We had a busy weekend here at the IRC, working to put on two events in three days. Last Friday, members attended our much-hyped annual Berkley Lecture with Allison Stanger. Then yesterday (Sunday, Dec. 6th) IRC board member Benny Lee hosted a private reception in his home with special guest and world-class pianist Behzod Abduraimov.
We have pictures from these events that anyone can view at our Facebook page. Please feel free to tag yourself and people you know in the pictures.
Finally, if you have pictures that you would like to share with the IRC, please let us know in the comments, on Facebook, or by emailing irc@irckc.org.
Thanks to all who attended these events. Watch the blog for details of more upcoming events!
Showing posts with label Berkley Lecture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Berkley Lecture. Show all posts
Monday, December 7, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
Berkley and Todd E. Davis Scholarship winners to be announced at Berkley Lecture
Whew! The IRC staff has done a lot of reading in the past few weeks. We received applications from all over the metro for our two scholarships, and we're pleased to announce that we have chosen the winners for both. We will announce the names of the winners at Friday's Berkley Lecture.
Regular readers remember our announcements about the Todd E. Davis scholarship (for college students) and the Eliot S. Berkley Award for International Achievement (for high school students). Students submitted to the IRC an essay on an international topic, a statement of purpose, and a teacher recommendation. The IRC staff and board of directors went through all of them carefully and look forward to congratulating the winners this Friday. The Eliot S. Berkley Award winner will receive a $500 scholarship, the Todd E. Davis winner will receive a $1000 scholarship.
The IRC would also like to mention Lenora Miles of Platte County High School, who submitted dozens of her students' essays for consideration for the Berkley Award. Miles' campaign on behalf of her students is truly admirable, and the IRC looks forward to another crop of essays from her students next year. We will feature more about Miles in our upcoming December newsletter.
The Berkley Lecture is this coming Friday, but it's not too late to register! Go to www.irckc.org to register to attend.
Regular readers remember our announcements about the Todd E. Davis scholarship (for college students) and the Eliot S. Berkley Award for International Achievement (for high school students). Students submitted to the IRC an essay on an international topic, a statement of purpose, and a teacher recommendation. The IRC staff and board of directors went through all of them carefully and look forward to congratulating the winners this Friday. The Eliot S. Berkley Award winner will receive a $500 scholarship, the Todd E. Davis winner will receive a $1000 scholarship.
The IRC would also like to mention Lenora Miles of Platte County High School, who submitted dozens of her students' essays for consideration for the Berkley Award. Miles' campaign on behalf of her students is truly admirable, and the IRC looks forward to another crop of essays from her students next year. We will feature more about Miles in our upcoming December newsletter.
The Berkley Lecture is this coming Friday, but it's not too late to register! Go to www.irckc.org to register to attend.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Cuba Today event cancelled, update on other upcoming events
The IRC is sad to announce that its event Cuba Today: Reflections on My Visit with Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, which was first announced at our Awards Banquet, has been canceled. We apologize to all our members; we share your disappointment. We are currently working on refunding registration fees.
We invite all members to these other events in the coming weeks:
Asian Economic Outlook
We invite all members to these other events in the coming weeks:
Asian Economic Outlook
Nov. 17th, 2009 8:00 AM to 9:15 AM
Join the International Relations Council, in partnership with the UMKC Bloch School of Business and Public Administration, for "Asian Economic Outlook" with Dr. Norihito Tanaka, Visiting Professor of Economics at UMKC. Dr. Tanaka will discuss current economic perspectives and the business environment, including the growth of the Chinese economy, the Japanese economic situation and governmental power shift, and emerging markets and economies in Asia.
Join the International Relations Council, in partnership with the UMKC Bloch School of Business and Public Administration, for "Asian Economic Outlook" with Dr. Norihito Tanaka, Visiting Professor of Economics at UMKC. Dr. Tanaka will discuss current economic perspectives and the business environment, including the growth of the Chinese economy, the Japanese economic situation and governmental power shift, and emerging markets and economies in Asia.
