The Columbus Council on World Affairs

"The Columbus Council on World Affairs provides opportunities for dialogue on world issues, and Honda of America, Manufacturing is proud to be a part of such an outstanding organization."

– Koki Hirashima,
President and CEO – Honda of America Manufacturing

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Neelam Deo	India, the United States & the World Neelam Deo, Consul General July 20, 2007 WOSU's Open Line with Neelam Deo (7-20-07): Real Player Windows Media Player Ms. Neelam Deo took over as the Consul General in the Consulate General of India, New York in October, 2005. She has a Masters degree in Economics from the Delhi School of Economics and had taught in Kamala Nehru College, Delhi University. <more> <less> Ms. Neelam Deo is a career diplomat of the Indian Foreign Service with over three decades in the Indian Diplomatic Corps. Ms. Deo has been India’s Ambassador to Denmark and Ivory Coast, with concurrent accreditation to Sierra Leone, Niger & Guinea. Prior to her assignment in New York, she was Head of the BSM Division in the Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi, dealing with India’s overall relations with Bangladesh, Sri Lank, Maldives and Myanmar. Ms. Deo has also worked in India’s Diplomatic Missions in Washington DC, Bangkok and Rome. Ms. Deo is married to Dr. Pramod Deo, an officer of the Indian Administrative Service who is currently working as the Chairman of the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission in Mumbai. They have a daughter who is a student in the United States.
Gilberto Gil	Brazil Gilberto Gil, Brazilian Minister of Culture & Grammy Award-winning artist June 11, 2007 Read about Gilberto Gil's visit to Columbus, as reported by The Columbus Dispatch As current Minister of Culture, Gilberto seeks to validate culture as an integral part of Brazil's continuous development. His policies are based on the belief that development is multidimensional, and that economic and political goals must be complemented by social and cultural aspects. <more> <less> In his role, Gilberto encourages communities to engage in creative projects and supports laws providing financing to the arts. Ultimately, he seeks to increase Brazil's artistic contribution to the world and foster the full human development of its people. As an artist, he needs no introduction. In 1968, he helped found Tropicalia, the musical movement following Bossa Nova. His tantalizing mix of Brazilian and Anglo-American rhythms - and focus on political awareness and social activism -marked him as a radical. He was imprisoned by the military government and sent into exile in London in 1969. He has played with groups like Yes, Pink Floyd and the Incredible String Band, while having a flourishing solo career. He has been honored as man of the year by the Latin Grammy's for his contribution to culture and music, and to this day continues releasing new songs. In 2005, he was awarded the Légion d'honneur from the French Government and the Polar Music Prize by the King of Sweden.
Lydia Marshall	Women Empowered Lydia Marshall, Chair of the Board of CARE International June 4, 2007 The Council's signature Women in International Affairs series program. The event began with a reception and viewing of Phil Borges' dramatic collection of thirty black and white photographs showcasing women from around the world who have empowered themselves and their communities. Then, the audience learned more about women, poverty and empowerement from Lydia Marshall, Chair of the Board of CARE International. <more> <less> In addition to her functions at CARE, Ms. Marshall is a board member of Nationwide. She is the founder of Versura, the education loan exchange, and a director of Seagate Technology. She has served as managing director of Rockport Capital, executive VP of Sallie Mae and VP of Citicorp Ms. Marshall holds a BA in political science from Wellesley College and an MBA with honors from Harvard University. The evening will include special presentations by Nationwide CEO Jerry Jurgensen and CARE representatives. This event is presented by Nationwide with the support of T.W. Ruff and in partnership with CARE.
