These meetings are invariably superbly staffed and organised, and as in the 2^nd the prime mover was again Her Highness Sheikha Mozah, the wife of the Emir and President of the Foundation. Tall, regal, and beautiful, she and the Emir have made Qatar an international entrepôt of ideas and development. Her own energy and determination is remarkable, and she is not shy of making her feelings known. Her passionate denunciation of one of the world's largest official organisations for its inability to predict and prepare for crises before they happen was a pleasure to behold.

But the reality to be dealt with is truly daunting.Nearly 60 million people are classified as illiterate in the Arab regions. World-wide more than half a billion people are barely literate: that means that they are barely able to interpret the simplest written instruction or write the simplest sentences. At least a billion more can do neither. The majority everywhere are women, and that means that they are unable to learn anything about their health, child-bearing, religion, economics, politics, etc - independent of what their men-folk tell them. Far too often this means they are told what their men-folk want them to believe.

Including the speeches by the First Ladies of the United States (this was recorded), of Syria, Sudan, and Lebanon, there were very nearly seventy official speeches. When such a river of words flows past, on and on, it is very hard to remember more than a few ideas. Far too speakers know how to communicate much by saying little.

Most memorable for me was the point was made by a Palestinian who described how he had persuaded a poor village to refuse $30,000 for a mobile library, asking them instead to collect books from their own homes and share them with each other; and much the same point was made by the young Sheikha Aisha al Thani, who described the lesson she had learnt in an aid programme to provide schools: that they are far more valued by the people when the people contribute at least some of the labour and cost themselves.

This is not an enormous discovery: that that the most valuable aid is that which people provide for themselves. It is always a fact to remember. An ounce of individual enterprise is worth a ton - however well-meant - of external aid.

I was reminded of this myself when a little later time was found to discuss the work of my colleagues and myself. We had been waiting for most of the year for a supervisor to be appointed, to co-ordinate the Task Forces' efforts world wide. I was particularly anxious for the Foundation's help in broadcasting my proposals for showing that mathematics is pre-eminently a democratic science. If mathematics is taught as a huge store of successful arguments, rather than unarguable instructions, improvement in democratic competence will follow automatically. The fact that teaching mathematics this way is far more effectively is a bonus.

The early Greek democracies developed this style of argument to improve their democracy, not to do mathematics. My colleague Hani Khoury and I now produced a schema showing how civics teachers can use this insight in their lessons, taking examples of sound argument from mathematics, the most trusted science, whilst mathematics teachers should always insist that this is how their lessons contribute to civics.

But for an entire year no-one had been appointed.Consequently, as far as we could see, for an entire year nothing had been produced by anyone: except - as I began to realise - by me.

In the past year I had produced my book 473959. Its aim is to describe the common spiritual roots of democracy and of science. It also shows how all the major religions may stem from a single intensely powerful human experience. Just been published by Trafford, I had intended to bring dozens of copies to distribute in Qatar. I had been persuaded by Islamic scholars in Oxford that this could lead to violent reaction and also give offence to my hosts.

Now I was beginning to regret yielding to this advice. The pictures that I remember from my youth of vast log-jams blocking rivers in British Columbia were being transformed in my mind into the vast log-jams of language and ideas in these endless speeches. (Realise that in Sudan alone there are 148 languages and dialects; then add several dissenting religions; then add drought, famine, oil, and war.)

The most threatening of these conflicts of ideas is of course between the so-called fundamentalists. But actually it is between those who value critical and constructive discourse as our primary means to satisfy common needs and aims peacefully and those who would rather try to prove the superiority of their argument simply by killing their adversaries. This is the battle we are losing.

It was understandably very difficult to find the right person with the full range of skills, languages, tact, diplomacy and patience. It was still dismaying, however, when we met the charming, and clearly highly capable young lady who had been chosen, to learn that her appointment dated from only two months before. Trying now to shoe-horn meetings into intervals of the main conference proved so difficult that in sheer desperation she was forced to suggest that we all postpone all decisions until we could meet again: which might perhaps be next year.

            My friends know me as remarkably amenable, kind-hearted, even docile. But even a worm will turn. "No," I declared emphatically, "I will not return next year:unless between now and then I have actually done something to report to the Foundation.

"I am," I continued, and later I regretted this most of all, "an Action Man!"

This was truly unfortunate. I could at least have claimed to be 'a man of action'. This would not have provoked an image of a green plastic manikin dangling an arsenal of weapons.

The result of my outburst was that it was decided that I should submit 'proposals' to the Foundation for work that I could do before next year. I have since offered four. The possibility of them being agreed, a very experienced colleague has told me privately is, in his opinions, nil. Why this is so requires a chapter of its own, but I respect his judgement: so let us all not hold our breath.

But if all of this seems to be nothing but doom and gloom, perhaps I should tell you that I am sitting besides a window providing a sun-filled vista of some of the most beautiful countryside in Britain. This is Grattondale, in the Peak District National Park in Derbyshire, and I am at the home of my old Army friends, Jonathan and Jane Snodgrass. (It is apparently a Viking name not uncommon in the North.)

