PRESENTS
Magazine Collector’s Edition 1st Annual Release 2014
narcissistic Are We in the Midst of a Sixth Mass Extinction? Wildlife Killings • Culling • Hypocritical Oath Bottle Plight • OR-7 • Sanctuary • Monumental Destruction • Stop the Oligarchy Higher Debt • Fulbright • How to get Involved
The Harvard Commencement J.K. Rowling The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination.
Already Gone Species known to be extinct in the wild since 1500 A.D.
39 136 The term ecocide refers to any extensive damage or destruction of the natural landscape and disruption or loss of ecosystem(s) of a given territory to such an extent that the survival of the inhabitants of that territory is endangered. Ecocide can be irreversible when an ecosystem suffers beyond self healing.
12 68 60 79
Narcissistic Personality Disorder is a personality disorder in which a person is excessively preoccupied with personal adequacy, power, prestige and vanity, mentally unable to see the destructive damage they are causing to themselves and to others in the process. 12
22 327 * Each animal represents 50 extinct species
Are We in the Midst of a Sixth Mass Extinction? A tally of Life Under Threat
p hibia ns
16%
In s e cts
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Ar
a c h nids
18%
Ma
m m als
species of birds, mamals and amphibians have been evaluated; the percentage of each group that is threatened is considered a reason-
B ir d s
%
19
M o ll s k s u
%
19
Cr
u staceans
17%
R e p til e s
17%
Fis h
17%
Oth er
2014
Source: International Union for Conservation of Nature
44
Am
52,205 species, shown here, for their ability to survive. Most known
able estimate.
12%
%
%
24
The International Union for Conservation of Nature has evaluated
2014
Collector’s Edition 1st Annual Release Editor Aven K. Frey Art Director Nancy L. O’Connell Illustrator and Designer Gavin A. MacPherson Contributors Afieya Kipp, Alyson Gines, Alyssa Ochs, Aven Frey, Courtney Heitter, Jennifer Ip, Justin Wilder, Renee Gauthier, Serenity Manziesii, Stephanie Mann Subscription Request, Inquiries, and Address Changes. organize@forcechange.com Design Office gavinmacdesign@gmail.com Publisher
Adbusters 1243 West 7th Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6H 1B7, Canada subscriptions@adbusters.org The Gavin MacPherson designs, illustrations, and concepts in this magazine are the copyrighted works of the artist. Their use, reproduction or distribution without the written consent of Gavin MacPherson or his authorized representatives is strictly forbidden. All photographs in this magazine are the copyrighted images of the individual photographers whose consent must also be obtained before any use.
2014
Letter from the Editor
Conservation
We are tremendously excited to release our very first collector’s edition of The Force Change. Within this beautiful magazine we have our most successful petitions from the past year in one presentation. For your convenience we have divided our petitions into three departments: Conservation, Government, and Education. The Force Change community is comprised of passionate individuals who care deeply about issues such as animal rights, the environment, human rights, social justice, progressive politics, and more. We are writers, students, professionals, activists and citizens. We aim to provide the important news, policy and analysis intended to arm people with the information and tools necessary to force change in the unsustainable status quo. We are concerned that our health and resources are being threatened by government neglect and corporate malfeasance. We are frustrated with our leaders in both the public and private sectors who are not taking the necessary steps to alter this untenable course. We aim to promote discussion, analysis and ultimately change regarding the most pressing issues facing our society today. Aven K. Frey Editor-in-chief forcechange.com
2 Animals and the environment require our preservation and protection. Within this department we showcase our most influential petitions on animal rights and environmental issues.
Government
8 We are concerned that our health and resources are being threatened by government neglect and corporate malfeasance. These petitions challenge such issues.
Education
18 Education is the corner stone and voice of our societies. For us to move forward we must continually strive for progressive, public access to education. Within this department we showcase petitions that express this spirit of universal education.
