All the pictures are photos I took in the Banksy Museum in Madrid. The original of this was painted on the Law Courts in London and shortly afterwards was removed – speaking truth to power

“I am a republican but I don’t support all that Donald Trump does” was the opening remark on a discovery business call I had (with a person from States) . I was completely taken aback.  And I cannot remember the rest of the conversation!

It’s like me saying “I am a labour supporter but I don’t approve of their behaviour imprisoning pensioners for supporting Palestine Action”.

Race, Sex, Religion, Politics

We don’t usually have conversations about race, sex, gender or sexuality,  unless it is pertinent to the conversation.

Though I have no challenges in raising these topics and know a lot about them. And I don’t care if people are shocked by the directness of how I will address these.

Generally the problems are the same in each country thought the ‘solutions’ and laws are not.

The risk of assuming your colleagues or friends have the same views

I have recently attended an excellent online group  training session with SIETAR member Victoria Splashchenko in Ukraine. 

I was particularly struck by the story about the reaction of one participant at a dinner party when another guest talked about his opinion on a topic which was dynamically opposite to his.  The guest had assumed that everyone was in agreement and my participant chose to request to  close down the topic rather than risk losing his temper and ruin the dinner party.  (I am deliberately not mentioning the topic) , 

Is there a time and place – or should you never chicken out ?

What do you think?

What do you thnk ?

• In which countries do you usually open a conversation with your political allegiances ?
• In which countries do you usually open a conversation with “My name is X and I am a Muslim/Transexual/Pensioner/Refugee/Red (for those who know colour profiling) ?
• In which countries can you have open conversations on topic like Menopause ? 
• In conversations can you make clever observations (i.e. jokes) about topics like drag acts, make double entendres (loved by the British ) – is it age based ?

I recently attend the execellent Banksy museum at which I took these photos. There are no appropriate pictures for this topic so I thought I would use the most unsuiable ones! Good pics for the Midterms in USA

The saying is most famously attributed to U.S. Navy Rear Admiral and computer scientist Grace Hopper, though I know it by busieness guru Beth Kantor Canto and apply often r

Smart Coaching & Training works with over 30 associates, in four continents speaking 14 languages. Most raised and working in a wide range of cultures and living in a different place than where they were born . See our associates here.

Many of our associates are or have been SIETAR members and past presidents . Read more

Many of our associates are specialists in Diversity, Interculturality and related topics Read more here and here.

Written by David Rigby © 2026 Smart Coaching & Training Ltd

This is a revised article. As I am not convinced that newsletter readers actually click through to the good news rather than just read the bad news in previous extracts. Also click through to the Substack article from my Estate Agent Friend

I have always been a fan and supporter of local food business and always avoid chains, especially if the basis is the fattening eating concept imported from the USA. And equally especially if they have touch screens for ordering.

Honest Meaning and Purposefully Green

At the Meaning and Purpose conference in Madrid in June, someone suggested having a group dinner at Honest Greens.  I strongly complained, that with many of the guests not being local, that the best place to go to would be a local Spanish restaurant.  I was told that Honest Greens was a Spanish company so it was OK.  No doubt all the Star*ucks in Spain are also Spanish franchises.  Anyway, I refused to attend . I also refused to meet someone there.

One of my Substack friends recently posted about his experience in Honest Greens in Valencia for which it is better to read the entire article here.  And he is an Honest Estate Agent.

https://valenciaproperty.substack.com/p/tipping-in-spain

The article confirmed all my prejudices .

• Is it  generational ? 
• Is it because young tourists and visitors stick to these places because they are not prepared to take the risk of trying something unfamiliar?
• or because they don’t like talking to the staff ?

Examples of recent success

And by example

• In  a Leon backstreet the one empty table was outside. Fabulous local black pudding
• In Jerez, having operated as above, found a backsreet had deserts then lunch the next day. Discovered it was number two in trip advisor.
• In Buxton, UK. Found the best Sunday Roast among the many contenders
• My favourite restaurant is called El Llabor in a tiny village in the mountains near Alicante.  Traditional Spanish food with a designer twist, perfectly cooked with village prices.  Always packed.