Tanaka is a professor of International Business and Economics at Kanagawa University in Japan. He has also taught in Thailand, the Phillipines, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia. Tanaka has published several books, including Japan's Postwar Economy and Technological Competitive Power of U.S. and Japan.
This event is free. Please RSVP to the Bloch School.
2009 Berkley Lecture: Dr. Allison Stanger: One Nation Under Contract
Dec. 4th, 2009 at 12 PM
We have been posting about Dr. Stanger's book and the issues she will likely cover in her presentations. Click on our "Berkley Lecture" tag to view them.
2009 Berkley Lecture: Dr. Allison Stanger: One Nation Under Contract
Dec. 4th, 2009 at 12 PM
We have been posting about Dr. Stanger's book and the issues she will likely cover in her presentations. Click on our "Berkley Lecture" tag to view them.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
One Nation Under Contract: Senate passes amendment to combat rape coverups- 30 Senators balk
As a lead up to our Dec.4th Berkley Lecture from Dr. Allison Stanger, author of One Nation Under Contract, we will examine a few issues likely to be raised in the book and in her lecture to the IRC.
Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) recently introduced an amendment, passed by the Senate on Oct. 6th, to the Defense Appropriations Act which was intended:
"To prohibit the use of funds for any Federal contract with Halliburton Company, KBR, Inc., any of their subsidiaries or affiliates, or any other contracting party if such contractor or a subcontractor at any tier under such contract requires that employees or independent contractors sign mandatory arbitration clauses regarding certain claims."
The amendment name-checked Halliburton and KBR in response to the case of Jamie Lee Jones, a former KBR employee who claims she was attacked and raped by several of her coworkers while working in Iraq in 2005. According to Jones, after she reported the incident to her employers, she was locked in a shipping container for 24 hours. KBR threatened Jones's job, took no action to punish her attackers, and then maintained that the attack should be addressed through arbitration. Jones consented to arbitration upon her employment at KBR, as is standard procedure in many private companies, agreeing not to sue the company if she was injured in work-related activities. In contrast to a trial, arbitration is legally binding, but produces no public record and is conducted with no judge or jury. Under the arbitration agreement, Jones could not sue the company for her treatment, and could not appeal if she lost her case. KBR claimed that Jones' assault was work-related and fell under her arbitration agreement. This takes some mental gymnastics-- KBR was arguing that Jones should have expected to be gang-raped and imprisoned by her coworkers as a normal workplace risk. One assumes that KBR feels this way about all of their female employees.
Thanks to a decision earlier this month from the US Court of Appeals, after three years of legislation Jones can finally sue KBR for her treatment. The implications of her case and the Senate amendment are far-reaching. First, her case highlights the disadvantages of mandatory arbitration. Private companies have long asked employees and customers to agree to mandatory arbitration in dealing with disputes, a practice that many argue heavily favors the private company. In arbitration, it was possible that Jones would be victimized a second time by being stripped of her right to face her attackers in open court, and then probably fired while her attackers escaped punishment.
Second, it shows how little accountability these contracting companies currently have. 30 US Senators voted against an amendment that punishes government-funded companies for condoning something as reprehensible as rape. Contractors take billions of tax dollars to spend with relative freedom, yet refuse to abide by the provision that they allow employees to press charges if they are raped on the job.
There's a rather unfortunate local connection to the story. Both Kansas senators (Brownback and Roberts) and one Missouri senator (Bond) were among the thirty Senators who voted against the amendment, claiming that the amendment unfairly targeted KBR and Halliburton. Proponents of the amendment pointed out that the bill will apply to all government contracting agencies in the future. Many of these thirty senators also seemingly contradicted themselves after calling for the de-funding of ACORN, which formerly received federal funding to help low-income individuals but now stands accused of fraud. Critics point out the two opposing ideas that these Senators seem to hold in their head simultaneously: one, that companies who take government money should hold up to the highest level of scrutiny; the other, that the government should take a hands-off approach to such companies even when faced when evidence of gang-rape:
Jones recently appeared on The Rachel Maddow Show to discuss her experience and her efforts to contact the thirty opposing senators:
Unfortunately for Jones and for any female employees of KBR or other government contractors, the amendment may still not go through. Senator Dan Inouye (D-HI) may remove the amendment thanks to continued pressure from defense contractors.
