My experiences with Rosa Parks: A Great and Humble lady
Leaving a client on a hospital visit last night, I heard the breaking news that Rosa Parks had died. Her name was known to me since her nationally publicized Montgomery, Alabama bus arrest. That was on December 1, 1955. I was only 11 years old at that time. In 1963 Rosa Parks and her husband moved from the deep and still segregated South to Detroit which in many ways wasn't all that much better. I moved to Detroit in the fall of 1965. In 1967 race riots plagued and shamed Detroit. After the riots, many of us Detroiters vowed 'never again.' Like many of my peers, I involved myself in local and state politics. I got to know many interesting people. I was eventually hired to work for the Michigan House of Representatives. State Representative who later became State Senator Jack Faxon gave me my first political job. I was kicked upstairs from the job as his secretary to become a "legislative analyst" -- my primary duties were those of speechwriting for the House Democratic caucus. I got to know people on both sides of the political aisle, including Grand Rapids RepublicanTom Ford. Tom was the brother of who would become President Gerald Ford.
I aspired to go to law school and Lansing had none. Therefore, I sought ways to get back to the Detroit area and the opportunity appeared when I was offered the new Highland Park, Michigan charter position as "Executive Assistant to the Mayor." My experiences in that job were as unhappy as my job in Lansing had been happy. I started law school, however, in 1972 and graduated in 1975. I was bluntly unhappy at having been placed in what appeared to be a corrupt administration. My unhappiness was publicly known. After finishing senior year final law school exams, my husband, Barry, and I took a month long driving tour of the South. Then I returned for graduation exercises and prepared to study for the bar which I successfully took in early August of 1975. While awaiting the results, I was contacted by a prominent Highland Park lady, who was backing a competitive candidate for mayor. I agreed to manage the campaign of her candidate. This was also a successful effort and the former mayor was upset and unseated in November of 1975. During the campaign, I obtained the assistance of the local congressman, John Conyers. He agreed to help and would encourage participation of his own supporters. One such supporter was Rosa Parks. Many local unions (UAW, AFL-CIO) also helped.
Our campaign was long and vigorous. Needless to say, I was motivated. While campaigning, as time honored inner city practice dictated, we visited the local churches. We were in Grace Baptist Church, approximately one block from Highland Park City Hall. The long Sunday Morning service was in progress. I was harried and tired from the incredibly long hours on the effort. I was sitting in the long Baptist service, struggling to keep awake when suddenly I felt some tugging on my clothing. I looked and behind me was Rosa Parks, needle and thread in hand. She had noticed my hem was partially loose and she was in her usual kind and gentle manner, restitching the hem. I have never forgotten that -- it was typical and vintage Rosa Parks. In addition to being brave, she was selfless.
May she rest in peace! I am honored to have fond personal memories of her.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Monday, October 17, 2005
I don't often agree with Sojourners, but this time, I think I might
WAR ON THE POOR - SOJOURNERS AT THE COUNTER-ATTACK -- HOW SHOULD CHRISTIANS RESPOND?
I just opened one of those form email solicitations. This one was from Sojourners. Frequently I have found myself at odds with just about everything coming from that organization and its magazine. Both are too often anti-Israel, pro-New Age, pro-Matthew Fox, pro-Rosemary Ruether, and New World Order of the leftist variety. The New Agers have no trouble counting them among their networks, although their former head vigorously denied it in a letter to me in 1983, demanding that I keep the contents private. Obviously, he lacked legal education. He had no expectation of privacy in a letter sent to another unless he was sending it to me in a privileged capacity, i.e., me as his lawyer. That letter will be among the items turned over to the Bentley Historical Library of the University of Michigan for archiving.
However, today I found myself nodding my head in agreement to one of their initiatives. Assuming the facts as they stated them were correct, and given my history with Sojourners, that can be a BIG ASSUMPTION, a moral wrong is being waged against the poor of this country. As the bankruptcy laws tighten, the poor, including but not limited to medically indigent, are left with distressingly few options. A few scriptures come to mind, including but not limited to Matthew 25 and admonitions to turn not to the left hand, nor to the right, but strictly in the paths of the Lord. Today, Sojourners said it as I would say it and here republish verbatim the emailed solicitation:
»Call Congress today, and click here to tell your friends and spread the word!Just weeks after Hurricane Katrina exposed the crisis of poverty in America, Congress will debate as early as Wednesday how much money should be cut from the budgets of health care, nutrition assistance, and other vital services for poor and working families. That's right, they will cut funds - and the question is by how much. Perhaps equally astonishing, they will decide how much - up to $70 billion - they will cut taxes for the richest people in America. In Washington, this may be business as usual, but as people of faith, we believe that budgets are moral documents, and so far this budget is morally bankrupt.
We have a short amount of time to make a big difference, and we need your voice now!
1) Call Congress now. Tell them to get their priorities straight!
(800) 426-8073 (Toll-free courtesy of American Friends Service Committee)
Speak up for those who cannot speak. - Proverbs 31:8
Ask to speak to one of the senators from your state. When the senator's phone is answered, say politely: "My name is _____, and I live in [your town/city]. As a person of faith, I would like Senator [name] to oppose budget cuts to Medicaid, Food Stamps, and other vital services, and to oppose more tax cuts for the very rich. Needs of poor families should be a moral priority at this time, not tax cuts for the wealthy.”
