August 14, 2008

Civilian Diplomacy

By Robert C. Koehler Tribune Media Services

Peace is no more -- and no less -- than the audacity of sanity, reaching past the dubious geopolitics of national self-interest and standing, as Hank Brusselback did, underneath the ancient bridge in Esfahan, Iran, listening to the men who had gathered to sing.

It's called civilian diplomacy, and it is one way we will create the peace our leaders don't believe we're ready for.

"If the government isn't willing to talk to people, then the people need to be willing to (talk to each other)," Brusselback said. "It comes from a belief in the nature of security -- it's not about weapons, fear and posturing on the world stage. It's about communication, talking to people, everyone having their basic needs met. If you understood security that way, you'd see that security is about dialogue."

Posted:08/08

June 25, 2008

The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination

By J.K. Rowling

J.K. Rowling, author of the best-selling Harry Potter book series, delivers her Commencement Address, "The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination."

Copyright of JK Rowling, June 2008
_________________________________________________

President Faust, members of the Harvard Corporation and the Board of Overseers, members of the faculty, proud parents, and, above all, graduates.

The first thing I would like to say is 'thank you.' Not only has Harvard given me an extraordinary honour, but the weeks of fear and nausea I've experienced at the thought of giving this commencement address have made me lose weight. A win-win situation! Now all I have to do is take deep breaths, squint at the red banners and fool myself into believing I am at the world's best-educated Harry Potter convention.

Delivering a commencement address is a great responsibility; or so I thought until I cast my mind back to my own graduation. The commencement speaker that day was the distinguished British philosopher Baroness Mary Warnock. Reflecting on her speech has helped me enormously in writing this one, because it turns out that I can't remember a single word she said. This liberating discovery enables me to proceed without any fear that I might inadvertently influence you to abandon promising careers in business, law or politics for the giddy delights of becoming a gay wizard.

Posted:06/08

June 07, 2008

And Now, Her Greatness

By Marianne Williamson

There is something about politicians - particularly Democrats, I think - that makes them rise to their best when they're making concession speeches.

All the way back to Michael Dukakis, I remember thinking as I heard him concede, "Well if you'd been that person during the campaign, you might have won!" When Al Gore conceded to George Bush at the end of the 2000 debacle, he showed at last the deep passion that had been so obscured by his wooden delivery on the campaign trail. And Hillary Clinton finally broke through on Saturday; she showed at last some humility and authenticity, the absence of which had made so many of us unable to support her in her campaign against Obama. She lost the election, but it looks like she won her soul back. And with that, I think she restarted her career.

Posted:06/08

December 06, 2007

Iraq's Million

By Robert C. Koehler

Tribune Media Services (For release 12/6/07)

In the Fantasy Middle East, the troop surge is helping plucky Iraq get its act together; and Iran, as serious a threat as ever and still lusting to start World War III, awaits liberation by the superpower known as "Johnny Democracy."

In the reality version, our legacy is bad water, cancer and social chaos. Iraq has, by one scientific extrapolation, surpassed the million mark in war dead and continues to rack up other numbers (4 million internal and external refugees, for instance, but not to worry, only 133 of them got into the U.S. this year) that . . . I dunno, maybe it's just me . . . seem antithetical to the idea of democracy. And of course, as the latest National Intelligence Estimate has just embarrassingly informed the world, Iran shut down its nuclear weapons program four years ago.

Posted:12/07

November 22, 2007

Prayers for Somalia

By Marianne Williamson

While Americans are celebrating the holidays in a land of plenty, we're reminded of those who live in places where food they need merely to survive is unavailable to them.

This letter is what you might think of as a "Prayer Alert." Tens of thousands of Somalians, victims seeking refuge from the cruel and bitter fighting there, now endure the unimaginable suffering of starvation. Their humanitarian crisis is exacerbated by the fact that, given the violence in the region, no aid organization can safely make it through with food for them. All the world can do is bear witness to the agony of these people. And pray.

For those of us who believe, as it is written in A COURSE IN MIRACLES, that "prayer is the medium of miracles," I ask you to join with me in praying for the suffering, starving refugees of Somalia. May there be a miracle somehow, that food might make its way to them. May the God who parted the waters of the Red Sea now part the waters for all who suffer.

Dear God,
Please help the people of Somalia
and elsewhere
who do not have food,
who watch their children starve,
who face the agony of unimaginable
and unnecessary suffering.
May miracles light the way
and cast this darkness
from the earth.
May our lives be lifted
that we might serve,
and somehow be of use,
dear God,
to You, and to them.
Amen

Posted:11/07