Solutions Volume 6, Issue 5

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September-October 2015, Volume 6, Issue 5

For a sustainable and desirable future

SolutionsSaudi Women Take to the Political Arenaby Ilina Talwar

The Role of Religion in Shaping Humanitys Response to Climate Changeby Andrew Hoffman

Climate-Smart Agriculture: The Solution to Land Degradation?by Ademola Braimoh

Towards Cultures of Aliveness: An Anthropocene Manifestoby Andreas Weber and Hildegard Kurt

These Three Colleges Stopped Investing in Fossil Fuels One Year Later, Their Endowments Are Doing Just Fine by A.C. Shilton

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) serves the na*on by providing reliable scien*c informa*on to describe and understand the Earth.

Adam J Lewis Family Founda

www.thesolutionsjournal.org | September-October 2015 | Solutions | 1

Sustainable Development versus Un-Economic Growth

SomethingsignificanthappenedinNewYorkCityonSeptember25,2015.TheUNformallyadoptedtheSustainableDevelopmentGoals(SDGs).Theseglobaltargets,agreedtobyallUNmemberstates,embodyanessentialrecognitionthatweliveinafiniteandinterconnectedworldwherewemustintegrateprosperity,equity,andsustainability.

Underthenewguidelines,economicgrowthmustbeinclusiveandsustainableandisonlyoneof17goals.Inaddition,thereisexplicitrecognitionthat:Wearecommittedtodevelopingbroadermeasuresofprogresstocomplementgrossdomes-ticproduct(GDP).

TheSDGsthusechothegrowingrecognitionthatsingle-mindedempha-sisonGDPgrowththathasdominatednationalpolicysinceWorldWarIIisnolongerappropriate.GDPismerelyanaggregatemeasureofmarketedeconomicactivity.Someofthatactivityisnotwhatwewantmoreof(i.e.thecostsofcrime,pollution,andinequality)norisitsustainableandinclusive.Itislikeacompanytryingtomaximizegrossrevenueswithnoaccountingofcosts.

Bysomeestimates,whenthesecostsareaccountedfor,therehasbeennorealnetgrowthintheglobaleconomyfordecades.EventhoughGDPhasbeenexpandingconsistentlysince1945,withonlytheoccasionaldownturn,sincethe1980s,thisgrowthhasbeenun-economicbecauseithasnttakenintoaccountthecostsofinequality,environ-mentaldamage,andotherfactorsthataffectwelfare.Therealeconomyallthethingsthatsupporthumanwell-beingismuchlargerthanthemarketeconomyasestimatedbyGDP.TheGDPwasneverdesignedasameasure

ofoverallsocietalwell-beingtherealeconomyanditscontinuedmisuseforthatpurposeneedstostop.Bybroadeningtherangeofnationalpolicygoalstoincludealltheelementsoftherealeconomy,theSDGswillcontributesubstantiallytorealprogress.

Therealeconomyincludesournaturalcapitalassetsallofthegiftsfromnaturethatwedonothavetoproduceandtheimmenselyvaluablebutnonmarketedecosystemservicesthoseassetsprovide.Theseservices,includingclimatecontrol,watersupply,stormprotection,pollination,recreation,andmanymore,havebeenestimatedtocontributesignificantlymoretohumanwell-beingthanalltheworldsGDPcombined.Butourcavalieroverlookingofthesecontribu-tionshasledtomassivedepletionoftheseassets.Since1997,wehavelostgloballyatleastUS$20trillionperyearinnonmarketedecosystemservices,largerthantheGDPoftheUSA.

Wehavealsooverlookedthecontributionsofsocialcapitalallofourformalandinformalnetworks,institutions,andculturestosupport-inghumanwell-being.Manycountrieshavebecomemuchmoreunequalsince1980.Thisrisinginequalityhasresultedinworseningsocialproblems,worsen-ingabilitytobuildandmaintainsocialcapital,andloweroverallqualityoflife.MostofthegainsinGDPoverthelastseveraldecadeshavegonetothetoponepercentofincomeearners,whilethe99percenthaveseenstagnantrealincomesinthecontextofdeterioratingsocialandnaturalassets.

Perhapsthemostcompellingdis-sonanceishowwetalkaboutanddealwithclimatedisruption.Theclimateisoneofourkeynaturalassets,and

SDGgoal13states:Takeurgentactiontocombatclimatechangeanditsimpacts.Yetinvestinginmaintainingastableclimateistoooftenmisper-ceivedasahindrancetoeconomicgrowth,ratherthantheprotectionofanassetthatunderliestheoperationoftheentirehumanenterprise.ClimatedisruptionneedstobeincludedasacostagainstGDPgrowththatisatleastasimportantasthelossorgainoffactories,roads,andhouses.

Likewise,thedepletionofsocialcapitalcausedbyrisinginequalityneedstobecountedagainstanygainsinGDP.

OneindicatorthataccountsforchangesinsocialandnaturalcapitalistheGenuineProgressIndicator(GPI).TheGPIadjustspersonalconsump-tionbyincomedistribution,addsnonmarketedserviceslikevolunteerandhouseholdwork,andsubtractsthecostsofnaturalcapitaldepletionlikeairandwaterpollution.Globally,GPIpercapitahasnotimprovedsince1978,eventhoughGDPpercapitahasmorethandoubled.Wehavebeenexperiencingun-economicgrowthgloballyforalmost40years.

TwostatesintheUSMarylandandVermonthaveadoptedtheGPItohelpguidepolicyandseveralotherstatesareconsideringthesame.Itistimefortherestoftheworldtowakeuptotherealityofouruneconomicgrowthpoliciesandpracticesandmovetobuildarealeconomythatprovidessustainable,equitableprosperityforall.TheSDGprocessisanimportantandlongoverduemoveinthisdirection.

Goingforward,worldleadersarmedwiththeSDGscandiscusshowtoimproverealeconomicperformanceandgenuinesustainabledevelopmentratherthanmerelyincreasesinenvironmentallydisrup-tive,inequitablydistributedmarketedgoodsandservices.Thefutureofourplanetdependsonit.

Editorial by Robert Costanza

Costanza,R.(2015).SustainableDevelopmentVersusUn-EconomicGrowth.Solutions6(5):1.https://thesolutionsjournal.com/2015/5/sustainable-development-versus-un-economic-growth

2 | Solutions | September-October 2015 | www.thesolutionsjournal.org

Features

Contents September/October 2015

Laudato si and the Role of Religion in Shaping Humanitys Response to Climate Change by Andrew HoffmanThePopesrecentencyclicalletterLaudato sihasemphasizedtheimportanceofreligiousmoralityasamotivatortotakeactiononclimatechange.Theencyclicalelevatesclimatechangetonotjustanenvironmentalissue,butamoralresponsibility.

The Role of Climate-Smart Agriculture in Addressing Land Degradation by Ademola BraimohClimate-smartagriculture(CSA)technologiesofferpromisingsolutionstoissuessurroundinglanddegradation,foodscarcity,andclimatechange.ScalingupCSAwillofferalternativeapproachestomanaginglandsustainablyandincreasingagriculturalproductivityunderthenewrealitiesofachangingclimate.

Towards Cultures of Aliveness: Politics and Poetics in a Postdualistic Age an Anthropocene Manifesto by Andreas Weber and Hildegard KurtItisnowtheageoftheAnthropocene.Therealopportunityofthisneweraistounderstandthatmanandnaturepertaintoarealitycreatingembodiedprocessesoftransformativerelationships,expressivemeaning,andtrueinwardnessinbiologicalsubjects.

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On the Web Perspectives

www.thesolutionsjournal.orgExplore the Solutions website for more content and interactivity. What are your solutions? Share your vision for a sustainable and desirable future and learn more about the Solutions community.

InReview 66Making Climate Resonateby Robert V. Bartlett

Noteworthy 06Promoting Literacy in Unconventional Ways

Turkeys New Wildlife Corridor Aims to Bring Balance Back to Biodiversity Hotspots

Science and Islam: Rebuilding a Modern Iraq

Nature: Ecological Artist Uses Copyright Law to Prevent a New Pipeline

Envisioning 10The Teacher Education Program at Northern California University, Oyster Bayby Bruce Cooperstein and Arthur PearlIn2025,theEducationfortheFutureProjectistakingaradicalapproachtoeducation,reformingthewaysinwhichweprepareteachers,standardcurriculums,classroompractices,andhowweviewstudentsinthegreatereducationalsystem.

Saudi Women Take to the Political Arena Even if It Means Sitting in the Back Seat by Ilina Talwar 20

These Three Colleges Stopped Investing in Fossil Fuels One Year Later, Their Endowments Are Doing Just Fine by A.C. Shilton 24

Oral History Project Takes on Bride Kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan by Audrey Pence 29

Assimilative Capacity Trading: An Integrated Solution to Problems Related to Freshwater Use by Jairus Josol 33

The Place of Muslim Women in Islamic Space by Zafirah Zein 37

Interview 16Leading Nonviolent Movements: An Interview with Srda Popovic Interview by Audrey PenceSincehelpingtofoundtheSerbianresistancegroupOtpor!thathelpedtoremovedictatorSlobodanMiloevic,SraPopovichasbecomeagloballeaderinnonviolentactivism.Popovicspeaksabouthisprincipalsofsuccess,howtousehumorasastrategy,andtheroleoftheinternetinmodernmovements.

Editorial 01Sustainable Development versus Un-Economic Growthby Robert Costanza

On the Ground 77Cycling 14,000 Kilometers for Womenby zge SebzeciFouryoungDutchwomenhavespentthelastyearcyclingover14,000kilometers,spanning22countriesover400days,allinthenameofwomensrights.

Solutions in History 71Drought in California: Entering a New Water Futureby Philip GaroneAnewclimateregimeinCaliforniaischallengingthestatescentury-oldapproachtomanagingwater.Solutionswillnecessitateacriticalevaluationofhistoricalwaterallocationinthestate,andsubstantivechangestothestateseconomylookingtothefuture.

Idea Lab

Contributors


1. Andrew HoffmanAndrew J. Hoffman is the Holcim (US) Professor of Sustainable Enterprise at the University of Michigan, a position that holds joint appointments at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business and the School of Natural Resources & Environment. Andy also serves as Education Director of the Graham Sustainability Institute. His webpage is www.andrewhoffman.net.

2. Andreas WeberDr. Andreas Weber is a Berlin based book and maga-zine writer, translator, and independent scholar. He has degrees in Marine Biology and Cultural Studies. Andreas work focuses on a re-evaluation of our understanding of the living. He proposes to understand organsims as subjects and hence the biosphere as a meaning-creat-ing and poetic reality. He has put forth his ideas in several books and has contributed to major German newspapapers and magazines. He teaches at Leuphana University Lneburg and at Berlin University of the Fine Arts. His latest book, The Biology of Wonder. Aliveness, Feeling, and the Metamorphosis of Science (New Society Publishers, Gabriola Island, B.C) appears in early 2016. His webpage is www.autor-andreas-weber.de and www.cultures-of-enlivenment.org/en.

