Communique December 2014 / January 2015

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www.micglobe.org | 612.625.1662 DECEMBER 2014 / JANUARY 2015 EDITION | Bringing the Wor ld to Minnesota and Minnesota to the Wor ld

MINNESOTA INTERNAT IONAL CENTER J O I N T H E C O N V E R S AT I O N | 1M I N N E S OTA I N T E R NAT I O NA L C E N T E R | 1

Celebrating 60 years

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Communiqué

The last few months have been a time of receiving and giving awards for MIC. Receiving: At the end of September at the Foreign Policy Association’s (FPA) World Leadership Forum in New York City, I was inducted into their Council of Ambassadors in recognition of the growth of the Minnesota International Center’s Great Decisions program ... we have the largest number of discussion groups, are the only state to offer a Great Decisions Conference and to have a media partnership, such as ours with the Star Tribune. I humbly accepted this honor on behalf of all those who worked to grow this important program in our state – the Great Decisions Advisory Committee, Great Decisions speakers, Great Decisions group leaders and participants, MIC staff and, of course, MIC members whose membership dollars support the program financially. Giving: You may remember that last year, MIC instituted the Minnesota International Center Ambassador Award to honor those who have provided visionary leadership for MIC. This year, MIC’s Executive Committee unanimously chose former executive director, Fran Paulu, and former board chair and honorary board member, Tom Colwell, as recipients. The award was presented - in front of family and friends – at a luncheon on October 24. Congratulations to Fran and Tom! And thanks to you - our members – who, like them, believe we all represent a community of globally-minded citizens seeing borders not as barriers, but as opportunities for learning and understanding; the ideals upon which MIC was founded in 1953 and which continue to this day. Stay warm and Happy Holidays to you all!

Letter from the President

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If it’s a new year, it must be time for Tom Hanson’s U.S. Foreign Policy update! MIC is so pleased to have Tom present his analysis of the latest foreign policy developments, trends and challenges faced by the United States in the year ahead. Of course, this time it will include the repercussions of recent international elections and the 2014 U.S. mid-terms.

His timely and thought-provoking presentation, MIC’s version of “State of the World” address, is recommended for anyone interested in international relations. Participants in MIC’s Great Decisions program are especially encouraged to attend as Tom will include insights on the 2015 Great Decisions topics (see page 4).

Tom Hanson’s U.S. Foreign Service postings included East Germany, France, Norway, the Soviet Union, Sweden, and the former Soviet republic of Georgia. He also participated in the opening of new U.S. Embassies in Mongolia and Estonia. Currently he serves as Diplomat in Residence at the University of Minnesota – Duluth, and is a member of MIC’s Great Decisions advisory committee and frequent Great Decisions speaker. He is also a Board Member of the Oslo Center for Peace and Human Rights, U.S. Foundation.


December 2014 / January 2015 Edition | Communiqué

Thinking About a Contribution or Membership before the End of the Year? Donate Now and Double Your Impact

Your special year-end contribution or membership renewal will be matched dollar-for-dollar from a generous challenge grant issued by an anonymous supporter. Please help MIC maximize the potential of this contribution! Call Amanda at 612.625.1662 or donate securely online at micglobe.org. For information on making a stock transfer, please call Kathleen at 612.625.4644. Thank you!

December 2014 / January 2015 Edition

When: Tuesday, January 27; 5:30 – 8:00 P (reception to follow)Where: Humphrey School of Public Affairs, Cowles Auditorium, 301 19th Avenue S, MinneapolisCost: MIC Members and students $5; Non-members $20. World Affairs vouchers accepted. Advance registration requested

MIC CORPORATE MEMBERSGlobally minded companies that value membership with the Minnesota International Center

Premier ($50,000+)Medtronic, Inc.

Platinum ($40,000+)Wells Fargo International Group

Millennium ($30,000+)General Mills, Inc.