After you're done, please call your other senator, followed by your representative.*
2) Tell 10 friends now!
The success of this call-in day will depend on how many people call their senators and members of Congress. Congress does listen to what their constituents think, so after you call, please tell your friends, family, pastor - anyone who shares your concern for restoring just budget priorities - about this call-in day!**
»Click here to tell your friends about today's call-in day
Many in Congress claim that Hurricane Katrina has driven congressional spending and budgets out of control, and that sweeping cuts to vital social services are justified because of these increases. This claim couldn't be further from the truth.
Fiction : Government spending is dangerously high.
Fact: Even with new Katrina funds, federal spending as a percentage of the economy is below the 30-year average. Arguments like these are driven by an ideological determination to shrink government, not reality.
Fiction : Deficits are spinning out of control because of reckless spending and new Katrina relief.
Fact : The root of the problem of skyrocketing deficits is new tax cuts for the very wealthy, not new spending. For the past three years, tax revenues as a percentage of the economy are at a 30-year low. Nevertheless, many in Congress will stop at nothing to enact new tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans. Between now and 2010, the cost of the Bush tax cuts (if extended) will total $1.7 trillion. Katrina relief - even when you amount interest costs, is projected at $240 billion - less than 15% of what the tax cuts will cost. And yet there is momentum behind a plan this year to add an additional $70 billion in new tax cuts - mostly for the very wealthy. Simply put, this plan is out of touch with our values.
I do believe I'm inclined to make those calls to my Senators and Congressman. You might want to consider doing likewise. Just pray for wisdom to avoid all their Sojourners New Age stuff and left wing New Age Movement networking and solutions. They are there!
I just opened one of those form email solicitations. This one was from Sojourners. Frequently I have found myself at odds with just about everything coming from that organization and its magazine. Both are too often anti-Israel, pro-New Age, pro-Matthew Fox, pro-Rosemary Ruether, and New World Order of the leftist variety. The New Agers have no trouble counting them among their networks, although their former head vigorously denied it in a letter to me in 1983, demanding that I keep the contents private. Obviously, he lacked legal education. He had no expectation of privacy in a letter sent to another unless he was sending it to me in a privileged capacity, i.e., me as his lawyer. That letter will be among the items turned over to the Bentley Historical Library of the University of Michigan for archiving.
However, today I found myself nodding my head in agreement to one of their initiatives. Assuming the facts as they stated them were correct, and given my history with Sojourners, that can be a BIG ASSUMPTION, a moral wrong is being waged against the poor of this country. As the bankruptcy laws tighten, the poor, including but not limited to medically indigent, are left with distressingly few options. A few scriptures come to mind, including but not limited to Matthew 25 and admonitions to turn not to the left hand, nor to the right, but strictly in the paths of the Lord. Today, Sojourners said it as I would say it and here republish verbatim the emailed solicitation:
»Call Congress today, and click here to tell your friends and spread the word!Just weeks after Hurricane Katrina exposed the crisis of poverty in America, Congress will debate as early as Wednesday how much money should be cut from the budgets of health care, nutrition assistance, and other vital services for poor and working families. That's right, they will cut funds - and the question is by how much. Perhaps equally astonishing, they will decide how much - up to $70 billion - they will cut taxes for the richest people in America. In Washington, this may be business as usual, but as people of faith, we believe that budgets are moral documents, and so far this budget is morally bankrupt.
We have a short amount of time to make a big difference, and we need your voice now!
1) Call Congress now. Tell them to get their priorities straight!
(800) 426-8073 (Toll-free courtesy of American Friends Service Committee)
Speak up for those who cannot speak. - Proverbs 31:8
Ask to speak to one of the senators from your state. When the senator's phone is answered, say politely: "My name is _____, and I live in [your town/city]. As a person of faith, I would like Senator [name] to oppose budget cuts to Medicaid, Food Stamps, and other vital services, and to oppose more tax cuts for the very rich. Needs of poor families should be a moral priority at this time, not tax cuts for the wealthy.”
After you're done, please call your other senator, followed by your representative.*
2) Tell 10 friends now!
The success of this call-in day will depend on how many people call their senators and members of Congress. Congress does listen to what their constituents think, so after you call, please tell your friends, family, pastor - anyone who shares your concern for restoring just budget priorities - about this call-in day!**
»Click here to tell your friends about today's call-in day
Many in Congress claim that Hurricane Katrina has driven congressional spending and budgets out of control, and that sweeping cuts to vital social services are justified because of these increases. This claim couldn't be further from the truth.
Fiction : Government spending is dangerously high.
Fact: Even with new Katrina funds, federal spending as a percentage of the economy is below the 30-year average. Arguments like these are driven by an ideological determination to shrink government, not reality.
Fiction : Deficits are spinning out of control because of reckless spending and new Katrina relief.