2014 1
Conservation
Stop Bottling Water from DroughtStricken Desert
Target: Tim Brown, CEO Nestle Waters North America
2
2014
Goal Demand that Nestle Waters North America release information about the aquifer that is being exploited in drought-stricken Southern California If you’ve ever enjoyed a bottle of Arrowhead brand bottled water, you have probably inadvertently contributed to water shortages in an arid region of Southern California, which is currently on year three of one the worst droughts in the state’s modern history. Nestle Waters North America, a subsidiary of the global Nestle brand, has been pumping water out of an aquifer in a place called Millard Canyon - near Palm Springs - for over a decade. Despite the prolonged drought and evidence that the water table is falling, the company continues to export water out of the state while refusing to release vital information to the local water control board.
amount of water bottled and diverted would be a small fraction of the total water available. But this is a desert ecosystem. Surface water in the desert is exceedingly rare and has a much higher environmental value than the same amount of water somewhere else.” The company claims to be a responsible corporate citizen with environmental responsibility as one of its highest concerns - a claim belied by its lack of transparency or cooperation. Demand that the Nestle corporation work with local officials to find a sustainable water solution in a time of great scarcity.
PETITION LETTER Because it is located on the reservation of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, the bottling plant is exempt from regulation or oversight by the San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency, which oversees water contracts for the area. Despite the fact that measurements from wells outside of the reservation in the same aquifer have shown significant drops in groundwater levels in the past decade, the company has consistently refused to release information about how much water they have been pumping and has also refused multiple requests by the local newspaper for a tour of its facilities. Best estimates based on data that is available suggest that the company has been drawing around 200 million gallons of water a year, which is enough to supply about 400 typical homes in the adjacent Coachella Valley community.
Dear Mr. Brown, Transparency is one of the key components of Corporate Social Responsibility. As a corporation that claims to operate in an environmentally sustainable and socially conscious manner, Nestle Waters North America’s refusal to cooperate with water control agencies in an area of California that is arid and drought-stricken is both morally and environmentally suspect. The right to a clean, adequate water supply is universal not just for humans, but for our precious natural ecosystems as well. Please work with water officials and local communities to ensure that the Cabazon Basin aquifer is being sustainably used and equitably shared.
According to Pacific Institute water researcher Peter Gleick, “the reason this particular plant is of special concern is precisely because water is so scarce in the basin. If you had the same bottling plant in a water-rich area, then the forcechange.com
2014 3
Conservation
Applaud California for Protecting Endangered Wolves
Target California Fish and Game Commission President Michael Sutton
Goal Thank Mr. Sutton for protecting Gray Wolves under the California Endangered Species Act Although no wolves are currently known to live in California, wildlife officials there recently voted to extend endangered species protections to them anyway, in anticipation of their return to California’s forests. The once-native species was eradicated from the state in the early 1900s through a vicious and bloody government-sponsored extermination campaign. Until recently, the last wolf seen in the state was trapped and killed in 1924. During the same time period, wolves were almost completely eliminated from the rest of the continental United States as well, leaving only tiny populations in Northern Minnesota and Michigan. Wolves did not roam the West again until their reintroduction to Yellowstone National Park in the 1990s. The impetus for the new listing is a lone male wolf known as OR-7, who was first seen wandering into Northern California from Oregon in 2011. OR-7, so called because he was the seventh gray wolf fitted with a tracking collar by Oregon wildlife officials, wandered over 200 miles from his birthplace in the Cascades to the wilderness along the OR/CA border. He has been searching for a mate for at least three years, and researchers believe that he has finally found one, fathering at least two pups in a den in southern Oregon. If OR-7’s family survives, it is likely this will
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be the beginning of a new wolf pack - one that officials are hoping will include Northern California in its territory. Researchers have said they expect that there will be established wolf packs in Northern California within the next decade. Despite this victory, wolves are far from safe in the continental U.S. The California Cattlemen’s Association and other agriculture groups strongly opposed the listing, claiming that it would limit their ability to protect their livestock in the event of predation. In several other Western states, wolves are still treated as pests, and can be shot on sight just for being in the vicinity of livestock, even if no attacks have occurred. Additionally, even though wolves are currently on the federal endangered species list, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering de-listing the species. This makes California’s listing that much more important to the species as a whole. Please thank the California Fish and Game Commission for protecting this iconic species.
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PETITION LETTER Dear Mr. Sutton, The extension of endangered species protections to Gray Wolves is important both for promoting ecological balance and for changing human perceptions of our relationship with this special species. Hopefully the story of OR-7 and his family will inspire a new generation of Californians to see the wolf as an integral part of a healthy forest landscape, and a species worthy of respect and affection.
www.forcechange.com
Aldo Leopold coined the term ‘thinking like a mountain� to describe the perspective needed for ecosystem-level thinking. Thank you for applying this wisdom to the future management of Gray Wolves in California.
