OUR VISION:
We envision a future in which countries work together to abolish war, protect our rights and freedoms, and solve the problems facing humanity that no country can solve alone. This vision requires effective democratic global institutions that will apply the rule of law while respecting the diversity and autonomy of national and local communities.
OUR MISSION:
We are a membership organization working to build political will in the United States to achieve our vision. We do this by educating Americans about our global interdependence, communicating global concerns to public officials, and developing proposals to create, reform and strengthen international institutions such as the United Nations.
We envision a future in which countries work together to abolish war, protect our rights and freedoms, and solve the problems facing humanity that no country can solve alone. This vision requires effective democratic global institutions that will apply the rule of law while respecting the diversity and autonomy of national and local communities.
OUR MISSION:
We are a membership organization working to build political will in the United States to achieve our vision. We do this by educating Americans about our global interdependence, communicating global concerns to public officials, and developing proposals to create, reform and strengthen international institutions such as the United Nations.
CGS-Minnesota Chapter
5492 Bald Eagle Blvd. E.
White Bear Lake, MN 55110
info at globalsolutionsmn.org
Updated 2012-01-08
5492 Bald Eagle Blvd. E.
White Bear Lake, MN 55110
info at globalsolutionsmn.org
Updated 2012-01-08
Home
Minnesota Chapter
THESIL MORLAN, 1945-2011, IN MEMORIAM
Joe Schwartzberg, President, Minnesota Chapter
It is with great sadness that I report the death of Thesil Morlan, who suffered a fatal brain aneurysm on December 8. Most readers of this note will probably not have heard of Thesil. She never tried to make waves. She preferred to work quietly, but dependably, from her home, Quill Cove [sheep] Farm, on the rocky coast of Maine, to promote numerous causes related to global peace and justice. She was a passionate advocate of human rights, especially those of women and girls, and a leader of the Maine Chapter of Amnesty International. And for 22 years she was active in UNA USA, at times serving as President of its Maine Chapter. I have interacted with Thesil for roughly a quarter century, first through the World Federalist Association and then through its successor, CGS; and we have both served as members of the Steering Committee of the World Federalist Institute (WFI), a CGS think tank, since its founding in 2005.
The daughter of a professor of political science at the University of Redlands, Thesil graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Mt. Holyoke College and subsequently became an intellectual, author and artist in her own right. She was the consummately skilled editor of all 39 numbers of the semi-annual magazine, Minerva, now an official publication of both CGS and WFI. At this writing, it is not known whether anyone else will try to replace her in that capacity. Readers would do well to access past numbers of Minerva on line. (Just Google Minerva and you’ll get it.) Writing of Thesil and Minerva, Tad Daley had this to say: “We just devoured Minerva …. I really read a lot and… try to absorb a great deal of the contemporary policy debate. Yet, each time I received Minerva, it contained stuff that I had not seen anywhere else. Important stuff. Insightful stuff. Imaginative stuff. Beyond the parameters of the mainstream stuff.” We respectfully dedicate to Thesil this number of the Newsletter of the Minnesota Chapter of CGS and honor her memory by including in it the following three excerpts (prefixed by M:) from Minerva, 39, November 2011.
M: Excerpt from Book Review by David Shorr of Stephen Weber and Stephen Jentleson, THE END OF ARROGANCE, America in the Global Competition of Ideas, 2011. (Shorr is a staff member of the Stanley Foundation.)
(Quoting the authors) “In 2010, globally, there remains a deep skepticism about the proposition that the United States can be more powerful and the world can be a better place at the same time. The belief that these two things can be consistent or even reinforce each other was the most precious advantage America had in the post-World War II milieu. It has eroded and that changes the nature of the ideological competition dramatically. A new foreign policy proposition has to find a way to put that belief back into play.”
M: Excerpt from Stephen Eric Bronner, IMPERFECT REVOLUTION. 2011 (Bronner is a Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Director of Civic Diplomacy and Human Rights at the Institute for Global Change at Rutgers University.)
The Arab Spring was marked by spontaneous revolts, lack of charismatic leaders, youthful exuberance and disdain for more traditional forms of organizational discipline. That is what made these revolutions so appealing. Institutional obstacles to democracy, however, require institutional responses: speaking truth to power is no longer enough. Success now hinges on the organization of power by the former insurgents and their ability to deal with the armed forces, the bureaucracy, religious institutions and the global economy….
Revolution is a daunting task, but running a country the day after is perhaps an even more daunting proposition. New liberal republics in economically disadvantaged circumstances will need to navigate a swirl of conflicting economic interests and illiberal institutional claims. These are not discrete concerns though, in each circumstance, the art -- not the science -- of politics is required to provide an integrated set of responses. Ignoring the logic of power is no solution. Only by confronting the reactionary and exploitative interests with an eye privileging the common needs of the disenfranchised and the oppressed will a fresh breeze sustain the Arab Spring.
M: Statement by Thomas Steinbeck on his father’s view of PLANETARY PATRIOTISM, 27 September 2010.
My father valued patriotism above all other social obligations, but he had his own particular interpretation of just how true patriotism was meant to function. His definition was directly geared to a socio-political axiom of his own invention, and I knew it by heart by the time I was seven years old. He said, “If the solution to a problem of absolute disagreement extends to a call for bloodshed, then neither party has demonstrated the intelligence to form the question properly.”
Joe Schwartzberg, President, Minnesota Chapter
It is with great sadness that I report the death of Thesil Morlan, who suffered a fatal brain aneurysm on December 8. Most readers of this note will probably not have heard of Thesil. She never tried to make waves. She preferred to work quietly, but dependably, from her home, Quill Cove [sheep] Farm, on the rocky coast of Maine, to promote numerous causes related to global peace and justice. She was a passionate advocate of human rights, especially those of women and girls, and a leader of the Maine Chapter of Amnesty International. And for 22 years she was active in UNA USA, at times serving as President of its Maine Chapter. I have interacted with Thesil for roughly a quarter century, first through the World Federalist Association and then through its successor, CGS; and we have both served as members of the Steering Committee of the World Federalist Institute (WFI), a CGS think tank, since its founding in 2005.