Fact : The root of the problem of skyrocketing deficits is new tax cuts for the very wealthy, not new spending. For the past three years, tax revenues as a percentage of the economy are at a 30-year low. Nevertheless, many in Congress will stop at nothing to enact new tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans. Between now and 2010, the cost of the Bush tax cuts (if extended) will total $1.7 trillion. Katrina relief - even when you amount interest costs, is projected at $240 billion - less than 15% of what the tax cuts will cost. And yet there is momentum behind a plan this year to add an additional $70 billion in new tax cuts - mostly for the very wealthy. Simply put, this plan is out of touch with our values.
I do believe I'm inclined to make those calls to my Senators and Congressman. You might want to consider doing likewise. Just pray for wisdom to avoid all their Sojourners New Age stuff and left wing New Age Movement networking and solutions. They are there!
Sunday, October 16, 2005
Supporting documentation on Club of Rome history
This is an insider's sympathetic history of the Club of Rome. Like many, he sees it in altruistic terms only, but as to names, dates, places, he has much to say. The author was a member of the Canadian chapter of that organization.
Prince Hassan, the Club of Rome, Lucis Trust and the New World Order
THE CLUB OF ROME -- PAST AND PRESENT. HOW MUCH DOES PRINCE HASSAN REALLY KNOW? WOULD HE CARE?
Working with the University of Michigan on their Bentley Historical Library archival project of my life's work, I have had fresh occasion to view my basement library of books I assembled in the early 1980s on New Age Movement related issues. Among them was an earlier Club of Rome volume: RIO - Reshaping the International Order. It was a published report to the Club of Rome published in cooperation with the Foundation Reshaping the International Order (RIO). It made me speculate on how much the 1974 participants must have smiled in 1992 at having a city named "Rio" as in a city named Rio [de Janeiro] be the launch pad of much delayed earlier RIO (Reshaping the International Order) efforts. On November 4, 1981, when I personally heard him, Benjamin Crème bragged that there was an international group of approximately 70 industrialists, financiers, and scholars. They were drawing up 'blueprints' for 'how the world should be run' after the new 'Christ' made his reappearance. He was not referring to a Jesus revival. He was instead referring to whoever and whatever their their so-called "Maitreya" This "Maitreya" was, per Creme, and his enthusiastic New Age supporters, one 'greater than Jesus' who would assume the role that Krishnamurti had failed to claim -- that of "Great World Teacher."
His description was very, very close to that of the Club of Rome. Moreover, one of the Club of Rome's very active scholars was Donald Keys. Keys was an administrator of Lucis Trust, working actively with Alice and Foster Bailey. Lest we forget, Lucis Trust was an after named entity created by the Bailey's. After they had organized their first publishing company -- Lucifer Publishing Company. In 1924 they renamed it a somewhat less startling "Lucis Publishing" and subsidiary organizations that would be known as "Lucis Trust", "World Goodwill", the "Arcane School", and Triangles. All were intensely involved in disseminating directions for the New World Order. They were particularly concerned with a warm global reception for this "Maitreya" and the New World Religion which would help enable him. One does not have to be a Rhodes or Fulbright scholar to see how closely those directions were followed. One strong global name that has appeared from the beginning and shows up at Findhorn for rallies on acceptance of this "Maitreya" is Maurice Strong. High up in the United Nations, Kofi Annan was allegedly one of his mentored ones. From time to time, Javier Solana's published agendas show he meets with him.
Interestingly, given the little Javier Solana chose to tell us of his background in his very sort published curriculum vitae, included his Club of Rome affiliation.
Come 2005, Jordan's Prince Hassan, a brother to the former King Hussein and uncle to Jordan's King Abdullah is running the Club of Rome. Yesterday, he returned from a ten day trip to the USA. His final stop was the Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. He called for inter-generational dialogue, inter-border dialogue, and of course, religious cooperation. Unfortunately, the religious dialogue the Club of Rome has sought over the years has been the same type of "New World Religion" as that called for by fellow Club of Rome member, Donald Keys. It is a syncretistic, pantheistic religion where ultimately Jehovah rather than Lucifer is their devil.
I do not know if Prince Hassan was chosen to be the head of the Club of Rome because that was his personal conviction. He was appointed "under the patronage of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain" in the year 2000, replacing another Spaniard, Ricardo Diez-Hochleitner, who remains in a position of leadership with the advocacy/thinktank organization. I rather suspect he was chosen because he was a royal with sufficient personal resources to allow him to travel and had access to global influentials. A short smiling man, he would clearly be perceived as a "man of good will". It is hard to say "no" to nice guys and Prince Hassan clearly comes across as one.
Oh, and by the way, Old Dominion University, presented the Club of Rome head with another honorary degree while he was there -- a doctorate in "humane letters." Let's further hope that if Prince Hassan is really a man of goodwill that he will read the fine print coming from the pens such as Donald Keys, of those who helped establish the Club of Rome -- that it was to be part of the effort to as their popular "Great Invocation" reads -- "seal the door where evil dwells," e.g. meaning that Jerusalem stood for nothing except for that which was dead and deserved to pass away -- 'three dead and gone religions' -- Jews, Christians, and Moslems.