2014 5
Conservation
Sanct ary Applaud Expansion of Marine Sanctuary
Target Secretary of State John Kerry
Goal Praise the Obama administration’s creation of the largest marine sanctuary on the planet The Obama administration has announced its intention to significantly expand the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument to create the largest marine sanctuary in the world. At 782,000 square miles, this proposal would more than double the area of ocean that is currently protected globally. The proposed expansion would end tuna fishing in the area, and protect dozens of species of threatened marine mammals, sea turtles, sharks, and fish. The U.S. currently governs more open sea than any other country in the world, controlling more than 13 percent of the ocean area that is overseen by nations.
disregard for possible economic consequences.” According to experts familiar with the remote islands, commercial tuna fishing, which makes up a tiny fraction of a percentage of the American economy, will likely be the only industry affected by the new sanctuary. The announcement came on the first morning of an oceans conference hosted by the State Department, at which Secretary of State John Kerry called for the creation of a global ocean strategy to protect marine ecosystems from the threats posed by climate change, pollution, and overfishing. In addition to the creation of the sanctuary, the administration is also working to develop a comprehensive program to deter illegal fishing, address seafood fraud, and prevent illegal fish from entering the market. Thank Secretary Kerry for his dedication to preserving our ocean environments for future generations. PETITION LETTER
The original monument, which is just under 87,000 square miles, was created under the Antiquities Act by President George W. Bush in 2008. President Bush also set the previous record for largest marine sanctuary, when he protected 140,000 miles of ocean off the coast of Hawaii in 2006. Despite this precedent, Republicans in Congress have already expressed opposition to the plan, calling it “another example of this imperial presidency” and claiming that “this administration will use whatever authorities — real or made-up — to close our ocean and coastal areas with blatant 6
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Dear Secretary Kerry, The vast oceans of our world are absolutely indispensable to our species’ continued survival on this planet. Your global ocean strategy is the best hope we have of working together to ensure a healthy marine environment for future generations. So little of the seas remains untouched by human activity, and it is imperative that we preserve what habitat remains. Thank you for your commitment to protecting this irreplaceable natural resource.
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I Pacif ic R em ot e
n nsio xpa dE se po
National Monu rine me a M nt ds Pr n o a l s
Existing Monument
82,000 mi²
Proposed Expansion 757,000 mi²
Hawaii Johnston Atoll Kingman Reef and Palmyra Atoll Jarvis Island Howland and Baker Islands Wake Atoll
2014 7
Government Reject Political Attack on National Monuments
Target Mary Landrieu, Chair of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
Goal Kill the “No New National Monuments� Bill
Monumental 8
2014
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The Antiquities Act is a popular law signed into being by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906. It gives presidents the ability to declare national monuments in order to protect culturally significant public lands or structures that may be in harm’s way. It has been used by presidents of both parties to conserve places of historical importance or great natural beauty over one hundred times since its inception. The law has remained intact for over a hundred years, and has been repeatedly upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. And yet, despite its legacy and popularity, the Antiquities Act is now under attack. A new bill aims to restrict use of the Antiquities Act by capping the number of executive declarations to one per presidential term, by requiring congressional review of proposed monuments, and by subjecting each proclamation to a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review - a process which takes an average of six years. During that waiting period, the area that is under consideration for protection would still be subject to development, exploitation, or sale. This essentially defeats the purpose of the Antiquities Act, holding federal protections hostage to the changing whims of congress and, in ThinkProgress’ words, “forcing local communities to engage in an ironic exercise of reviewing the environmental impacts of protecting lands for future generations.”
This bill, nicknamed the “No New National Monuments Bill”, has already been approved by the House and is currently under review by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Several recent surveys have found that a vast majority of Americans hold a very favorable view of national monuments and are in favor of strengthening protections for public lands and sites. Some of our most beloved and popular monuments, including the Grand canyon, the Statue of Liberty, and Arches National Park, are products of the Antiquities Act. Sign this petition to tell congress that our monuments are our heritage, and should not be subject to partisan bickering.
PETITION LETTER Dear Ms. Landrieu, The Antiquities Act has been preserving and protecting our shared American heritage since before any of us were born. All Americans benefit from the preservation of sites of historical and natural significance, and many monuments are also important sources of economic activity to the communities near them.