The daughter of a professor of political science at the University of Redlands, Thesil graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Mt. Holyoke College and subsequently became an intellectual, author and artist in her own right. She was the consummately skilled editor of all 39 numbers of the semi-annual magazine, Minerva, now an official publication of both CGS and WFI. At this writing, it is not known whether anyone else will try to replace her in that capacity. Readers would do well to access past numbers of Minerva on line. (Just Google Minerva and you’ll get it.) Writing of Thesil and Minerva, Tad Daley had this to say: “We just devoured Minerva …. I really read a lot and… try to absorb a great deal of the contemporary policy debate. Yet, each time I received Minerva, it contained stuff that I had not seen anywhere else. Important stuff. Insightful stuff. Imaginative stuff. Beyond the parameters of the mainstream stuff.” We respectfully dedicate to Thesil this number of the Newsletter of the Minnesota Chapter of CGS and honor her memory by including in it the following three excerpts (prefixed by M:) from Minerva, 39, November 2011.
M: Excerpt from Book Review by David Shorr of Stephen Weber and Stephen Jentleson, THE END OF ARROGANCE, America in the Global Competition of Ideas, 2011. (Shorr is a staff member of the Stanley Foundation.)
(Quoting the authors) “In 2010, globally, there remains a deep skepticism about the proposition that the United States can be more powerful and the world can be a better place at the same time. The belief that these two things can be consistent or even reinforce each other was the most precious advantage America had in the post-World War II milieu. It has eroded and that changes the nature of the ideological competition dramatically. A new foreign policy proposition has to find a way to put that belief back into play.”
M: Excerpt from Stephen Eric Bronner, IMPERFECT REVOLUTION. 2011 (Bronner is a Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Director of Civic Diplomacy and Human Rights at the Institute for Global Change at Rutgers University.)
The Arab Spring was marked by spontaneous revolts, lack of charismatic leaders, youthful exuberance and disdain for more traditional forms of organizational discipline. That is what made these revolutions so appealing. Institutional obstacles to democracy, however, require institutional responses: speaking truth to power is no longer enough. Success now hinges on the organization of power by the former insurgents and their ability to deal with the armed forces, the bureaucracy, religious institutions and the global economy….
Revolution is a daunting task, but running a country the day after is perhaps an even more daunting proposition. New liberal republics in economically disadvantaged circumstances will need to navigate a swirl of conflicting economic interests and illiberal institutional claims. These are not discrete concerns though, in each circumstance, the art -- not the science -- of politics is required to provide an integrated set of responses. Ignoring the logic of power is no solution. Only by confronting the reactionary and exploitative interests with an eye privileging the common needs of the disenfranchised and the oppressed will a fresh breeze sustain the Arab Spring.
M: Statement by Thomas Steinbeck on his father’s view of PLANETARY PATRIOTISM, 27 September 2010.
My father valued patriotism above all other social obligations, but he had his own particular interpretation of just how true patriotism was meant to function. His definition was directly geared to a socio-political axiom of his own invention, and I knew it by heart by the time I was seven years old. He said, “If the solution to a problem of absolute disagreement extends to a call for bloodshed, then neither party has demonstrated the intelligence to form the question properly.”
NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
(Click on the date)
January 2012
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
THESIL MORLAN, 1945-2011, IN MEMORIAM (with excerpts fromMinerva) by Joe Schwartzberg, President, Minnesota Chapter CGS
CHARITY VERSUS CHANGE by Hank Stone
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
AXWORTHY PRESENTATIONS by Dick Bernard, Board Member, Minnesota Chapter CGS
November 2011
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
ON GOODNESS by Joe Schwartzberg, President, Minnesota Chapter CGS
***AN EVENT YOU WILL NOT WANT TO MISS*** RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT by Hon. Lloyd Axworthy-Fromer Forein Minister of Canada and a former Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations, serving twice as President of the UN Security Council.
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
MOVE TO AMEND by David Cobb
September 2011
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
LIBYA AND THE RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT by Joe Schwartzberg, President, Minnesota Chapter CGS
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
SEPTEMBER 21, INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE
CORPORATE “PERSONHOOD”
AUCTION OF STAINED-GLASS WINDOW
May 2011
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
IS WORLD GOVERNMENT INEVITABLE? by Joe Schwartzberg, President, Minnesota Chapter CGS
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
WHAT CAN WE DO FOR THE CHILDREN OF "GENERATION HOT," THEIR HEIRS AND OURSELVES? by Lee DeChert
CGS MN ANNUAL MEETING INVITATION
CANDIDATES FOR OFFICERS AND BOARD OF CGS, MN CHAPTER
ON THE KILLING OF OSAMA BIN LADEN
March 2011
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
PEOPLE POWER AND NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY by Joe Schwartzberg, President, Minnesota Chapter CGS
SENIOR REFLECTIONS ON MODEL UNITED NATIONS EXPERIENCES by Meredith Burns
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
NEWS: LYNN ELLING TURNS 90, ISTILL GOING STRONG; Etc.
January 2011
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
Review of James T. Ranney, WORLD PEACE THROUGH LAW: RE-THINKING AN OLD THEORY by Joe Schwartzberg, President, Minnesota Chapter CGS
THE EARTH GARDEN by Hank Stone
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
November 2010
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
DIEZ DIAS DE DEMOCRACIA GLOBAL/ TEN DAYS OF GLOBAL DEMOCRACYJoe Schwartzberg, President, Minnesota Chapter, CGS
REFLECTIONS ON THE ELECTIONS by Joe Schwartzberg
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
HAWKINSON FOUNDATION AWARDS FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE
NEW WEB SITES
September 2010
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
DESIGNS FOR A WORKABLE WORLD (Upcoming book) by Joe Schwartzberg, President, Minnesota Chapter, CGS
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
PAKISTAN NEEDS YOUR HELP
May 2010
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
IMPENDING CHANGE by Claude Buettner, Outgoing President, Minnesota Chapter, CGS
FUNDING A WORKABLE UNITED NATIONS by Joe Schwartzberg
IRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
AWARD FOR JOE SCHWARTZBERG
WEIGHTED VOTING by Joe Schwartzberg
CHAPTER OUTLINE, DESIGNS FOR A WORKABLE WORLD (Upcoming book by Joe Schwartzberg)
CGS MN ANNUAL MEETING INVITATION, JUNE 17, THUR, 6-9 PM; Keynote Speaker: Secretary of State MARK RITCHIE, "THE ROLE OF CIVIL SOCIETY IN GLOBAL GOVERNANCE"
CANDIDATES FOR OFFICERS AND BOARD OF CGS, MN CHAPTER
March 2010
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
CONTFRONTING FUTURE TERROR by Claude Buettner, President, Minnesota Chapter, CGS
CIVIL SOCIETY TO THE RESCUE by Joe Schwartzberg, CGS Board Member
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
DO YOU WANT A PIECE OF THE ACTION?
