| Third Thursday Global Issues Forums Archive (in reverse chron. order since 2005) | ||||
| Issues |
[No Forum in December 2007]
AN APPROACH TO FIVE MAJOR GLOBAL PROBLEMS This presentation will indicate a way to stimulate more initiatives from around the world and provide, in layman's language, analyses of five major problems: a) special versus public interests, b) globalization, c) global warming and economic stabilization, d) ways of enabling diverse groups to live together and e) the problem of war and violence. Presenter: HARLAN SMITH. Harlan, the honoree at the banquet at this year's national meeting of CGS, has been a World Federalist since the 1950s. Since joining the economics faculty at the University of Minnesota in 1950, he has taught an extraordinarily wide range of courses. Despite having officially "retired" in 1985, he continues to teach one course per semester and is now close to setting an all-time university record for longevity. His current course explores the intersections of economics and ethics and his interests have always been much broader than his departmental affiliation might suggest. Harlan has a B.A. in sociology, an M.A. in social science and a Ph.D. in economics, all from the University of Chicago.
TO IMPEACH, OR NOT TO IMPEACH? Article II, Section 4 of the federal Constitution states that civil officers of the US may be impeached for commission of "Treason, Bribery or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors." Determining whether sufficient grounds exist for impeachment is the prerogative of the House of Representatives, while the actual trial subsequent to impeachment is entrusted to the Senate. Relevant questions relate to whether the alleged criminal actions were knowingly and deliberately committed and the political judgment as to whether impeachment - or the failure to impeach -- will serve the best interests of the nation. Presenters: TIM PENNY and MIKAEL RUDOLPH. Arguing for impeachment will be Mikael Rudolph, founder of the Minneapolis Chapter of The World Can't Wait and co-founder of Impeach for Peace. Mr. Rudolph served on the impeachment panel at the 2006 Veterans for Peace convention in Seattle and spoke for impeachment at the DFL 5th Congressional District meeting in Minneapolis, subsequent to which Keith Ellison cosigned the Kucinich impeachment resolution in the US House of Representatives. Opposing impeachment will be Tim Penny, a senior fellow and co-Director of the Humphrey Institute Policy Forum. After representing Minnesota's First Congressional District from 1982 to 1994, Mr. Penny served on the transition team of Governor Jesse Ventura and, in 2002 was himself the Independence Party candidate for governor of Minnesota. Author of three books, including The 15 Biggest Lies in Politics (1998), Mr. Penny is a regular public speaker, radio commentator, and editorial writer on topics of political importance at both the federal and state level.
CHINA IN THE ERA OF GLOBALIZATION By the 1970s, the Chinese revolution had run its course; the People's Republic of China became simply a developing country. In recognition of this fact Deng Xiaoping decided in 1978 to take China into the world market. The country's economy has since grown phenomenally and its society has undergone major changes. This talk will consider China's confrontation with leading global issues: population growth, human rights, labor migration, environmental pollution, and international economic integration, Presenter: TED FARMER. A member of the History Department of the University of Minnesota since 1968, Professor Farmer has a BA in history and philosophy, an MA in East Asian regional studies and a Ph.D. from Harvard in history and Far Eastern languages. . He is the Director of the National Resource Center in International Studies in the university's Institute for Global Studies. His research and abundant publications, including several books, have dealt largely with Ming China, comparative early modern history, twentieth century Chinese history and global history.
THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN THE HORN OF AFRICA Although much has changed in the "Horn of Africa" since the end of the Cold War, active American strategic involvement in the politics of the region continues (but with little coverage in the mass media). In this presentation our speaker will focus on the prospects for democracy, human rights, and the regional impact of the US war on terrorism. Presenter: LENCHO BATI. Lencho came to the United States in 1991 as a refugee from Ethiopia, where he was an activist in support of self-determination for the Oromo people. He has testified before the U.S. State Department, Congress and various Washington-based NGOs on political, social and economic challenges in the Horn of Africa. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Geography at the University of Minnesota, while teaching part time at Gustavus Adolphus College.