Destruction forcechange.com
The “No New Monuments” proposal would completely nullify the Antiquities Act, making it much more difficult to permanently protect federal land. Please do not allow this ill-conceived bill to end a century of successful conservation work.
2014 9
Government
STOP THE OLIGARCHY Get Money Out of Politics
Target Represent.Us campaign
Goal Show your support for the American Anti-Corruption Act The American Anti-Corruption Act is a sweeping proposal to get all big money out of politics. Developed by former Federal Election Commission chairman Trevor Potter and championed by a non-partisan nonprofit organization called Represent.Us, the Act was carefully crafted in consultation with a broad spectrum of strategists, democracy reform leaders, and constitutional attorneys from all across the political divide.
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The Act includes nine key provisions: 1) It prohibits members of Congress from soliciting or receiving contributions from any industry or entity that they regulate. 2) It limits SuperPACs’ contributions. 3) It closes the “revolving door” between politics and industry.
A recent academic study by Princeton and Northwestern Universities found that the U.S. is effectively an oligarchy, whose policies and politicians are determined not by voter will but by a small dominant class of elites. The Anti-Corruption Act has the power to transform our government by wresting electoral power away from corporate lobbyists and shady superPACs and returning it to individual voters. It will ensure equal representation for all American citizens, returning the U.S. to the democratic republic envisioned by the Founding Fathers. Please let the Represent.Us campaign know that you support their efforts to fight systemic corruption in the U.S.
4) It expands the definition and requires registration of all lobbyists. PETITION LETTER 5) It limits the amount of money that lobbyists and their clients can make to political campaigns.
Dear Represent.Us Team,
6) It mandates full transparency for all political contributions over $10,000.
The American Anti-Corruption Act is a beacon of light in an increasingly shady political environment. When corporations and the super rich have so much money to spend, it is difficult to feel empowered as average voters, consumers, or citizens.
7) It empowers all voters, regardless of income, with a $100 tax rebate that can be donated to any qualifying federal candidate, political party, or political committee.
I believe that your movement to end corruption has the power to take back our country. Thank you for standing up for voters. You have my full support, and I wish you the best of luck with your campaign.
8) It requires federal candidates to disclose the names of individuals who “bundle” contributions. 9) It strengthens the Federal Election Commission’s independence and the House and Senate ethics processes.
2014 11
narcissistic
Target William Clay, Deputy Administrator, Wildlife Services
Goal End the federal government’s cruel and unwarranted extermination campaign, and demand transparency in wildlife management Wildlife Services is a branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that is supposed to be responsible for eradicating or controlling invasive species. In recent years, however it has destroyed far more native species than invasive ones, for reasons that remain unclear. Although the department has been criticized frequently for its lack of transparency, it has come under special scrutiny recently because of the more than 4 million wild animals slaughtered in 2013. These deaths include 75,326 coyotes, 866 bobcats, 528 river otters, 3,700 foxes, 12,186 prairie dogs, 973 red-tailed hawks, 419 black bears and at least three eagles. The number of animals that have been shot, poisoned, snared, or
up brutalizing and killing non-target species.
trapped has varied widely over the years, from a low of 1.5 million in 2001
According to one estimate, these traps have been
to a high of 5 million in 2008, again for reasons unknown. The agency has
responsible for 4,000 accidental deaths since 2006.
consistently declined to release information on the slaughter, except to
This collateral damage includes blue herons, mule
say that it is a “service” to those who “experience damage from wildlife
deer, black bears, and pet dogs.
each year.” It has also refused to release information on who it has entered into agreements with, how its budget is being spent, or even on
Representative Peter DeFazio of Oregon has called
what poisons it is spreading around the American countryside - poisons
Wildlife Services “one of the most opaque and
which have been to know to be accidentally consumed by livestock,
obstinate departments I’ve dealt with.” The Center for
pets, and in some cases even human beings.
Biological Diversity has filed a petition and launched a legal campaign to demand an explanation and
Wildlife Services has also been accused of excessive cruelty, and has
“end the mass killing of our native species to benefit
had issues with employees being charged with animal cruelty after using
a handful of politically connected business interests.”
their brutal traps on domestic species. Many of the kinds of traps the
Sign this petition to help support the Center’s cause,
agents use are banned in other countries because of their barbarism,
and let Wildlife Services know that their opacity and
and since these traps are not carefully supervised, they often end
cruelty will not be tolerated.