January 2010
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
THE QUEST FOR GLOBAL POLITICAL EQUITY IN THE 21st CENTURY by Claude Buettner, President, Minnesota Chapter, CGS
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
NUCLEAR WEAPONS ARE AN EFFECT by Ronald J. Glossop, President, St. Louis Chapter, CGS
AVAAZ
CGS MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION by Dennis Dillon, Treasurer, MN Chapter, CGS
November 2009
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
A BINATIONAL COMMISSION WITH RUSSIA by Claude Buettner, President, Minnesota Chapter, CGS
PRESIDENT OBAMA'S NOBEL PEACE PRIZE Slightly edited excerpts from a blog posted by Dick Bernard
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
PROGRESS IN PROMOTING UN REFORM by Joe Schwartzberg
WORLD SAVVY
September 2009
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
PRIORITIZING ISSUES FOR THE COMING YEAR by Claude Buettner, President, Minnesota Chapter, CGS
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
WORLD PEACE THROUGH EDUCATION (BEST BOOKS AND GROUPS)
KENNEDY AND THE SAD STATE OF OUR MEDIA by Louise Pardee and Joe Schwartzberg
WANT TO HELP?
May 2009
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
GOING MAINSTREAM WITH GLOBAL THINKING by Claude Buettner, President, Minnesota Chapter, CGS
THE TIDE IS TURNING by Joe Schwartzberg, CGS Board Member
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
CGS ANNUAL MEETING INVITAION, Keynote Speaker: Dean J. BRIAN ATWOOD
CANDIDATES FOR OFFICERS AND BOARD OF CGS, MN CHAPTER
“WORLD AFFAIRS CHALLENGE,” A COMPETITION ABOUT THINGS THAT MATTER by Gail Hughes, CGS Board
DESIGNS FOR A WORKABLE WORLD by Joe Schwartzberg, CGS Board Member
CITIZENS FOR GLOBAL SOLUTIONS NEEDS YOUR MEMBERSHIP
March 2009
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
ATOMS FOR PEACE NEEDS RETHINKING by Claude Buettner, President, Minnesota Chapter, CGS
MY FIRST MODEL UNITED NATIONS EXPERIENCE by Sutton Higgins
ODDS AND ENDS
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
WANT TO HELP?
January 2009
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
HELPING TO BUILD THE FUTURE THROUGH THE PARTNERS PROGRAM by Claude Buettner, President, Minnesota Chapter, CGS
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
ODDS AND ENDS
A UNITED NATIONS PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY? by Joe Schwartzberg, CGS Board Member
WANT TO HELP?
November 2008
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
SHIFTING TO A NEW EQUILIBRIUM by Claude Buettner, President, Minnesota Chapter, CGS
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
ALFRED AEPPLI
GRASSROOTS SOLUTIONS NEEDED FOR GLOBAL PROBLEMS by James W. Nelson
WFM SUPPORTS PROPOSAL FOR FINANCIAL DIALOGUE
September 2008
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
CELEBRATE CONSENSUS BUILDING by Claude Buettner, President, Minnesota Chapter, CGS
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
THE WEEK THAT WAS by Joe Schwartzberg
SUPPORT CGS-ENDORSED CANDIDATES
May 2008
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
OVER THE HORIZON by Claude Buettner, President, Minnesota Chapter, CGS
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
IRAQ WHAT TO Do? by Joe Schwartzberg
ANNUAL MEETING THURSDAY JUNE 12, 2008
March 2008
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
ROOT CAUSE,CORRECTIVE ACTION by Claude Buettner, President, Minnesota Chapter, CGS
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
THE UN AS ELECTION MONITOR by Joe Schwartzberg
RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP
January 2008
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
REFRAMING GLOBAL DEMOCRACY by Claude Buettner, President, Minnesota Chapter, CGS
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
WEIGHTED VOTING AND SECURITY COUNCIL REFORM
2008, A YEAR OF GREAT OPPORTUNITY by Joe Schwartzberg
BOUTROS-GHALI: DEMOCRATIZATION AT GLOBAL LEVEL NEEDED
THANK YOU DICK BERNARD
November 2007
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
A NEW COMMUNICATIONS REVOLUTION by Claude Buettner, President, Minnesota Chapter, CGS
THIRD THURSDAY (not this time) GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
2007 ANNUAL NATIONAL MEETING A GREAT SUCCESS
INACTION IS COMPLICITY
September 2007
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
BUILDING INTERNATIONAL BRIDGES by Claude Buettner, President, Minnesota Chapter, CGS
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
MARTHA PLATT TURNS 100!
CGSers Help Launch New Radio Show: "Truth to Tell"
CGS 2007 ANNUAL MEETING
PROGRESS REPORT ON UN REFORM by Joe Schwartzberg
WORKS TO BE DISTRIBUTED AT NATIONAL MEETING
May 2007
PROSPECTS FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE by Joe Schwartzberg, President, CGS Minnesota Chapter
ENERGY WORKSHOP
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
REVIEW OF PREVIOUS THIRD THURSDAY FORUMS, 2006-2007
THE MINNESOTA MILLENNIUM INITIATIVE (MMI) by Bharat Parekh, Incoming Board Member
CGS MN ANNUAL MEETING INVITATION
MEETING RESERVATION FORM AND BALLOT
CANDIDATES FOR OFFICERS AND BOARD OF CGS, MN CHAPTER
WANNA GET INVOLVED?