Franklin Lavin	Selling America Abroad Franklin Lavin, Undersecretary of Commerce, International Trade Administration May 30, 2007 As “America’s Salesman-in-Chief”, Franklin Lavin - Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade at the U.S. Department of Commerce – will discuss the three major trends redefining international trade. In his current role, Lavin is an advocate for American businesses, promotes free global markets and leads a team of 2,200 worldwide. <more> <less> The International Trade Administration helps develop U.S. trade policy; identifies and resolves market access and compliance issues; administers U.S. trade laws; and undertakes a range of trade promotion and trade advocacy efforts. Lavin served as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Singapore from 2001 to 2005, helping negotiate the landmark U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement. Previously, he worked in Hong Kong and Singapore in senior banking and management at Citibank and Bank of America. In Washington, he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Asia and the Pacific under George H.W. Bush; and for the Reagan Administration as Director of the Office of Political Affairs and Deputy Executive Secretary of the National Security Council. Lavin earned a B.S. from the School of Foreign Service and a M.S. in Chinese Language from Georgetown University; a M.A. in International Relations & Economics from Johns Hopkins University; and a M.B.A. in Finance at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Presented by Fifth Third Bank with the support of T.W. Ruff; and in partnership with the US Department of Commerce-US Commercial Service.
Melanie Holmes	CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY SERIES: Addressing Refugees and Human Trafficking Featured commentary by Melanie Holmes, Vice President Corporate Affairs North America, Manpower May 24, 2007 US Refugee Statistics 1975-2006 US Refugee Facts & Sites Businesses can, and have, made a difference in the lives of millions. This was the central theme as Melanie Holmes and Greg Millar spoke at a symposium hosted by Columbus Council on World Affairs -- the first in a new series called "Corporate Social Responsibility." <more> <less> The speakers focused on their organizations' partnership to help refugees. Holmes discussed her organization Manpower that helps find employment for 4 million people around the world each year. Manpower is an international staffing organization that provides training, employee assessment and consulting for businesses worldwide. Most of all Manpower emphasizes finding people employment. "Our focus is on providing jobs and job training," Holmes said, "We put millions of people to work everyday." Greg Millar, spoke on behalf of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, which helps over 21 million displaced people worldwide. Business contributions and Manpower have had a big impact on refugees, Millar said. "There are many wonderful examples in our 57 year history of corporate engagement that has made a significant difference in the lives of refugees," Millar said. "Manpower has become essential to UNHCR's global strategy." Through pro-bono work, and facilitating access to jobs Manpower has partnered with UNHCR and helped the many displaced worldwide. "Manpower has the ability to help refugees find work wherever we have an office," Holmes said. Following their presentations the speakers fielded several questions. Asked if illegal immigration into the United States was costing Americans jobs, Holmes talked about the shortage of workers in some sectors of the American economy, "In my general knowledge there will be a shortage of 10 million workers in the next 10 years," said Holmes. "We are running out of people, I don't think (immigrants) are taking American jobs." UNHCR is the United Nation's refugee agency established in 1950. The organization is mandated to coordinate the worldwide protection of refugees and has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize twice. Manpower is a staffing organization with over 4,400 offices worldwide in 73 countries and territories. In 2006 they were named one of America's Most Admired Companies by Fortune, and have been listed for a 5th straight year as one of America's Best Managed Companies by Forbes magazine. About 70 people attended the symposium in the McKinley Room at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.
Andrew Keeler	*Politics and Public Policies Toward Climate Change* Andrew Keller, Associate Professor & Research Scientist, John Glenn School of Public Affairs April 24, 2007 Talk about this Event/Topic Here! Hear WCBE’s news coverage of Andrew Keeler’s address (scroll through to middle of clip) The United States must set an example to the world and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, said Ohio State Professor Dr. Andrew Keeler at the April 24 Columbus Council on World Affairs symposium. “The risks are large,” Dr. Keeler said, “We need to start acting; and we need to start acting now.” He recommended the US implement policy such as a cap-and-trade system, which gives economic incentives for reducing carbon dioxide (CO2), as well as national energy efficiency standards to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. <more> <less> Ohio and the United States need to be at the forefront in perfecting carbon capture and storage (CCS), said Dr. Keeler, a process that could drastically