Then maybe he should go as a multi-degreed 'man of letters' and look up Peter LeMesurier's "The Armageddon Script." There he will learn that in addition to 'dialogue' and uniting the various world religions, that the balance of the script called for pitting all remaining orthodox against each other in a grand religious war where there would be 'mutual venting of long pent up frustrations". That, per LeMesurier, would be their final step in grand plans to reduce world population and get rid of stubborn orthodoxies -- all who resist the upside down New Age plans for a "New World Order."
Watching these folks maneuver over the past nearly 25 years that I have been watching has been very interesting. It still is! As always, I appreciate your comments and feedback.
Working with the University of Michigan on their Bentley Historical Library archival project of my life's work, I have had fresh occasion to view my basement library of books I assembled in the early 1980s on New Age Movement related issues. Among them was an earlier Club of Rome volume: RIO - Reshaping the International Order. It was a published report to the Club of Rome published in cooperation with the Foundation Reshaping the International Order (RIO). It made me speculate on how much the 1974 participants must have smiled in 1992 at having a city named "Rio" as in a city named Rio [de Janeiro] be the launch pad of much delayed earlier RIO (Reshaping the International Order) efforts. On November 4, 1981, when I personally heard him, Benjamin Crème bragged that there was an international group of approximately 70 industrialists, financiers, and scholars. They were drawing up 'blueprints' for 'how the world should be run' after the new 'Christ' made his reappearance. He was not referring to a Jesus revival. He was instead referring to whoever and whatever their their so-called "Maitreya" This "Maitreya" was, per Creme, and his enthusiastic New Age supporters, one 'greater than Jesus' who would assume the role that Krishnamurti had failed to claim -- that of "Great World Teacher."
His description was very, very close to that of the Club of Rome. Moreover, one of the Club of Rome's very active scholars was Donald Keys. Keys was an administrator of Lucis Trust, working actively with Alice and Foster Bailey. Lest we forget, Lucis Trust was an after named entity created by the Bailey's. After they had organized their first publishing company -- Lucifer Publishing Company. In 1924 they renamed it a somewhat less startling "Lucis Publishing" and subsidiary organizations that would be known as "Lucis Trust", "World Goodwill", the "Arcane School", and Triangles. All were intensely involved in disseminating directions for the New World Order. They were particularly concerned with a warm global reception for this "Maitreya" and the New World Religion which would help enable him. One does not have to be a Rhodes or Fulbright scholar to see how closely those directions were followed. One strong global name that has appeared from the beginning and shows up at Findhorn for rallies on acceptance of this "Maitreya" is Maurice Strong. High up in the United Nations, Kofi Annan was allegedly one of his mentored ones. From time to time, Javier Solana's published agendas show he meets with him.
Interestingly, given the little Javier Solana chose to tell us of his background in his very sort published curriculum vitae, included his Club of Rome affiliation.
Come 2005, Jordan's Prince Hassan, a brother to the former King Hussein and uncle to Jordan's King Abdullah is running the Club of Rome. Yesterday, he returned from a ten day trip to the USA. His final stop was the Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. He called for inter-generational dialogue, inter-border dialogue, and of course, religious cooperation. Unfortunately, the religious dialogue the Club of Rome has sought over the years has been the same type of "New World Religion" as that called for by fellow Club of Rome member, Donald Keys. It is a syncretistic, pantheistic religion where ultimately Jehovah rather than Lucifer is their devil.
I do not know if Prince Hassan was chosen to be the head of the Club of Rome because that was his personal conviction. He was appointed "under the patronage of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain" in the year 2000, replacing another Spaniard, Ricardo Diez-Hochleitner, who remains in a position of leadership with the advocacy/thinktank organization. I rather suspect he was chosen because he was a royal with sufficient personal resources to allow him to travel and had access to global influentials. A short smiling man, he would clearly be perceived as a "man of good will". It is hard to say "no" to nice guys and Prince Hassan clearly comes across as one.
Oh, and by the way, Old Dominion University, presented the Club of Rome head with another honorary degree while he was there -- a doctorate in "humane letters." Let's further hope that if Prince Hassan is really a man of goodwill that he will read the fine print coming from the pens such as Donald Keys, of those who helped establish the Club of Rome -- that it was to be part of the effort to as their popular "Great Invocation" reads -- "seal the door where evil dwells," e.g. meaning that Jerusalem stood for nothing except for that which was dead and deserved to pass away -- 'three dead and gone religions' -- Jews, Christians, and Moslems.
Then maybe he should go as a multi-degreed 'man of letters' and look up Peter LeMesurier's "The Armageddon Script." There he will learn that in addition to 'dialogue' and uniting the various world religions, that the balance of the script called for pitting all remaining orthodox against each other in a grand religious war where there would be 'mutual venting of long pent up frustrations". That, per LeMesurier, would be their final step in grand plans to reduce world population and get rid of stubborn orthodoxies -- all who resist the upside down New Age plans for a "New World Order."
Watching these folks maneuver over the past nearly 25 years that I have been watching has been very interesting. It still is! As always, I appreciate your comments and feedback.
