Around the WorldBoston

November - December 2005

Editor in Chief: Brandie E. Conforti                                                          Editor: Lorraine Goldstein - Communications

The mission of WorldBoston is to provide a private, non-profit, non-partisan forum for educating the public about matters of national and international significance.  We do this by presenting an ongoing series of distinguished speakers, and by bringing to Boston emerging leaders from around the world for the purpose of sharing ideas, discovering opportunities for mutual growth, and creating bonds of friendship and understanding.

FEATURES

Some Comments From WorldBoston’s Executive Director

WorldBoston Corporate Member Spotlight

World Affairs

Meet WorldBoston Board Member Bob Danahy

Emerging Leaders

The WorldBoston Wish List

Contact Us

SOME COMMENTS FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

A View from the Pentagon

With the exception perhaps of the Department of Homeland Security, in recent years no executive department has been in the spotlight as much as the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD).  On Thursday, October 27th, I had the pleasure of leading a group of 40 WorldBoston members and other interested individuals on a one-day trip to the Pentagon, where we attended a series of private briefings on Afghanistan, Iraq, and Detainee Affairs presented by senior DOD officials.  Not surprisingly, the most interesting part of each briefing was the Q&A segment that followed.  For that reason I have decided to share with you some of the questions asked and the responses received.  Please note that what follows represents a summary of the Q&A session.  Neither the language used nor the sentiments expressed are mine, and they do not in any way reflect the views of WorldBoston.

Q:  What progress has been made in Afghanistan in regard to counter-narcotics efforts?

A:  The British are leading this element of the offensive.  The eradication of poppy crops is still an ongoing effort, with the most important element of eradication being a viable crop replacement.  A variety of crops have been tested for replacement; one such potential crop is saffron.

Q:  What is the status of education in Afghanistan?

A:  Because institutionalized education was virtually nonexistent during the rule of the Taliban, there is a lot of work to be done.  Afghans are dealing with an 80 percent illiteracy rate that severely limits their human capital potential.  There is still a lack of teachers, but teacher training has begun in Kabul and will continue to improve education conditions.

Q:  What is the biggest concern right now in regard to Afghanistan?

A:  The biggest concern right now is the sustainability of an international commitment within the country.  With so many competing situations calling for international aid, the fear is that donors will send their funds elsewhere.  The international media has a short attention span, and it is a challenge to keep interest in Afghanistan alive with so much going on in the world.

Q:  What is the exit strategy for Iraq?

A:  The exit strategy is a victory strategy.  We cannot leave Iraq until we have prevailed; otherwise, Zarqawi, etc., will be empowered.

Q:  Why is the war in Iraq so much different than the situation in Afghanistan?

A:  It is very different for two reasons: (1) Iraq is in the heart of the Arab world; and (2) Iraq is inundated with “jihadis,” and there is a constant flow of money into the region to fuel the insurgency.

Q:  Does the U.S. torture detainees caught during the “War on Terror”?

A:  No.  The United States does not torture detainees in its defense facilities.  In fact, “the average detainee at Guantanamo has outlived his life expectancy as compared to what it would have been if he had remained in Afghanistan.”

Brandie Conforti

Executive Director

WORLDBOSTON CORPORATE MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Fiduciary Trust Company is one of the few remaining independent, privately owned trust companies in New England that specializes in financial counseling, investment management and trust services for individuals and families.  Located in the heart of Boston’s financial district, we develop financial solutions and investment strategies that are designed to achieve the goals of each individual client.  To support our clients’ charitable commitments, we also provide investment advisory services to select endowments and foundations.

As an independent company owned by employees, independent directors and founding families, we have no proprietary products to sell or a parent company to please.  Our ownership structure ensures that our clients receive truly objective advice.  Our independence and stability have allowed us to attract and retain highly experienced and talented investment and trust professionals who are leaders in their respective wealth management disciplines.  We supervise more than $9 billion of assets for our clients, located throughout the United States and abroad.  To learn more about Fiduciary Trust Company, please visit our website at www.fiduciary-trust.com.

WORLD AFFAIRS

World Affairs strives to educate, inform and foster understanding of international affairs; and to provide accessibility for the general public to participate in the discussion of global issues. 