Senior Global ($20,000+)3MCargillCarlsonDelta Air Lines

Global ($15,000+) Ecolab Inc. Sit Investment Associates, Inc

Executive ($10,000+) Donaldson Company, Inc. Horton Holding, Inc.Target CorporationThe Mosaic Company

Leadership Patron ($5,000+) Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America

Best Buy Co., Inc.Colwell Industries, Inc.DLA PiperDorsey & Whitney LLPFredrikson & Byron, P.A.J.P. Morgan KPMG LLPLand O’Lakes, Inc.Propel Event Transportation ManagementRBC Wealth ManagementThe Lakeland CompaniesUnitedHealth Group

Contributing Patron ($2,500+) U.S. BankWanner Engineering

Associate Patron ($1,000+)Bepex International, LLCEide Bailly LLPGlobal Tax Network (GTN)Gray Plant MootyHGA Architects and EngineersMinneapolis Area Association of REALTORS

Minnesota International MedicineShaw-Lundquist Associates Inc.WTP Advisors

Associate Corporate ($500+)Carlson Global InstituteGlobal Language InstituteHamre, Schumann, Mueller & Larson, P.C.Minneapolis Downtown CouncilTripleInk

Sponsoring HotelRadisson Plaza Hotel

M I N N E S OTA I N T E R NAT I O NA L C E N T E R | 3

Tuesday, January 27, 2015 State of U.S. Foreign Policy 2015

Wednesday, December 10, 2014 U.S. and Israel 5:30 – 7:30 P Speaker: Steve HunegsExecutive Director Jewish Community Relations Council

Wednesday, February 11, 2015 Russia and the Near Abroad 5:30 – 7:30 P Speaker: Margo Squire Career Diplomat and former Foreign Service Officer

The Minnesota International Center is a nonpartisan organization advocating for thoughtful discussion of international issues.

Global Conversations are held at the Minneapolis Central Library, 2nd Floor, 300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis and are free and open to the public. Advance registration is requested.


(back row) Carol Engebretson Byrne and Tom Colwell; (front row) Fran Paulu and Dr. Josef Mestenhauser (last year’s honoree)

Carol Engebretson Byrne receives FPA’s Council of Ambassadors Award

It has come to our attention that many of you would like to see MIC’s new offices and have not yet had the opportunity to do so. We’d like to rectify that – with a holiday open house on Friday, December 12. We know that many of you have fond memories of the house at 711 East River and we invite you to create new ones at 1901 University Avenue SE. So please come by for some light refreshments, meet the staff, tour the new offices, mingle with old friends and make new ones.

Holiday Open House

Friday, December 12; 2:00 - 5:00 PM

Please join us for MIC’s

When: Friday, December 12; 2:00 – 5:00 PWhere: 1901 University Avenue SE Minneapolis, MN 55414Advance registration requested (Please register because we want to make sure we have enough refreshments for everyone!)

“

December 2014 / January 2015 Edition | Communiqué Bringing the World to Minnesota and Minnesota to the World

Last month MIC presented “Not My Life”, a documentary screening and discussion on human trafficking, at St. Paul’s Central High School, the oldest and one of the largest public high schools in Minnesota. The pro-gram featured a screening of the 30-minute version of the documentary, followed by a discussion with local experts on the global and local con-nections of human trafficking, particularly sex trafficking of minors in Minnesota. The speakers discussed ways in which youth can be involved in human trafficking prevention and awareness, and answered questions from students about the problem in Minnesota. Speakers included: Ramsey County Attorney John Choi; Charisma Smith, TeenPRIDE Coordinator, The Family Partnership; Joy Fried-man, Outreach/Training Director, Breaking Free; and Erica Schum-acher, Strategic Initiatives and Community Relations Director, Office of Ramsey County Attorney. The feedback from the more than 200 juniors and seniors partici-pating was extremely positive, with more than 97% of students rating the program as “excellent” or “good”. Additionally, it was clear from the feedback that many youth were unaware of the prevalence of human trafficking at the local level - in fact 93% reported that they knew “noth-ing” or only “a little” about trafficking in Minnesota prior to the “Not My Life” program. The students’ attention to this significant issue was impressive and bodes well for the future of our community. MIC is grateful to Carlson and the Carlson Family Foundation for its national leadership in con-tinuing to raise awareness of this issue, and to the World Affairs Coun-cils of America for making this program available to member councils throughout the country.

