If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
By Vartan Gregorian, President, Carnegie Corporation of New York. Delivered the following address to The Heller School for Social Policy and Managemen...
The privacy revolution is real. True privacy is an inherent right of law-abiding citizens everywhere.
If softliners and hardliners within the Myanmar military see confidence in its democracy roadmap, provided that there is continued support from the international community, Thein Sein's visit to Washington can possibly pave the way for amending the 2008 constitution.
For many frustrated Filipinos, Faulkner's characters perfectly match what they -- have and continue to -- see as a group of vicious, greedy politicians using the language of public service and invoking familial pedigree to woo a largely underprivileged electorate.
Toddlerhood is a challenging stage. My daughter has the newfound ability to express her wants, needs and excessively irrational, endless, countless, infinite demands with words, yet lacks the decency to keep it to herself.
I was thankful to witness this collective courage of a country to take a bold step from its past experiences. It filled me with a sense of hope that Africa's march to democracy has entered a new phase.
It will be sold as a trade agreement (because everyone knows that "trade" is good) but much of it appears to be (from what we know) a corporate end-run around things We the People want to do to reign in the giant corporations -- like Wall Street regulation, environmental regulation and corporate taxation.
Many of you soon-to-be college graduates are determined to make the world a better place. But many of you are cynical about politics. You see the system as inherently corrupt. You doubt real progress is possible. Let me remind you: Cynicism is a self-fulfilling prophesy.
There is an alternative to force, blood, and suffering. It's called democracy. Yes, there is plenty of injustice, greed and sheer wickedness. But don't mourn the fact -- organize.
The problem at meetings such as Reclaiming the Conversation on Education conference is that they tend to be "anti" meetings that do not present a clear alternative agenda defining what participants believe is the role public education should play in a democratic society.
Is the government, still dominated by the military, willing to amend the undemocratic elements of the 2008 constitution ahead of the 2015 general elections?
Once again, the people of Boston demonstrated, individually and collectively, that they are a true beacon of hope and inspiration for the nation and the world.
We are ignoring the wisdom of our own community, and the chance to imagine D.C.'s future education policy as a city-wide, regenerative civic event.
We do not live in a meritocracy, not even in the most privileged corners of the country where diverse, academically driven kids enjoy access to what might legitimately be seen as unlimited opportunities. This idea deeply disturbs people.
It begs the question: What is causing young people to be more pessimistic about the power of their vote? And not only that, but why are the politically engaged even more pessimistic?
Can we align the interests of giant corporations with our national, American interest? If we cannot, they should be stripped of their American corporate privileges and be required to do the same things as other entities that are not wedded to the national interest.