The Fall has been a busy time for the World Affairs program.  In September, WorldBoston was asked by its national affiliate, the World Affairs Councils of America, to participate in an interactive videoconference titled Public Diplomacy in the Middle East and Anti-Americanism.  Joining the videoconference was the World Affairs Council of Charlotte, North Carolina.  The speaker for this unique event was Ambassador David Newton of the Middle East Institute, who shared his thoughts on public diplomacy in the region and focused on different methods that could be used to improve Middle Eastern views of the United States.

Also in September, WorldBoston hosted an event with David J. Rothkopf, Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Policy in the Clinton Administration and Visiting Scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.  Mr. Rothkopf spoke about his new book, “Running the World”: The Inside Story of the NSC and the Architects of American Power, and provided an interesting look into current national security issues in the United States.

In October, WorldBoston hosted a special evening event where WorldBoston member Global Trade Systems made a presentation, “Securing Global Supply Chains,” to members of the Boston Consular Corps.  In addition, a noontime event was held with Professor William Beeman of Brown University, who spoke about U.S. - Iran Relations.  An anthropologist, Professor Beeman introduced his new book, The "Great Satan" vs. the "Mad Mullahs”: How the United States and Iran Demonize Each Other.”  The month climaxed with a trip by some 40 WorldBoston members and friends to Washington, D.C., for a day of briefings at the Pentagon (see Brandie’s earlier comments).  This special event is organized once a year by WorldBoston.

Upcoming Events . . .  

"An Update on the Northern Ireland Peace Process"
A Conversation with Ambassador Mitchell B. Reiss, Special Envoy of the President 

Date: Tuesday, November 15, 2005

Time: Noon-1:30 P.M.

Location: Suffolk University School of Management, 

73 Tremont Street, 1st Floor Conference Room, Boston 

Cost: $10 for WorldBoston Members/$20 for Non-Members/$10 for Students - A light lunch will be provided. 

Mitchell B. Reiss was appointed Special Envoy to the Northern Ireland Peace Process by President Bush in January 2004. He is also the Vice Provost for International Affairs, Professor of Law and Professor of Government at William and Mary College.

Special thanks to our sponsors, PlanUSA and Suffolk University.

Reservations are required and must be received by 5 P.M. on Friday, November 11. Cancellations must be received before the deadline for a full refund.

"Global Youth Connection" 
WorldBoston's First Night Activity for Greater Boston Youth

Date: Saturday, December 31, 2005

Time: Noon-6:00 P.M. 

Location: Hynes Convention Center, Room 311, Boston 

WorldBoston, Plan USA, and the United Nations Association of Greater Boston are joining together to bring fun activities to young people of all ages. Learn how you can make a difference in your world.

Write your New Year's message to a child or a school in a different country, create a peace dove or a banner with your message, and view art created by children around the world. While you're at it, sit down at one of our computers and make your voice heard. Send world leaders a message about how you want to make the world a better place for children in 2006.

Join us afterwards for the First Night Grand Procession!

"US-India Relations"
Ambassador Ronen Sen, Ambassador of India to the United States

Date: Monday, January 9, 2006

Time: 11:45 A.M.-12:15 P.M., Pre-Event; Noon-1:30 P.M., Luncheon

Location: Batterymarch Conference Center, Wyndham Hotel, 89 Broad Street, 2nd Floor, Boston

Cost: $20 for WorldBoston Members/$30 for Non-Members/$20 for Students - A light lunch will be provided.

Pre-Event: $50 (The pre-event is limited to 15 people.)

Special thanks to our sponsor, Northeastern University. 

Reservations are required and must be received by 5 P.M. on Friday, January 6. Cancellations must be received before the deadline for a full refund.

To reserve a place at an event or to contact the program, please call 617-542-8995, ext. 112, or send an email to wac@worldboston.org.

For more information about these events and to learn about future events, please check our website periodically.  And keep the communication flowing by telling us what you would like us to address in the future or to provide feedback on events you have attended.  Your ideas are important to us.  

