Report 2010

The year 2010 has been as busy as previous years. My work has taken me to eleven countries on three continents visiting exiting and terrible places painfully illustrating what a peaceful country Denmark is and how much we Danes could learn from others - if we were more open to the world around us. 
In the media field I have, besides lecturing and consultancy jobs, continued working for the Open Society/Soros Foundation as member of the "Editorial Commission" for the project "Mapping Digital Media - Journalism, Democracy and Values" studying the development in 60 countries all over the world. Also I am a member of the Council of Europe "Ad hoc Advisory Group on Public Service Media Governance". On the background of the many Public Service Media corporations fighting for editorial independence of governments there certainly is good reason to look for ways of better securing (or regaining) autonomy. After several years editorial work together with professor Gregory Ferrell Lowe of Tampere University, Finland, the book "Small among Giants, Television Broadcasting in Smaller Countries" is now finished and will be published by NORDICOM, Göteborg University in the beginning of 2011. 
In the area of management I have continued my engagement with the Copenhagen Business School as adjunct professor and a member of the program management of a research project, sponsored by the Ministry of Finance, looking into "The Future of Public Leadership". Combining research with the practical work as an independent advisor and as member of the boards of Roskilde University, the Danish Film Institute and CARE International is an interesting way to connecting two environments too often separated from each other. This bridge building perspective has also been the focus in my work with symphony orchestras. This year's project, the seventh in the row, was three days with the Göteborg Opera Orchestra over the summer period.
My work in 2010 with CARE Denmark and its confederate CARE International family has beside the "desk-work" on boards and committees given me the opportunity to visit very successful CARE projects in Ghana as member of the entourage of HRH Prince Joachim, patron of CARE Denmark, and later in the Andes in Peru as a lead-in to this year's CI Autumn board meeting in Lima.
There hasn't been much room for family life, although it is still expanding now with four grandchildren and two more to come next year. With my wife, Mai Buch, I continued - for the 11th year in row - our mountain trekking endeavor from south to north in Norway cutting the total distance up in bits of two week's walk.
So all in all my life as a free-lancer has also this past year brought me in contact with many and very different "worlds", both geographical and professional, inhabited with so many dedicated people with whom it has been a privilege to work.