3. Hildegard KurtHildegard Kurt, PhD, is a German cultural researcher, author, and social sculpture practitioner. Her work focuses on art and sustainability, culture and sustainability, aesthetic education, and intercultural dialogue. She teaches and lectures internationally, lastly as Senior Lecturer in Social Sculpture at the School of Arts at Oxford Brookes University, and has initiated several cul-tural projects. Her most recent book is The

Red Flower. Aesthetic Practice in Times of Change (2013, in German), co-authored with artist Shelley Sacks. In 2004 she co-founded the und.Institut fuer Kunst, Kultur und Zukunftsfaehigkeit (Institute for Art, Culture and Sustainability), based in Berlin. Together with Andreas Weber she has initiated the institutes new program Cultures of Enlivenment.

4. Ademola BraimohDr. Ademola Braimoh has expertise in human-environment relationships and vul-nerability of ecosystems to global change. Dr. Braimoh studied at the Center for Development Research, Bonn in Germany, and at Cambridge University in England. He formerly worked on the Global Water System Project, was a Postdoctoral Fellow of the Ecosystems and People Program at United Nations University, a Professor of Land Change Science at the Center for Sustainability Science, and as Executive Director of the Global Land Project in Japan. At the World Bank, Dr. Braimoh works at the SciencePolicy interface of Climate-Smart Agriculture, helping clients to realize increased productivity, enhanced resilience, reduced greenhouse gas emis-sions and improved carbon sequestration in agricultural landscapes.

5. Robert CostanzaRobert Costanza is a Chair of Public Policy at the Crawford School of Public Policy at The Australian National University. Costanza is cofounder and former president of the International Society for Ecological Economics. He has authored or coauthored over 350 scientific papers and reports on his work have appeared in Newsweek, U.S. News and World Report, the Economist, The New York Times, Science, Nature, National Geographic, and National Public Radio.

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SolutionsEditors-in-Chief: Robert Costanza, Ida Kubiszewski

Associate Editors: David Orr, Jacqueline McGlade

Managing Editor: Colleen Maney

Senior Editors: Christina Asquith, Jack Fairweather

History Section Editor: Frank Zelko

Book & Envisioning Editor: Bruce Cooperstein

Editors: Naomi Stewart, Dana Rawls, Cherie Stapleton

Graphic Designer: Kelley Dodd

Copy Editors: Anna Sottile, Nadine L.

Business Manager: Ian Chambers

Interns: Ilina Talwar, Zafirah Zein

Editorial Board: Gar Alperovitz, Vinya Ariyaratne, Robert

Ayres, Peter Barnes, William Becker, Lester Brown,

Alexander Chikunov, Cutler Cleveland, Raymond Cole, Rita

Colwell, Robert Corell, Herman Daly, Thomas Dietz, Josh

Farley, Jerry Franklin, Susan Joy Hassol, Paul Hawken,

Richard Heinberg, Jeffrey Hollender, Buzz Holling, Terry

Irwin, Jon Isham, Wes Jackson, Tim Kasser, Tom Kompas,

Frances Moore Lapp, Rik Leemans, Wenhua Li, Thomas

Lovejoy, Hunter Lovins, Manfred Max-Neef, Peter May,

Bill McKibben, William J. Mitsch, Mohan Munasinghe,

Norman Myers, Kristn Vala Ragnarsdttir, Bill Rees,

Wolfgang Sachs, Peter Senge, Vandana Shiva, Anthony

Simon, Gus Speth, Larry Susskind, David Suzuki, John

Todd, Mary Evelyn Tucker, Alvaro Umaa, Sim van der Ryn,

Peter Victor, Mathis Wackernagel, John Xia, Mike Young

Subscriptions: http://www.thesolutionsjournal.com/subscribe Email: [email protected]

Sponsoring Inquiries: http://www.thesolutionsjournal.com/sponsor Email: [email protected]

On the Cover Anar Gula, mother of 11, casts her ballot for President Hamid Karzai in the city of Kandahar, Afghanistan on August 20, 2009. In December of this year, Afghanistans neighbor in the region, Saudi Arabia, will hold the first elections in which women are allowed to vote. Cultural and social barriers will still prevent many female voters from reaching the polls, however. Photo by Holly Pickett.

Solutions is subject to the Creative Commons license except where otherwise stated.


Contributors

6. Srda PopovicSrda Popovic was one of the founders of the Serbian non-violent resistance group Otpor! Otpor!s campaign against Serbian president Slobodan Miloevic was successful in October 2000 when thousands of protes-tors took over the Serbian Parliament. After the revolution, Popovic served a term as a member of the Serbian National Assembly. In 2003, Popovic and others started the Centre for Applied Nonviolent Action and Strategies (CANVAS). CANVAS has worked with activists from 46 different countries, including Zimbabwe, Burma, Iran, and Venezuela, spreading knowledge of the nonviolent strategies and tactics used by Otpor! In November 2011, Foreign Policy Magazine listed Srda Popovic as one of the Top 100 Global Thinkers of 2011 for inspiring the Arab Spring protesters. In 2012 he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. In 2014 he was listed as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in Davos. His recent book, Blueprint for Revolution, offers a fun and humorous look at nonviolent activism worldwide.

7. Audrey PenceAudrey Pence is currently in her third year at Northeastern University, where she is studying International Affairs and Arabic. She spent one month in Amman, Jordan studying Arabic in the summer of 2014 and spent the first half of 2015 in Istanbul, Turkey working for Solutions and the Fuller Project. She also recently completed an internship for the Center for Solutions in International Studies in Washington, D.C. and spent a month studying international conflict and negotiation in the Balkans. She hopes to pursue a career that will keep her engaged in foreign affairs through a form of journalism.

8. Zafirah Mohamed ZeinZafirah Zein is a fourth-year student at Northeastern University in Boston, where she is studying Journalism and International Affairs with a concentration in Middle East Studies. Her dream is to become a Middle East foreign correspon-dent, and she is excited to be reporting for the Fuller Project for International Reporting in Istanbul, Turkey. She has previously worked for Inter Press Service in New York and interned in humanitarian development in India.

9. Ilina TalwarIlina Talwar is a third year student at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts where she is pur-suing a dual major in International Affairs and Economics. Although born and raised in India, her studies center on the Middle East. In 2011, Talwar went to Jordan for the regional Round Square Conference. She is currently working with the Fuller Project for International Reporting in Istanbul, Turkey as a journalism intern and regularly writes for Solutions. Previously, Talwar has worked with The British High Commission as well as Carlsberg India. She hopes to pursue a career in foreign policy and global development.

10. Jairus JosolJairus Josol is Master of Climate Change student at the Crawford School of Public Policy at Australia National University. She has previously worked as an environmental researcher at Clean Air Asia.

11. A.C. ShiltonA.C. Shilton is an award-winning freelance journalist and editor, whose work has appeared in national and regional magazines, newspapers, and websites. She is the columnist for Outside Onlines Eat & Drink, and a regular contributor to

Runners World Magazine and Mens Journal. Her work has also appeared in Slate, Pacific Standard, Yes! Magazine, The Center for Humans & Nature, and many other publications. She has been a managing editor and associate editor for various publications. Previously, her career was in the bicycling industry in marketing, traveling the country with her dog selling bicycles and organizing demo events for Specialized Bicycle Components. A.C. is a mid-pack mara-thoner and two-time Ironman finisher.

12. zge Sebzecizge Sebzeci is working as an assistant bureau-chief and photographer with The Fuller Project for International Reporting. She gradu-ated from the International Relations Department at Galatasaray University, and is currently pursuing master's degree through the Photography Department of Marmara University. She is from Istanbul, Turkey.

13. Robert V. BartlettRobert V. Bartlett is the Gund Professor of the Liberal Arts and Chair of the Political Science Department at the University of Vermont. He previously served on the faculties of Purdue University and Texas Tech University. He has twice been a Senior Fulbright Scholar (Lincoln University and University of Canterbury, New Zealand, and Trinity College Dublin). In 2007 he was Distinguished Fulbright Chair of Environmental Policies at the Turin Polytechnic Institute and University in Italy. He has published many research articles and ten books, most recently (with Walter F. Baber) Consensus and Global Environmental Governance: Deliberative Democracy in Natures Regime, The MIT Press, 2015.

14. Bruce CoopersteinBruce Cooperstein is Professor of Mathematics at University of California, Santa Cruz, where he has taught since 1975. He was a Pew National Scholar for Carnegie Fellows from 19992000 and was Provost of College Eight (one of the ten resident Colleges at UCSC) from 19841990. In addition to his mathematical special-ties in group theory and incidence geometry, he is interested in the interaction of education, politics, economics, and ecology. He has writ-ten numerous op-ed pieces on these and other topics as well as articles on economic conversion and the economic foundations of peace.

15. Arthur PearlArt Pearl has been working on education for sustainability, justice, and democracy for longer than he cares to remember. He is the author, among other books, of The Atrocity of Education and The Democratic Classroom.

16. Philip GaronePhilip Garone earned a Ph.D. in History and an M.S. in Ecology from the University of California, Davis. He is currently Associate Professor of History at California State University, Stanislaus, where he teaches California, Environmental, Western, and U.S. history. He has published on the environmental history of the Central Valley of California as well as challenges to the management of public lands in the face of climate change. He recently com-pleted an environmental history of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta for the California Delta Protection Commission, and is beginning a new book project on the terminal lakes of the Great Basin.

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Idea LabNoteworthy

PromotingLiteracyinUnconventionalWaysby Ilina Talwar

Sittingstillforeventwentyminutescanbequiteachallengeforrestless,fidgetyseven-year-oldsastheygettheirhaircut.CourtneyHolmes,abarberfromIowa,givesthesekidsameaningfuldistraction,ashenotonlycutstheirhair,butalsotakesonilliteracy.

Thebenefitsofreadingarewellknown,however,therehasbeenasharpdeclineinreadingamongchildreninthelastcoupleofdecades.Accordingtoasurveyconducted

byTheNationalLiteracyTrust,40percentofkidsintheUnitedStatesbetweentheagesofeightand16usedtoreaddailyin2005,whileonly30percentdidsoin2011.WithdigitaltechnologiessuchastheiPad,PlayStation,andWiitakingoverchildrenslives,readinghasbecomealesspre-ferredformofentertainment.