MEET WORLDBOSTON BOARD MEMBER

BOB DANAHY 

Bob Danahy became involved with WorldBoston over 20 years ago.  He remembers attending a talk some time in the 1980s by an Air Force General in charge of the Star Wars Defense Program.  At that time, General Bob Nichols, Executive Director of the World Affairs Council (which merged with WorldBoston in 2001), invited Bob to join him on a nuclear sub sail.  Bob was hooked.

For many years after that, Bob helped General Nichols orchestrate U.S. government and military tours for members of what was then the World Affairs Council to the Pentagon, CIA, Naval War College, Bath Iron Works, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and Hanscom Air Force Base, as well as visits on the Carrier John F. Kennedy, U.S. Coast Guard Cutters and Guided Missile Destroyers.  Most recently, Bob helped WorldBoston organize the trip to the Pentagon.

A military buff, Bob has also pursued opportunities to learn more about foreign countries, meet world leaders, and ask provocative questions at WorldBoston events.  Although he has maintained a keen interest in international issues, Bob’s career has focused on the Commercial and Personal Insurance industry, where he has served as President of the International Insurance Brokers and worked at Alexander & Alexander, Rollins Burdick Hunter and Carlin Insurance.  He is now with Eastern Insurance Group, a division of Eastern Bank.

A true “crusader” at heart, Bob has been actively involved with the Alumni Board of his Alma Mater, Holy Cross College, where he served for 12 years as Chairman of the President’s Council, the chief alumni position at the school.  After graduating from Holy Cross, Bob served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force and prepared to earn his Chartered Property/Casualty Underwriter designation at Boston University.

After Bob’s first child Anne was born deaf as a result of Rubella (German Measles), he became active in the education of deaf and hard-of-hearing children, serving as President of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Together, and earlier as Chairman of the Massachusetts Advisory Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.  The Council was formed by the Massachusetts State Senate to address the education of children deafened in the Rubella Epidemic of the early 1980s.  Bob also served for six years as President of the Massachusetts Parents Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

A resident of Weston, Bob has three children: Anne in Seattle, WA; Jane in Concord; and John in Cambridge.  His wife Suzanne is a Board Member at Tufts University’s School of Dental Medicine.

Bob’s interests in and dedication to world affairs and working with the deaf and hard of hearing are complemented by his enjoyment of golf and slow running.

EMERGING LEADERS

The mission of Emerging Leaders is to engage and develop dynamic thinkers from around the world who will drive global change in the future.  

WorldBoston continues to welcome emerging leaders from all parts of the world to Boston through the International Visitors Leadership Program.  In late September, we hosted a group from Saudi Arabia that was interested in examining religious and public education; we also hosted a group from Morocco that examined religious pluralism.

While not all the program objectives for these two groups overlapped, there was a common goal to explore interfaith dialogue.  With this in mind, WorldBoston arranged a number of meetings for the group members to speak with representatives from Brandeis University, Harvard University and the Islamic Society of Boston.  Other professional meetings for these groups included visits to the Islamic Academy of New England and Congregation Kehillath Israel in Brookline, as well as meetings with a reporter at the Christian Science Monitor and the Mayor of Cambridge.  Feedback from the groups was positive, with the visitors noting that the programs were very valuable since they allowed them to share ideas about religious dialogue that would help strengthen their own efforts when they returned home.

Over the next few months, WorldBoston will be hosting some regional groups as well as individual visitors from a number of countries including Afghanistan and the People’s Republic of China.  Visitors from these areas will be examining several topics such as economics and business development, state and local government, civic leadership and philanthropy and non-profit management.

If you would like to get involved with the International Visitors project and interact with a diverse group of individuals, please contact Jennifer Field, International Visitors Project Associate.

Check Our Website. We are continually updating the WorldBoston website to keep you informed about our programs, upcoming events and visitors, and to make it easier for you to contact us. Please check out our website regularly.

THE WORLDBOSTON WISH LIST

We hope that you will consider making a donation to WorldBoston.  Please visit our website and select “Give a Gift” to see the kinds of activities your gift will support, as well as a donation form.

In addition, we are always seeking new event sponsors.  If you are interested in event sponsorship, please contact Brandie Conforti.