Meeting in the train station

Our United Nations met in the train station last night.

The first day together was quiet, safe, surface level.

But as the journey continues discussions have opened up.

The orange man features often.

We discuss the rise and fall of empires, origins of conflict, and the hopes and concerns for the future.

We are surrounded by the stories and artefacts of many empires on this trip.

It is a melting pot of opinions and perspectives.

Meet the players.

Jo from Oslo, Norway. Retired after a long career in public health, notably working all over the world during the AIDS epidemic.

Ania, a polish born American, retired high tech software developer who finished her career in Silicon Valley.

Jacques and Louise-Andree, from Quebec City. He a retired radiologist, and she a retired PE teacher and career advisor.

Dave and Jessica from LA. Radiologist and jack of all trades.

Karen, my fellow Aussie and a retired Learning and Development specialist.

Nabila, a travel specialist from the UK with Pakistani background.

And me.

The conversations happen at lunch tables, in the bus, and inside citadels that house no longer active mosques.

Sometimes our guide, Dalia, an Egyptian born and living in Cairo with over 10 years experience with leading travel groups, also joins in. Albeit carefully.

But there in the train station in Cairo a discussion of the way forward for America turned easily to the conflict in Sudan.

We all knew that by morning the train would have arrived in Aswan, bringing us within a few hundred kilometres of the border.

We had google happening to help us understand the “players” and opportunities to learn from each other as we discussed Africa more generally and the situation for countries such as Egypt when it comes to refugees from all directions.

These are the conversations of people much wiser and more worldly than I.

Many of whom saw the Berlin Wall fall, or remember the assassination of President Sadat of Egypt.

These conversations give me hope.

Particularly hearing the perspective of Americans, the people, not the propaganda.

So our United Nations will continue to meet, to robustly discuss, disagree, learn and take new ideas away.

It’s the gift of the trip I didn’t expect, and conversations I was long overdue to be part of.