AbarberinDubuque,Iowatriedtocombatthisproblembydoingwhatheknowsbest:cuttinghair.CourtneyHolmesspentthedaygivingfreehair-cutstokidsinhislocalcommunityattheannualBacktoSchoolBashundertheconditionthattheywouldreadtohim.Asachild,Holmesdidnothave

muchaccesstobooks.Otherthanthebooksprovidedbyschool,theonlythinghereadwastheBible.Iwasnotakidthatgottoreadatanearlyage,hesays.Now45andafartheroftwo,hereadstohiskidseverynightbeforetuckingthemintobed.

Notallparentsplacesuchagreatemphasisonreading,asmostkidsinhiscommunitystillstruggletoread.Theysayittakesavillagetoraiseachild,andsometimesthatmeansthatlessonsinliteracycomefromunlikelyplaces.TheSparkFamilyHairSalon,whereHolmesworks,aimstocarryfor-wardhiseffortsandmakethereadingeventamonthlyendeavor.

Melanie Holtsman Courtney Holmes gave free haircuts to children in his local community at the annual Back to School Bash under the condition that they would read to him.

https://thesolutionsjournal.com/2015/5/noteworthy


Idea LabNoteworthy

TurkeysNewWildlifeCorridorAimstoBringBalanceBacktoBiodiversityHotspotsby Ilina Tatwar

HoldingthetitleoftheBiodiversitySuperpowerofEurope,Turkeyisoneoftheonlycountriesthatishometothreeoutof34biodiversitywildlifehotspotsintheworld:theCaucasus,Irano-Anatolian,andtheMediterranean.However,duetothelaxapproachtakenbythegovern-mentregardingenvironmentalregulations,Turkeyranked109thoutof132countriesinthe2012WorldEnvironmentalPerformanceIndex.Theselowrankingsarerepre-sentativeoftheharshdeclineinitscarnivorouspopulation.TheAsiaticlion,Iraniancheetah,andCaspiantigerarealreadyextinct,whileotherssuchasthegraywolf,brownbear,lynx,andcaracalareonthebrinkofextinction.

KuzeyDoga,anNGOledbyUniversityofUtahprofessorandTurkishnationalDr.CaganSekercioglu,whowasresponsibleforpushingthegovernmenttotakeupthiscauseandspearheadedeffortstoestablishTurkeysfirstWildlifeCorridorthatwaspubliclyannouncedinJune2012.Covering23,500hectaresand82kilometersinlength,thecorridorextendsfromtheSarikamisForestAllahuekberMountainstotheBlackSeaandCaucasusforestsinTurkeyandGeorgia.

Wildlifecorridorsserveastravel-ingavenuesforwildlifespeciesbetweentwosimilaryetfragmentedhabitatareas.Aswellasprovidingasafepassageforanimalsbyconnect-ingisolatedpopulationsofwildlife

acrossthenortheastthroughaprocessofreforestation,thewildlifecorridorpromotestrans-boundaryconservation.Astwothirdsofthecorridorisalreadycoveredwithforests,thegovernmenthasplannedtoplantanadditional4.5milliontreestofilltheremainingarea.Apartfromreforestation,parkrangerswillbehiredtoensurethefullprotectionofthecorridor,officiallylabeledaProtectedForest.

Overthelastcoupleofyears,Dr.Sekerciogluhasraisedconcernsoverexcessivedamconstruction,thedrainingofwetlands,andover-irrigation,asthegovernmentpoursmoreandmoremoneyintodevelop-mentprojects.Fourthousanddamsandhydro-electricpowerplantshavebeencommissionedtobebuiltby2023.ThebuildingofthewildlifecorridoristhefirststeptowardsrestoringthebalanceandpreservingTurkeysnaturalhabitat.

ScienceandIslam:RebuildingaModernIraqby Ilina Talwar

Iraqhasalonghistoryofcontributingtoscientificdiscovery,howeverasreli-giousleadersincreasinglytakecontrolofthewar-tornnation,thattraditionisunderthreat.

Onceahubforscholarsandintel-lectuals,IraqandtheMiddleEastweretheepicenterofknowledgeandlearning.HometoBaytal-Hikma,ortheHouseofWisdom,betweenthe10thand13thcenturies,medievalIraqexperiencedwhatwasknownastheGoldenAgeofIslam,revolutionizingscientificthought.

However,inrecentyearstherehasbeenasharpdividebetweenIslamandscience,exacerbatedbywarandunrest.Thelackofscientificmate-rialavailableinIraqisparticularlydamagingtothecountrysdevelop-ment,havingsevererepercussionson

Carl CliffordA harsh decline in Turkeys carnivorous populations has included the extinction of the Caspian tiger, pictured.


Idea LabNoteworthy

education,publicpolicy,andsocio-economicadvancement.

However,inrecentyears,agroupofyoungIraqishavetakenastandagainsttheIslamicgovernmentsstrictcontrolovermedia,andareworkingtopromoteradicalideasoutsideofreligion.

Workingsidebyside,TheIraqiTranslationProjectandRealSciencestranslateworksofscienceintoArabic,andmakethemavailabletothepublic.Foundedin2011and2013,respectively,bothorganizationshavegrowntogainover13,000followersonFacebook.

OftentranslatingtextsonDarwin,evolutionarytheory,outerspace,and

humanphysiology,theyarepassionateaboutscienceandbelievethatitwillhelpreducesectarianconflictsintheircommunity.

In2013,membersofthetwogroupsstartedaninitiative,calledIamIraqi,IRead,inresponsetogovernmentcrackdownsonthesaleandpublica-tionofliterarymaterial.HundredsofpeoplegatheredonthefamousMutanabbiStreetinBaghdadforabookfestivalandpeacefuldemonstra-tioninsupportofrebuildingthelostcultureofreading.

AsymbolofIslamicphilosophyinIraq,themarketforbooksisdominatedbyreligiousworks,oftenendorsingsectarianism,nationalism,

pan-Arabism,andevencommunism.Booksbasedonscienceandreasonarerarecommodities,anddifficulttofindinthelocalmarket.

Governmentregulationsprohibitscientificarticlesorworks,whicharethoughttogoagainsttheteachingsofIslam.InpartsofIraqcontrolledbyISIS(theIslamicStateofIraqandSyria),wherethegovernmenthaslittleinfluence,ISISfightersaresystemati-callyindoctrinatingyoungchildrenandbuildinganewgenerationofIslamicextremistswillingtofightfortheircause.Teachingsubjectssuchasmath,science,andmusicarebanned.Lastyear,inthecityofMosul,ISISfighterscarriedoutaseriesofhome

Christopher Rose A monument to ancient Islamic astronomer Ulugh Beg in a mosque in Uzbekistan. Ulugh Beg was a figure in the Golden Age of Islam in the 14th century. Modern Islam is facing a sharp divide between the religion and scientific thought.


Idea LabNoteworthy

invasions,gettingridofanynon-Islamicbooks.

Pioneers,rebels,andrevolutionar-iesintheirfield,RealSciencesandTheIraqiTranslationProjectarepavingthewayforanew,liberalIraq.

Nature:EcologicalArtistUsesCopyrightLawtoPreventaNewPipelineby Colleen Maney

Themosteffectivesolutionsmeetthreatshead-onwithpositiveandhighlyinnovativethinking.ThisiscertainlytheapproachbehindecologicalartistAvivaRahmanisnewactivistartinstallation.Facingthethreatoffossilfuelexpansionsandanewnaturalgaspipeline,resident-activistsenlistedthehelpofRahmaniinthequiethamletofPeekskill,NewYork.NestledintheHudsonValley,PeekskillisoneofmanypicturesquetownsthatcouldbedrasticallyandnegativelyimpactedbytheAlgonquinpipelineexpansionproposedbySpectraEnergy.

Rahmanisunexpectedresponsehasthepotentialtotransformenvi-ronmentalactivism.Withthegoalofexploringwhethercopyrightlawcanbeleveragedtoprotectnaturalhabitats,Rahmanihasdesignedaninterdisciplinarysymphonicartprojectasapermanentinstallationonprivatepropertydirectlyinthepathoftheproposedpipeline.Theproject,entitledBlued Trees,isintegratedintothefloraofthesite.Wavesprintedontreesareconceivedasnotesforamusicalcomposition.AninternationalGreekChoruswasalsoinitiatedaspartoftheoverture.OnOctober4,afullsymphonyofthepiecewasperformedandvideo-documentedatmultiplelocations.

Inadefiantandinnovativeaction,RahmanihasfiledafederalcopyrighttoprotectBlued Trees,citingtheVisualArtistsRightsAct,whichassertsthemoralrightsofartagainstdestruction.Thenextstepinthelegalprocesswillbeacease-and-desistnotificationtoSpectraEnergy.

Blued Trees isanelementofRahmanisGulftoGulfproject,spon-soredbytheNewYorkFoundationfortheArtsinanefforttouseartto

impactglobalclimatepolicy.AbrieffilmontheBlued Trees overturelaunchcanbeviewedat:https://vimeo.com/channels/943134.

Rahmanisworkisknownforusingarttoeffectenvironmentalchangeinprojectsrangingfromlandscaperestorationstomuseumvenues.SheisanaffiliateattheInstituteforArcticandAlpineResearch(INSTAAR)attheUniversityofColoradoatBoulder,andaPhDcandidateattheUniversityofPlymouth,intheUK.

Aviva Rahmani Trees from the second movement of the Blued Trees symphony.


Envisioning

Thefollowingisthefirstofanoccasionalseriesofpiecesoneducationaltransformation.ThisoneexaminestheworkofDr.DrewEpstein,whoisaProfessorofSocialPsychologyandUtopianThinkingatNorthCaliforniaUniversity,OysterBay(NCUOB).HeisalsothefounderanddirectoroftheEducationfortheFutureProject,whichisapartner-shipbetweenNCUOB,EsperanzaCommunityCollege,andtheOysterBayUnifiedSchoolDistrict(OBUSD).DuringthelastweekofMay2025,wevisitedwithDr.Epsteintoobservehisnovelapproachtothepreparationofteachers,aswellasthewaysinwhichcurriculumandclassroompracticeshavebeenradicallyreformedinseveraldemonstrationschoolsofthedistrict.

Beforeanyofourobservations,wehadalongconversationwithDr.Epsteinoverawholerangeoftopicsrelatingtoeducation.Hebeganwiththeassertionthatinademocracy,considerationoffairnessandjusticerequiresthateveryonehavetheoppor-tunitytoobtainafreeeducationthatwouldenableeachstudenttocontinueasfarastheirpotentialwilltakethem.Hethendeclaredthatthemostfundamentalthingeachstudentmustlearnaspartofsuchaneducationishowtomaketheworldabetterplace.

