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India & the Global Economy
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
11:30 am: Walk-in registration/social networking
Noon to 1:15 pm: Program Begins
Athletic Club of Columbus
Please register online or call Rhonda Nicholas at (614) 229-4599 ext. 401.
Dr. Vinod Jain, President & CEO of the India-US World Affairs Institute, will speak on India's role in the current and future global economy, touching on US business opportunities including off-shoring and reverse off-shoring.
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Global Issues Retreat sparks new ideas
Register your hs student now!
Our annual weekend of intercultural friendship and learning will occur April 24 through April 26 in Hocking Hills. High school students from Central Ohio are invited to attend this fun experience! It includes outdoor activities, workshop sessions, and downtime to chat informally with peers from different schools, cities, and countries. Normally, one-third to one-half of participants are exchange students from outside the US, who have been living in the area for the current school year. Their insights about host family life, US culture, and their own countries make the Retreat all the more interesting for local students. The group is kept small and varied -- up to 30 students -- so that learning can be maximized. Demand is high for this program, so please contact our youth programs director, Stephanie, at 614-229-4599, ext. 403 to register ASAP!
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US business and the Global Economy,Tuesday, April 28
Matt Miller, host of Bloomberg on the Market, will share perspectives on global economic events, using insights from guests on his program; John Kerry, activist Erin Brokovich, Steve Jobs of Apple, and US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson are among the diverse voices which have been represented on Miller's show.
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Past successes, future leadership
CCWA honors all that makes Central Ohio global
The Council's annual ceremony honoring international leaders is also a showcase of the organization's programs, vision, and goals for future success. If turnout at this year's event is any indicator, CCWA's membership seems determined to sustain its support for our work even in the face of the current global economic recession.
 Nearly 500 people attended the March 3 event, to recognize The Ohio State University as International Organization of the Year and Lee Link as International Educator of the Year.
The Board of Trustees and our staff heartily thank all who attended, and those who give throughout the year, for maintaining a base of support that allows us to apply 81 cents of every $1 directly to educational programs!
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From confession to spiritual redemption
An author works to counteract any damage he's done in the past
"Every major crisis can be traced to corporate goals of maximizing profits regardless of the social and environmental costs," said John Perkins at our February 5 symposium. The author of Confessions of an Economic Hit Man and The Secret History of the American Empire said "By recognizing that the market place is a democratic voting booth, we the people have the power to demand new goals, ones focused on generating a sustainable, just, and peaceful world."
About 180 people gathered in The Wexner Center for the Arts' Mershon Auditorium to hear John Perkins' message. He laid out the methods employed by economic hit men and named the people whom he holds responsible: the "corporatacracy," or top executives at American corporations with the goal of maximizing profit regardless of social and environmental cost.
Despite his revelations about US foreign policy vis a vis "economic hitmen," Perkins' talk was notable in its ability to inspire hope. He believes that these are revolutionary times, equal to the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions. He sees the recent election of Barack Obama as a major step in the right direction, an amazing transfer of power between two polar-opposites. Most impressive, he says, is the way American democracy allows for such a drastic exchange of power without violence or military action.
Perkins expressed similar optimism when explaining that the American Empire has been forged almost entirely without military action. Because our tactics have been economic, Perkins believes that problems can be solved using the market --not war-- as a democratic tool. "Every time you buy something, or choose not to, you vote," he said, "if you let the companies know about it."
Perkins stressed personal responsibility, petitioning his audience to use their passions and talents to create a "more sustainable, just, and peaceful world."
A memorable moment came about half-way through Perkins' talk, when he reached for a glass of water. "This is the way we should all be drinking water," he said, lifting the glass to his lips. He shuns the practice of bottled water, and suggested that if people don't like the tap water in their community, they should pressure the water companies to make changes rather than purchase bottled varieties. This was just one of the every-day actions Perkins suggested as a way to promote change.
Our presenter's relationship with the Columbus Council on World Affairs began nearly a year before his visit, when he met CCWA youth group members at the 2008 Green Festival. Perkins saw the students as like-minded individuals and approached them about their role in the global economy.
In addition to giving the symposium address last month, Perkins also made a classroom visit to Fort Hayes High School. His classroom visit explored similar themes to his talk at Mershon, but emphasized the opportunity that students had as future leaders. Among the students were a few foreign exchange students from countries affected by the policies implemented by the United States and economic hit men.