I arrived here last night, weary and thankful, after driving for an hour through seemingly endless suburbs south-east of Manchester and then, as the country lifted upwards to the Peaks, through dense flurries of driven snow. Even this main road is suitable for rally-drivers, and towards the end, when the very minor country road from Youlgrave - 'remember to turn LEFT past the church' - becomes more of an narrow curving roller-coaster, big clumps of grass swishing under the car, I was so tired that I could not decide if I was really driving VERY slowly or whether my conscious reflexes had packed up and I was just being treated to an exhibition of what unconscious reflexes – that's the cerebellum I think -  can really do when pushed.

A long night's sleep in a wonderful warm bed, rafters overhead, and there was porridge for breakfast with toasted hot-cross buns. "Ahah, I haven't seen a hot-cross bun for some time. I suppose this must be their season!"

There followed by a thoughtful pause from Jonathan; and then: "Well - professor of comparative religions - perhaps this IS something that YOU ought to know!"

Instead of rising to his unkind remark, I ate four.

To return to my dear colleague's cold douche in Qatar, this is something that we have disagreed about before. He is a tenured professor. So are most of the others, or at least they are roughly the equivalent. In other words, they are being paid to attend these conferences, and they don't mind so much what results. They get to travel to exciting places; to meet interesting people; to eat wonderful food - and they really do not need to be paid as well.

But I do. I am just a retired British teacher, with a big and exciting bee in his bonnet, it is true; but I cannot live on bread and meat brought by ravens. It has been entirely my mistake to have given the impression – as I did at the start of this adventure - that I enjoy working for nothing.

I do enjoy working: but working like this very soon will be impossible. Britain has currently the most tax-rapacious government in history, and its taxation starting to hurt even retired teachers like me.

Of course, this is nothing new. The charioteers of old Rome were the Formula One drivers of their day and were rewarded with similar wealth. I read yesterday that premier league footballers are now demanding £122,000, about $250,000, per week. It is a very clever man – or women – who can find a way to make the world a happier and kinder place who will not be rewarded with mockery, or a sneer.

Although it contains some of the wildest scenery in England, the Peak District does not lack its own special entertainments. Last evening, for example, Jane took me to her Bible class. Before we set off, I was questioned several times: "Are you really SURE you want to go."

I told her certainly I wanted to go. They are studying the Lord's Prayer. I was only fearful that I might get carried away with excitement and talk too much. To prevent the possibility of embarrassing her, I promised to be mute.

Of course, this did not last very long. I soon learnt that until nine months before our vicar had been a professor of anatomy. After twenty years of cutting people up and looking inside their bodies, he had apparently decided that it might be even more interesting to look inside their souls.

He has a cheerful manner, a harsh northern accent and a very abrupt way of question. Jane has brought her copy of 473959 and at the end of his and our analysis of 'trespass', he started to read the back of it whilst I was still explaining why tribal conflicts in Iraq are sustained by a curious quirk of Islamic law which appears to encourage second cousin marriages - which keeps tribal property within tribal boundaries - when he interrupted me in that loud harsh challenging voice: "So, did you enjoy being a schizophrenic?"

I am pleased to say that I first finished my sentence, and then said flatly, and coldly: "I was never a schizophrenic."

He was still reading. "Ah, I see the Army sent you there: to shut you oop."

I had to explain why, of course, to the rest of our now bemused audience, that it was the Government that had wanted to 'shut me oop', and the Army that had got me out. And the rest of the evening passed most pleasantly, ending with a welcome cup of Derbyshire tea and a biscuit.

We left the professor-becoming-a-vicar with the book, and were relaxing before a wonderfully warm log fire - the rest of the house, to say the least, is cool - when the phone rang in the distant corner of the vast living room.

Jane answered it. "It's the Vicar." she said, turning. "He wants to talk to you."

The voice from a telephone was even more abrupt and harshly Northern (but this is the accent of my youth, and very familiar), and yet his tone was a curious mixture of challenge, wonder, and - in my judgement – respect. "Do you think you might be a saint?" was his question with no preamble at all.

"No," I replied definitely. "I do not."

"Why is that?"

"I am far too sinful."

He had only read parts of the whole and promised now to read it all. We agreed to meet and talk some more when he had.

It is another gloriously cold and sunny morning, and I must soon leave again for Manchester - driving past Arbor Low, after Stonehenge the largest stone circle in England, via Buxton and the Duke of Devonshire's riding stables, built around what was, at that time, so Jonathan says, the second largest unsupported dome in Europe - later it was turned into a hospital and Jane was a nurse there - and try to leave for Oxford this afternoon.

"All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well", said Jonathan as I left. It is a famous line from the 14^th century anchoress known as Julian of Norwich and I looked it up; and what she actually wrote is rather more appropriate: "Sin is behovely, but all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well." I think that this means that we cannot help but sin, but in end God is understanding.