Our Global Neighborhood - Circa 1995
Here is a handy list of 1995 OUR GLOBAL NEIGHBORHOOD commission members for your google.com searching use. Commission member names are italicized. The year is of interest to me because that was when Javier Solana was given an immediate BIG role in what was obviously NOT "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood".
Ingvar Carlsson, Sweden Prime Minister of Sweden 1986-91, and Leader of the Social Democratic Party in Sweden.
Shirdath Ramphal, Guyana Secretary-General of the Commonwealth from 1975 to 1990, President of the IUCN, Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Leadership in Environment and Development Program; Chairman, Advisory Committee, Future Generations Alliance Foundation, Chancellor, University of the West Indies, and the University of Warwick in Britain, member of five international commissions in the 1980s, and author of Our Country, The Planet, written especially for the Earth Summit.
Ali Alatas, Indonesia Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia since 1988; permanent representative to the United Nations.
Abdlatif Al-Hamad, Kuwait Director-General and Chairman of the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development in Kuwait. Former Minister of Finance and Minister of Planning; member of the Independent Commission on International Development Issues; Board member of the Stockholm Environment Institute.
Oscar Arias, Costa Rica President of Costa Rica from 1986 to 1990; drafted the Arias Peace Plan which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize; founded the Arias Foundation for Peace and Human Progress.
Anna Balletbo i Puig, Spain Member of the Spanish Parliament since 1979; member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and on Radio and Television; Executive Committee of the Socialist Party in Catalonia; General Secretary of the Olof Palme International Foundation; President of Spain's United Nations Association; and activist on women's issues since 1975.
Kurt Biedenkopf, Germany Minister-President of Saxony since 1990; member of the Federal Parliament; Secretary General of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany.
Allan Boesak, South Africa Minister for Economic Affairs for the Western Cape Region; Director of the Foundation for Peace and Justice; Chairman of the African National Congress (ANC); President of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and a Patron of the United Democratic Front.
Manuel Camacho Solis, Mexico Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Mayor of Mexico City; Mexico's Secretary of Urban Development and Ecology.
Bernard Chidzero, Zimbabwe Minister of Finance; Deputy Secretary-General of UNCTAD; Chairman of the Development Committee of the World Bank and the IMF; and member of the World Commission on Environment and Development.
Barber Conable, United States President of the World Bank from 1986 to 1991; Chairman of the Committee on US-China Relations; Senior Advisor to the Global Environment Facility; member of the House of Representatives from 1965 to 1985; member of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution; and Trustee and member of the Executive Committee of Cornell University.
Jacques Delors, France President of the European Commision since 1985; Minister for Economics, Finance and Budget; Mayor of Clichy; and member of the European Parliament.
Jiri Dienstbier, Czech Republic Chairman of the Free Democrats Party; Chairman of the Czech Council on Foreign Relations; and Deputy Prime Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Enrique Iglesias, Uruguay President of the Inter-American Development Bank since 1988; Minister of External Relations; Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Latin America; President, Central Bank of Uruguay; and Chairman of the Conference that launched the Uruguay Round of Trade Negotiations resulting in the World Trade Organization.
Frank Judd, United Kingdom Member of the House of Lords; Member of Parliament; Under-Secretary of State for Defence; Minister for Overseas Development; Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth; and Director of Oxfam from 1985 to 1991.
Hongkoo Lee, Republic of Korea Deputy Prime Minister; Minister of National Unification; Ambassador to the United Kingdom; Professor of Political Science at Seoul National University; Director of the Institute of Social Sciences; and Chairman of Seoul's 21st Century Committee.
Wangari Maathai, Kenya Founder and co-ordinator of the Green Belt Movement in Kenya; Chair of the National Council of Women of Kenya and spokesperson for non-government organizations at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio.
Sadako Ogata, Japan United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees since 1991; Director of the International Relations Institute; Representative to the UN; member of the Independent Commission on International Humanitarian Issues; and Chairman of the Executive Board of UNICEF.
Olara Otunnu, Uganda President of the International Peace Academy in New York; Foreign Minister from 1985 to 1986; Permanent Representative to the UN; and Chaired UN Commission on Human Rights.
I.G. Patel, India Chairman of the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme; Governor of the Reserve Bank of India; Chief Economic Adviser to the Indian Government; Permanent Secretary of the Indian Finance Ministry; Director of the London School of Economics and Political Science; Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund; and Deputy Administrator of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
Celina Vargas do Amaral Peixoto, Brazil Director Getulio Vargas Foundation; Director-General of the Brazilian National Archives; Director of the Center of Research and Documentation on Brazilian History.
Jan Pronk, Netherlands Minister for Development Co-operation; Vice Chairman of the Labor Party; Member of Parliament; Deputy Secretary-General of UNCTAD; and Member of the Independent Commission on International Development issues.
Qian Jiadong, China Deputy Director-General of the China Centre for International Studies; Ambassador and Permanent Representative in Geneva to the United Nations; Ambassador for Disarmament Affairs; and member of the South Commission.
Marie-Angelique Savane, Senegal Director of the Africa Division of the UN Population Fund; Director of the UNFPA in Dakar; Advisor to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees; team leader at the UN Research Institute for Social Development; President of the Association of African Women for Research and Development; and member of the UNESCO Commission on Education for the 21st Century.