Recently in Cadaques (the Catalunia residence of Dali and very toursity) I choose an Italian backstreet restaurant for later. After my expensive Vermouth on the seafront I went back to the restaurant at say 8.30. It was packed, no spaces for hours. The manager said “Would l like to book for tomorrow ?” I thought ” what a cheek” but said yes, and asked what time the restaurant opened – 7.30.

Next day I arrived at 8pm The restaurant was again packed and my table had been given away as I wasn’t there at 7.30. I explained that I had asked about opening time , looked sooooo dissapoined, so I was given the table with no name on it. The tiny table by the door with the managers book of reservations . Nevertheless the restaurant was fabulous, only people with resevations got in and many people were turned away. You had to admire their languages – Catalan Castilian French (as its near the border) English (or american) And at least a smattering or Dutch, And these folk speak among themselves in Italian. So they were forgiven for their multiple language menu and offering parmesan with a fish pasta. (which any self respecting Italian would never so – they it was because the clients requested!). Turns out also no 2 best restaurant in Trip Advisor. I should work for them!

What do you think?

Free food and drink at a festival in a village near you (if you are Spain!) Building multinational community . All pics this summer

Smart Coaching & Training works with over 30 associates, in four continents speaking 14 languages. Most raised and working in a wide range of cultures and living in a different place than where they were born . See our associates here.

Many of our associates are or have been SIETAR members and past presidents . Read more

Many of our associates are specialists in Diversity, Interculturality and related topics Read more here and here.

Written by David Rigby © 2026 Smart Coaching & Training Ltd

I was lucky to attend the Human Systems Dynamics Gathering , organised by Smart Coaching & Training’s associate Miriam Bayes in the beautiful old town of Vic, north of Barcelona. This is what she had to say

Wise words from Miriam Bayes:

A few days after the #HSDGathering2026 in Vic, I’m still processing everything that happened over those three days.

People travelled from across the world to be here. They brought their questions, their experience, their curiosity, their challenges — and, most importantly, their willingness to share and connect.

And that is what made the Human Systems Dynamics Gathering what it was.

Creating something rather special

Thank you also to everyone who contributed — through a presentation, a conversation, a question, an Open Space session, a story, a photograph, a helping hand, or simply by being fully present

And a very special thank you to all those who worked behind the scenes, before and during the Gathering, to turn an idea into these three very real days. There was a huge amount of largely invisible work involved, and this Gathering simply would not have happened without you

When we opened the Gathering, I said that we had created the space and the structure, but what those three days became was up to all of us

Looking back, I think we created something rather special

We have now returned to different countries, organisations, communities and lives. The Gathering is over, but I hope the conversations, relationships and learning continue — and that we take something of what we experienced in Vic into the systems we are part of.

Perhaps that is the real work now

Thank you for coming to Vic. Thank you for being part of it. And thank you for helping create the HSD Gathering 2026

The Human Systems Dynamics Gathering in Vic Barcelona Spain September 2026

From me: Sometimes it was intellectually challenging as I don’t know the HSD methodology but I followed well enough. Some presentations, some group work, tour of historic Vic and group dinners. All held in a beautiful Seminary with great accommodation. I suggest you go to the next one!

Smart Coaching & Training works with over 30 associates, in four continents speaking 14 languages. Most raised and working in a wide range of cultures and living in a different place than where they were born . See our associates here.

Many of our associates are or have been SIETAR members and past presidents . Read more

Many of our associates are specialists in Diversity, Interculturality and related topics Read more here and here.

Written by David Rigby © 2026 Smart Coaching & Training Ltd

What’s the biggest insult you can give your foreign host when invited to share food at their home and in their country ? Bring your own food.

Guess who did that recently ?????

You are having your intercultural in-person meeting in your hosts’ location (or at least not yours) and your host invites you share food with them.

What do you do? Panic ? I trust not!

At what time should you arrive?

Next question: what time should you arrive.