Presented with the support of Nationwide and Battelle, and in partnership with The Wexner Center for the Arts.
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Engineers make things work
The organization Engineers Without Borders (EWB) partners with developing communities on engineering projects in 45 countries to install clean water, energy, sanitation and education projects. You might imagine that unfamiliar terrain or bureacratic processes would perhaps represent the biggest challenges to the organization.
When asked what the hardest part of running EWB is, however, Cathy Leslie answered "fundraising" with a laugh.
The Columbus Council on World Affairs (CCWA) recently hosted an informal talk with Leslie, Executive Director of Engineers without Borders USA, for its Young Professionals Network (YPN).
In light of the economy, she says the organization as a whole is "scaling back," and "tracking [their] work through quality not quantity."
She went on to explain that EWB strives to focus on the needs of the communities in which they work, asking contributors to consider the costs of NOT keeping their projects going.
Among the crowd of professionals at the YPN event were members of the Central Ohio Engineers without Borders chapter. Before Leslie's talk, guests were invited to purchase refreshments and enjoy the ambiance offered by Urban-Spirit coffee shop. The locale is listed on the Ohio Registry of Historic Places as the site of the First African-American Owned Hospital built in Columbus.
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Global Health presenter certification kicks off
In mid-January, our youth programs division began a new project with the Global Health Initiative at OSU. The aim is to prepare undergrad students to make classroom presentations on health topics.
"Ravi Gupta (one of the founders of GHI) and I thought it would be a benefit to students in the group to have a structured certification program since it would give them a credential," said Stephanie Calondis Geiger, CCWA's Director of Youth Programs. "More importantly, it serves as a way to establish the high caliber of presentations that teachers would look for to add value to what they already do on their own. After all, student presenters wanting to do something good for personal growth is notable, but doing something that adds value and serves the real needs of others is even more rewarding."
She adds that teachers have limited hours of instructional time with students in which to accomplish so many things, so "when they invite someone in to present, they need to have confidence in their ability to deliver."
The certification program consists of a quarterly two-hour training session for GHI members, after which CCWA staff members communicate with area k-12 teachers to set up presentations, and advise the GHI presenters on ways they can organize their materials and ideas. After their original presentation, GHI volunteers conduct self-evaluation, and hear constructive criticism from a CCWA representative, the classroom teacher, and peers involved in GHI. They rework their session and have another go. They present their lesson write-ups and reflections as a mini-portfolio.
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Council Fellows to organize "Green Games"
Members of our youth group Council Fellows have begun a new project that will address global warming and promote environmental sustainability at the local level. After conducting audits of the current energy use, purchasing and consumption habits at local non-profit organizations (those on the campus of The Jefferson Center for Learning and the Arts), these high school students will consult with staffers to help them set achievable goals and change policies that lead to an overall improvement. Students will track progress at these organizations, work on complementary activities with peers at area schools, and plan a fun field day type event that lets everyone in on the fun of going green! These "Green Games" will include challenges, relay races, exhibitions and more. Jefferson Center also plans to break ground on a community garden on the same day. |
CCWA President & CEO addresses meeting
At the Ohio Economic-Education Summit on February 25, community leaders convened to identify solutions to gaps in the
connection between education and business/industry. Columbus
Council on World Affairs President and CEO Patrick Terrien was one of
the keynote speakers whose role was to reinforce related concepts from the 2008 Summit on Educating Ohio's Global Talent (an event organized by the Columbus Council on
World Affairs and the Ohio Department of Education) in November. This earlier event invited stakeholders to respond to a document called the "Strategic Plan for International Education in Ohio" and to index community resources which can be tapped to execute the plan.
One element of this more recent summit was a student panel, featuring (among other young leaders) Dalay
Ket. Dalay is a first-generation
American; her parents emigrated from Cambodia, with roots in Thailand.
