First day in Faverges

Given the state of Northwest Airlines, not to mention chaos related to the hurricane, my trip here was surprisingly smooth. The Amsterdam airport was crazy busy — I almost missed my plane even though I had an hour and a half to make the connection — and I hear it’s been that way all summer.

The meeting I'm attending is a consultation organized by the WCC and the WACC to consider intellectual property issues in relation to music in the church. I'm hopeful that I can set a bigger context than that. I've met some interesting people tonight from all over the world (Switzerland, Sweden, Scotland, Germany, Argentina, Brazil, Togo, China, Canada, England), and it looks like we'll have some strong discussions.

It's already clear to me that I stand in a very different relation to this issues, since I come at them from the standpoint of faith formation, not worship (although that should not be a dichotomy); and because I strongly oppose the ways in which current copyright regimes in the US are being constrained. The alternatives I'm interested in are primarily differing licensing structures built through the Creative Commons approach.

Oh well... it will be interesting to watch this week unfold. I have to admit, as tired as I am tonight, that I'm really feeling the tug of home. I haven't been this homesick in a long time. I don't know if it's that I worry and grieve the catastrophe of Katrina, or the loss of Richard, or simply being out of touch on the Net. No doubt all three. But I am seriously homesick tonight! And the fact that there is not only no access to the Net (not even an internet cafe available down the hill in the village), is just ironic, given that this is a consultation of groups that have "world" in their names.