Chevron’s Oil Exploits in Ecuador
I recently watched the documentary, Crude, by filmmaker Joe Berlinger. It has received wide praise and awards including an official selection at Sundance, best documentary of the year from the National Board of Review, and an International Green Film Award from Cinema for Peace. “A fascinating and important story. CRUDE does an extraordinary job of merging journalism and art.”—Christiane Amanpour, [...]
Poverty Reduction Through Economic Development
I’ve summarized, in point form, a document that was produced by the World Bank. The document is entitled, Attacking Poverty: Opportunity, Empowerment, and Security, which is reproduced below in the box. I’ve specifically focused on the section about moving from strategy to action by maximizing opportunities. In the second part of this article, I outline [...]
UNESCO Global Forum
The second Global Forum on the Power of Peace, 28-30 October 2009 was a timely occasion to build on past discussions, collaborations and activities. Within the context of difficult economic times and rapidly changing social realities, the place and efficacy of a Power of Peace Network can be reassessed. To understand more about the Power [...]
My Personal Statement for the Masters of Social Work Application
With great excitement and ambition I am applying to pursue a Masters of Social Work with the goal of becoming an effective agent of change. One of the most important conditions in my life that prompted me to think about social work for a career is the relative security and comfort that I enjoy as [...]
Uri Savir, the Modern Peace Treaty
I am currently reading the book, Peace First, by Uri Savir. Savir was director of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1993 to 1996 and served as Israel’s chief negotiator for the Oslo Accords. In 1996 he founded the Peres Center for Peace, and in 2001 he established the Glocal Forum, which encourages intercity [...]
Thomas Friedman’s MIT Keynote Lecture
I am listening to Thomas Friedman giving a lecture at MIT which has been posted on MIT’s OpenCourseWare. He is speaking largely about his new book, The World is Flat. It is a very inspiring lecture about the development of technology and how it has enabled the world to conduct its business in radically different [...]
Two Emerging Trends
Two emerging trends are coinciding that are changing the way we give back to the community . The first trend is the recognition that Not-for-Profit Organizations must grasp online technology and social media to maximize their efforts. The other trend is a burgeoning generation of young professionals that want to contribute to the greater social [...]
Peace Day at UW
In 1981, a United Nations resolution was passed to celebrate an International Day of Peace and to coincide with the opening of the General Assembly. In 2002, the General Assembly officially declared September 21 as the permanent date for the International Day of Peace. To celebrate this day, I organized an event with some fabulous [...]