M I N N E S OTA I N T E R NAT I O NA L C E N T E R | 2REGISTER TODAY AT MICGLOBE.ORG OR CALL 612.625.1662 M I N N E S OTA I N T E R NAT I O NA L C E N T E R | 4 M I N N E S OTA I N T E R NAT I O NA L C E N T E R | 5

Not My Life – Prevention and Awareness of Human Trafficking for Youth in Minnesota

The Minnesota International Center is proud to be the local coordinator of this program which is sponsored nationally by the Foreign Policy Association. It aligns with MIC’s vision to provide opportunities for Minnesotans to:

understand the impact of the world on our personal and professional livescomprehend the complexity of global issuesnurture the next generation of international leaders, policy makers and workers

Great Decisions speakers are retired Foreign Service officers, academics, former elected officials, corporate and community

leaders who can draw upon personal experience and knowledge in addressing the selected topic. Because this program is designed

to encourage discussion, speakers present the topic in an objective manner that encourages the respectful

exchange of opinions and perspectives.

MIC currently coordinates the largest statewide program in the country, thanks to the efforts of Daniel Getahun, MIC’s Program Director, who currently coordinates the program, and to former longtime MIC staff member, Carol Steinberg, who for many years oversaw the growth of the program, recruiting both speakers and groups.


YOUR MEMBERSHIP DOLLARS AT WORK!

“It was surprising to hear how close human trafficking is happening in St. Paul.”

“I truly believe the first step is education and without this program today, I wouldn’t have known about how big the

issue was in our community.”“The stories that the speakers told really surprised me. Those stories make you want to stand up for those who

are caught up in slavery and trafficking.”“It opened my eyes to the real problem. I loved becoming

more aware and hope to spread the word about how serious this is.”

“We have a duty to help these people out of solidarity. When you see something like this happening, you help out. But most of all, we need to change the system that

supports this.”

“

STILL TIME TO SIGN UP TEAMS for WorldQuest: Friday, December 5; 6:30 – 9:30 P

Academic WorldQuest for High School Students Wednesday, February 4; 3:00 – 6:00 P

Great Decisions is a dynamic citizen education and discussion program - a book club for anyone interested in international events – where topics significant to the United States’ role in the global community are discussed.

What and Why?

The 2015 topicsJust Announced!

Russia and the Near AbroadPrivacy in the Digital AgeSectarianism in the Middle EastIndia Changes CourseU.S. Policy Toward AfricaSyria’s Refugee CrisisHuman Trafficking in the 21st CenturyBrazil’s Metamorphosis

Who are the speakers?

Who is behind all this?

Discussion groups meet throughout the state … in community centers, places of worship, as part of continuing education, schools, private homes. Each group has a leader; some groups use a facilitator or speaker, others are more free-form. It is recommended the participants purchase the Briefing Book which contains articles as a basis for discussion. MIC’s website (micglobe.org) lists Great Decisions groups which meet throughout the state. If you are interested in joining a group, just consult the list for a group near you and contact the leader for more information. If you want to start a group, please contact Daniel and he will advise you on how best to proceed and put you in touch with other group leaders for their help. If you are not sure if you want to commit to joining a group, attend one of the FREE Global Conversations at the Minneapolis Central Library (see cover page of this newsletter). Or if you want to learn more about the topics on your own, purchase the Briefing Book or DVD for yourself from MIC. MIC also has a media partnership with the Star Tribune where one of the Great Decisions topics is highlighted once a month in the newspaper by a Great Decisions speaker and by John Rash of the Star Tribune editorial board.

How does it work?

For the past seven years, MIC has held a Great Decisions Conference to explore in depth one of the eight topics for the year. This year’s Conference examined “Energy Independence” with presentations by an impressive lineup of speakers. The morning panel discussion highlighted the rapid development of North American energy resources. Additional sessions focused on the local and global implications of North Dakota’s “Bakken boom”, as well as a special presentation on Germany’s remarkable Energiewende. More than 100 community members attended, including students from Highland Park High School and Wayzata High School. Look for details mid-2015 about the topic for the next Great Decisions Conference!