decrease CO2 emissions. CCS captures CO2 in large quantities and stores it safely rather than releasing it into the atmosphere as a greenhouse gas. It is estimated that CCS used on a current power plant would reduce CO2 emissions by up to 90%. Dr. Keeler noted that local efforts to harness the potential of CCS were already underway, and lauded their further development. Following the hour-long speech, Dr. Keeler answered multiple questions from audience members. When asked about the current success of a cap-and-trade policy, he said the system is used by the utility industry in Europe. He noted this development was only a start and recommended the entire US economy, not just one sector, use a cap-in-trade policy. Around 100 people, from local students to business leaders, filled the Athletic Club of Columbus to listen to the speech and question and answer session. Dr. Keeler served as the Senior Staff Economist for Environment at the President’s Council of Economic Advisers (2000–2001) where he was a member of the US negotiating team for climate change and a diplomatic representative to OECD meetings on coordinating national sustainability policies. He served on the White House climate change policy teams under both President Clinton and President Bush. Dr. Keeler has also worked as a senior economist at the EPA’s Innovative Strategies and Economics Group (1999-2000) and as an Economist for the Republic of Tanzania’s Marketing Development Bureau (1982-1985). He has consulted on agricultural and environmental policy in Africa and Latin America. Dr. Keeler was also a member of the Advisory Committee and the Water Rights Working Group of the Georgia Legislature’s Joint Comprehensive Water Plan Study Committee in 2001-2002. Dr. Keeler has published several works on the economic value of biological indicators in water quality economics, the relationship of engineering and insurance in managing beach erosion, and on a variety of topics in environmental regulation, enforcement and solid waste management. Dr. Keeler received his B.A. in Economics from the University of North Carolina and his Ph.D. in Agricultural and Resource Economics from the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Keeler currently teaches at The Ohio State University’s John Glenn School of Public Affairs, and conducts research in environmental and natural resource economics and policy. His current research projects are in the areas of water resource and climate change policy.
Selig Harrison	*North Korea* Selig Harrison, Asia Director, The Center for International Policy; Senior Scholar, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars April 12, 2007 Transcript of Speech Selig Harrison has specialized in South and East Asia for 56 years as a journalist, scholar and author. He has visited North Korea ten times, most recently in 2006. In 1972, he was one of two Americans to first visit the country since the Korean War and interview Kim Il Sung. After his second visit, he presided over a 1989 Carnegie Endowment symposium bringing together North Korean and American representatives for the first time. He met Kim Il Sung again in 1994 and won agreement to the concept of a freeze and eventual dismantlement of the North Korean nuclear program. A week later, President Carter negotiated for an immediate freeze, opening the way for negotiations resulting in the 1994 US-North Korean nuclear agreement. <more> <less> Harrison served as correspondent for the Associated Press based in New Delhi, South Asia Bureau Chief of The Washington Post, Northeast Asia Bureau Chief of The Post based in Tokyo and Senior Associate of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. His reputation for giving “early warning” of foreign policy crises – including the 1965 Indo-Pakistan war and the Russian invasion and withdrawal from Afghanistan - was well established during his career. Harrison has written five books on Asian affairs and U.S. relations with Asia. His latest - Korean Endgame: A Strategy for Reunification and U.S. Disengagement - won the 2002 award of the Association of American Publishers for the best Professional/Scholarly Book in Government and Political Science. Since 2001, he has served as Director of the Project on Oil and Gas Cooperation in Northeast Asia of the Woodrow Wilson Center. Harrison is frequently invited to testify as an expert witness before Congressional committees and as commentator on print and television news spots.
John Felmy	*Delivering America's Energy Security* John Felmy, Chief Economist & Director of Statistics Department, American Petroleum Institute (API) March 22, 2007 Dr. John Felmy is Chief Economist and Director of the Statistics Department at the American Petroleum Institute (API) based in Washington, DC. He is responsible for overseeing economic, statistical and policy analysis of the Institute. He has over twenty-five years experience in energy, economic and environmental analysis. Dr. Felmy received Bachelors and Masters in Economics degrees from Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Maryland. He is a member of the National Association for Business Economics and the International Association for Energy Economics. API is a national trade association that represents all aspects of America’s oil and natural gas industry. It has 400 corporate members from all segments of the industry: producers, refiners, suppliers, pipeline operators, marine transporters and service/supply support companies.