Adele Simmons, United States President of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; member of the Council on Foreign Relations; member of the UN High Level Advisory Board on Sustainable Development; member of President Carter's Commission on World Hunger; and member of President Bush's Commission on Environmental Quality.
Maurice Strong, Canada Chairman and CEO of Ontario Hydro; Chairman of the Earth Council; Secretary-General of Earth Summits I and II; and member of the World Commission on Environment and Development. (See ecologic, November/December, 1995)
Brian Urquhart, United Kingdom Scholar-in-Residence at the Ford Foundation's International Affairs Program; United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Special Political Affairs 1972 to 1986; Member of the Independent Commission on Disarmament and Security Issues.
Yuli Vorontsov, Russia Ambassador to the United States; Ambassador to the United Nations; Advisor to President Boris Yeltsin on Foreign Affairs; and served as Ambassador to Afghanistan, France, and India.
Some of the above names and/or their related organizations, such as Maurice Strong, Oxfam, Brian Urquhart, McArthur Foundation, International Peace Academy have been familiar ones to me since 1981, the year I started researching New Age Movement developments.
Happy googling and I would love feedback on your respective finds!
Ingvar Carlsson, Sweden Prime Minister of Sweden 1986-91, and Leader of the Social Democratic Party in Sweden.
Shirdath Ramphal, Guyana Secretary-General of the Commonwealth from 1975 to 1990, President of the IUCN, Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Leadership in Environment and Development Program; Chairman, Advisory Committee, Future Generations Alliance Foundation, Chancellor, University of the West Indies, and the University of Warwick in Britain, member of five international commissions in the 1980s, and author of Our Country, The Planet, written especially for the Earth Summit.
Ali Alatas, Indonesia Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia since 1988; permanent representative to the United Nations.
Abdlatif Al-Hamad, Kuwait Director-General and Chairman of the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development in Kuwait. Former Minister of Finance and Minister of Planning; member of the Independent Commission on International Development Issues; Board member of the Stockholm Environment Institute.
Oscar Arias, Costa Rica President of Costa Rica from 1986 to 1990; drafted the Arias Peace Plan which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize; founded the Arias Foundation for Peace and Human Progress.
Anna Balletbo i Puig, Spain Member of the Spanish Parliament since 1979; member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and on Radio and Television; Executive Committee of the Socialist Party in Catalonia; General Secretary of the Olof Palme International Foundation; President of Spain's United Nations Association; and activist on women's issues since 1975.
Kurt Biedenkopf, Germany Minister-President of Saxony since 1990; member of the Federal Parliament; Secretary General of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany.
Allan Boesak, South Africa Minister for Economic Affairs for the Western Cape Region; Director of the Foundation for Peace and Justice; Chairman of the African National Congress (ANC); President of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and a Patron of the United Democratic Front.
Manuel Camacho Solis, Mexico Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Mayor of Mexico City; Mexico's Secretary of Urban Development and Ecology.
Bernard Chidzero, Zimbabwe Minister of Finance; Deputy Secretary-General of UNCTAD; Chairman of the Development Committee of the World Bank and the IMF; and member of the World Commission on Environment and Development.
Barber Conable, United States President of the World Bank from 1986 to 1991; Chairman of the Committee on US-China Relations; Senior Advisor to the Global Environment Facility; member of the House of Representatives from 1965 to 1985; member of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution; and Trustee and member of the Executive Committee of Cornell University.
Jacques Delors, France President of the European Commision since 1985; Minister for Economics, Finance and Budget; Mayor of Clichy; and member of the European Parliament.
Jiri Dienstbier, Czech Republic Chairman of the Free Democrats Party; Chairman of the Czech Council on Foreign Relations; and Deputy Prime Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Enrique Iglesias, Uruguay President of the Inter-American Development Bank since 1988; Minister of External Relations; Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Latin America; President, Central Bank of Uruguay; and Chairman of the Conference that launched the Uruguay Round of Trade Negotiations resulting in the World Trade Organization.
Frank Judd, United Kingdom Member of the House of Lords; Member of Parliament; Under-Secretary of State for Defence; Minister for Overseas Development; Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth; and Director of Oxfam from 1985 to 1991.
Hongkoo Lee, Republic of Korea Deputy Prime Minister; Minister of National Unification; Ambassador to the United Kingdom; Professor of Political Science at Seoul National University; Director of the Institute of Social Sciences; and Chairman of Seoul's 21st Century Committee.
Wangari Maathai, Kenya Founder and co-ordinator of the Green Belt Movement in Kenya; Chair of the National Council of Women of Kenya and spokesperson for non-government organizations at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio.
Sadako Ogata, Japan United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees since 1991; Director of the International Relations Institute; Representative to the UN; member of the Independent Commission on International Humanitarian Issues; and Chairman of the Executive Board of UNICEF.
Olara Otunnu, Uganda President of the International Peace Academy in New York; Foreign Minister from 1985 to 1986; Permanent Representative to the UN; and Chaired UN Commission on Human Rights.