Allofthecurriculumandpedagogyofschoolsmustbeorganizedwithinthisrubric.Tomakeconcretethemeaningofthosewords,hesaid,Whenyoulookatatypicalclassroom,whatyoushouldsee,whetheritsafirstgradeoraseniorhighschoolclassroom,iskidsworkingingroupsonprojectstomaketheworldabetterplace.Thelearningoccurswhenstudentsactontheworldtochangeit,andthenreflectonwhattheyhavebeendoing,interrogatingtheirthinkingandactions,andthusaddingtotheknowledgeoftheworld.Hethensaidthatequallyfundamentaltosuchacurriculum,isthatstudentslearntobeeffectiveascitizensinademocracy.

IinterruptedDr.Epsteinandskepti-callychallengedhislastassertionwiththedeclarationthatthemostimportantwaytomaketheworldabetterplaceistouncovernewscien-tifictruthsandthentranslatethese,throughtechnologicalinnovation,intonewproductsandservices.

Dr.Epsteinrespondedthisway:Scienceandtechnologycertainlyhavearoletoplayinaprojectofimprovingtheworld,butonlyapartialrole,andmuchlessthanhas

beensupposed.Hethendemonstratedanimpressiveknowledgeofscienceandtechnologybyenumeratingmanyoftheadvancesofthepastdecade,startingwithdiscoveriesinmaterialscience,geneexpression,proteinfolding,andthemappingofthebrain,whencethedevelopmentofvaccinesformalariaandHIV,aswellasotherdiseaseswhichhaveplaguedthebottomtwobillionoftheworldspopulation,newtreatmentsforbraindiseasessuchasParkinsonsandAlzheimers,aswellasformanydifferentcancersandheartdisease.Then,hewentontodiscussthemanysignificantimprovementsinthegenerationofsolarandwindenergythatmeanthedirestconsequencesofglobalclimatechangearelikelytobeprevented.

Tobesure,hesaid,weneedtograduateacadreofscientistswhowillfurtherourunderstandingofthephysicalandbiologicalworlds,

whichwillthenenableustofurtherreduceourfootprintontheplanetwhileatthesametimeimprovingthequalityoflife.But,asIhopetoshowyouwithourexperimentalschools,thereisnoinherentconflictbetweeneducatingstudentstochangetheworldthroughdemocraticactionandnewscientificdiscoveries.Rather,wewilldemonstratethatourapproachresultsinfarmorestudentsuccessinlearningscience.However,Idothinktheevidenceisoverwhelmingthat

This article is part of a regular section in Solutions in which the author is challenged to envision a future society in which all the right changes have been made.

TheTeacherEducationProgramatNorthernCaliforniaUniversity,OysterBayby Bruce Cooperstein and Arthur Pearl

The learning occurs when students act on the world to change it, and then reflect on what they have been doing, interrogating their thinking and actions, and thus adding to the knowledge of the world.

Cooperstein,B.(2015).TheTeacherEducationProgramatNorthernCaliforniaUniversity,OysterBay.Solutions6(5):1015.https://thesolutionsjournal.com/2015/5/the-teacher-education-program-at-northern-california-university-oyster-bay


Envisioning

withtheresourcesandtechnologieswehavetoday,wehavethemeanstoprovideeveryoneontheplanetwithagratifyingandfulfillinglife.Therefore,themainproblemisnolongerscarcityofmaterialgoodsorgoodideasbuthowweputwhatwehavetothebestpurposes.Thatiswhatfuturegenerationsofcitizenshavetodecide,andwhyitissoimportantthattheydosoeffectively,justly,andfairly.

Ichangedthesubjectfromthepur-poseofschoolingtothepreparationofteachersandaskedhimwhatmakeshisprogramdifferentfromotherteachereducationprograms.

Firstofall,newteachersmustbeawarethattheywerenotelectedandthereforetheirauthoritymustbewon

andnotrelyoncoercion.Iftheydonotearntherespectoftheirstudents,thosestudentswillresistlearning.Thisisespeciallytrueforteachersassignedtoschoolswherethemajorityconsistsofstudentsofcolororwhoseparentsarerelativelypoor.Theteach-ersinourprogramentertheclassroomknowingthatitisincumbentuponthemtopersuadetheirstudentsthattheyneedtochangetheworldand,perhapsevenmoreimportant,thatitispossibletodoso.Inadditiontobeingpersuasivetheyneedtobewillingtoreachoutandengageallstudents;theymustbeintellectuallyaccessible;theyhavetobetransparentinthereasonswhytheymakedeci-sionsintheclassroom;and,lastly,theymustbenegotiable.

Atthispoint,Dr.Epsteinsuggestedwecontinueourconversationlater,buthenowwantedtotakemetoobserveafifthgradeclassroomattheTomPaineElementarySchool.Wegottherelateinthemorning,atimewhenstudentsareusuallyprettyantsyandlookingattheclockinanticipationoflunch.However,thiswasnotthecaseinthisclassroom.Thekidswerefinish-ingupgroupwork,whichconsistedofbrainstorminghowtheBillofRights,andparticularlytheFirstAmendment,couldbeappliedtoproblemsintheirneighborhood,andwerepreparingtoreporttheirideastothewholeclass.Oneofthegroupsproposedarallytoprotestreducedhoursatthelocallibrary.Theydefendedthisactionasapplyingtherighttoassembleand

US Department of Education Teachers must earn the respect of their students in any classroom, must be willing to engage and reach out to all students, and must be negotiable to be truly successful.


Envisioning

petitionforaredressofgrievances.Anothergroupcameupwiththeideaofcreatingawebsitewhichwouldhaveinformationaboutthebudgetofthecityparksdepartmenttoshowthattheirlocalparkswerebeingunder-funded,thusexercisingtheirrighttofreedomofexpression.Thestudentcontinuedlikethisforthirtyminutes,evengoingintotheirlunchtime,withlotsofdiscussionaboutwhichofthefirsttenamendmentswasusedineachideaandwhethertheactionwouldbeeffective.

Overlunch,IcontinuedmyconversationwithDr.Epstein.Heimmediatelybroughttomyattentionthattheclasswehadjustobservedhadtwoteachersfor24students.Hesaidthattheolderteacherwasamentorteacherandtheyoungerone,whowas,atmost,20yearsold,wasanassistantteacherenrolledatEsperanzaCommunityCollegewhowilleventuallytransfertotheUniversitytocompletehisteachingcredentials.Hepointedouthowthisillustratesanotherwayhisprogramdiffersfromthetraditionalpathway:prospectiveteachersareimmediatelyintroducedtotheclassroomasassistantteachers,thefirstlevelonacareerladderwithfoursteps.Assistantteacherslearntheskillsofteachingbyobservingthemodelbehaviorofamentorandpracticingthemundertheirsupervi-sorsguidance.Also,ascontrastedwithatraditionalprogram,theapprenticeteacherispaid,albeitatamodestrate,forhis/hertimeintheclassroom.

IaskedDr.Epsteinwhatkindofcoursesprospectiveteacherstakeatthecommunitycollegeanduniversity,inparticular,ifthereweremethodscourses,forexample,onhowtoteachphonicstofirstgraders(afteraskingif,indeed,firstgradersatTomPainelearntosoundoutwords).Yes,hetoldme,studentsdolearnphonics,buttherearenopracticumandmethodscourses.

Itwouldtakeyearstoapplythetheo-riesobtainedinmethodscoursestotheactualclassroom.Moreover,theydonotdealinreality.Studentsaredif-ferentthanthewaytheyareportrayedinmethodscourses.

Hewentontosay,Teachereduca-tionisorganizedbothforobtainingknowledgeandasanapprenticeship.Tolearntheskillsofteachingatanygrade,thecandidatehastogointotheclassroomand,underthesupervisionofamentor,beginteaching.Thisiswhyacareerladderissoimportanttodemocraticeducation.Atthebegin-ning,theycandolowlevelactivities,and,astheydevelopmoreknowledgeandskill,theytakeonmorecomplexresponsibilitiesandgoupthatcareerladder.Inmostcases,itwilltakefivetoeightyearstoclimbthefirstthreerungsoftheteachingcareerladder,andbecomeafullclassroomteacher.Onlyafractionofteachersreachthetoprung,thatofamentorteacher.

IaskedDr.Epsteinifheiscertainthisworks.HecitedanumberofNew

CareersTeacherPreparationProgramsfromthe1960sand1970sthat,atleastanecdotally,wereconsideredsuccess-ful,butwerenotrigorouslyevaluated;adeficiencythathethinkswillberemediedwiththecurrentproject.

Ireturnedtothequestionofcoursestheprospectiveteachershavetotake.Hementionedquiteanumberthatareallabsentfromtraditionalprograms.Thefirstcoursehedescribedwasondemocracy.Hesaidthatprospectiveteachersmustunderstandthatdemocracycanneverbefullyrealized,butonlyapproachedasymptotically.Inparticular,weareclosertobeingademocracytodaythanwewereadecadeagowhenweseemedtobeheadinginthewrongdirection,atriskofsuccumbingtowhatBertGrosscalledFriendlyFascism,butwearestillfarawayfromademocracy.

Ourcourse,DemocracyfortheClassroom,focusesoneightfunda-mentalprinciplesofademocracyandhowtheyapplytoteaching.Theseare:avisionofasustainableanddesirable

NASA/Goddard The Education for the Future Project holds that the most fundamental thing each student must learn is how to make the world a better place.


Envisioning

world;authoritybasedonfairness,access,transparency,persuasion,andnegotiability;rights,suchasfreedomofexpression,privacy,anddueprocess;inclusion,sothateveryoneisinvitedtobelong;knowledgeofhowtheworldworksscientifically,politically,andeconomically;participation;anenvi-ronmentwhichencouragesalltoreachtheirfullpotential;and,equality.

Togivemeasenseofhowthistranslatedtoteaching.Dr.Epsteintookmetoobserveahighschoolclassonurbanplanning.Thestu-dentsweredividedintofunctionalgroups,suchastransportation,foodsystems,recreation,artandculture,

andenergy.Wewanderedaroundtoobservetheworkofthegroupsmoreclosely.Onethingthatstruckmewasthewillingnessofthestudentstochallengecurrentideasaboutknowledge.Forthemostpart,theyobservedprotocolsthatwerepromi-nentlydisplayedonpostersaroundtheroom.Theseincluded:Challengeideas,notpeople,Youmusthavereasonstochallengeknowledgeorideas,andRelyonlogicandevidence,notbeliefs.Despitethis,wewouldoccasionallyhearastudentsay,Ibelieve,whichwouldelicitachorusof,Telluswhatyouthinkandwhy,notwhatyoubelieve.

Later,whendiscussingtheclass,Isuggestedthatgettingstudentstooper-ateaccordingtotheseprincipleshastobeextremelydifficult,ifnotimpos-sible,sincetheirparents,andmostoftheadultstheyencounter,mustviolatethemeveryday.IpointedoutthattherewasextensiveresearchbythepsychologistsDanielKahneman,AmosTversky,andothersthatmany,ifnotmost,peoplestrugglewithmakingdecisionsonthebasisofevidenceandlogic,butrathercommonlyusebiasesandheuristics.Dr.Epsteinsresponsewasthatthisiswhywehavetostartearly,asearlyaskindergartenandinculcatethesewaysofreasoning.