To register to attend the Berkley Lecture on Dec. 4th, please visit the IRC website.
S. Amndt.2588 to H.R. 3326 Voting Record
Franken's Anti-Rape Amendment May Be Stripped By Senior Dem, Sources Say (Huffington Post)
Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) recently introduced an amendment, passed by the Senate on Oct. 6th, to the Defense Appropriations Act which was intended:
"To prohibit the use of funds for any Federal contract with Halliburton Company, KBR, Inc., any of their subsidiaries or affiliates, or any other contracting party if such contractor or a subcontractor at any tier under such contract requires that employees or independent contractors sign mandatory arbitration clauses regarding certain claims."
The amendment name-checked Halliburton and KBR in response to the case of Jamie Lee Jones, a former KBR employee who claims she was attacked and raped by several of her coworkers while working in Iraq in 2005. According to Jones, after she reported the incident to her employers, she was locked in a shipping container for 24 hours. KBR threatened Jones's job, took no action to punish her attackers, and then maintained that the attack should be addressed through arbitration. Jones consented to arbitration upon her employment at KBR, as is standard procedure in many private companies, agreeing not to sue the company if she was injured in work-related activities. In contrast to a trial, arbitration is legally binding, but produces no public record and is conducted with no judge or jury. Under the arbitration agreement, Jones could not sue the company for her treatment, and could not appeal if she lost her case. KBR claimed that Jones' assault was work-related and fell under her arbitration agreement. This takes some mental gymnastics-- KBR was arguing that Jones should have expected to be gang-raped and imprisoned by her coworkers as a normal workplace risk. One assumes that KBR feels this way about all of their female employees.
Thanks to a decision earlier this month from the US Court of Appeals, after three years of legislation Jones can finally sue KBR for her treatment. The implications of her case and the Senate amendment are far-reaching. First, her case highlights the disadvantages of mandatory arbitration. Private companies have long asked employees and customers to agree to mandatory arbitration in dealing with disputes, a practice that many argue heavily favors the private company. In arbitration, it was possible that Jones would be victimized a second time by being stripped of her right to face her attackers in open court, and then probably fired while her attackers escaped punishment.
Second, it shows how little accountability these contracting companies currently have. 30 US Senators voted against an amendment that punishes government-funded companies for condoning something as reprehensible as rape. Contractors take billions of tax dollars to spend with relative freedom, yet refuse to abide by the provision that they allow employees to press charges if they are raped on the job.
There's a rather unfortunate local connection to the story. Both Kansas senators (Brownback and Roberts) and one Missouri senator (Bond) were among the thirty Senators who voted against the amendment, claiming that the amendment unfairly targeted KBR and Halliburton. Proponents of the amendment pointed out that the bill will apply to all government contracting agencies in the future. Many of these thirty senators also seemingly contradicted themselves after calling for the de-funding of ACORN, which formerly received federal funding to help low-income individuals but now stands accused of fraud. Critics point out the two opposing ideas that these Senators seem to hold in their head simultaneously: one, that companies who take government money should hold up to the highest level of scrutiny; the other, that the government should take a hands-off approach to such companies even when faced when evidence of gang-rape:
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Rape-Nuts | ||||
| ||||
Jones recently appeared on The Rachel Maddow Show to discuss her experience and her efforts to contact the thirty opposing senators:
Unfortunately for Jones and for any female employees of KBR or other government contractors, the amendment may still not go through. Senator Dan Inouye (D-HI) may remove the amendment thanks to continued pressure from defense contractors.
To register to attend the Berkley Lecture on Dec. 4th, please visit the IRC website.
S. Amndt.2588 to H.R. 3326 Voting Record
Franken's Anti-Rape Amendment May Be Stripped By Senior Dem, Sources Say (Huffington Post)
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Berkley Lecturer's book now available for purchase
(Update: Please see the bottom of the post for a link to The Boston Globe review of One Nation Under Contract.)