WHAT NOW IN IRAQ? A substantial majority of Americans now believe that our country should speedily disengage itself from the quagmire that the Bush administration has created in Iraq and an increasing number of Congresspersons are - belatedly -- voicing a similar view, despite widespread fears that civil war, if not a wider regional war, will follow. But a civil war is already under way. Our speaker will provide a first-hand account of the current situation in Iraq, comment on the role of the US military and on the resistance, discuss the aspirations and hopes of ordinary Iraqi people, and offer his views on our options for the future and our moral responsibilities in the region. How can we make maximum use of diplomacy? Can we engage the UN, the Arab League and Iran in a meaningful peace process? Can we and should we hope to avoid partitioning of the country? Presenter: SAMI RASOULI. An Iraqi-American who grew up in Najaf, Sami Rasouli left Iraq in the late 1970s and eventually moved to the United States. He has lived in the Twin Cities for more than 17 years and was the popular owner of Sinbad's restaurant In November 2004, nearly 30 years after leaving Iraq, he returned to help rebuild that country. Since then, he has worked with the Karbala Human Rights Organization in Najaf and started the Muslim Peacemaker Team movement, a group dedicated to the principle of nonviolence. He returns to the US for two to three months each year to help build bridges between the people of his two homelands.
THE UNITED NATIONS MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS At its summit meeting in 2000, the UN agreed on a vision for r the future: a world with greatly reduced poverty, hunger and disease, greater survival prospects for mothers and babies, better education for children, equal opportunities for women, and a healthy environment; a world in which developed and developing nations would be partners in working for the betterment of all. While specific targets were set for the year 2015, progress toward meeting them has been quite mixed and promised contributions from the developed world, especially the US, has been inadequate. We will consider why this has been so and what actions we can now take to correct the situation. Presenter: Dr. BHARAT PAREKH. A native of India, Dr. Parekh earned his PhD in physics from the University of Rochester and has lived in the Twin Cities since 1987. An educator and consultant for US and Indian companies and NGOs, his work has involved technology transfer and trade in the environmental and rural development sectors, the development of bio-diesel fuels, modeling of water resource systems. He is a Board member of the UN Association of Minnesota and participated in the Pugwash International Conference on Science and World Affairs and in a symposium on Technology Transfer for Development at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit.
DEALING WITH FAILED STATES This presentation will deal largely with the US government's approach to the issue of failed states .The first speaker (Kahl) will examine how 9/11 transformed the perceived threats posed by failed and failing states, the ways by which the issue of failed states moved from being denigrated as "foreign policy as social work" to becoming a central security challenge of the new century, and how, in light of our experience with "nation building" in Iraq, the US government is moving toward new strategies, doctrine and bureaucratic architecture to better address complex governance challenges in weak states. The second speaker (Schwartzberg) will suggest an alternative approach relying heavily on a UN Administrative Reserve Corps. Presenters: COLIN KAHL and JOSEPH SCHWARTZBERG. Colin Kahl earned his PhD at Columbia University in 2000 and is now a professor of political science at the University of Minnesota, teaching courses in international relations, international security, American foreign policy, and civil and ethnic conflict and terrorism. His current research focuses on US military compliance with the Law of War. Earlier research was on the causes and consequences of violent conflict in developing nations. His book, States, Scarcity and Civil Strife in the Developing World, was published by Princeton University Press in 2006. As a Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs Fellow, he conducted research on the Law of War at the US Department of Defense and also in the field in Iraq. In 1998 he was a National Security Fellow at Harvard University. Schwartzberg, a professor emeritus of geography at the University of Minnesota, is President of the Minnesota Chapter of CGS. Both speakers have served as consultants to the US government's State Failure Task Force.
RECENT GLOBAL ACTION ON GLOBAL WARMING The world awaits US re-engagement in the fight to prevent irreversible damage from climate change. Absent action at the federal level, leaders from around the world are focusing on significant sub-national initiatives such as the new California global warming solutions act. The new make-up of the US Congress and the Minnesota legislature also suggest new possibilities, as does the recent meeting in Nairobi, Kenya of the parties to the UN Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol. We will discuss the results of that meeting and the forthcoming report of the UN Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change, with particular reference to the economics of taking action to mitigate the problem. Presenter: J. DRAKE HAMILTON. As Science Policy Director for Fresh Energy, Ms. Hamilton is responsible for scientific analysis, policy development and outreach on renewable energy, global warming, and the promotion of clean technology. She is a Board member of the US Climate Action network and the principal author of FE's Playing with Fire: Climate Change in Minnesota. She spent the summer of 2005 in Europe studying global warming policy solutions, participated in the UN-sponsored international climate change negotiations in Montreal in December 2005, and gives many talks each year on global warming and cost-effective energy solutions.
