Solidarité

I'm truly humbled tonight. If you know me well you'll have a wry smile.

Today, as we'd all feared, saw the worst of International politics come to fruition, a group of 5 countries used a combination of weighted voting and poor moral compasses to stage an effective coup. 14 countries supposedly democratic contribution ignorred. Technically under the current voting scheme this favours the UK, we hold 10% of the vote (because we have 650 members) of 19 counties, France have 30% and Espagne 11%.
But, this is, put simply, wrong. My colleagues from Poland (80 members) or Macedonia (12 members) or Aspirant counties such as Nepal and Chile are all as qualified as me, all as valued (& much more so) than me. All people I'd tie on with and trust, all the people I signed up to represent. Today I heard how the people of Nepal can't send money overseas, how they don't know how they can actually pay the €250 euro fee, how that relatively paltry sum means so so so much to their members potential future. Im not rich, but I  have so much more than I need, I Chair an association with mony in the bank. I paid their fees, I trust my members to support that, or I will.
Today we had a coup from people with a protectionist, disruptive agenda, people looking in rather than out, building empires rather than democracies, using force rather than right. I'm in the unbelievably privelidged position of being able to know thats wrong. I'm also very good at this when I have to be, however much I don't want to be.
So horribly today I took the microphone, I quietly, firmly and unequivocally chose to be the loudest voice in the room, and I used that voice to let all our members speak, one by one, to know their voice counted. I know I burnt a few old bridges today, I believe I built a dozen knew ones. I know I like the me I was today.
It was horrid and it cast a long shadow. I hope I've made us change, I've made it clear that the UK will give up our 10% for the honour of standing shoulder to shoulder with our friends 1:1, equals, one common goal.
After a long long day when I hope we (nearly) all saw the  who and what we can be together, we went for meal and a lot of drinks.
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And as I sat there hoping I'd done the right thing, some of my new friends came over.
I'm now immeasurably proud to be a honorary member of the Nepal, Romanian, Croation and Slovenian Mountain Associations.
There have been many many many days when I've questioned why I give my time to this, is it worth it, should I just walk away.
Today my friends reminded me why it matters.

Sorry for any typos, let's blame the late hour, the Palinka or the slightly teary eyes.