The 2009 Berkley Lecture will be given this year by Dr. Allison Stanger, Russell Leng Professor of International Politics and Economics and Director of the Rohatyn Center for International Affairs at Middlebury College.
From Stanger's biography at Middlebury's website:
"Stanger received her Ph.D. in Political Science from Harvard University. She also holds an A.M. in Regional Studies-Soviet Union (Harvard), a graduate diploma in Economics (London School of Economics), and a B.S. in Actuarial Science/Mathematics (Ball State University). She has studied foreign languages and literature at Charles University (Prague), the Sorbonne (Paris), and the Pushkin Institute (Moscow)."
Stanger is now a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Academic Leadership Council of Business for Diplomatic Action. Her op/eds and essays have been widely published. Recently, US News and World Report published a piece that is likely a good preview of her Dec. 4th lecture. She argues that after the end of the Cold War intelligence agencies fell into complacency, only to be shocked back into action by 9/11. Unfortunately, government agencies no longer maintained the manpower and budgets that they had commanded during the Cold War. To meet the demand, private companies were offered government contracts, sometimes worth billions, to handle intelligence and military affairs on behalf of the United States. Private companies, however, are motivated by profit. Allegations have surfaced of widespread contract fraud and misconduct by these companies-- everything from charging the US government for feeding nonexistent soldiers in Iraq to torturing suspected terrorists. Spending records from the State and Defense Departments show that expenditures have multiplied several times over as they turn duties over to contractors. What is less clear, however, is the effect on the CIA in the years since 9/11:
"Since CIA contracts fall outside normal licensing protocols and the agency's budget is classified, it had been relatively easy to keep these issues out of the public eye. The change in administration has loosened tongues, however, and a window has been opened on what is in reality a transformed intelligence community."
One Nation Under Contract was released on Oct 12th. To register to attend the Berkley Lecture (Dec. 4th at the Marriott downtown) please see the IRC website.
One Nation Under Contract: The Outsourcing of American Power and the Future of Foreign Policy at Amazon.com
"How the CIA Became Dangerously Dependent on Outside Contractors" (US News and World Report)
"So who's in charge?" One Nation Under Contract reviewed by the Boston Globe
Monday, September 28, 2009
2008 Berkley Lecturer James Goldgeier in the news
Council on Foreign Relations senior fellow and 2008 IRC Berkley Lecturer James Goldgeier is quoted in the Sept. 21st edition of Newsweek. Mr. Goldgeier discusses approval of the Obama administration in Eastern Europe:
"George W. Bush was perceived as being very supportive of East Europe’s efforts to join NATO and the EU. Now the first signal being sent by the new president is that he wants to improve relations with Russia. That has Eastern Europeans thinking, what is this president all about? How will he manage Russia? Will he look out for our interests?"
To read the whole article, visit Newsweek online.
Our 2009 Berkley lecturer will take place on Dec. 4th and feature Prof. Allison Stanger, professor of international politics, director of the Rohatyn Center for International Affairs at Middlebury College, and author of the new book, One Nation Under Contract: The Outsourcing of American Power and the Future of Foreign Policy.
The Berkley Lecture is an annual event which brings experts in foreign policy and international affairs to Kansas City. The winner of the Berkley Award for International Achievement will also be announced. To reserve your spot, visit us at the IRC website.
"George W. Bush was perceived as being very supportive of East Europe’s efforts to join NATO and the EU. Now the first signal being sent by the new president is that he wants to improve relations with Russia. That has Eastern Europeans thinking, what is this president all about? How will he manage Russia? Will he look out for our interests?"
To read the whole article, visit Newsweek online.
Our 2009 Berkley lecturer will take place on Dec. 4th and feature Prof. Allison Stanger, professor of international politics, director of the Rohatyn Center for International Affairs at Middlebury College, and author of the new book, One Nation Under Contract: The Outsourcing of American Power and the Future of Foreign Policy.
The Berkley Lecture is an annual event which brings experts in foreign policy and international affairs to Kansas City. The winner of the Berkley Award for International Achievement will also be announced. To reserve your spot, visit us at the IRC website.
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