Monday, April 25, 2016

Au revoir, Liban!

Well...that two months certainly ran by!

It's been six months since I flew off to Morocco and began this very cool adventure of PhD data collection fieldwork. I have now shadowed 3 non-profit, non-governmental organisations across the Middle East and North Africa to examine how activists around the region are engaging creatively with nature to build relationships and further peace aims. 

So. Now I have all this data. And not the faintest clue what to do with it. ;)
My summer will be spent transcribing 35 interviews - listening to what on earth we said during our conversations and typing them up so they're easily searchable. I'll then plug them into a software that qualitative (word- and description-based) researchers use and begin "coding" - putting flags on certain words, phrases, and claims. From there I'll begin looking to see what trends emerge. 
I also have data in the form of ranking around groups that have control over environmental peacebuilding efforts and some "maps" of purpose to create. It'll be a mix of reading and writing and graphing to keep me occupied. Whilst looking longingly out the window at the London sun (which does actually appear in the summer sometimes). 

I will, in fact, be glad to actually be home for a solid bit. I've some brief conference trips planned to Turkey and Morocco, and I'll be training around the UK for meetings and friends as per usual, but I am ready to be at least nominally based in one place for a solid while again. Living out of a suitcase the way I do is quite the privilege. But so too is home. :)

Lebanon, you've been a very worthy last round. Ta ta for now! I am sure I'll see you again. 

My thanks and best wishes to a full crew of wonderful humans who made my time here so valuable and fun. 

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