MAKING SENSE OF THE PAST ELECTION The campaigns and outcomes in the Minnesota elections will be examined in the context of emerging national patterns in both the House and the Senate. This will afford an opportunity to discuss the impact of the election on U.S. policies at home and abroad. In particular, an attempt will be made to sort out the interplay of events in Iraq and the war on terrorism in the electoral results. Presenter: WILLIAM FLANIGAN. Professor Flanigan, who earned his Ph.D. at Yale University, has been a member of University of Minnesota's Department of Political Science since 1961. His specialty is American politics with an emphasis on public opinion and voting behavior. He has been analyzing the Minnesota Senate race and the House race in the 6th District as part of a national survey of competitive elections. His text, The Political Behavior of the American Electorate, co-authored with his wife, Nancy Zingala, has just gone into its 11th edition.
DEALING WITH IRAN What accounts for the current tensions between the US and Iran? What should one believe about the alleged threat posed by Iran to America's security? What would be the likely consequences of a US and/or Israeli military strike against Iran? What might the US and the global community best do to defuse the presently dangerous confrontation in and around Iran? Presenter: MEHR "JAY" SHAHIDI. The owner of a local construction company, Jay came to the US as an economics student in 1965. He has been a peace and social justice activist ever since his high school days in Tehran. He has served in leadership roles in over thirty social service and advocacy groups including the United Nations Association, Citizens for Global Solutions, and Amnesty International. He is a co-founder and the current President of the Iranian-American Society of Minnesota. He has worked tirelessly in the Adopt-a-Minefield (de-mining) program and in humanitarian activities to aid victims of natural and man-made disasters.
United Nations International Day of Peace: APPROACHES TO A CULTURE OF PEACE At First Unitarian Society, 900 Mount Curve Ave, Mpls. (NOTE CHANGE from usual venue) How do we transform a culture that glorifies and legitimizes war into a culture of peace? How do we bring a commitment to peace into our daily lives and teach the art of peaceful conflict resolution? Our panel will present five inspiring approaches to answering these questions and offer ample opportunity for group discussion. Panelists:
WHAT TO DO ABOUT IMMIGRATION? The United States allegedly is now home to some 12 million undocumented immigrants, mainly from Mexico and other countries of Latin America. Their economic and social status and their prospects for becoming citizens are currently being vigorously debated in Congress, in state legislatures, in the mass media and in communities throughout the land. Opinions differ widely over how to deal with the issue in ways that are at once just, socially viable and economically sound. This discussion will address the factors that have led to a large undocumented population in the US and some of the proposals for immigration reform that have been introduced at state and federal levels and also consider the effects of immigration on wages and employment. Presenters: KATHERINE FENNELLY and RAYMOND ROBERTSON. Dr. Fennelly is Professor of Public Affairs at the Humphrey Institute at the University of Minnesota. She taught previously at Penn State and Columbia University. She holds a certificate of studies from the University of Madrid and a masters of philosophy, a masters of health education, and a doctorate in adult education from Columbia University. Her research, teaching and outreach interests include immigration and public policy, leadership in the public sector, human rights of immigrants and refuges in the US and the preparedness of communities and public institutions to adapt to demographic changes. Dr. Robertson, an associate professor of economics at Macalester College, specializes in the effects of globalization and labor market integration in the Americas. He has been a Fulbright scholar in Mexico, has a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Texas at Austin, and has taught at Syracuse University and ITESM (in Mexico City). He has published in several leading economic journals and has served as a consultant to the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank. His current research, supported by the Mellon Foundation, focuses on the effects of trade, outsourcing and migration on migrant workers in the US.
INTERACTIVE DISCUSSION: MEDIA DEMOCRACY: WHAT IS IT? HOW DO WE SECURE IT? WHO IN THE WORLD HAS IT? On the premise that a democratic society cannot exist without a democratic media, we will profile what "the media" is in an era of rampant technological expansion and commercial concentration, define what "media democracy" is in such a context and what's required to secure it, and examine the state of "media democracy" in nations and regions of the world-with a special focus on the expanding "digital divide" between the technological "haves" and "have-nots" of our world's societies. Discussion attendees will also receive a comprehensive set of resources on these and other media issues. Presenter: RICHARD L. (LEE) DECHERT. Lee is a longtime staffer at tpt, Twin Cities Public Television, with a broad background in broadcast technology and the funding, producing, promoting and providing of program and outreach services. For many years he has been active with organizations like the Resource Center of the Americas, WAMM (Women Against Military Madness), and Friends for a Non-Violent World. He has been a researcher, writer, organizer and consultant for local and national media organizations. And he's currently an advisory board member of the Twin Cities Media Alliance and a Board member of the Minnesota Chapter of Citizens for Global Solutions.