I.G. Patel, India Chairman of the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme; Governor of the Reserve Bank of India; Chief Economic Adviser to the Indian Government; Permanent Secretary of the Indian Finance Ministry; Director of the London School of Economics and Political Science; Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund; and Deputy Administrator of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
Celina Vargas do Amaral Peixoto, Brazil Director Getulio Vargas Foundation; Director-General of the Brazilian National Archives; Director of the Center of Research and Documentation on Brazilian History.
Jan Pronk, Netherlands Minister for Development Co-operation; Vice Chairman of the Labor Party; Member of Parliament; Deputy Secretary-General of UNCTAD; and Member of the Independent Commission on International Development issues.
Qian Jiadong, China Deputy Director-General of the China Centre for International Studies; Ambassador and Permanent Representative in Geneva to the United Nations; Ambassador for Disarmament Affairs; and member of the South Commission.
Marie-Angelique Savane, Senegal Director of the Africa Division of the UN Population Fund; Director of the UNFPA in Dakar; Advisor to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees; team leader at the UN Research Institute for Social Development; President of the Association of African Women for Research and Development; and member of the UNESCO Commission on Education for the 21st Century.
Adele Simmons, United States President of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; member of the Council on Foreign Relations; member of the UN High Level Advisory Board on Sustainable Development; member of President Carter's Commission on World Hunger; and member of President Bush's Commission on Environmental Quality.
Maurice Strong, Canada Chairman and CEO of Ontario Hydro; Chairman of the Earth Council; Secretary-General of Earth Summits I and II; and member of the World Commission on Environment and Development. (See ecologic, November/December, 1995)
Brian Urquhart, United Kingdom Scholar-in-Residence at the Ford Foundation's International Affairs Program; United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Special Political Affairs 1972 to 1986; Member of the Independent Commission on Disarmament and Security Issues.
Yuli Vorontsov, Russia Ambassador to the United States; Ambassador to the United Nations; Advisor to President Boris Yeltsin on Foreign Affairs; and served as Ambassador to Afghanistan, France, and India.
Some of the above names and/or their related organizations, such as Maurice Strong, Oxfam, Brian Urquhart, McArthur Foundation, International Peace Academy have been familiar ones to me since 1981, the year I started researching New Age Movement developments.
Happy googling and I would love feedback on your respective finds!
Thursday, October 13, 2005
"OUR GLOBAL NEIGHBORHOOD"
Considering the totality of circumstances of Javier Solana's ten day public rise to global power in November, 1995, a rereading of "Our Global Neighborhood: The Report of The Commission on Global Governance" (1995) is EXTREMELY INTERESTING. For a fun exercise, take the names of the various commission members and do google.com searches in tandem with "Javier Solana."
I just discovered a brilliant blogspot with inside scoops on much that is happening
Check out http://diplomadic.blogspot.com/. I just discovered it doing a google.com surf using the terms "Javier Solana" "Earth Summit" "1992". There are priceless insights. I am just starting to explore that spot, but I think you, my readers, might want to explore it with me. I will value your reactions. He was discussing "the cult of global warming", something I have long noticed. That is, I noticed it appearing after "the cult of global cooling" with books by so many of the same New Age authors was "cooling down" so to speak. I always thought it humorous that the week the NGO's, UN officials, and country representatives went to Rio for the "Earth Summit" where they produced "Agenda 21" that there was unprecedented chilling at the very time set to discuss "global warming." Although it was just about Memorial Day in the United States, the start of our summer season, as I recall, we had snow flakes during that time. God has a way of showing who's boss! At any rate, I have a busy day before me, so check it out and prepare to both laugh and cry while reading it. I plan to place a link to the site on my blogspot. The author refers to himself as "Diplomad".
A few brief words -- personal notes
So much has happened. The last week has been a very mixed one for me. Michael and LaMelva Eubanks outdid themselves putting together a great conference. Herb Peters and I shared a platform for the first time. The audience was both enthusiastic and informed. I had to leave that conference at Southfield's beautiful Embassy Suites Hotel to make a sad journel to Fort Wayne, Indiana to say my final goodbyes to my sister Linda. After a four year battle with cancer, she passed last Tuesday. Family viewing was Sunday and the funeral and Linda's "last hurrah" at the lovely home husband, Dr. Barth Ragatz, and Linda shared was held. I was thrilled to learn that Linda had made peace with God and died fully trusting in Jesus.
The Bentley Historical Library of the University of Michigan has been archiving my work. Their acquisitions director will be at my home in the morning to map out a strategy to physically remove 25 years of paperwork. They have already archived what spilled over to my office, but the meat of my collection spanning 25 years of research on the New Age Movement resides in my home. I will be so happy to have it moved. That means we can finally reorganize and redecorate.
Condition wise, our home is probably 1/3 of what we moved into when we purchased it in 1984. The assessor thinks it is 3 times the house we bought! That increase is certainly only on paper. With wheelchair traffic and my research, you can imagine the condition of carpeting. Frankly, I am inclined to let nobody in until it is redecorated. I have been saying that for the past 12 years!
But, considering the misery one sees with Katrina victims, Pakistan, New Hampshire and New Jersey flood victims, I am more than thankful to have a dry roof over our head, even if that roof needs redoing, which it does!