Media Arts Center San Diego Digital Gym Students at all grade and age levels should be tasked to work in groups on projects to make the world a better place.


Envisioning

IthenaskedDr.Epsteinhowheisabletodothiswhenthestudentspar-entsarenotusedtomakingdecisionsonthebasisofeducationandlogic.Itseemedtomethattheteachersandstudentswouldbechallengingthepar-entsknowledgeandideasabouthowtheworldworks.Dr.Epsteinrespondedthatthereistheoccasionalparentwhotransfershis/herkidsoutofthedemonstrationschools,butmoreoftenthekids,withtheirteachersencourage-ment,talktotheirparentsaboutwhattheyaredoingatschooland,asfaroutasitmayseem,thekidsaresometimesteachingtheirparents.

Wereturnedtotherequiredcoursesintheteacherpreparationprogram.HesaidthesecondfundamentalcourseisUtopianVisions.Inthiscourse

studentssurveythehistoryofutopias,readnumerousutopianworks,includ-ingthosebyThomasMore,EdwardBellamy,WilliamMorris,H.G.Wells,UrsulaK.LeGuinandothers.Thestu-dentsinthecourse,workingingroups,areencouragedtoimagineaworldasgoodasitcanbe,andtosharethatvisionwithothers.Theonlyconstraintsontheirvisionsarethattheyshouldbeenvironmentally,economically,andpoliticallysustainable;theymustbedesirableinthatmostpeoplewouldfindit[thatworld]gratifying;and,theymustbebasedoncurrentknowledgeandtechnology.

Healsobrieflydescribedseveralothercoursesthathearguedareessen-tialforteachersinordertomakesenseoftheworldfortheirstudents.These

are:LearningTheory(informedbybrainresearch);TheSocialPsychologyoftheClassroom;ConfrontingRacismandOtherBigotries;ElementaryEconomicswithanemphasisonhowdifferentschoolsoftheprofessionaffectschoolsandopportunity;andCallengingIssues(War,Poverty,SocialInjustice,andEnvironmentalDegradation).

Finally,hedescribedacourseonScienceasMethodandPractice,whichinvolvesboththeoryandworkintheclassroom.Ashedescribedthetheoreticalpart,usingcasestudies,theprospectiveteacherslearnhowscienceisalwaysbasedonchallengingcurrentknowledge,howknowledgeistestedandrefined.Then,withthistheoryandthemodelingbehavioroftheirmentorteacher,theypracticethisinthe

Converse College A student teacher in a 5th grade art class.


Envisioning

classroom,guidingstudentsinmakinghypothesesandthendesigningwaystotestthemandthen,ifnecessary,torefinethemasaconsequenceofwhatwaslearned.

Toseethefruitsofthis,Iwasabletoobserveascienceclassattheelemen-taryschoolanditwasawonder.Allthestudentswereactivelyparticipatingandincrediblyanimated.WhenIgotthere,thestudentswererecordingdataaboutthegrowthofplantsaccordingtohowmuchsuntheywereexposedto,thefrequencyofwatering,andhowmuchfertilizertheyweregiven.Theyplottedtheirdataongraphsandmadeconjecturesaboutwhichfactorshadthegreatestresponse,anddiscussedthedesignofexperimentstotesttheir

hypotheses.Dr.Epsteinsuggestedthatitwasclasseslikethisthatwouldultimatelydemonstratetheefficacyofhisapproach,eventothegraduat-ingofanewgenerationofscientists.Heassertedthat,ascontrastedwithtraditionalteachingwhereallbutahandfulofstudentsneverlearnwhatitreallymeanstodoscience,thisapproachhasthepotentialtokeepallstudentsexcitedandengaged.And,sincewedonotreallyknowwhohastheaptitudetoexcelatscience,wearelikelytoencouragestudentswithhighpotentialwhootherwisewouldnothavehadtheopportunitytodoscience.Wedidnthavetimetoobserveamathclass,butDr.Epsteinsaidtheprinciplesarethesame.

Allinall,thevisitwasfascinat-ing.Dr.Epsteinhassomeverynovelideasandapproachestoteachingandteachingteachers.However,evenashepreaches,heremainsskepticalofhisowntheoriesandideasandiswillingtoputthemtothetest.Anoutsideevaluationteamperiodicallyvisitsthedemonstrationschools,teststhestudentsandcomparesthemtosimilarpopulationsofstudentsatmoretraditionalschools.Thedatawillnotbeavailableforseveralyearsinordertogivethepro-gramtheopportunitytodevelopandshakeoutitsbugs.WewilljusthavetobepatientandawaitjudgmentofDr.EpsteinandtheEducationfortheFutureProject.

Gary Peeples / USFWS An elementary student engages in a hands-on science project, planting a seedling that she can then monitor the growth of.


InterviewIdea Lab

In 1998, Sra Popovic helped to found the Serbian nonviolent resistance group, Otpor! Two years later, this nonviolent movement helped to remove Serbian dictator Slobodan Miloevic from power. In 2003, Popovic established the Centre for Applied Nonviolent Action (CANVAS). As Director, Popovic has worked with pro-democracy activists from more than 50 countries and has become an international leader in promoting and teaching prin-ciples for success in nonviolent resistance.

Its been almost 15 years since the group Otpor! that you helped to lead overthrew Miloevic. Can you reflect on where Serbia is now and how it has developed for better or for worse since 2000?ThegeneralgoalofthemovementwastomovethecountrytowardsEurope.Fifteenyearsafter,Ithinkthesegoalshavebecomethemain-streamofSerbiansocietyandpolitics.Ithinkweveprogressedalotintermsofinteractionanddemocracy.ThepartiesthatareadvocatingapproachtotheEuropeanUnionarerepre-senting90percentoftheSerbianelectorate.ItisalotslowerthanIwouldexpect.AllthiswasachievedinbigpartthankstothefirstSerbianPrimeMinisterZoraninic,whotookoverafterMiloevicandledthecountryuntilhisassassinationin2003.Ifhehadstayedalive,itwouldprobablybeafasterprocess.

In your TED Talk How to Topple a Dictator and the Rise of People Power, you defined the principles of success

as unity, nonviolent discipline, and planning. How do each of those quali-ties affect the success of a nonviolent movement?Everysinglemovementisdifferent.Butyouwillneverwinwithoutthethreeprinciplesunity,planning,andnonviolentdiscipline.InSerbia,itwasapoliticalunity.Therewere19oppositionpartieswithonly

onePresidentialcandidatewhoranagainstMiloevicin2000.IntheArabworld,itsmorelikesectarianorreligiousunities.Insomeothercases,wearetalkingaboutthegenderunity.Whereveryoulook,themostcomplicatedtypesofunitythatyouachievearealsothemostimportantones.Howyoubuildtheunityishowyoubuildthejointvisionfortomor-row.Howyoumobilizeyourpotentialalliesiswhatveryoftendistinguishesthemovementbetweensuccessandfailure.Thevisionoftomorrowisjustadaydreamwithoutclearplanningonhowtogetthere.Thenonviolentdisciplineisself-explanatory.WhenyoulookattheresearchofMariaStephanandEricaChenoweth,youwillfindnonviolentmovementsinthelast100yearstwicemoresuccess-fulthanviolentmovements.Andthereasonforthisis,ofcourse,thelevel

ofparticipation.Nottoomanypeoplewillgotodemonstrationswherecarsareburningandthewindowsaresmashed.Andpartofthestoryisavoidingbeingaffiliatedwithpoten-tiallyviolentgroups.Iseethishappenoverandoverwhereyouhaveabunchofnonviolentorganizedpeoplebeingovertakenbyafewdozenpeoplefromsuperextremegroups.

Youve advocated for using humor as a strategy. What advice do you have for the best way to utilize humor? And are there any times the use of humor can be detrimental to a cause?Wewerelookingataveryspecificuseofhumor.Itsnotonlyjokesaboutthebadguys.Itisdesigningasituation.ThestorywealwaysuseistheSerbianpetrolbottlestorywherewepaintedthepictureofMiloeviconthepetrolbottle,andpeoplehadfunhittingitwithabat.Then,thepoliceappearedandarrestedthebottle.Humorbreaksfearandapathy.Andfearandapathyare,reportedly,themostimportantfactorsofstatusquo.Also,itsveryimportanttounderstandthathumorisonlyoneofthetoolsandthatitshouldbethesupplementtoyourgrandstrategyandthetacticsyouaretaking.Otherwise,youcanturnintotheprankster.

LeadingNonviolentMovements:AnInterviewwithSraPopovicInterviewed by Audrey Pence

Wherever you look, the most complicated types of unity that you achieve are also the most important ones.

Pence,A.(2015).LeadingNonviolentMovements:AnInterviewwithSra Popovi.Solutions6(5):1619.https://thesolutionsjournal.com/2015/5/leading-nonviolent-movements-an-interview-with-srda-popovic


InterviewIdea Lab

Stephan Rhl/Heinrich-Bll-Stiftung Popovic speaks at an event in Berlin in 2012.

The Internet has in many ways changed the way revolutions and movements are conducted. How instrumental has the Internet been in recent movements? Has its importance been at all exagger-ated at times?TheInternethaschangedthebattlefieldverymuch.Youmakethingsfaster,cheaper,andlessrisky.Itwouldtakeyouweeksandleafletsandpamphletsandradiocommercialsandalotofmanpower,alotofmoneytoassemblepeopletorally.Andnowyoucanmakeitavailableandeverybodyknows.ThesecondimportantroleisthesideoftheInternetwhereyougetintothejournalismworld.Now,whereveryouseedemonstrationsintheworld,fromBaltimoretoBahrain,youseepeopletapingwiththeircellphones,andyouhavetruth.Notleastimpor-tant,theInternetmakesitpossibletolearnfromeachotherinfasterways.Now,youcanfindaccesstoonlineeducation.Atthesametime,lookatthepowerofhorizontallearningwhereonegroupinVenezuelamakesacoolviralvideoandanothergroupinUkrainepicksituphorizontally.ThespeedoflearningisprobablythemostunderappreciatedroleoftheInternet.However,theInternet,likeanyothertechnology,comeswithtwosides.Youhavethisphenomenonofclicktivismandthewholerangeofpagesclaimingtheyaresavingthepolarbearsbyhavingmillionsofclicks.Nothingisreallyhappeningintherealworld.Wecallthisactiv-ismfromyourcouch.Andtherearesomanypeopleclickingfromtheircouchesandthinkingtheyaredoingsomethingreallygoodinsteadofgoingonthestreets.Oneofthemanythingswhichcamewithnewmediaisoccupyism.BecausepeopleweresoexcitedseeingTahrirSquare,they

gottheverywrongideathatallwehavetodoissitinanoccupiedpublicparkorplaceforlongenoughandM&Mchocolateswillstartfallingfromthesky.Ifyouarestickingtoanoccupationtactic,youwillbeincapabletobuildnumbersbecausepeoplearebusywiththeirownlives.Anditwillalienatetheverypeopleyouwanttorecruit.Byblockingthestreet,youareactuallydestroyingpeoplesbusinesses.Thesearethepeopleyouwanttorecruit,nottoharm.Allyouropponenthastodoissitontheirfatassuntilyour

numbersdwindle.WhichisexactlywhatmainlandChinadidinthecaseofHongKong.Itisactuallyaverydemanding,high-risktacticthatsuccessfulmovementswerealwayskeepinguntiltheendwhentheydalreadybuilttheirnumbersandorganization.Bewareoftheeasinessofassemblingpeople.