Dalay is an honor student who developed a business plan based on the
work she did on a related class project; she and her parents used
the plan secure a bank loan to expand their family business. This year, she
has developed an entrepreneurship plan to develop the property that
they purchased and actually open the second business. Her success has been propelled by Lee Link, CCWA's International Educator of the Year.Other speakers at the event included Nancy Kramer (Founder/CEO, Resource Interactive), Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher, Carl Peters (Director, Lincoln Electric), Deborah S. Delisle (Ohio's Superintendent of Public Instruction), and Chancellor Eric Fingerhut. You may access short video clips from the Ohio Economic-Education summit here. |
In Memoriam
We would like to acknowledge the recent passing of one of our
members, Roslyn F. Pariser, MD. Roslyn died on Thursday, January 29, 2009. She
is remembered at CCWA as a program-regular, always energized and engaged, and ready
with poignant questions. Her inspirational presence and passion for traveling and understanding our world will be missed. Dr. Pariser is shown in the photo above shaking hands with Gilberto Gil, renowned Brazilian artist. She is standing alongside her friend Frances Kehr.
In Recognition
Congratulations to Barbara Brandt for being named the next Chair of CCWA's Board of Trustees, beginning her term in May 2009. We also recognize Mike Lanese, another board member and the CEO of ClearSaleing, for being named Executive of the Year at the TechColumbus Innovation Awards.
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Host a Serbian farmer in your home
Our partner organization, the Columbus International Program, will host a delegation of Serbians in May, who are charged with the goal of enhancing and improving the agricultural cooperative business in their country. CIP is in need of families to share their homes with these visitors. The commitment is manageable, as the delegates will be engaged in a full schedule while here and also have many out of town excursions. For more details about either opportunity, contact Mark Poeppleman.
Empire at End? Global Transformations in the Late Cold WarThis third conference on global history at the Mershon Center for International Security Studies brings together junior faculty and advanced Ph.D. candidates to examine the patterns, limits, and agents of global change in late 20th century. Panelists will consider to what extent, and for what reasons, the bipolar balance of power that characterized the early Cold War was challenged, particularly from the 1970s on. Students of diplomatic, international, and transnational history, along with economists, political scientists, and specialists in globalization, are encouraged to attend Empire at End. For full details on this and other fascinating Mershon lectures, see www.mershoncenter.osu.edu Parent Information meetings for Mosaic program coming up
Mosaic
(formerly Christopher Program) is a half-day humanities program for Franklin County juniors and
seniors that emphasizes cultural awareness and creative expression.
For more information visit www.experiencemosaic.org or attend a
Parent-Student Informational Meeting on Tuesday, March 31 at 7:30 PM at
Metro High School (1929 Kenny Rd).
Living in a Nuclear Age: Facing the Challenges
A Summer Institute for EducatorsJuly 7 - 10, 2009
The Choices Summer Institute will give participating teachers an opportunity to explore the challenges posed by nuclear weapons and introduce them to effective instructional strategies for engaging adolescents in the topic. Major themes covered during this institute include the status of the non-proliferation regime, nuclear terrorism, policies toward states at risk, and U.S. nuclear policy and its global implications. Apply here! Call for papers for
Journal of Muslim Mental Health
Major changes in marriages and families have impacted Muslims around the globe. These include increasing ages at marriage, higher divorce rates, better and more widely available contraceptives, more married women and mothers in the labor force, smaller family sizes, and more father involvement. JMMH is seeking empirical and conceptual articles related to the theme of "Marriage and Family Issues in the Muslim Worlds". The purpose of this special issue is to generate scholarship on relational rather than individual concerns, with the goal of providing important information for mental health professionals around the globe. Manuscripts may focus on different aspects of marital and family life in Muslim countries and/or Muslim people in other countries. Information about the Journal is found at www.informaworld.com/UMMH. Interested authors should submit a 1-2 pages abstract by April 30, 2009 to Dr. Daneshpour.
Healthcare and Medical Equipment Trade Mission
The mission to Astana and Almaty, Kazakhstan will include one-on-one business appointments, site visits, participation in a health products seminar, and promotion in a catalog show at the 16th annual Kazakhstan International Health Care Exhibition in Almaty. Details here.
Export-U free webinar available anytime
Export-U delivers free and convenient export training to business professionals and students regardless of their location, resources or schedule through its online archive of export webinars. Each mini-course targets a specific topic to ensure you get the information you need. Export-U is a result of collaboration between the U.S. Commercial Service, the International Trade Center of the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center, and several other partners. Details here.
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