16 12
2014
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Demand an End to Federal Agency’s Continuing Wildlife Slaughter.
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2014 13
narcissistic
CULLING
Stop Idaho from killing ravens
Target
Virgil Moore, Director of Idaho Fish and Game
Goal
Stop the planned cull of thousands of these extremely intelligent animals Ravens are among the most intelligent species on this planet. They are also among the only creatures who engage in play for the sheer joy of it. Juvenile ravens have been know to steal and cache shiny objects and slide down snowbanks on their backs. They have even been observed to make their own toys and to engage in games with other species. Ravens are also a federally protected species, and yet the state of Idaho is planning on killing at least 4,000 of them in the next two years.
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The ravens are being culled in the name of conserving another species, the Greater SageGrouse. Ravens are an opportunistic species and are known to occasionally prey on Sage-Grouse eggs and chicks, yet predation ranks only 12th on the list of 19 threats to the Sage-Grouse. The greatest threat by far to the birds is loss of habitat, mostly due to residential building and energy development. Increased predation is the direct result of loss of ground cover and suitable habitat for Sage-Grouse nesting, and yet while the ravens are sentenced to death for engaging in natural behavior, nothing at all is being done to restrict development and save brushlands. The Sage-Grouse is currently on a conservation waitlist, but federal officials will decide next year whether or not to officially list the bird as Threatened. As a Threatened species, the Grouse would be subject to federal protection, including limiting development on critical habitat. Because of this, states like Idaho that have large historic populations of sage-grouse are rushing to increase population numbers to try and preclude federal regulation on their public lands. This is a cheap and specious fix to a complicated and deeply human problem. Don’t let Idaho get away with choosing cruelty over responsible development and habitat conservation. PETITION LETTER Dear Director Moore, Ravens are extremely intelligent and charismatic creatures. They do not deserve to be used as a scapegoat for unchecked land and energy development. The best available science does not support the poisoning of ravens as an effective Sage-Grouse conservation measure, nor has environmental impact of leaving bird poison around the landscape been studied. Science, not convenience or superstition, should be driving conservation efforts. Please work with scientists to develop a conservation plan that addresses the real threats to the Sage-Grouse, without threatening other vulnerable wildlife or engaging in unwarranted cruelty.
2014 15
Hyp
narcissistic Demand that abusive veterinarian have his license revoked
Target
12 PETITION LETTER:
Texas State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners
Dear Mr. Clay,
Goal
One of the things that separates humans from other species is our capacity for empathy. Despite this fact, we also know that animals are capable of rich emotional lives and display a wide array of emotions, including sorrow and agony.
Revoke Millard Tierce’s license to practice veterinary medicine Last fall, the Harris family of Aledo, TX said goodbye to their beloved family dog, Sid. Sid had been having serious mobility issues, and their vet, Dr. Tierce, informed the family that Sid had an inoperable congenital spine defect that would continue to
Knowing what we do about these animals, their relationships to each other, and their ecological roles, Wildlife Services’ massive culling and cruel methods are both scientifically dubious and morally indefensible. Anything that causes a creature to suffer unimaginably for extended periods of time is downright sickening, and has no place in a government that is supposed to be representative of the American people.
worsen. The vet recommended euthanasia, to which the family agreed, and so they said their goodbyes to Sid and left the sad details to the vet’s office. Six months later, a former veterinary technician from the office called the family to let them know that Sid was still alive and being kept in a small cage in unsanitary conditions in the basement. They staged a rescue, and found Sid alive but injured, covered in his own feces and too weak to walk well. Upon taking
Your agency’s brutal killing spree is unscientific, unnecessary, and absolutely unconscionable. I demand that you put a stop to this random, barbaric, and unethical slaughter immediately.
him to another vet they also discovered that Sid had been tapped for blood transfusions. After a police raid on his clinic in which two other dogs were seized, Millard Tierce was arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty and subsequently released on bail. Since his arrest, three other clients have filed complaints with the state veterinary board. Regardless of the outcome of the animal cruelty charges, this man lied to his clients about the health and life of their beloved pet, and should never be allowed to practice veterinary medicine again. Please sign this petition demanding that the Texas State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners revoke Dr. Tierce’s veterinary license immediately and permanently.