Youre quoted in an article in The Guardian as saying, Foreign military interventions dont bring change. You also say in that article that sanctions, for the most part, are unsuccessful.


InterviewIdea Lab

What do you think is the best move for foreign countries when a revolution falls to violence or a civil war?Thereisnoproofthattheuseofforcebringslong-termdemocracy.Whenthesystemisattackedfromtheoutside,everybodyralliesaroundtheleadership.IfyoulookatMiloevicsratings,theywerehighestduringtheNATObombing.Whenwearetalkingaboutsanctions,therearethingsthatworkandthingsthatdontwork.Youcantechnicallydividethisintoshotgunsanctions,whicharedesignedtotargetthepopulation,andsnipersanctions,whicharebasi-callydesignedtotargetofficials.Thefirstsanctionsdontwork.WhentheinternationalcommunitycameoutwithapetrolembargooverSerbia,peopleinthegovernment,peopleinthepolice,madeadealwiththepetrolsmugglers.So,everybodywasbecomingapetrolsmuggler,andthatdestroyedthemiddleclass.Themiddleclasswastoobusysurviving,andtheydidnthavetimetothink.Itisthemiddle,urban,moreeducatedclassthatyoumostlyrelyonwhenyoustartrecruitingforademocraticnonviolentmovement.However,whenyoulookatthesanctionstargetedatmembersoftheregime,theyareveryeffective.Ithinktherearesomanythingsthatinternationalscando,andtheydealmostlywithvalues.Howtopromotethevaluesinthesociety,howtopro-moteindependentinstitutions,howtopromotefreemedia.OneofthemosteffectivehelpsthatweevergotfromabroadwasbuyingtheequipmentfortheindependentradioandTVstationsinSerbia,whichenabledthedemocraticmovementtohaveavoiceandtofightbackagainstMiloevicsregimestateTVpropaganda.Oneofthethingsyoucando,youcanofferpeoplefreeonlineresources,free

books.Therearesomanydifferentthingsoutsideofbombingandsanc-tionsthatagovernmentcando.Ithinkthisisoneofthetasksforthefuture:toidentifytheeffectivecasesofforeignsupportandtocomparethemwithineffectivecasesofforeignmilitaryinterventionandtoreallylookatwhatbringsgoodnessandsupportandwhatonlybringsmiseryandmoresupportforthebadguysonthetop.

Many countries are mired in intractable conflicts, such as Iraq and Afghanistanimagine a future in which all the right steps were taken to move towards peace and security. Describe what that scenario looks like, and what would have to happen in order to get there?Ithinkunderstandingtheneedsofthepeopleisveryimportant,andIthink

wevelearnedalotabouthowtobuildsuccessfulnonviolentmovementsinthepast.Wherewelackknowledgeishowtofollowupthesuccessfulrevo-lutionwithasuccessfultransition.Ithinklookingatthedeliveryandskillsthepeopleneedandinstitutionstobebuilt,andallthisboringwork,whichattheendbringsyouthewell-organizedsociety,isthewaytogo.Idonthavereallypreciseadvice,butasinanystruggle,youcantwinwithouthavingthemajorityofthepeopleonyourside.Themajorityofpeoplearealwaysinthemiddle,neveronthefringe.Andthemajorityofpeoplewillcareonlyforthingstheyfindperson-allyimportant.Listeningtowhatispersonallyimportanttothesepeopleanddirectingyourhelptowardsbuild-ingwhatisimportantforthemisagoodwaytostartthinking.

Peter Durand A poster depicting Ivan Marovic, a founding member of Otpor.


InterviewIdea Lab

Bartolomeo Koczenasz/TEDxKrakow Popovic outlines his principals for successful movements at a TEDx event in Krakow.


Perspectives

ThisDecember,SaudiArabiawillhaveitsthirdroundofelectionsinthehistoryofitsKingdomandthefirstwherewomenwillbeallowedtoparticipate.HundredsofthousandsofSaudisareexpectedtoflocktothepolls,alongwithdozensofcan-didatesandaflurryofinternationalmedia,butonlyafewofthesewillbewomen.

WomeninSaudiArabiafacemanyobstacles,butmerelygettingtothepollsinacountrythatforbidsthemfromdrivingistheirbiggestchallenge.

Earlierthisyear,Wall Street JournalreporterAhmedAlOmranvoicedhisfrustrationsonTwitterasheurgedride-shareappslikeCareemandUbertoprovidefreeservicesforwomentothepollingbooths.1

Afewhoursafterhisinitialpost,Careempromptlyresponded,saying,boom,welldoit,andjustlikethat,whathadstartedasaninnocentcom-mentonTwitterbecameanationalcampaignforwomensrights.

Careemmadetheirofficialannouncementlaterthatday,tweetingBecause#yourvoicemakesadifference,wewillhelpyoumakeadifference.Forwomen,tripswillbefreetotheelectionpolls.1

InSaudiArabia,80percentofride-shareappcustomersarewomen.Restrictedbylawsgoverningtheirfreedom,carserviceslikeCareemgiveSaudiwomensomeindependenceandautonomy.

Saudihasalonghistoryoflimitingcivilrights.WhileotherArabnationsunderwentalimitedprocessofdemoc-ratizationinthe1980sand1990sbyintroducingliberalreformstotheirlegislature,SaudiArabialaggedbehindingrantingsuchpoliticalfreedoms.2

Ultimately,in2005,citizensweregiventherighttovoteundertheruleofKingFahdbinAbdulazizAlSaud.Followingapolicyofappeasement,hehopedtocurbtheincreasingdissentoverthelackofparticipationinthepoliticalarena.

Inthisauthoritarianregime,themunicipalelectionssymbolizedanexerciseindemocracythathelpedfurthertheStatesagendatoportraySaudiArabiaasaprogressiveandliberalizedcivicsocietyinsteadofaclosedandsecretivesocietythatfostersIslamicextremisminapost9/11world.2

However,failingtoachievethis,coupledwithadecisiontoexcludewomenaclearreflectionofpluralismandlackofseparationbetweenpoliticsandreligioninthestateSaudisimagedeterioratedevenfurther.

ThenextelectionsscheduledforOctober30,2009,didnttakeplaceuntilSeptember2011.Thedelaywasallegedlytoexpandtheelectorateandstudythepossibilityofallowingwomentovoteaccordingtoofficials.Nonetheless,in2011theMinistryofMunicipalandRuralAffairsstatedthatwomenwouldnotbeallowedtoparticipatebecauseofthekingdomssocialcustoms.3

Contemporaneously,KingAbdullahbinAbdulazizAlSaudgrantedwomentherighttovotebyaroyaldecreeandincludedwomeninhisShuracouncil.Inaspeechtotheadvisoryboard,speakingonbehalfoftheulama (clerics)aswellaspoliticalofficials,heannouncedtheinclusionofwomeninthefollowingelections.Becausewerefusetomarginalizewomeninsocietyinallrolesthatcomplywithsharia,wehavedecided,afterdeliberationwithourseniorulamaandothers...toinvolvewomenintheShuraCouncilasmembers,startingfromthenextterm.4

Theulamassuddenchangeinstancecouldbeattributedtomount-ingpoliticalpressuresplacedbyKingAbdullah,whogrewwaryofthefrag-ileinternalandexternaldynamicsatthetime.Insidethestate,activistsdemandedthatall178seatsbeelectedthroughademocraticprocess.Furthermore,theBaladicampaign,runbyagroupofpioneeringSaudifemaleactivists,ralliedthemassesintakingastrongstandagainsttheexclusionofwomen.Outsidethestate,revolutionariesoverthrewregimeafterregime,topplingruth-lessdictatorsandgainingfreedomfortheircountry.FearingEisenhowersDominoTheory,KingAbdullahmade

SaudiWomenTaketothePoliticalArenaEvenifItMeansSittingintheBackSeatby Ilina Talwar

The Baladi campaign, run by a group of pioneering Saudi female activists, rallied the masses in taking a strong stand against the exclusion of women.

Talwar,I.(2015).SaudiWomenTaketothePoliticalArenaEvenifItMeansSittingintheBackSeat.Solutions6(5):2023.https://thesolutionsjournal.com/2015/5/saudi-women-take-to-the-political-arena-even-if-it-means-sitting-in-the-back-seat


Perspectives

Edward Musiak The upcoming December elections in Saudi Arabia will mark the first election in which women are permitted to vote. Despite this, many women will still not make it to the polls.


Perspectives

thedecisiontoincludewomen,justninemonthsafterthewakeoftheArabSpring.

Nowin2015,womennotonlyhavetherighttovotebutalsotorunascandidates.ThisisagreatstepforwardforwomensrightsinSaudiArabia,acountrymarredforitsreputationasoppressiveandrigidinitstreatmenttowardswomen.

Itisalsoavitalsteptowardsmoderation,andforreachingabetterunderstandingofourownsociety,saidaSaudigraduatestudentatGeorgeWashingtonUniversity.5

However,takingonestepforwardandtwoback,theSaudigovernmenthasmanagedtofindalternativewaystoundercutwomensinvolve-mentintheelections.TheyshutdownaninitiativebytheBaladicampaigntoprovidefreetrainingsessionsledbyUNambassadorsandleadersfromacrosstheArabregiontohelpcandidateswiththeircampaign.

Structuralandculturalbarrierssuchaslackofpublicawareness,remoteregistrationcenters,andasystemofmaleguardianshiparekeepingwomenawayfromthepollingboothaswell.

Beingplacedunderamaleguard-ian,ormahram,requireswomentohavemaleapprovaltobeabletotravel,workoutsidethehome,oraccesshighereducation.6

Socialnormsandgovernmentregulationshaveworkedhand-in-handtocompletelyimmobilizewomen.Publiccondemnationpreventswomenfromusingthepoorformsofpublictransportationavailable.Awomangettingintoacabortravellingthemetroonherownisoftenseenaslackingmorals.7Andalthoughthereisnolawthatovertlyprohibitswomenfromdriving,itiscustomaryforgrant-ingauthoritiestorefuselicensestowomen.