March 2007
UNIVERSAL REGIONAL REPRESENTATION AS A BASIS FOR SECURITY COUNCIL REFORM by Joe Schwartzberg, President, CGS Minnesota Chapter
IS "FREE TRADE" THE ONLY POSSIBILITY IN A GLOBAL ECONOMY? by William McGaughey, CGS Minnesota Board Member
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
A CALL FOR OPEN DISCUSSION OF THE ISRAELI OCCUPATION OF PALESTINE
January 2007
HAPPY NEW YEAR
MEMO TO BAN KI-MOON: TRUE UN REFORM by Joe Schwartzberg, President, CGS Minnesota Chapter
CINDY SHEEHAN EVENT
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
ODDS & ENDS
November 2006
DECISIONS, DECISIONS, DECISIONS by Joe Schwartzberg, President, CGS Minnesota Chapter
CANDIDATES ENDORSED BY NATIONAL ORGANIZATION
Important Coming Events
WHY WE MERIT AND NEED YOUR SUPPORT
SELECTED WORKS BY JOSEPH SCHWARTZBERG RELATING TO UN REFORM
September 2006
JUSTICE AS THE KEY TO PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST by Joe Schwartzberg, President, CGS Minnesota Chapter
A GLOBAL PARLIAMENT?
ANNUAL MEETING A BIG SUCCESS
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
Lebanon, Sudan: Who You Gonna Call? By Don Kraus
QUOTE by Richard Nixon
May 2006
STEPS ON THE PATH TO GLOBAL JUSTICE by Joe Schwartzberg, President, CGS Minnesota Chapter
HOW DO OUR REPRESENTATIVES IN CONGRESS SCORE ON KEY GLOBAL ISSUES?
WANT NEWS OF COMING EVENTS?
A MESSAGE OF DEEP CONCERN ABOUT THE US AND THE MIDDLE EAST
CGS MN ANNUAL MEETING INVITATION (incl. MEETING RESERVATION FORM, BALLOT, CANDIDATES LIST)
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
Thanks to OUTGOING and CONTINUING BOARD MEMBERS
QUOTES by Felix Frankfurter and Theodore Roosevelt
March 2006
PROBLEMS, RESPONSES AND SOLUTIONS by Joe Schwartzberg, President, CGS Minnesota Chapter
GLOBAL WARMING ACTION ALERT
A UNITED NATIONS ADMINISTRATIVE ACADEMY
TWO GREAT GLOBAL CITIZENS
Eyewitness to Global Warming: Public Forums with Will Steger
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
A TIME FOR ACTION ON IRAQ, JOIN THE DEMONSTRATION ON MARCH 18
January 2006
AN ALTERNATIVE AGENDA by Joe Schwartzberg, President, CGS Minnesota Chapter
A FAIR TRADE LIGHTHOUSE IN HONG KONG By Patricia Jurewicz
THE YEAR 2005 IN REVIEW
POSITION STATEMENTS OF THE MINNESOTA ALLIANCE OF PEACEMAKERS
WOULD YOU LIKE TO HELP?
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
Book Review: SAVING CHRISTIANITY FROM EMPIRE by Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer, reviewed by Louise Pardee
QUOTES by Clyde Prestowitz and Marcus Borg
November 2005
SENSATIONAL SANTA FE by Joe Schwartzberg, President, CGS Minnesota Chapter
ABOUT CGS
WANT NEWS OF COMING EVENTS?
TWO GREAT GLOBAL CITIZENS
PLEASE HELP EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
SIXTY YEARS OF THE UNITED NATIONS by Jay Shahidi
QUOTES by Thomas Paine and Socrates
September 2005
A TIME FOR NEW BEGINNINGS by Joe Schwartzberg, President, CGS Minnesota Chapter
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORA NOTICES
OTHER COMING EVENTS
QUOTES by Paul Streeten and by the House of Commons of Canada External Affairs Committee
Summer 2005
WHO AND WHAT WE ARE by Joe Schwartzberg, President, CGS Minnesota Chapter
BALLOT AND ANNUAL MEETING INVITATION
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM: GENOCIDE, 2005: WHAT IS HAPPENING IN DARFUR?
POPE JOHN PAUL II AS A HUMANE GLOBAL THINKER (two quotes)
Spring 2005
WEIRD PRIORITIES AND "SOFT THREATS" by Joe Schwartzberg, President, CGS Minnesota Chapter
"RESOLVED: THE UNITED STATES SHOULD WITHDRAW FROM THE U.N." by Bill McGaughey, CGS-MN Board
CALENDAR
CGS-MN PRESIDENT JOE SCHWARTZBERG NOMINATED FOR MAJOR AWARD by Michael Andregg, Justice and Peace Studies Program, University of St. Thomas
Winter 2004
A BAD YEAR AND THE JOB AHEAD by Joe Schwartzberg, President, CGS Minnesota Chapter
KOFI ANNAN: IS HE 'HISTORY'? Editors comment by Dick Bernard
JOE SCHWARTZBERG PRINCIPAL SPEAKER AT CONFERENCE ON WEIGHTED VOTING AT UNITED NATIONS
PEACE ONE DAY (film)
Fall 2004
FORCE OR LAW? President's column by Joe Schwartzberg
A POST-ELECTION MESSAGE FROM CHARLES J. BROWN, President & CEO, Citizens for Global Solutions
FOUR CGS MEMBER COMMENTS ABOUT NOVEMBER 2
Earth to Mars: CHOOSING A FLAG TO UNITE A PLANET by Tad Daley
September 2004
TWO HEROES President's column by Joe Schwartzberg
REMEMBERING A VISION OF THE UNITED NATIONS by Dick Bernard, editor
FORGING AHEAD ON UN REFORM
The Newsletter of the Minnesota Chapter of CGS is published in January, March, May, September and November of each year. Member submissions are encouraged and should be sent to Joe Schwartzberg by E-mail at schwa004 at umn.edu (replace at with @) or by post at 5492 Bald Eagle Blvd. E., Whie Bear Lake, MN 55110. You may call Joe at 651-429-9562 (Home) or 612-625-55787 (Office) if you'd like to discuss a submission.
(Click on the date)
January 2012
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
THESIL MORLAN, 1945-2011, IN MEMORIAM (with excerpts fromMinerva) by Joe Schwartzberg, President, Minnesota Chapter CGS
CHARITY VERSUS CHANGE by Hank Stone
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
AXWORTHY PRESENTATIONS by Dick Bernard, Board Member, Minnesota Chapter CGS
November 2011
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
ON GOODNESS by Joe Schwartzberg, President, Minnesota Chapter CGS
***AN EVENT YOU WILL NOT WANT TO MISS*** RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT by Hon. Lloyd Axworthy-Fromer Forein Minister of Canada and a former Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations, serving twice as President of the UN Security Council.