Pray for me. Pray for the Katrina, Pakistan, New Hampshire, and New Jersey folk as well. It has been a stressful month -- it has been a stressful year. Michigan is not going through a recession. Given the outsourcing of everything, it feels far more like a depression. The "New World Order" has not been kind to at least the American economy. Turbulent times seem to be the order of the day for much of the world and we all need God's grace to make it through.
The Bentley Historical Library of the University of Michigan has been archiving my work. Their acquisitions director will be at my home in the morning to map out a strategy to physically remove 25 years of paperwork. They have already archived what spilled over to my office, but the meat of my collection spanning 25 years of research on the New Age Movement resides in my home. I will be so happy to have it moved. That means we can finally reorganize and redecorate.
Condition wise, our home is probably 1/3 of what we moved into when we purchased it in 1984. The assessor thinks it is 3 times the house we bought! That increase is certainly only on paper. With wheelchair traffic and my research, you can imagine the condition of carpeting. Frankly, I am inclined to let nobody in until it is redecorated. I have been saying that for the past 12 years!
But, considering the misery one sees with Katrina victims, Pakistan, New Hampshire and New Jersey flood victims, I am more than thankful to have a dry roof over our head, even if that roof needs redoing, which it does!
Pray for me. Pray for the Katrina, Pakistan, New Hampshire, and New Jersey folk as well. It has been a stressful month -- it has been a stressful year. Michigan is not going through a recession. Given the outsourcing of everything, it feels far more like a depression. The "New World Order" has not been kind to at least the American economy. Turbulent times seem to be the order of the day for much of the world and we all need God's grace to make it through.
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
To Russia and back with love - 4,100,000 Solana google hits and growing!
Is Javier Solana going away? With 4,100,000 Google.com Hits and growing, it doesn’t look that way![1] Anyway, it looks like Russia is clearly on his side!
Recently a British journalistic observer noted that “Javier Solana had lost the spring in his step.” Because of the German and Dutch referendum defeats, combined with the withdrawal of England’s planned constitutional referendum, it looked, per that journalist at least, like Javier Solana would never realize his dream of becoming the EU Foreign Minister.
Maybe that journalist was right. Maybe not. Most likely he was not!
In many ways, particularly to American observers, Javier Solana looks like “the invisible man.” For all the powers he has amassed, there are no books about him. He seldom appears on the front pages of USA papers. For those tuned into internet news (or if low tech, watching BBC news) it should be a different story, provided they went on the web for academic rather than entertainment purposes.
When I started observing the ubiquitous Dr. Solana back on November 22, 1995, there was a paucity of information about him. He had just signed a Treaty of Association with Israel on behalf of the European Union. He was getting ready to chair the first Barcelona Conference which opened with an anti-clerical salvo on November 27, 1995. It ended on November 28th with Israeli and Palestinian Union leaders (Ehud Barak and Yasser Arafat) proclaiming they had ‘beaten their swords into ploughshares.’ Two days after all of this, Javier Solana was named the new dark horse surprise head of NATO. The European presses proclaimed “Solana Squares NATO’s Circle.” The astonished Spanish press noted that had any Madrid resident predicted this five years earlier, he would have been promptly ‘locked up as a lunatic.” Javier Solana was the well known leader of public NATO resistance.
In 1995, Alta Vista rather than Google was the predominant internet search engine. Dial up connections rather than broadband were the norm for most systems. I found precious little information about him back in those days, but just about every day I found something.
Today the hits are more frequent. Solana’s more public phase appears to be in full swing. Today there were 4,100,000 google.com hits! Clearly, he does not appear to be going away!
I am writing this from my law office, taking a small evening break. As I compose, I just saw his face flash before me on the 6 p.m. Public Broadcast Systems rebroadcast of BBC news. He was in attendance at an EU-Russia summit. He did not look depressed. The spring was definitely back in his step!
Perhaps that is because of the position Russia has recently enunciated through its lead diplomats that they desire a “strong European Union” which should speak with “One Strong Voice.” [2]
And, just about simultaneous with that Russian diplomat’s remark, Javier Solana said that European and Russian relations ‘never grown faster’! Read about that here: [3]
I wonder just who the former Soviets had in mind as the “One Strong Voice”? Could it be a former Marxist who was on the USA’s subversive list for many years? At any rate, the smile is back on Javier Solana’s face and the spring appears once again in his step. Could it be? Just wondering! This weekend, California columnist Herb Peters and I are scheduled to speak on the same platform for the first time. Given the events of the week, this should be an interesting weekend to “stay tuned.” Click the link to his site for details if you are in or can get to the Detroit area. Things are getting very interesting!
As usual, I invite and welcome your comments. That’s the best part of this public blogging process!
[1] http://www.interfax.ru/e/B/exclusive/29.html?mode=9&title_style=exclus&others=2&id_issue=11390982
[2] http://www.interfax.ru/e/B/exclusive/29.html?mode=9&title_style=exclus&others=2&id_issue=11390982
[3] http://www.interfax.ru/e/B/exclusive/29.html?mode=9&others=2&title_style=exclus&id_issue=11391597
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