TherationalebehindthisisbasedinSaudisconservativeideology.Womenmustnotcomeintocontactwithmaletrafficofficersormedics(incaseofanaccident)and,therefore,mustnotbeallowedtodrive.Areligiousclericevenwentasfarastosaythatdrivingcouldcauseharmtoawomansovaries.8

Womensrightsactivistshaveledseveralinitiativestoremovethedrivingbanbutfaileddespiteoftheirvigorousefforts.OnesuchcaseistheWomen2drivecampaign,wherewomenpostedpicturesofthemselvesdrivingonsocialmediaasaformofresistance.9,10

AccordingtoTheEconomistDemocracyIndex,theSaudigovern-mentistheseventhmostauthoritarianregimeoutof167countriesthatweresurveyed,scoringfarlowerthanitsArabneighbors.11ThebirthplaceofIslamandhometotwoofthemosthal-lowedcities,MeccaandMedina,SaudiArabiafollowsastrictinterpretationofSunniIslamknownasWahhabism.Originatinginthe18thcentury,Wahhabismhasbecomewellknownforitssubjugationofwomenandextremistideology,servingasabuildingblockforglobalterroristorganizationssuchastheTaliban,Al-QaedaandmorerecentlytheIslamicStateoftheLevant(ISIL).

SouRider.222 Womens rights activists have led several campaigns to remove the driving ban, including media such as this flier.


Perspectives

Althoughgrantingvotingrightsforwomenisatremendousachievementthatshouldnotgounrecognized,itisdoubtfulthatwomenwillbeinstrumentalinmakinganysortofpolicychange.Municipalcouncilsinrealityhaveverylittleauthority,asonlyhalfofelectoralseatsarepopularlyelected,whiletheKingappointstherest.Theyareinchargeofoversee-ingthebudget,givingsuggestionsforfurtherregulationandadminis-teringurbandevelopmentprojects.TheonlyrealgoverningbodywithlimitedinfluenceoverthemonarchistheShuracouncil,wherewomenarestillfirmlyunderrepresented.

References1. Rivero,D.andN.Prakash.Howonetweetishelping

Saudiwomenvoteforthefirsttimeever.Fusion

[online](September2,2015)http://fusion.net/

story/192438/how-one-tweet-is-helping-saudi-

women-vote-for-the-first-time-ever/.

2. Kraetzschmar,HJ.Thefirstdemocraticlocalin

electionsinSaudiArabiain2005.LSEPublicPolicy

Group[online](January2011)http://www.lse.ac.uk/

government/research/resgroups/LSEPublicPolicy/

Docs/Saudi_Arabia_Democratic_Elections_

Kraetzschmar.pdf.

3. SaudiArabiatoholdelectionsnextmonthafteryear

andahalfdelay.The Star[online](March22,2011)

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2011/03/22/

saudi_arabia_to_hold_elections_next_month_

after_year_and_a_half_delay.html.

4. AlSharif,A.Saudikinggiveswomenrighttovote.

Reuters[online](September25,2011)http://www.

reuters.com/article/2011/09/25/us-saudi-king-

women-idUSTRE78O10Y20110925.

5. FirstSaudiwomenregistertovote.Al Jazeera

[online](August20,2015)http://www.aljazeera.

com/news/2015/06/saudi-women-register-

vote-150621081535058.html.

6. Chittal,N.Saudiwomenregistertovoteforthefirst

time.MSNBC[online](August24,2015)http://www.

msnbc.com/msnbc/saudi-women-register-vote-the-

first-time.

7. Zavis,A.Bannedfromdriving,Saudiwomenturn

toUberandotherride-shareapps.Los Angeles Times

[online](May7,2015)http://www.latimes.com/

world/middleeast/la-fg-saudi-women-rideshare-

apps-20150507-story.html.

8. Jamjoom,M.Saudiclericwarnsdrivingcould

damagewomensovaries.CNN[online](September

30,2013)http://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/29/world/

meast/saudi-arabia-women-driving-cleric/.

9. Fields,L.Saudiwomenrecordthemselvesbehindthe

wheeltoprotestbanonfemalemotorists.Vice News

[online](October26,2014)https://news.vice.com/

article/saudi-women-record-themselves-behind-the-

wheel-to-protest-ban-on-female-motorists.

10.WomensRightsCampaigning.Women2Drivein

SaudiArabia[online](2015)https://womensrights.

informationactivism.org/en/cases/women2drive-

saudi-arabia.

11.Democracyindex2010:democracyinretreat.The

Economist[online](2010)http://graphics.eiu.com/

PDF/Democracy_Index_2010_web.pdf.

Al Jazeera English Structural and cultural barriers still limit Saudi womens freedom and actions.


Perspectives

YoucanhearthesoundsofnewconstructionfromjustaboutanypointonSterlingCollegesbucolicVermontcampus.ThewhirofsawsandtheplinkofhammersricochetoffthenearbyLowellMountainsasstudents26percentmorethanwereenrolledjusttwoyearsagoshuffletoclassthroughacarpetoffallleaves.

Thingshaveneverbeenbetteratthissmallcollege,whichspecializesinenvironmentaleducation.AnentireSustainableAgricultureandFoodSystemsCenter,whichwillhouseanewmajoronthesametopic,isintheworks.Andnotadimeofthemoney

usedcamefrominvestmentsinfossilfuels,becausethecollegesoldoffalltheirstockinthatindustrylastyear.

Oncollegecampusesnationwide,thekeyargumentagainstdivestmentorremovingallinvestmentsfromoil,coal,andnaturalgascompanieshasbeenthatitisnoteconomicallyfeasible;divestingwouldbeanabdicationoffiduciaryresponsibility.NotwarrantedorwiseweretheexactwordsHarvardPresidentDrewFaustusedinOctober2013,toexcusetheIvyLeagueinstitu-tionfromtakingitsUSD$30billionendowmentoutofenvironmentallydevastatingcorporations.1

Butevidenceismountingagainstthatargument.Severalcollegesanduniversitieshavecompletedthepro-cessofdivestment.Nonehavedeclaredfinancialruin.Infact,many,likeSterling,areseeingimprovedreturnsontheirinvestments.

Meanwhile,thecalltodivesthasneverbeenstronger.DuringtheweekofthePeoplesClimateMarchinSeptember2014,individualsandinsti-tutionspledgedtodivestmorethanUSD$50billionfromfossilfuels.2

Withevidenceandenthusiasmonthesideofdivestment,schoolslikeHarvardmayneedtorethinktheirportfolios.

TheseThreeCollegesStoppedInvestinginFossilFuelsOneYearLater,TheirEndowmentsAreDoingJustFineby A.C. Shilton

Light Brigading Student activists demonstrate in favor of fossil fuel divestment outside of a building at University of Wisconsin Madison in 2014.

Shilton,A.C.(2015).TheseThreeCollegesStoppedInvestinginFossilFuelsOneYearLater,TheirEndowmentsAreDoingJustFine.Solutions6(5):2428.https://thesolutionsjournal.com/2015/5/these-three-colleges-stopped-investing-in-fossil-fuels-one-year-later-their-endowments-are-doing-just-fine


Perspectives

Three DaysSterlingCollegesmovetodivestcameatthebehestoftheschoolstrustees,manyofwhomwerealreadyfamiliarwiththeissue.Theschoolspresident,MatthewDerr,saidthatSterlinghadarelativelysmallpercentageofitsinvestmentsinfossilfuelcompanies.But,hefeltdivestmentwastherightthingtodobecauseoftheschoolsenvironmentalmission.

Thefinancialcommitteebroachedthetopicwiththestudentsandfacultytomakesuretherewascampus-widebuy-inbeforemovingforward.Then,SterlinghiredTrilliumAssetManagement,aBoston-basedfirmthatfocusesonsustainableinvesting,tomanagethetransition.

Wesoldeverythinginthreedays,saysMattPatsky,TrilliumsCEO,whoestimatesthatabout13percentofthecollegesendowmenthadbeeninvestedinfossilfuelsinsomeway.Wesoldallthosefundsandboughtthemaportfolioofindividualstocksandindividualbondsthatwerefossil-fuelfree.

Patskysaysthatherollshiseyeswhenhehearsaboutschoolspromis-ingtodivestoverthenextfive,10,oreven15years.Whyfiveyears?hesays.Weknowfromhistoryitcanbedoneinamuchshorterperiodoftime.

NotlongafterSterlingCollegecompleteditsdivestment,theschoolannouncedthat,forthefirsttimein

itshistory,itsendowmenthadsurgedoverUSD$1million.

Itistemptingtowanttocreditthatsuccesstoitsnewer,cleanerportfolio,butthatisnotthewholepicture.Theyalsohadanaggressivecapitalcampaign,saysPatsky.

Sterlingisaprettyunusualschool.Ithasasmallpopulation,withjust123students.Itisalsoaworkcollege,wherestudentsarerequiredtoholdon-campusjobs,therebyoffsettingoverheadcosts.Itmightbetemptingtocalltheschooladivestmentanomaly,butitisnot.

Otherschoolsthathavedivestedareseeingthesamekindofresults.OnOctober31,2013,NaropaUniversityinBoulder,Colorado,finishedits

David Shankbone Naropa University is a medium-sized school in Boulder, Colorado that completed its student-driven divestment process in 2013.


Perspectives

divestmentprocess.Thistime,stu-dentswerethedrivingforcebehindthecampaign.

Wereavalues-drivenschoolandwebelieveinleadingbydoing,saysToddKilburn,theschoolschieffinan-cialofficer.Wevalueourroleinbeingthetipofthespearonthisissue.

UnlikeSterling,Naropaisamedium-sizedschool,withbothgrad-uateandundergraduateprograms.Italsohasabiggerendowment,aroundUSD$6.25million.

SanFrancisco-basedVerisWealthPartnershelpedNaropamanageitstransition,whichwascompletedinlessthanoneyear.

Almostexactlyayearlater,PatriciaFarrar-Rivas,theCEOofVeris,said:Ithasnthadasignificantchangeontheirportfolio.

But,whataboutareallybigschool?DeAnzaandFoothillcommunitycol-legesworktogetherasasinglecollegedistrictthatservesmorethan600,000studentseachyearinthesouthernpartoftheSanFranciscoBayarea.TheprivatefoundationthatsupportsthetwoschoolsisamongthelargestinCalifornia,withUSD$33millioninassets.UnlikeNaropaandSterling,whichareprivateandareattractivetostudentsbecauseoftheirstrongenvironmentalcommitments,thestate-mandatedmissionforDeAnzaandFoothillisclear:toofferaffordableeducationtothecommunity.