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pocritical Oath PETITION LETTER Dear Members of the Texas State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, Your website states that the goal of the Texas State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners is to ‘ensure that Texans are effectively and efficiently served by quality veterinary professionals by setting clear standards for professional conduct, by assuring compliance with the rules of professional conduct and the community standard of care, and seeking solutions to issues that strengthen the profession and protect the public’. Dr. Millard Tierce has clearly violated the rules of professional conduct by lying to his clients about their pets’ care. His treatment of the Harris family and their dog Sid is both morally reprehensible and professionally indefensible. He abused his privilege as a trusted doctor, and has lost the right to practice veterinary medicine as a licensed professional. We demand that his license to practice veterinary medicine be immediately and permanently revoked.
2014 17
Education
Higher Debt Encourage Republicans to Support Student Loan Refinancing Act
Target Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell
Goal Bipartisan support for new bill that helps students and graduates pay down their student debt In the United States today, there are nearly 40 million people with outstanding student loan debt. The average student loan burden among undergraduate borrowers is nearly $30,000, and total student loan debt in the U.S. is over one trillion dollars. This is not only a burden on working families and those trying to better themselves, it is a serious drag on the economy, as money that could be spent buying homes or cars, starting families or small businesses, or saving for retirement goes instead into government coffers.
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Last summer, a student loan bill that lowered the interest rate for all new borrowers passed congress with strong bipartisan support. Recently, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren introduced a new bill to the Senate floor that will allow those with outstanding student loan debt to refinance at the same rate. While the bill was co-sponsored by 23 Democratic Senators, not a single Republican has put their name to it so far. Under the Bank on Students Act, reduced government profits would be made up for by implementing the“Buffett Rule”, which closes certain tax loopholes that allow the wealthiest Americans to reduce their tax payments to almost zero. Republicans have opposed this suggestion in the past, and are threatening to do so again. Those who have benefitted from the old bill will pay interest rates of 3.86 percent, while borrowers with outstanding loans sometimes pay interest rates of over 7% - a difference of hundreds or thousands of dollars a year. Ask Congress to pass the Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act and put money back in the pockets of hard-working students and graduates. PETITION LETTER Dear Senator McConnell, While last year’s Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act will undoubtedly help new students have access to a college education, it does nothing to help out the nearly 40 million Americans who have outstanding student debt. Senator Warren’s new bill addresses this disparity by giving these borrowers access to the same reduced interest rates. These savings will ease the debt burden on students and families and stimulate the economy by putting more money in the pockets of consumers. Opposing this bill on grounds of keeping taxes for the wealthy low is equivalent to subsidizing the lavish lifestyles of the one percent by taxing average Americans who are trying to educate themselves. This behavior is unconscionable and anti-democratic, and I hope you will see past partisan bickering and support hard-working students and graduates.
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2014 19
Education
Fulbright Urge the State Department Not to Cut Fulbright Funding
Target Evan Ryan, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs
Goal Stop the impending cuts to the Fulbright Program According to the State Department’s own website, the Fulbright Program is “the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries”. According to its founder, Senator J. William Fulbright, “educational exchange can turn nations into people, contributing as no other form of communication can to the humanizing of international relations”. And yet this venerable, 68 year-old program that was passed into law with unanimous bipartisan support of the Senate, is now on the State Department’s chopping block. President Obama’s budget request for fiscal year 2015 includes cuts of $30.5 million from Fulbright. This unprecedented, under-the-radar cut in funding amounts to about 13 percent of the program’s budget. While this amount of money is chump change in Washington, for a program that is already as low-budget as Fulbright, this amounts to a significant reduction in the scholarships they are able to give and the work they are able to do. According to a spokesperson for the State Department, the cuts were necessary to make some “strategic shifts” and do some “short-term targeted programs”. Along with the cuts to Fulbright, funding was added for new programs in Southeast Asia and in Africa to “increase outreach” to “young leaders”. 20
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These programs, rather than being two-way exchanges for purposes of sharing education and knowledge, would be unilateral projects, presumably for the purpose of cultivating American interests abroad. What this ultimately amounts to is the Obama administration prioritizing high-level foreign policy over civilian cultural exchange. Over the years, over 325,000 students, scholars, and teachers have become Fulbright Alumni. These include 53 Nobel Prize winners, 80 Pulitzer Prize winners, 29 current or former heads of state, and thousands of academics who have shared their international experience with institutions back home. They come from 155 different countries and are frequently jointfunded by their country of study. Cutting this program sends the message that the U.S. is no longer interested in mutual understanding or free exchange of knowledge. Tell Secretary Ryan that you do not support that kind of message.