REFLECTIONS ON CURRENT U.S. FOREIGN POLICY Our country, under the current Bush administration, has embarked on a foreign policy course dominated by three elements: a) a post-9/11 paradigm that treats the struggle against terrorism as an actual "war" and depicts terrorists as primarily motivated by hatred of "who we are;" b) a "transformational" policy of democratization designed to uproot terrorism, particularly in the Middle East; and c) a national security doctrine that aims to prevent the rise of any "peer competitor." These ambitious priorities raise questions about how best to balance policy ends and means. They also cause significant counter-reactions around the world, further complicated by opposition to American free market capitalism. This program will reflect on the resulting political and economic tectonics that are now unfolding. Presenter: THOMAS HANSON A U.S. Foreign Service officer from 1973 to 1994, Thomas Hanson served in East Germany, France, Norway, the Soviet Union and other countries. He also worked on the Foreign Relations Committees of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. Most recently, he was Director for European and NATO Affairs at the Atlantic Council of the U.S. He is a frequent speaker in the Great Decisions program, an honorary Board member of the Foreign Policy Association, and Program Secretary of the Saint Paul-Minneapolis Committee on Foreign Relations. He holds graduate degrees from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, the Institute for Advanced International Studies in Geneva, and the National School of Administration (ENA) in Paris.
INTERNATIONAL GOVERNANCE: REALISTIC GOAL OR DANGEROUS UTOPIA? LEARNING FROM THE EUROPEAN EXPERIENCE In the last fifty years Europe has undergone a major political transformation, moving from war as an oft-chosen method of conflict resolution to institutionalized non-violent methods. However, a new treaty that would establish a Constitution for Europe was rejected by the French and Dutch peoples in recent referendums. Is European integration grinding to a halt? How should we assess past accomplishments and new challenges? What lessons does the European experience have for the United States and the world? Presenter: CATHERINE GUISAN Raised in Switzerland by a Swiss-Greek family, Catherine Guisan now teaches political science at the University of Minnesota where earned her degree in political science in 2000. Her book on the ethical politics of European integration, Un sens å l'Europe: Gagner la paix (1960-2003), was published by the prestigious Parisian firm, Odile Jacob in 2003. Dr. guisan has since lectured widely in Europe and the United States on European integration and international governance.
SHOULD THE UN TRY TO BUILD STATES? Failed states and states in danger of failure exist in various parts of the world. What does this imply for the regions in which those states exist? What dangers and opportunities do they present? Whose responsibility should it be to restore some semblance of order in failed states in the absence of a functioning and legitimate government? Is that an appropriate function for the United Nations? And can the UN, with its newly established Peacebuilding Commission, actually do the job? If so, what would be a reasonable state-building mandate and at what point should the UN terminate its mission? Presenter: MICHAEL BARNETT Holder of the Harold Stassen Chair of International Relations at the Humphrey Institute of Public affairs, Professor Barnett previously taught at the University of Wisconsin, Macalester College, Wellesley College and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His academic foci are international organization, humanitarian action, the United Nations and Middle Eastern politics. He is the author or co-author of six books and of articles in numerous prestigious journals and is the winner of two major prizes for his scholarship. He is a past Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs Fellow at the US Mission to the UN and a present Board member of the Academic Council on the United Nations System.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ROAD MAP TO PEACE IN ISRAEL - PALESTINE? This presentation will consider the "Roadmap" and other formulas for a two-state solution and describe recent changes in conditions on the ground in Gaza and the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) as settlements expand and the "separation barrier" continues to cut through Palestine. It will also point out hopeful signs: collaboration between Palestinians and Israelis, the many groups working for a just peace, and a growing willingness to learn nonviolent resistance strategies. Finally, it will consider the mixed, but largely negative, role of the US. To facilitate future study a list of print and Internet resources will be distributed. Presenter: SR. FLORENCE STEICHEN. A native of Minneapolis and a Sister of St. Joseph, Florence was registrar of Bethlehem University 1987-1992, during the first Intifada when the University was closed by the Israeli military for nearly three years. She returned to Palestine and Israel in 1995, 1998, 2000, and 2004 to lead groups and visit. She speaks, writes and lobbies on the Palestinian- Israeli conflict. Florence has a Masters of Theology degree from Notre Dame University, has worked as a mediator, and has taught at the secondary and college levels for about twenty-five years.
"THE PEACEKEEPERS" This powerful feature-length DVD, produced by the National Film Board of Canada, relates to an actual UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and provides a forthright report of a desperate struggle to save a failing state. It shifts back and forth between the UN headquarters in New York and the operations in the field and candidly reveals little understood complexities that peacekeeping missions inevitably face. DR. MICHAEL ANDREGG will lead a round-table discussion following the film.
