extremely bumpy even when not.

Some flags flying at half-mast after the destruction of the hospital in Gaza, the blame for which remains disputed – although not in the minds of at least one Jordanian I spoke to. But the levels of tolerance and hospitality to outsiders in this country are amazing.

Saddening to see tiny remnants of reed marsh near the black basalt castle of Azraq, where Lawrence of Arabia spent some time while involved in the Arab Revolt. Interesting to think how marshes hosted renegades/freedom fighter, from Alfred the Great through Hereward the Wake to some of those fighting – or at least fleeing from – Saddam Hussein.

Spent a fair amount of time on the bus thinking through proposed covers for the new book, Tickling Sharks. Sent the options to various Volans team members and family members – and, happily, the fingers all pointed in the same direction.

Writing on the hotel wall
This must have been the place – with the sooty echoes of pre-historic gatherings and meals
One of two panthers that once spouted into a lake surrounding Qasr al-Abd, the ‘Castle of the Slave‘
Old and newish: Qasr El Kharraneh (many spellings) and electricity transformer
Elaine
Quasar ‘Amra, a UNESCO World Heritage site
Black basalt castle of Azraq, where Lawrence of Arabia roosted during Arab Revolt
Health and safety might have things to say about the stairs
Following images all from Qasr al-Hallabat

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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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