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
MOVE TO AMEND by David Cobb
September 2011
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
LIBYA AND THE RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT by Joe Schwartzberg, President, Minnesota Chapter CGS
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
SEPTEMBER 21, INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE
CORPORATE “PERSONHOOD”
AUCTION OF STAINED-GLASS WINDOW
May 2011
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
IS WORLD GOVERNMENT INEVITABLE? by Joe Schwartzberg, President, Minnesota Chapter CGS
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
WHAT CAN WE DO FOR THE CHILDREN OF "GENERATION HOT," THEIR HEIRS AND OURSELVES? by Lee DeChert
CGS MN ANNUAL MEETING INVITATION
CANDIDATES FOR OFFICERS AND BOARD OF CGS, MN CHAPTER
ON THE KILLING OF OSAMA BIN LADEN
March 2011
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
PEOPLE POWER AND NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY by Joe Schwartzberg, President, Minnesota Chapter CGS
SENIOR REFLECTIONS ON MODEL UNITED NATIONS EXPERIENCES by Meredith Burns
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
NEWS: LYNN ELLING TURNS 90, ISTILL GOING STRONG; Etc.
January 2011
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
Review of James T. Ranney, WORLD PEACE THROUGH LAW: RE-THINKING AN OLD THEORY by Joe Schwartzberg, President, Minnesota Chapter CGS
THE EARTH GARDEN by Hank Stone
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
November 2010
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
DIEZ DIAS DE DEMOCRACIA GLOBAL/ TEN DAYS OF GLOBAL DEMOCRACYJoe Schwartzberg, President, Minnesota Chapter, CGS
REFLECTIONS ON THE ELECTIONS by Joe Schwartzberg
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
HAWKINSON FOUNDATION AWARDS FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE
NEW WEB SITES
September 2010
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
DESIGNS FOR A WORKABLE WORLD (Upcoming book) by Joe Schwartzberg, President, Minnesota Chapter, CGS
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
PAKISTAN NEEDS YOUR HELP
May 2010
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
IMPENDING CHANGE by Claude Buettner, Outgoing President, Minnesota Chapter, CGS
FUNDING A WORKABLE UNITED NATIONS by Joe Schwartzberg
IRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
AWARD FOR JOE SCHWARTZBERG
WEIGHTED VOTING by Joe Schwartzberg
CHAPTER OUTLINE, DESIGNS FOR A WORKABLE WORLD (Upcoming book by Joe Schwartzberg)
CGS MN ANNUAL MEETING INVITATION, JUNE 17, THUR, 6-9 PM; Keynote Speaker: Secretary of State MARK RITCHIE, "THE ROLE OF CIVIL SOCIETY IN GLOBAL GOVERNANCE"
CANDIDATES FOR OFFICERS AND BOARD OF CGS, MN CHAPTER
March 2010
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
CONTFRONTING FUTURE TERROR by Claude Buettner, President, Minnesota Chapter, CGS
CIVIL SOCIETY TO THE RESCUE by Joe Schwartzberg, CGS Board Member
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
DO YOU WANT A PIECE OF THE ACTION?
January 2010
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
THE QUEST FOR GLOBAL POLITICAL EQUITY IN THE 21st CENTURY by Claude Buettner, President, Minnesota Chapter, CGS
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
NUCLEAR WEAPONS ARE AN EFFECT by Ronald J. Glossop, President, St. Louis Chapter, CGS
AVAAZ
CGS MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION by Dennis Dillon, Treasurer, MN Chapter, CGS
November 2009
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
A BINATIONAL COMMISSION WITH RUSSIA by Claude Buettner, President, Minnesota Chapter, CGS
PRESIDENT OBAMA'S NOBEL PEACE PRIZE Slightly edited excerpts from a blog posted by Dick Bernard
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
PROGRESS IN PROMOTING UN REFORM by Joe Schwartzberg
WORLD SAVVY
September 2009
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
PRIORITIZING ISSUES FOR THE COMING YEAR by Claude Buettner, President, Minnesota Chapter, CGS
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
WORLD PEACE THROUGH EDUCATION (BEST BOOKS AND GROUPS)
KENNEDY AND THE SAD STATE OF OUR MEDIA by Louise Pardee and Joe Schwartzberg
WANT TO HELP?
May 2009
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
GOING MAINSTREAM WITH GLOBAL THINKING by Claude Buettner, President, Minnesota Chapter, CGS
THE TIDE IS TURNING by Joe Schwartzberg, CGS Board Member
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
CGS ANNUAL MEETING INVITAION, Keynote Speaker: Dean J. BRIAN ATWOOD
CANDIDATES FOR OFFICERS AND BOARD OF CGS, MN CHAPTER
“WORLD AFFAIRS CHALLENGE,” A COMPETITION ABOUT THINGS THAT MATTER by Gail Hughes, CGS Board
DESIGNS FOR A WORKABLE WORLD by Joe Schwartzberg, CGS Board Member
CITIZENS FOR GLOBAL SOLUTIONS NEEDS YOUR MEMBERSHIP
March 2009
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
ATOMS FOR PEACE NEEDS RETHINKING by Claude Buettner, President, Minnesota Chapter, CGS
MY FIRST MODEL UNITED NATIONS EXPERIENCE by Sutton Higgins
ODDS AND ENDS
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
WANT TO HELP?
January 2009
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
HELPING TO BUILD THE FUTURE THROUGH THE PARTNERS PROGRAM by Claude Buettner, President, Minnesota Chapter, CGS
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
ODDS AND ENDS
A UNITED NATIONS PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY? by Joe Schwartzberg, CGS Board Member
WANT TO HELP?
