Archive for October, 2007
« Previous EntriesAbout Doing No Harm
Wednesday, October 31st, 2007Recently someone told me he was in a roomful of “do-gooders.” From the way he pronounced the word it was clear he found these folks infected with a strain of naivete that was outside the “real” world.
I was intrigued a few years ago to hear a politician attack “liberal do-gooders” and deride a piece of [...]
Access, Free Trade and Trade Justice
Wednesday, October 24th, 2007I’ve been fortunate to be able to attend two remarkable events the past two weeks. I got a chance to hear leaders in business, health and government speak about how they see the future and trends they think will shape it.
I’ve heard the claim that we live in a world of communication–content and technology–unlike any [...]
Malaria: What Next?
Friday, October 19th, 2007The second and third days of the Malaria Forum conducted by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation turned out to be as stimulating and inspiring as day one. Important research was reported in a continuous stream. As a layperson, I’m an interested observer with no scientific knowledge but I heard enough to be encouraged, even [...]
Eradicating Malaria
Wednesday, October 17th, 2007The “E” word. Melinda Gates spoke it today at the Malaria Forum convened by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The word is eradication. It’s perhaps the most controversial issue discussed in private by researchers and practitioners in malaria and debated in public settings. But Melinda Gates was unequivocal.
“We have a historic opportunity not just [...]
What Paul Meant
Tuesday, October 16th, 2007Sacred texts are living documents. We have a relationship with them and they inform and shape us over the years, even if they aren’t contemporary with us. That’s a mystery to me yet it’s an experience I’ve had often enough to believe it. A spirit within the texts spans the centuries so they remain insightful [...]
Catching my Breath
Tuesday, October 16th, 2007I‘m traveling and have not caught my breath which is why posts have been few and far between the past ten days. Last week I was in New York to attend severl meetings, capped by a meeting of the World Business Forum. I intend to write about that soon because it was an energizing [...]
Cost of War: One Day
Sunday, October 7th, 2007The comparison of the costs of war to the costs of socially constructive programs is a common topic on the web. The intent is to illustrate how money applied to war could be applied to more socially constructive efforts. Unfortunately, merely pointing out how strikingly different results could be achieved by re-directing spending doesn’t change [...]
Christianity Has An Image Problem
Saturday, October 6th, 2007Christianity has an image problem and it’s getting worse, according to research by the evangelical Barna Group.
In a brief article in TIME, David Kinnaman of Barna says in 1996, 80% of U.S. citizens identified with Christianity and fewer than 20% of non-Christians held an unfavorable view of the religion. But how that has changed.
Today fewer [...]
Stress
Saturday, October 6th, 2007I was in a meeting the other day when someone who is quite together and very experienced began to speak of stress and its effect on our performance. I was caught off-guard. We all live with stress. It’s persistent and powerful among the people I know.
Hardly a day goes by that I don’t hear some [...]
SCHIP Veto Override
Thursday, October 4th, 2007The General Board of Church and Society of The United Methodist Church has called upon Congress to override the veto of the SCHIP legislation. The text of the statement follows:
General Board of Church and Society Expresses Disappointment over President Bush’s Veto of SCHIP — Washington, D.C., October 3, 2007
The General Board of Church and Society [...]