Love to you all, Colin

Postscript:

Although they are amongst my oldest friends, that call from the Vicar broke through the last of my restraint, and whilst we warmed by the fire I found myself able to talk more freely about the contents of my book than ever before. It was the Snodgrasses, incidentally, who nearly thirty years ago made me the god-father of their son: a duty I have neglected horribly. He, brave young man, is now a policeman in Leeds: in my view a rather more dangerous place than many combat zones.

I have always had a horror of claiming more for myself than I know to be true, and my answer to the Vicar's first question was perfectly true. I have discovered since that he was a dean of anatomy, not a mere professor, and he was therefore accustomed to discover the most intimate secrets of the dead with his scalpel, but was also accustomed to search out the truth in the living with questions equally sharp.

I did not mind his manner, and applauded his directness. Even without his theological knowledge - which he had briefly shown to be impressive - he was, and is, a formidable investigator. We actually talked for some time, and he explained that his question was serious. He has a degree of belief in reincarnation - it will be interesting to know his reasons for this - and it seemed to him possible that I am the reincarnated spirit of some long dead divine.

I don't think so. I would be more easily convinced if the struggle for understanding had not been so difficult or so long. But just supposing that I accept this role for a moment, that I abandon my own distaste of exaggeration, as well as my supposedly 'scientific' objectivity, and write down what I know. Then it would look something like this.

1.The experience called God has occurred at intervals throughout history. It requires some simple but not very difficult preparation, but then is also a kind of quantum event of mentation. It is so powerful that it convinces those who experience it that they must communicate its significance to others. This is what makes it socially, and historically, important. Unless you know this .. says the back of my book .. you can hardly understand human history at all.

2.Although the reports of the experience are usually much the same - which is why my friends at Cambridge - and now the Vicar - could it at once recognise as authentic - it actually contains a complete spectrum of distinct signifiers: first of all of instantaneous translation to other apparently physical dimensions; and then of course of cosmic dominance and timelessness; then also of delighted recognition; then also of confirmation of the values of honesty, sincerity, and truth; then also of shared identity and fulfilment; then also of extremely aggressive possession; then also of warm tenderness; and existential security; and deep peace; and camaraderie and shared amusement - and so on.

3.Since these all display only different aspects of the fundamental nature of God, it must seem at first surprising that different religions have chosen not to emphasise the whole of this spectrum but, usually, to identify their culture mainly with parts of it.

4.To explain I use one of the most powerful of all scientific explanations: that by Charles Darwin of the evolution of different species by the selective pressure of their environment. This can be applied to religious cultures too.

5.Suppose that we treat these experiences like mutations of a kind of spiritual DNA. Just as no individual organism can force its material environment to accept the changes that mutation of its physical DNA may cause, so no human individual can force its cultural environment to accept the changes of its spiritual DNA. In both case, its mutation is actually selected for survival by its environment.

6.What does this imply? It means that a culture in which an experience of God is asserted will itself select those aspects of the reported experience that will sustain and increase its chances of survival. This fact will appear historically. Other aspects of the experience, even when they are all reported, it will reject or ignore. If another aspect continues to be asserted, especially when against the contrary sense of the majority that it endangers them - as when Jesus insisted that enemies should be loved not attacked - then the carrier of this message is likely to be destroyed.

7.A new scientific discovery is held to be useful if it discloses a more fundamental understanding, allowing the efforts of many to be combined.

8.Suppose that there is a spiritual as well as physical and rational evolution in humanity.Although the first and last are treated presently as very different, they may eventually prove to be the same.

9.Suppose that a new explanation of spiritual evolution is possible that could offers a more fundamental understanding of the whole field of spiritual knowledge and open it to exploration by many, especially the young.

10.It appears to me that this is exactly what I can do, and that because of this it is also exactly what I must do.

Consequently:

·If anyone would like to know why the Jews have held a belief for thousands of years in God's exclusive concern for them, 473959 will tell them.

·If anyone would like to know why the inner sanctum of the Jewish Temple is empty and dark, not filled with light; why many caves contain evidence of spiritual longing; why drugs do not produce any useful spiritual insight, 473959 suggests a reason.

·If anyone would like to know why Jesus said it is important to worship God not in a crowd but alone, this book can tell them.

·If anyone is puzzled that Jesus also tells them "Ask and you will receive" - wondering what exactly it is that they will receive, 473959 tells them.

·If anyone wants to know why Mohammed had to be a warrior in order to proclaim to the Jews and Christians - who rejected him - that God is all-merciful and all-compassionate, 473959 will tell them.

·Finally 473959 explains how children can be taught the value of that seemingly impossible command: 'learn to love your enemies and do good to those who hate you' - without turning them into moral simpletons or helpless victims.

And now perhaps I can go back to being just another mortal!

Toot-toot.

Published March 26, 2007