November 2008
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
SHIFTING TO A NEW EQUILIBRIUM by Claude Buettner, President, Minnesota Chapter, CGS
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
ALFRED AEPPLI
GRASSROOTS SOLUTIONS NEEDED FOR GLOBAL PROBLEMS by James W. Nelson
WFM SUPPORTS PROPOSAL FOR FINANCIAL DIALOGUE
September 2008
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
CELEBRATE CONSENSUS BUILDING by Claude Buettner, President, Minnesota Chapter, CGS
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
THE WEEK THAT WAS by Joe Schwartzberg
SUPPORT CGS-ENDORSED CANDIDATES
May 2008
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
OVER THE HORIZON by Claude Buettner, President, Minnesota Chapter, CGS
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
IRAQ WHAT TO Do? by Joe Schwartzberg
ANNUAL MEETING THURSDAY JUNE 12, 2008
March 2008
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
ROOT CAUSE,CORRECTIVE ACTION by Claude Buettner, President, Minnesota Chapter, CGS
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
THE UN AS ELECTION MONITOR by Joe Schwartzberg
RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP
January 2008
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
REFRAMING GLOBAL DEMOCRACY by Claude Buettner, President, Minnesota Chapter, CGS
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
WEIGHTED VOTING AND SECURITY COUNCIL REFORM
2008, A YEAR OF GREAT OPPORTUNITY by Joe Schwartzberg
BOUTROS-GHALI: DEMOCRATIZATION AT GLOBAL LEVEL NEEDED
THANK YOU DICK BERNARD
November 2007
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
A NEW COMMUNICATIONS REVOLUTION by Claude Buettner, President, Minnesota Chapter, CGS
THIRD THURSDAY (not this time) GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
2007 ANNUAL NATIONAL MEETING A GREAT SUCCESS
INACTION IS COMPLICITY
September 2007
OUR VISION, OUR MISSION
BUILDING INTERNATIONAL BRIDGES by Claude Buettner, President, Minnesota Chapter, CGS
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
MARTHA PLATT TURNS 100!
CGSers Help Launch New Radio Show: "Truth to Tell"
CGS 2007 ANNUAL MEETING
PROGRESS REPORT ON UN REFORM by Joe Schwartzberg
WORKS TO BE DISTRIBUTED AT NATIONAL MEETING
May 2007
PROSPECTS FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE by Joe Schwartzberg, President, CGS Minnesota Chapter
ENERGY WORKSHOP
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
REVIEW OF PREVIOUS THIRD THURSDAY FORUMS, 2006-2007
THE MINNESOTA MILLENNIUM INITIATIVE (MMI) by Bharat Parekh, Incoming Board Member
CGS MN ANNUAL MEETING INVITATION
MEETING RESERVATION FORM AND BALLOT
CANDIDATES FOR OFFICERS AND BOARD OF CGS, MN CHAPTER
WANNA GET INVOLVED?
March 2007
UNIVERSAL REGIONAL REPRESENTATION AS A BASIS FOR SECURITY COUNCIL REFORM by Joe Schwartzberg, President, CGS Minnesota Chapter
IS "FREE TRADE" THE ONLY POSSIBILITY IN A GLOBAL ECONOMY? by William McGaughey, CGS Minnesota Board Member
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
A CALL FOR OPEN DISCUSSION OF THE ISRAELI OCCUPATION OF PALESTINE
January 2007
HAPPY NEW YEAR
MEMO TO BAN KI-MOON: TRUE UN REFORM by Joe Schwartzberg, President, CGS Minnesota Chapter
CINDY SHEEHAN EVENT
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
ODDS & ENDS
November 2006
DECISIONS, DECISIONS, DECISIONS by Joe Schwartzberg, President, CGS Minnesota Chapter
CANDIDATES ENDORSED BY NATIONAL ORGANIZATION
Important Coming Events
WHY WE MERIT AND NEED YOUR SUPPORT
SELECTED WORKS BY JOSEPH SCHWARTZBERG RELATING TO UN REFORM
September 2006
JUSTICE AS THE KEY TO PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST by Joe Schwartzberg, President, CGS Minnesota Chapter
A GLOBAL PARLIAMENT?
ANNUAL MEETING A BIG SUCCESS
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
Lebanon, Sudan: Who You Gonna Call? By Don Kraus
QUOTE by Richard Nixon
May 2006
STEPS ON THE PATH TO GLOBAL JUSTICE by Joe Schwartzberg, President, CGS Minnesota Chapter
HOW DO OUR REPRESENTATIVES IN CONGRESS SCORE ON KEY GLOBAL ISSUES?
WANT NEWS OF COMING EVENTS?
A MESSAGE OF DEEP CONCERN ABOUT THE US AND THE MIDDLE EAST
CGS MN ANNUAL MEETING INVITATION (incl. MEETING RESERVATION FORM, BALLOT, CANDIDATES LIST)
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
Thanks to OUTGOING and CONTINUING BOARD MEMBERS
QUOTES by Felix Frankfurter and Theodore Roosevelt
March 2006
PROBLEMS, RESPONSES AND SOLUTIONS by Joe Schwartzberg, President, CGS Minnesota Chapter
GLOBAL WARMING ACTION ALERT
A UNITED NATIONS ADMINISTRATIVE ACADEMY
TWO GREAT GLOBAL CITIZENS
Eyewitness to Global Warming: Public Forums with Will Steger
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
A TIME FOR ACTION ON IRAQ, JOIN THE DEMONSTRATION ON MARCH 18
January 2006
AN ALTERNATIVE AGENDA by Joe Schwartzberg, President, CGS Minnesota Chapter
A FAIR TRADE LIGHTHOUSE IN HONG KONG By Patricia Jurewicz
THE YEAR 2005 IN REVIEW
POSITION STATEMENTS OF THE MINNESOTA ALLIANCE OF PEACEMAKERS
WOULD YOU LIKE TO HELP?
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
Book Review: SAVING CHRISTIANITY FROM EMPIRE by Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer, reviewed by Louise Pardee
QUOTES by Clyde Prestowitz and Marcus Borg
November 2005
SENSATIONAL SANTA FE by Joe Schwartzberg, President, CGS Minnesota Chapter
ABOUT CGS
WANT NEWS OF COMING EVENTS?
TWO GREAT GLOBAL CITIZENS
PLEASE HELP EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
SIXTY YEARS OF THE UNITED NATIONS by Jay Shahidi
QUOTES by Thomas Paine and Socrates
September 2005
A TIME FOR NEW BEGINNINGS by Joe Schwartzberg, President, CGS Minnesota Chapter
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORA NOTICES
OTHER COMING EVENTS
QUOTES by Paul Streeten and by the House of Commons of Canada External Affairs Committee
Summer 2005
WHO AND WHAT WE ARE by Joe Schwartzberg, President, CGS Minnesota Chapter
BALLOT AND ANNUAL MEETING INVITATION
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM: GENOCIDE, 2005: WHAT IS HAPPENING IN DARFUR?