The Annual Conference MIC individual and corporate members make it possible for MIC to heavily subsidize this program. Some funding is received from the Foreign Policy Association. Great Decisions participants are encouraged to become MIC members and receive access and benefits to other international programs.

Who funds Great Decisions?

The Great Decisions Briefing Books and DVDs can be ordered directly from MIC. We are currently taking orders for 2015, and the Books and DVDs will be available by mid-January 2015.

“One of the things that I greatly admire about Great Decisions

programs all over the United States is that it is not about agreement, it

is about information in a constantly changing world.”

“At the Foreign Policy Association, we have great admiration for MIC’s skillful implementation of the Great Decisions outreach program. I salute MIC for the exceptional work you do in engaging Minnesotans on world

affairs.”

Noel Lateef, President Foreign Policy Association

Maureen Millea Smith, Group Leader Edina Library Great Decisions Program

New Member Special!Become a new member at the $75 level or above, and we’ll send you a FREE Great Decisions book and TWO FREE admissions to Tom Hanson’s State of U.S. Foreign Policy on January 27, 2015. Call Amanda at 612.625.1662 to take advantage of this limited time offer!

For anything “Great Decisions” related, please contact Daniel at 612.625.9618.


FROM THE STUDENTS...


US POSTAGE







Communiqué






































Holiday Open House




“

December 2014 / January 2015 Edition | Communiqué Bringing the World to Minnesota and Minnesota to the World

Last month MIC presented “Not My Life”, a documentary screening and discussion on human trafficking, at St. Paul’s Central High School, the oldest and one of the largest public high schools in Minnesota. The pro-gram featured a screening of the 30-minute version of the documentary, followed by a discussion with local experts on the global and local con-nections of human trafficking, particularly sex trafficking of minors in Minnesota. The speakers discussed ways in which youth can be involved in human trafficking prevention and awareness, and answered questions from students about the problem in Minnesota. Speakers included: Ramsey County Attorney John Choi; Charisma Smith, TeenPRIDE Coordinator, The Family Partnership; Joy Fried-man, Outreach/Training Director, Breaking Free; and Erica Schum-acher, Strategic Initiatives and Community Relations Director, Office of Ramsey County Attorney. The feedback from the more than 200 juniors and seniors partici-pating was extremely positive, with more than 97% of students rating the program as “excellent” or “good”. Additionally, it was clear from the feedback that many youth were unaware of the prevalence of human trafficking at the local level - in fact 93% reported that they knew “noth-ing” or only “a little” about trafficking in Minnesota prior to the “Not My Life” program. The students’ attention to this significant issue was impressive and bodes well for the future of our community. MIC is grateful to Carlson and the Carlson Family Foundation for its national leadership in con-tinuing to raise awareness of this issue, and to the World Affairs Coun-cils of America for making this program available to member councils throughout the country.

M I N N E S OTA I N T E R NAT I O NA L C E N T E R | 2REGISTER TODAY AT MICGLOBE.ORG OR CALL 612.625.1662 M I N N E S OTA I N T E R NAT I O NA L C E N T E R | 4 M I N N E S OTA I N T E R NAT I O NA L C E N T E R | 5

Not My Life – Prevention and Awareness of Human Trafficking for Youth in Minnesota

The Minnesota International Center is proud to be the local coordinator of this program which is sponsored nationally by the Foreign Policy Association. It aligns with MIC’s vision to provide opportunities for Minnesotans to:

understand the impact of the world on our personal and professional livescomprehend the complexity of global issuesnurture the next generation of international leaders, policy makers and workers

Great Decisions speakers are retired Foreign Service officers, academics, former elected officials, corporate and community

leaders who can draw upon personal experience and knowledge in addressing the selected topic. Because this program is designed

to encourage discussion, speakers present the topic in an objective manner that encourages the respectful

exchange of opinions and perspectives.

MIC currently coordinates the largest statewide program in the country, thanks to the efforts of Daniel Getahun, MIC’s Program Director, who currently coordinates the program, and to former longtime MIC staff member, Carol Steinberg, who for many years oversaw the growth of the program, recruiting both speakers and groups.


YOUR MEMBERSHIP DOLLARS AT WORK!