Some people are used to eating dinner at 5. Don’t be surprised if your host says arrive at 8 or 9 (or 10 in Spain). And if the invite is for 8 in the Netherlands , arrive at exactly 8 and in Spain certainly not before 8.30. And don’t expect to eat immediately. I recall a dinner at someone’s home in Jeddah for 10pm . We actually ate at 2.30 am as I was about to faint from starvation having ony eaten breakfast.

Knowing when to leave is also important. Do you leave your host to do the washing up?

At the SIETAR Gala dinner in Valencia in June 2026 Presenters and Guests made the effort to come from India, USA, Canada, Africa, Caribbean, UAE, South America as well as across Europe . 

If it’s lunch in the USA it’s 20 minutes around noon. In Spain its 2-3 hours starting at 2 or 3 pm.  .  I had to tell folks from the USA that they could not have pizza at noon in Alicante  because nowhere would be open.

And should you take a gift? .  In Europe and USA taking a bottle of wine is probably acceptable,  Taking food may be an insult to the chef.  In other places your gift may be taken away and never opened in your presence. 

The official pre-dinner photo in Abu Dhabi prior to a big consulting project in 2011. Notice men on the left, women on the right . Where am I?

Next is what do you talk about ?  

Depending where you are, you might get down to business but most probably you should not.  What about conversations about Politics, Sport, Sex ?  This is an opportunity for your host to get to know you better, and equally for you to get to know the host (and other guests) better .  If you just talk pleasantries all night you will get to know nothing, and you know you have to give some information to get knowledge back.   Knowing when to talk business is another article.

It is a sign of trust that your host had invited you to their home,  It’s also a sign of trust that you eat the food.   

In the old days you took someone to taste the food first on your behalf to demonstrate it wasn’t poison.  If that person didn’t drop dead you were probably safe.

Of course, if you are President you can be invited by another leader to eat in their country and refuse the fabulous food on offer and instead take your own.  

It’s a great insult and of course that meeting resulted in zero achievement.

We discuss food in a subsequent article

Smart Coaching & Training works with over 30 associates, in four continents speaking 14 languages. Most raised and working in a wide range of cultures and living in a different place than where they were born . See our associates here.

Many of our associates are or have been SIETAR members and past presidents . Read more

Many of our associates are specialists in Diversity, Interculturality and related topics Read more here and here.

Written by David Rigby © 2026 Smart Coaching & Training Ltd

When I suggested the above title for the song at the finale no-one knew the original song “Papa was a rolling stone” by the Temptations in 1972. So it was rejected by the non-English interculturalists and those under 60 .

Organised by Papa Baba Ndong, despite Sietar, and having his lap-top stolen the day before the Congress was a total success because everyone who attended had the good will to make it so.

“You never knew what would be happening next – but you could trust it would always be good” – and there are a lot of lessons to be absorbed from Global South as to how to run such an event

Professional Presentations – but not always: Each participant feels seen, heard, valued, and engaged

I have not attended many ‘academic events’ but my recollection  of professors just sitting or standing just reading out their notes in whatever language they chose, might go down well in a classroom (though it shouldn’t), but it is totally unacceptable and unprofessional at a multilingual Congress.  Those presenters need to be told. But it rekky was the exception. The professioals know better.

Presenters and Guests made the effort to come from India, USA, Canada, Africa, Caribbean, UAE, South America as well as across Europe .  And in addition  there were on-line presentations from India and Africa .   

So, there were presentations addressing topics from many perspectives, viewpoints and the many countries of origin.  You would have had to be there to appreciate the sheer width and dept of content. 

We finished with a specially created song on Suno to show our appreciation of all the effort by Papa Baba and team to make the event the  total success which is was .

A key feature of an event with such flexibility is to trust that it will all work out in the in. I had that trust and it always worked out.

SIETAR Valencia España International Congress 2026 Across Difference, Old Questions and New Tools: Interculturality, AI, and Shared Futures

Smart Coaching & Training works with over 30 associates, in four continents speaking 14 languages. Most raised and working in a wide range of cultures and living in a different place than where they were born . See our associates here.

Many of our associates are or have been SIETAR members and past presidents . Read more

Many of our associates are specialists in Diversity, Interculturality and related topics Read more here and here.

Written by David Rigby © 2026 Smart Coaching & Training Ltd