POPE JOHN PAUL II AS A HUMANE GLOBAL THINKER (two quotes)
Spring 2005
WEIRD PRIORITIES AND "SOFT THREATS" by Joe Schwartzberg, President, CGS Minnesota Chapter
"RESOLVED: THE UNITED STATES SHOULD WITHDRAW FROM THE U.N." by Bill McGaughey, CGS-MN Board
CALENDAR
CGS-MN PRESIDENT JOE SCHWARTZBERG NOMINATED FOR MAJOR AWARD by Michael Andregg, Justice and Peace Studies Program, University of St. Thomas
Winter 2004
A BAD YEAR AND THE JOB AHEAD by Joe Schwartzberg, President, CGS Minnesota Chapter
KOFI ANNAN: IS HE 'HISTORY'? Editors comment by Dick Bernard
JOE SCHWARTZBERG PRINCIPAL SPEAKER AT CONFERENCE ON WEIGHTED VOTING AT UNITED NATIONS
PEACE ONE DAY (film)
Fall 2004
FORCE OR LAW? President's column by Joe Schwartzberg
A POST-ELECTION MESSAGE FROM CHARLES J. BROWN, President & CEO, Citizens for Global Solutions
FOUR CGS MEMBER COMMENTS ABOUT NOVEMBER 2
Earth to Mars: CHOOSING A FLAG TO UNITE A PLANET by Tad Daley
September 2004
TWO HEROES President's column by Joe Schwartzberg
REMEMBERING A VISION OF THE UNITED NATIONS by Dick Bernard, editor
FORGING AHEAD ON UN REFORM
The Newsletter of the Minnesota Chapter of CGS is published in January, March, May, September and November of each year. Member submissions are encouraged and should be sent to Joe Schwartzberg by E-mail at schwa004 at umn.edu (replace at with @) or by post at 5492 Bald Eagle Blvd. E., Whie Bear Lake, MN 55110. You may call Joe at 651-429-9562 (Home) or 612-625-55787 (Office) if you'd like to discuss a submission.
January 2012 Newsletter
Mark Ritchie
James Nelson
Joseph E. SchwartzbergNewsletters (Current and Archived)
GREAT FALL READING!
APOCALYPSE NEVER
Forging the Path to a Nuclear Weapon-Free world
By Tad Daley
Available from Rutgers Press: http://rutgerspress.rutgers.edu/acatalog/Apocalypse_Never.html
(This linked page has a link to a video of Tad discussing his book with readings.)
“In plain, understandable prose, Apocalypse Never makes a compelling case that the continued existence of nuclear weapons, regardless of their ownership, can lead to catastrophic disasters. A must-read.”
—Lt. General Robert G. Gard, Jr., (U.S. Army, Retired)
and chair, Center for Arms Control & Non-Proliferation
APOCALYPSE NEVER
Forging the Path to a Nuclear Weapon-Free world
By Tad Daley
Available from Rutgers Press: http://rutgerspress.rutgers.edu/acatalog/Apocalypse_Never.html
(This linked page has a link to a video of Tad discussing his book with readings.)
“In plain, understandable prose, Apocalypse Never makes a compelling case that the continued existence of nuclear weapons, regardless of their ownership, can lead to catastrophic disasters. A must-read.”
—Lt. General Robert G. Gard, Jr., (U.S. Army, Retired)
and chair, Center for Arms Control & Non-Proliferation
THIRD THURSDAY GLOBAL ISSUES FORUM
Free and open to the public. Come and bring a friend.
Where?
Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church, 511 Groveland Avenue, Minneapolis
(at Lyndale and Hennepin). Park in church lot.
Free and open to the public. Come and bring a friend.
Where?
Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church, 511 Groveland Avenue, Minneapolis
(at Lyndale and Hennepin). Park in church lot.
Monograph on UN Reform Through Weighted Voting, the "Schwartzberg Plan" by Dr. Joseph SchwartzbergResponsibility walks hand in hand with capacity and power.
--Josiah Holland
--Josiah Holland
If you would like from now on to receive this Newsletter electronically, please let
us know. Send an email with your own Email address to schwa004@umn.edu and indicate on it that you wish to become an “electronic subscriber.” Thanks.
us know. Send an email with your own Email address to schwa004@umn.edu and indicate on it that you wish to become an “electronic subscriber.” Thanks.
Dick Bernard
January 19, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
OCCUPY WALL STREET AND THE TWILIGHT OF AMERICAN CAPITALISM
Occupy Wall Street has grown from an isolated protest act to an international movement and media sensation. Yet, what does this movement represent? This talk examines the meaning of Occupy Wall Street in the context of a crisis in American capitalism and democracy that has its roots in the rise of Reaganism, Thatcherism, and the transformation of the global economy that begin in the 1980s and which came to a crash in 2008. Occupy Wall Street challenges America with an alternative choice regarding how to structure domestic and international economic and political institutions.
Presenter: Professor David Schulz. Professor David Schulz. David Schultz is a Hamline University School of Business professor and a senior fellow at the Institute on Law and Politics at the University of Minnesota Law School. He is the author/editor of more than 25 books and 80 articles on American politics, law, and public policy. He is a frequent political analyst in the local and national media, appearing in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, and on all the major television and radio networks.
OCCUPY WALL STREET AND THE TWILIGHT OF AMERICAN CAPITALISM
Occupy Wall Street has grown from an isolated protest act to an international movement and media sensation. Yet, what does this movement represent? This talk examines the meaning of Occupy Wall Street in the context of a crisis in American capitalism and democracy that has its roots in the rise of Reaganism, Thatcherism, and the transformation of the global economy that begin in the 1980s and which came to a crash in 2008. Occupy Wall Street challenges America with an alternative choice regarding how to structure domestic and international economic and political institutions.
Presenter: Professor David Schulz. Professor David Schulz. David Schultz is a Hamline University School of Business professor and a senior fellow at the Institute on Law and Politics at the University of Minnesota Law School. He is the author/editor of more than 25 books and 80 articles on American politics, law, and public policy. He is a frequent political analyst in the local and national media, appearing in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, and on all the major television and radio networks.
Responsibility is the price of freedom.
--Elbert Hubbard
--Elbert Hubbard
February 16, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
WEIGHING GLOBAL ECONOMIC INTEGRATION: DOES INCREASED ECONOMIC INSTABILITY ERASE EFFICIENCY GAINS?