Jack Hanna	*Columbus Council on World Affairs Annual Meeting* February 22, 2007 View a slide show of the 2007 Annual Meeting Globe Trotting Teacher Honored, ThisWeek, 3-1-07 This event, with 550 in attendance honored International Educator of the Year Natalie Mroz of Bexley Middle School and International Company of the Year Battelle. It featured a special Chinese New Year dance by students at Fifth Avenue Alternative Elementary School, along with endangered species showcased by keynote Jack Hanna. Jack Hanna is Director Emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. From 1978 to 1992 he served as Executive Director and during that time was successful in working with staff and community leaders to transform the zoo to the state-of-the-art park that it is today. <more> <less> Hanna travels widely representing the zoo and as the host of Jack Hanna’s Animal Adventures, a nationally syndicated television series. The program invites viewers to share in his adventures all over the world in the quest to learn about wildlife.
John Mueller	*Overblown: The War on Terror* John Mueller, Author/OSU Professor December 7, 2006 Dr. Mueller's teaching experience includes current posts as professor of political science at The Ohio State University and Woody Hayes Chair of National Security Studies at the Mershon Center. His areas of specialty include foreign and defense policy, public opinion, war and peace, change in post-Communist countries and terrorism. <more> <less> As an author, Dr. Mueller has published an extensive and multi-themed library of editorial columns, articles and books. His recent commentaries on terrorism such as The Iraq Syndrome, A False Sense of Insecurity and Six Rather Unusual Propositions about Terrorism have garnered much attention. His books include War, Presidents and Public Opinion, deemed a classic by the American Political Science Review, and The Remnants of War, awarded the Lepgold Prize for 2004’s best book on international relations. Dr. Mueller’s new book Overblown: How Politicians and the Terrorism Industry Inflate National Security Threats, and Why We Believe Them has been the subject of much anticipation.
	John Mueller on The Daily Show (10-31-06) Read what one attendee said after the event in a letter to the editor in the Dispatch (12-23-06) Westside Messenger article: Speaker says attacks are remote (12-25-06) Dispatch article: Speech on Pearl Harbor anniversary: Terror threat hyped, professor says (12-8-06)
Trita Parsi	Iran Rising: US Options in a Changing Middle East Trita Parsi, Co-Founder & President, National Iranian American Council November 2, 2006 Trita Parsi is the author of Treacherous Triangle - The Secret Dealings of Iran, Israel and the United States (Yale University Press, 2007.) He wrote his Doctoral thesis on Israeli-Iranian relations under Professor Francis Fukuyama (and Drs. Zbigniew Brzezinski, R. K. Ramazani, Jakub Grygiel, Charles Doran) at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in 2006. <more> <less> Dr. Parsi is one of the few people in the US - if not the only one - that has traveled both to Iran and Israel and interviewed top officials in these countries on the state of Israeli-Iranian relations. He has conducted more than 130 interviews with senior Israeli, Iranian and American officials in all three countries. He is fluent in Persian/Farsi. He has followed Middle East politics for more than a decade, both through work in the field, and through extensive experience on Capitol Hill and the United Nations. Dr. Parsi's articles on Middle East affairs have been published in the Financial Times, Jane's Intelligence Review, the Globalist, the Jerusalem Post, The Forward, BitterLemons and the Daily Star. He is a frequent commentator on US-Iranian relations and Middle Eastern affairs, and has appeared on BBC World News, PBS NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, CNN (Wolf Blitzer's Situation Room, Anderson Cooper 360Â°), CNN International (Your World Today), Al Jazeera, C-Span, NPR, MSNBC, Voice of America and British Channel 4. He has served as an advisor to Congressman Bob Ney (R-OH18) on Middle East issues and is a co-founder and current President of the National Iranian American Council (www.niacouncil.org), a non-partisan, non-profit organization promoting Iranian-American participation in American civic life. Dr. Parsi has worked for the Swedish Permanent Mission to the UN in New York where he served in the Security Council handling the affairs of Afghanistan, Iraq, Tajikistan and Western Sahara, and the General Assembly's Third Committee addressing human rights in Iran, Afghanistan, Myanmar and Iraq. Dr. Parsi was born in Iran and grew up in Sweden. He earned a Master's Degree in International Relations at Uppsala University, a second Master's Degree in Economics at Stockholm School of Economics and a PhD in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University SAIS.