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PETITION LETTER Dear Secretary Ryan, The Fulbright Program has been a force for educational exchange for 68 years. In that time, it has risen to become the most prestigious and widely recognized international exchange program in the world, actively fostering bilateral relationships and important dialogue between governments, academic institutions, and other organizations the world over. In this time of global upheaval, programs like Fulbright provide a much needed path towards mutual understanding and appreciation, which are gravely lacking in many areas of ethnic strife and partisan violence. Please do not shrink a program that has proven so valuable in cultivating international leaders in peace and diplomacy. 2014 21
Want to Get Involved? 22
2014
Here are the Top 10 Best Practices for Getting Involved 1
Be Proactive In Your Giving
6
Obtain Copies Of Its Financial Records
2
Hang Up The Phone / Eliminate The Middleman
7
Review Executive Compensation
3
Be Careful Of Sound-Alike Names
8
Start A Dialogue To Investigate its Programmatic Results
4
Confirm 501(c) (3) Status 9
Concentrate Your Giving
10
Share Your Intentions And Make a Long-Term Commitment
5
Check The Charity’s Commitment to Accountability & Transparency
Corporate Accountability International stopcorporateabuse.org For 35 years, CAI has been waging and winning bold campaigns that safeguard public health, human rights, and the environment from corporate abuse.
Idealist idealist.org Their mission is to close the gap between intention and action by connecting people, organizations, ideas, and resources. They want to live in a world where all people can lead free and dignified lives.
Charity Navigator charitynavigator.org Charity Navigator works to guide intelligent giving that aims to advance a more efficient and responsive philanthropic marketplace, in which givers and the charities they support work in tandem to overcome our nation’s and the world’s most persistent challenges.
B lab bcorporation.net B Lab is a nonprofit organization dedicated to using the power of business to solve social and environmental problems.
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Who We Are
The ForceChange community is comprised of passionate individuals who care deeply about issues such as animal rights, the environment, human rights, social justice, progressive politics, and more. We are writers, students, professionals, activists and citizens. We aim to provide the important news, policy and analysis intended to arm people with the information and tools necessary to force change in the unsustainable status quo.
Please help us force change by signing and sharing our petitions and joining in the discussion with your comments.
Kick It Over Manifesto We, the undersigned, make this accusation: that you, the teachers of neoclassical economics and the students that you graduate, have perpetuated a gigantic fraud upon the world. You claim to work in a pure science of formula and law, but yours is a social science, with all the fragility and uncertainty that this entails. We accuse you of pretending to be what you are not. You hide in your offices, protected by your mathematical jargon, while in the real world, forests vanish, species perish and human lives are callously destroyed. We accuse you of gross negligence in the management of our planetary household. You have known since its inception that one of your measures of economic progress, the Gross Domestic Product, is fundamentally flawed and incomplete, and yet you have allowed it to become a global standard, reported day in, day out in every form of media. We accuse you of recklessly projecting an illusion of progress. You have done great harm, but your time is coming to a close. Your systems are crumbling, your flaws increasingly laid bare. An economic revolution has begun, as hopeful and determined as any in history. We will have our clash of economic paradigms, we will have our moment of truth, and out of each will come a new economics – open, holistic, human-scale. On campus after campus, we will chase you old goats out of power. Then, in the months and years that follow, we will begin the work of reprogramming your doomsday machine. Sign the manifesto at www.kickitover.org
We are a global network of artists and activists aiming to change the way meaning is produced in our society. Join us and help diffuse the fog of mental pollution! www.adbusters.org
Current Campaigns OCCUPY The fire in the soul of Occupy burns from Oakland to Quebec, Barcelona to Chicago, Wall Street to Moscow and Frankfurt… now the Zuccotti model is morphing and Occupy is undergoing a period of sustained global tactical innovation. This is all just the beginning…
BUY NOTHING DAY Buy Nothing Day is an international day of protest against consumerism celebrated annually just after Thanksgiving.
MEME WARS ON CAMPUS