The current round of “globalization,” that has returned international economic integration to pre-1914 levels has benefited people in many nations. It has contributed to dramatic economic growth in East and South Asia and to poverty reduction in other countries. But there is also evidence that the world economy is more fragile than in much of the post-WWII period, more subject to economic fluctuations driven by contagion effects from financial centers in the United States or European Union. To what extent is this fragility actually linked to global integration and can these dangers be reduced without sacrificing real gains elsewhere?
Presenter: Ed Lotterman. Ed’s column, “Real World Economics,” appears twice weekly in newspapers in St Paul, Minnesota, Bismarck, North Dakota and Boise, Idaho. He also teaches at Augsburg College in Minneapolis. Ed grew up on a farm in southwest Minnesota and has lived and worked in Brazil and Peru in addition to teaching at several colleges and universities. While a research fellow at the University of Minnesota from 1986-1992 he helped establish an international research network dealing with common property. From 1992 to 1999, he was a regional economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.
WEIGHING GLOBAL ECONOMIC INTEGRATION: DOES INCREASED ECONOMIC INSTABILITY ERASE EFFICIENCY GAINS?
The current round of “globalization,” that has returned international economic integration to pre-1914 levels has benefited people in many nations. It has contributed to dramatic economic growth in East and South Asia and to poverty reduction in other countries. But there is also evidence that the world economy is more fragile than in much of the post-WWII period, more subject to economic fluctuations driven by contagion effects from financial centers in the United States or European Union. To what extent is this fragility actually linked to global integration and can these dangers be reduced without sacrificing real gains elsewhere?
Presenter: Ed Lotterman. Ed’s column, “Real World Economics,” appears twice weekly in newspapers in St Paul, Minnesota, Bismarck, North Dakota and Boise, Idaho. He also teaches at Augsburg College in Minneapolis. Ed grew up on a farm in southwest Minnesota and has lived and worked in Brazil and Peru in addition to teaching at several colleges and universities. While a research fellow at the University of Minnesota from 1986-1992 he helped establish an international research network dealing with common property. From 1992 to 1999, he was a regional economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.
Today, more than ever before, life must be characterized by a sense of Universal responsibility, not only nation to nation and human to human, but also human to other forms of life.
--The Dalai Lama.
--The Dalai Lama.
CHARITY VERSUS CHANGE
By Hank Stone
Editor’s note: Hank is a retired engineer living in Rochester, New York.
At the end of the year, I spread out on my desk a year’s worth of requests for money. I don’t have enough to give to every worthy cause. So where should I put my support?
Of course, I want to support my local volunteer fire department, church and National Public Radio, which provide me services. I want to support local ventures, where people I know to be good-hearted are trying to do some public good. I want to stand with them, to be neighborly. Beyond that, the question of “charity” versus “change” is key.
As I see it, charity concerns itself with addressing the effects of bad public practice. If people are hungry homeless, sick, poor, or discriminated against; I would like society to respond to their needs. In America, this doesn’t always happen, and some circulate the notion that the poor or disadvantaged deserve their unhappy circumstances.
But we (the virtuous people) can address their needs through charities. No one is against feeding the hungry and healing the sick, so society smiles on charitable giving, and rewards it with tax deductions. Traditional charities are favored by churches, for example, since they raise no divisive political questions. So charities tend to be given relatively large amounts of money.
The trouble is, charity doesn’t come close to fixing these problems. Charities may also institutionalize them, by reducing the incentive for government to address them.
I want a different kind of society. If I ran the world, I would eliminate war in favor of a world peace system, address climate change, phase out fossil fuel use, tax extractive industries to pay for remediating the harm they do, provide universal health care (including reproductive health care), and eliminate the hold of corporations and banks over our government and our economy.
Many people would like to see these changes, but they are opposed by traditional decision makers. To support such changes is “controversial,” meaning potentially offensive to rich and powerful people who benefit from the status quo.
Controversy can scare off big donors, so organizations aimed at creating a whole new world tend to operate on shoestring budgets.
The point is, not all monetary contributions are created equal. Every dollar you or I contribute to Change is likely to have much more effect than the dollar a rich man contributes to Charity.
So if you have money to contribute to making the world a better place, please consider whether you want charity or change.
By Hank Stone
Editor’s note: Hank is a retired engineer living in Rochester, New York.
At the end of the year, I spread out on my desk a year’s worth of requests for money. I don’t have enough to give to every worthy cause. So where should I put my support?
Of course, I want to support my local volunteer fire department, church and National Public Radio, which provide me services. I want to support local ventures, where people I know to be good-hearted are trying to do some public good. I want to stand with them, to be neighborly. Beyond that, the question of “charity” versus “change” is key.
As I see it, charity concerns itself with addressing the effects of bad public practice. If people are hungry homeless, sick, poor, or discriminated against; I would like society to respond to their needs. In America, this doesn’t always happen, and some circulate the notion that the poor or disadvantaged deserve their unhappy circumstances.
But we (the virtuous people) can address their needs through charities. No one is against feeding the hungry and healing the sick, so society smiles on charitable giving, and rewards it with tax deductions. Traditional charities are favored by churches, for example, since they raise no divisive political questions. So charities tend to be given relatively large amounts of money.
The trouble is, charity doesn’t come close to fixing these problems. Charities may also institutionalize them, by reducing the incentive for government to address them.
I want a different kind of society. If I ran the world, I would eliminate war in favor of a world peace system, address climate change, phase out fossil fuel use, tax extractive industries to pay for remediating the harm they do, provide universal health care (including reproductive health care), and eliminate the hold of corporations and banks over our government and our economy.
Many people would like to see these changes, but they are opposed by traditional decision makers. To support such changes is “controversial,” meaning potentially offensive to rich and powerful people who benefit from the status quo.
Controversy can scare off big donors, so organizations aimed at creating a whole new world tend to operate on shoestring budgets.
The point is, not all monetary contributions are created equal. Every dollar you or I contribute to Change is likely to have much more effect than the dollar a rich man contributes to Charity.
So if you have money to contribute to making the world a better place, please consider whether you want charity or change.
Too many have dispensed with generosity in order to practice charity.
--Albert Camus
--Albert Camus
Charity sees the need, not the cause.
--German Proverb
--German Proverb