	Visit Recap Speech Transcript Nuclear standoff: Talks key with Iran, expert says (Columbus Dispatch, 11-3-06)
Carl Tannenbaum	International Economic Forecast 2007 Carl Tannebaum, Chief Economist, LaSalle Bank October 26, 2006 As Chief Economist, Carl provides internal and external briefings on business conditions. He publishes weekly, monthly and quarterly commentary for distribution to the bank’s customers. He serves as a quote contact for a number of publications and provides commentary on business issues for CNBC, CNN and other media outlets. Carl has been quoted in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and other national newspapers and magazines. <more> <less> Carl is a member of the Blue Chip panel of economic forecasters and is president of the National Association for Business Economics. In addition to his economic duties, he is also responsible for measuring the organization’s interest rate risk and monitoring its investment portfolio. Carl has been with the organization for twenty-three years. He holds an M.B.A. and a B.A. in finance and economics from the University of Chicago.
	Economist sees housing market stabilizing (Business First)
Barbara Joyce Mosima Masekela	South Africa: Challenging Stereotypes with Inclusive Solutions Barbara Joyce Mosima Masekela, Ambassador, South Africa October 12, 2006 Barbara Masekela has been South Africa's Ambassador to the United States since 1993. Her background reflects a diversity of political, social and private sector experiences. She has spent most of her life as a political activist, working with the African National Congress (ANC) Observer Mission to the UN and at ANC headquarters in Zambia, among others. <more> <less> She has also served as Nelson Mandelaâ€™s Chief of Staff and is a former ambassador to France and UNESCO. Ambassador Masekela has a keen understanding of economic opportunities in South Africa. She is a former Executive Director for De Beers and served a director on the boards of Standard Bank of South Africa, the South African Broadcasting Corporation, the World Diamond Council and the International Marketing Council. Her influence has also extended into the arts, culture and education. She has taught at Rutgers University and is a trustee of the Nelson Mandel Childrenâ€™s Fund and Nelson Mandela Foundation.
	Letter to Mr. Muhamud re: Somali community in South Africa Letter to Her Excellency Masekela from the Pan Somali Council for Peace and Democracy
Ambassador John Bruton	Collaboration & Conflict: The US-EU Partnership EU Ambassador August 30, 2006 John Bruton is a former Irish Prime Minister (Taoiseach), who helped transform the Irish economy into the "Celtic Tiger": one of the fastest growing economies in the world. During his time in office (1994-1997), the Irish economy grew at an annual average rate of 8.7%, peaking at 11.1 % in 1997. John Bruton was also deeply involved in the Northern Irish Peace Process leading to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. <more> <less> While Prime Minister, Ambassador Bruton presided over a successful Irish EU Presidency in 1996 and helped finalize the Stability and Growth Pact, which governs the management of the single European currency: the Euro. He represented the EU at Summit meetings with the President of the United States and with the Prime Ministers of Canada, Japan, China and Korea. Before being appointed Ambassador to the United States, John Bruton served as a leading member of the caucus that drafted the first-ever European Constitution that was signed in Rome on October 29, 2004 and is now before the 25 EU Member States for ratification. He was Vice President of the European People's Party from 1999 to 2005. He was first elected to the Irish Parliament ("DÃ¡il Ã‰ireann") in 1969 at the age of 22 as a member of the Fine Gael Party, becoming Party Leader in 1990 and leading it into government in 1994. He previously served as Irelandâ€™s Minister for Finance (1981-1982 & 1986-1987); Minister for Industry & Energy (1982-1983); Minister for Trade, Commerce & Tourism (1983-1986). He resigned his seat effective November 1, 2004 to take up appointment as EU Head of Delegation in the United States. John Bruton graduated from University College Dublin with a Bachelor of Arts degree before studying to become a barrister. He holds Honorary Degrees from Memorial University of Newfoundland and the National University of Ireland. He is married to Finola Bruton and has 4 children.
	Read Ambassador Bruton's reflection on his visit to Ohio

© 2007 Columbus Council on World Affairs	Last modified: December 10 2007