As Rose has posted elsewhere, the merger between the CDS and Al Andalus has taken place and the AA sims now adjoin Colonia Nova on the world map. I had a quick step across this morning. It's very exciting!
Congratulations to everyone who has worked so hard on this project but especially to Jamie who has worked tirelessly to make this a reality. We ought to take time, as a new united community, to celebrate this achievement.
I'm not great at organising (or attending) parties but I have made a short contribution to the celebration on my blog. I've written about the union of CDS and AA and also taken time to spotlight a historical figure who represents the connections between the West and the Islamic world - the mathematician al-Khwarizmi. The first para of the post is below to encourage you to click through and read it!
"Today we celebrate the merger between the Confederation of Democratic Simulators (CDS) and Al Andalus in Second Life. The two communities have a lot in common, and many differences. Both are communities in the best sense - representing diverse interests and people. The CDS was formed almost five years ago (with one sim then called 'Neualteburg') to experiment with forms of self-governance in virtual worlds and bring a unique architectural style into SL. Al Andalus was formed out of the CDS two years ago (at one point it was a contender in the contest for our third sim) and has forged its own unique path to explore issues of faith, tolerance and inclusivity. Both communities stand to be reinvigorated by this merger. I have no doubt that this is the single biggest event in the history of both of these virtual communities and that both stand to benefit greatly from this union.
I've recently been reading a book called 'Lost History' which covers the enduring legacy of Muslim thinkers, artists, scientists and mathematicians..."