THE POLITICS AND RELIGIOUS DIMENSIONS OF U.S. EMPIRE On their 2003 Christmas card Dick and Lynn Cheney cite the following question based on a brief passage in Matthew's Gospel: "And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His [God's] notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?" U.S. Empire, in this view, reflects God's will and intent. This presentation will examine the nuts and bolts of imperial politics, including reasons for the invasion and occupation of Iraq, and will also explore the destructive expressions of Christianity that fuel imperial ambitions. Presenter: JACK NELSON-PALLMEYER. Jack holds a Master of Divinity degree from New York's Union Theological Seminary. He is a powerful speaker and the author of many articles and books on faith, hunger, the arms race and U.S. foreign policy. His most recent books are Worship in the Spirit of Jesus: Theology, Liturgy, and Songs without Violence, coauthored with Bret Hesla, and Saving Christianity from Empire. Jack has extensive overseas experience, served as National Program Coordinator of the Politics of Food Program with Clergy & Laity Concerned (1977-81) and directed the Lutheran-sponsored, Minnesota-based Hunger and Justice Project (1982-84). Now an Associate Professor of Justice and Peace Studies at the University of St. Thomas, Jack is also active in the faith-based Community of St. Martin.
NUCLEAR HISTORY YOU WERE NEVER TAUGHT IN SCHOOL All nuclear weapons states have harmed their own people without informed consent. U.S. government studies confirm that contamination from nuclear weapons testing in the 1950s and 60s was spread across the country. The U.S. nuclear establishment is now preparing new tests and planning a new plutonium pit production facility. Long-standing nuclear clean-up goals are not being met, threatening vital water supplies. A proven way to shut down nuclear weapons plants and halt testing is to make widely known nuclear weapons' devastating effects on people's health and the environment. This briefing will examine the US nuclear track record in making national security decisions and how that affects us, our families, and the world. Presenter: LISA LEDWIDGE. Lisa is the U.S. Outreach Director at the Maryland-based Institute for Energy & Environmental Research and edits the quarterly IEER newsletter, Science for Democratic Action. She telecommutes from Minneapolis.
GENOCIDE, 2005: WHAT IS HAPPENING IN DARFUR? Presenters: Hugh Parmer and Colleen Striegel Mr. Parmer has been President of the American Refugee Committee (ARC) since 2002. Previously he was a top official in the US government's bureau for humanitarian response and led relief operations in Central America, Kosovo, Ethiopia, and Eritrea. Ms. Striegel has been with ARC for the past 4 1/2 years and is its Director of Human resources and Administration. She has guided its work in Darfur and is responsible also for its efforts several other world regions.
Mr. Parmer will provide an update on the current humanitarian crisis in Darfur.
IS PLANETARY SUSTAINABILITY POSSIBLE? Although we hear much these days about daunting environmental and social challenges, mainstream media tell us little about the large and growing grassroots movement toward sustainability and the creation of a society that is ecologically sound, economically viable, and socially just. We'll examine some of the profound shifts that movement is bring about through such successful efforts as the "Natural Step," developed in Sweden and now used worldwide in many areas of life. We will also consider how to use our power at many levels to bring about fundamental change. Presenter: TERRY GIPS, Ecologist, economist, teacher and author (Breaking the Pesticide Habit and The Humane Consumer and Producer Guide), Terry is a President of the nonprofit Alliance for Sustainability at the U. of M.'s Hillel Center and head of Sustainability Associates, a Minneapolis-based consulting firm. He holds an MS in Agricultural and Applied Economics from the Univ. of California, Davis and an MBA from the Yale University School of Management. He is much in demand as an independent Natural Step Framework instructor. Formerly, he served as a Congressional and White House aide and as Director of Ecological Affairs and sustainability for the Aveda Corporation.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT TORTURE?
The following questions will be considered: What do the Geneva Conventions say about torture? Who uses torture and why? Is it ever justified? To what extent and in what ways has the US resorted to torture since 9/11? Does torture yield useful information? What are the implications of US use of torture for US troops and civilians who may be captured by opponents of the US? What can be done about the problem?
Presenter: DOUG JOHNSON. Doug is the founder and Executive Director of the Center for Victims of Torture, which provides counseling and rehabilitation for torture victims from many countries. It was the first organization of its kind in the United States. Doug has just testified before the US Senate on the hearings on the confirmation of Alberto Gonzalez as US Attorney General. Among Doug's many accomplishments was organizing the INFACT (Infant Formula Action Coalition), a worldwide movement that led to WHO condemnation of Nestle's marketing practices in much of the developing world and corrective action by the company.
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