“It was surprising to hear how close human trafficking is happening in St. Paul.”

“I truly believe the first step is education and without this program today, I wouldn’t have known about how big the

issue was in our community.”“The stories that the speakers told really surprised me. Those stories make you want to stand up for those who

are caught up in slavery and trafficking.”“It opened my eyes to the real problem. I loved becoming

more aware and hope to spread the word about how serious this is.”

“We have a duty to help these people out of solidarity. When you see something like this happening, you help out. But most of all, we need to change the system that

supports this.”

“

STILL TIME TO SIGN UP TEAMS for WorldQuest: Friday, December 5; 6:30 – 9:30 P

Academic WorldQuest for High School Students Wednesday, February 4; 3:00 – 6:00 P

Great Decisions is a dynamic citizen education and discussion program - a book club for anyone interested in international events – where topics significant to the United States’ role in the global community are discussed.

What and Why?

The 2015 topicsJust Announced!

Russia and the Near AbroadPrivacy in the Digital AgeSectarianism in the Middle EastIndia Changes CourseU.S. Policy Toward AfricaSyria’s Refugee CrisisHuman Trafficking in the 21st CenturyBrazil’s Metamorphosis

Who are the speakers?

Who is behind all this?

Discussion groups meet throughout the state … in community centers, places of worship, as part of continuing education, schools, private homes. Each group has a leader; some groups use a facilitator or speaker, others are more free-form. It is recommended the participants purchase the Briefing Book which contains articles as a basis for discussion. MIC’s website (micglobe.org) lists Great Decisions groups which meet throughout the state. If you are interested in joining a group, just consult the list for a group near you and contact the leader for more information. If you want to start a group, please contact Daniel and he will advise you on how best to proceed and put you in touch with other group leaders for their help. If you are not sure if you want to commit to joining a group, attend one of the FREE Global Conversations at the Minneapolis Central Library (see cover page of this newsletter). Or if you want to learn more about the topics on your own, purchase the Briefing Book or DVD for yourself from MIC. MIC also has a media partnership with the Star Tribune where one of the Great Decisions topics is highlighted once a month in the newspaper by a Great Decisions speaker and by John Rash of the Star Tribune editorial board.

How does it work?

For the past seven years, MIC has held a Great Decisions Conference to explore in depth one of the eight topics for the year. This year’s Conference examined “Energy Independence” with presentations by an impressive lineup of speakers. The morning panel discussion highlighted the rapid development of North American energy resources. Additional sessions focused on the local and global implications of North Dakota’s “Bakken boom”, as well as a special presentation on Germany’s remarkable Energiewende. More than 100 community members attended, including students from Highland Park High School and Wayzata High School. Look for details mid-2015 about the topic for the next Great Decisions Conference!

The Annual Conference MIC individual and corporate members make it possible for MIC to heavily subsidize this program. Some funding is received from the Foreign Policy Association. Great Decisions participants are encouraged to become MIC members and receive access and benefits to other international programs.

Who funds Great Decisions?

The Great Decisions Briefing Books and DVDs can be ordered directly from MIC. We are currently taking orders for 2015, and the Books and DVDs will be available by mid-January 2015.

“One of the things that I greatly admire about Great Decisions

programs all over the United States is that it is not about agreement, it

is about information in a constantly changing world.”

“At the Foreign Policy Association, we have great admiration for MIC’s skillful implementation of the Great Decisions outreach program. I salute MIC for the exceptional work you do in engaging Minnesotans on world

affairs.”

Noel Lateef, President Foreign Policy Association

Maureen Millea Smith, Group Leader Edina Library Great Decisions Program

New Member Special!Become a new member at the $75 level or above, and we’ll send you a FREE Great Decisions book and TWO FREE admissions to Tom Hanson’s State of U.S. Foreign Policy on January 27, 2015. Call Amanda at 612.625.1662 to take advantage of this limited time offer!

For anything “Great Decisions” related, please contact Daniel at 612.625.9618.


FROM THE STUDENTS...


US POSTAGE







Communiqué






































Holiday Open House




Communique December 2014 / January 2015

Documents

Transcript of Communique December 2014 / January 2015