Whilebothofthecommunitycollegeshavecampus-widesustain-abilitymanagementplansinplace,itisneitherinstitutionsmainfocus.Myfirstgoalisafiduciaryone,saysRobinLyssenko,interimexecutivedirectorfortheFoothill-DeAnzaFoundation.IwouldntbehereifIdidntbelievethatprovidingopenaccesseducationwasimportant.

In2012,studentsapproachedthefoundationaboutdivesting,butthefoundationrequestedmore

information.Sixmonthslater,thestudentscamebackarmedwithdataandaresolutionpassedbythestudentbody.Lyssenkoandtheboardwereimpressed.

AreviewofthefoundationsassetsshowedthataboutonepercentofitsUSD$33millioninholdingswasinvestedinsomeoftheworstfossilfueloffenders.Eightmonthslater,thefoundationsportfoliowascleanofthem.Todate,Idontthinktheresbeenanimpactonourinvestmentsbecauseofit,saysLyssenko.Infact,theendowmentrecentlybrokeUSD$35million,althoughthatisalsopartlyduetoseveralsuccessfulfund-raisingcampaigns.

The Mechanics of DivestmentItturnsoutthatdivestingisnotnearlyascalamitousasHarvardspresidentmighthavehadusbelieve.

Anytimeyoutakestocksoutofyourportfolio,youcreateatrackingerror,whichmeansthatyourportfoliowilltrackdifferentlythantheoverallindex.IftheS&P500isyourbaseline,takingoutcertainstockswillchangehowyourportfolioperformsinrela-tiontothatbaseline.Inthesimplestterms,themorestocksyoutakeout,thebiggeryourtrackingerrorisgoingtobe.

Atrackingerrorisnotnecessarilyabadthingafundwithatrackingerrorcandobetterthantheoverallindex.But,ittendstomakeinvestorsnervousbecausethereisalwaysachancethatthingswillgotheotherway.Thereisawaytofixthatthough:investorscanreinvestthecashor

proceedsfromstocksalesinwaysthatoffsetthistrackingerror.

Whenindexmanagersaredivert-ingfundsfromfossilfuels,theyareabletolookatwhichoneshaveperformedsimilarlytofossilfuelsinthepast,andreinvestinthose.Forexample,astocksbetaestimatequan-tifiesastocksvolatilityovertime.If,forexample,youtakeExxonMobileoutofyourportfolioandithasabetaestimateof.79,youcouldreplacethatstockwithTarget,whichhistoricallyhashadabetaof.78.Bydoingthis,youcantweakyourdivestedportfoliosoittrackssimilarlytotheoverallindex.

Divestingalsooffersthebenefitoflettingschoolsreinvestinthingsthat

fitwiththeirbeliefs.AtSterling,thismeantreinvestingincompaniesthatproducesolarpower,anLEDlightbulbmanufacturer,andeveninacompanythatproducescarpetsfromrecycledmaterials.Naropawasalreadyinvestedingreenrealestate,sustainableforestry,andlandconservationcom-paniespriortoitsdivestmentprocess,butitaddedevenmoreweighttothoseinvestments,aswellasaddingmorehealthy-living-focusedcompaniestoitsportfolios.

IftradingExxonMobilestockforsharesinsustainablebusinessesseemslikeabadfinancialmove,considerthis:a1997paperintheJournal of Investinganalyzedthelong-termperformanceofportfoliosthathadbeenmodifiedtoexcludeavarietyofunsavoryinvestments.Itfoundthatportfoliosadjustedforallsocialissueswiththeexception

Several colleges and universities have completed the process of divestment. None have declared financial ruin.


Perspectives

ofmilitary-relatedcompaniesperformedbetterthantheirnon-adjustedcounterparts.3

Thisispartlybecausesociallyquestionablestocksoftenhavehighvolatility.Oilisaperfectexample.Dependingonworldevents,oilpricescanbeup,downandaroundthecornerbeforenoon.

AllofthisdatamakesHarvardsreluctancetodivest(evenasstudentsandfacultyengagedinaweek-longhungerstrikelastfall)seem,well,silly.Sure,Harvardhasthelargestendow-mentofanyuniversityinthenation,butriskisrisk,regardlessofdollaramount.

Instead,whatismostlikelycausingHarvardsnoncommittalresponseispressurefromitstrusteesandbigdonors,manyofwhich(likehedgefundmanagerKennethGriffin,whogaveUSD$150millionearlierthisyear)haveassetstiedupinthefossilfuelindustry.

IfauniversitylikeHarvarddumpeditsmassivevolumeofstocks,pricesmightbeaffected.AndthatwouldbeaproblemforlargeshareholderslikeGriffin,anoutspokensupporteroftheKeystoneXLpipeline.4

Harvardsresistanceislosingground,asthefirsthalfof2015hasseentheuniversitydivestmentmovementbuildsteam.Asthe

Harvarddebaterageson,alaundrylistoflarge,well-knownAmericanuniversitieshavecommittedtodivest-ingfromfossilfuels.InJanuary,theNewSchoolofNewYorkapprovedamotiontodivestitsUSD$220millionendowmentfromfossilfuelcompanies.Marchsawanothervictoryforthemovement,withSyracuseUniversityinNewYorkannouncingthedivestmentofitsUSD$1.8billionendowmentfromcoalminingandfossilfuelcompanies.InMay,theUniversityofWashingtonunani-mouslyvotedtodivestitsUSD$2.8billionendowmentfromcoal,makingitthelargestpublicuniversitytodoso.

Light Brigading Student activists demonstrate in favor of fossil fuel divestment outside Peter Bowden Divest Lesley University Rally in Cambridge, Massachusetts in March 2015.


Perspectives

Mostrecently,JunemarkedthedecisionofGeorgetownUniversity,aprestigiousIvyLeagueschoolinWashington,DC,todivestfromcoal.

Theseschoolsarerecognizingalow-riskopportunityinpromotingenvironmentaljustice,followingtheleadofstudentsandsupporterswhoincreasinglyrecognizeoilcompaniesassocialpariahs.

Ultimately,Theincrementalriskofdivestingisreally,reallyminimal,saysLizMichaels,directorofenvironmental,social,andgovernanceinvestingandsociallyresponsibleinvestingattheAperioGroup,afirmbasedinSausalito,California,whichspecializesinhand-pickingstocksforinvestors.Despitethat,theressomedecision-makingthathastogointoit,Michaelsadds.

AtSterling,thatprocesswaseasy.Whenitwasbroughtup,itwasntsomuchofanaha!momentasitwasaduh!moment,saysPresidentDerr.Headds,Weknewwewerewillingtoforgotheconceptofmaximumreturntobeinlinewithourmission.

Whattheschoolsadministratorsdidnotknow,however,washoweasilydivestmentcouldhelpthemmeettheirresponsibilitiestobothstudentsandthebottomlinenofossilfuelsrequired.

References1. HarvardWillNotDivestFossil-FuelHoldings.

Harvard Magazine[online](2013)http://

harvardmagazine.com/2013/10/harvard-will-not-

divest-fossil-fuel-holdings.

2. Collins,C.IncredibleHulkandFormerGoldman

SachsGuyAreAmongtheManyPulling$50Billion

OutofFossilFuels.Yes! Magazine [online](2014)

http://www.yesmagazine.org/climate-in-our-hands/

incredible-hulk-divestment-pledges-50-billion-

fossil-fuels.

3. GuerardJr.,J.IsThereaCosttoBeingSocially

ResponsibleinInvesting?The Journal of Investing

Vol.6,No.2:pp11-18[online](1997)http://www.

iijournals.com/doi/abs/10.3905/joi.1997.408416.

4. Delevingne,L.BlockingKeystoneXLpipeline

tragic:CitadelCEO.CNBC[online](2014)http://

www.cnbc.com/2014/04/29/blocking-keystone-xl-

pipeline-tragic-citadel-ceo.html#.

Peter Bowden A student protester at the Divest Lesley University Rally in Cambridge, Massachusetts in March 2015.


Perspectives

Ala kachuu directlytranslatestototakeandrunawayinKyrgyzstanandKazakhstan,andisknowntotheworldasthepracticeofbridekidnap-ping.Itcanoccurbothconsensually,asastagedelopement,andnon-con-sensually.Inthenon-consensualform,awomanisforciblytakentoamanshomewherehisfamilymemberswillattempttoconvincehertomarrysomeoneshemayknoworhavebeendating,oracompletestranger.

Despitethestrengtheningoflawsaroundthispractice,itisstillaprevalentissue.Withthisinmind,itiscrucialtoaddresstheculturalperceptionsurroundingthepractice.Onewaythiscanbedoneisthroughacampaignofvideosontelevision,andthroughseminarstoaddresshowthevictims,perpetrators,andothermem-bersofsocietyperceivethepractice.

Manyactiveandpassivepar-ticipantsinthispracticebelieve

thatbridekidnappingisanancienttradition,andthattherearefewplacestoturnifyouareavictim.Neitheroftheseviewsisfoundedinfact,anddisseminatingthistruthiscrucialtocombattingtheissue.

Forthelastsixmonths,ateamofKyrgyzandWesternscholarshasbeencompiling40oralhistoriesofwomenwhowerekidnapped.Theyplantopublishabooklocally,andtopresenttheirfindingsataconference

OralHistoryProjectTakesonBrideKidnappinginKyrgyzstanby Audrey Pence

Evgeni Zotov A Kyrgyz wedding in Karamyk, Kyrgyzstan.

Pence,A.(2015).OralHistoryProjectTakesonBrideKidnappinginKyrgyzstan.Solutions6(5):2932.https://thesolutionsjournal.com/2015/5/history-project-takes-on-bride-kidnapping-in-Kyrgyzstan


Perspectives

inUnitedStatesinthefallof2015.Thehopeistoshowhowdifferentpeopleexperiencekidnapping,andtohearthoughtsaboutit.

Alotoftheconversationinthecountryisaboutthisasatradition,butwehavefoundthatitisnotatraditionasmuchasastereotypeaboutgenderinvolvingmenwantingtodominateandcontrolwomen,andbridekidnap-pingisonewayofdoingthat,saysDr.ZhanylBokontaevaofIssyk-KulStateUniversity.

AnotherinnovativeapproachtotheissuecamefromaprojectintheWorldEconomicForumscampaignCreativeforGood.1Thiscampaigncreatedandbroadcastaseriesofvideosontelevisionandheldseminarstocombattheproblemofbridekidnapping.Theytargetedparentsofpotentialvictims,potentialkidnap-pers,youthwhomaybeindifferenttotheissue,andpotentialkidnappingvictimstochangetheculturalatti-tudessurroundingbridekidnappinginKyrgyzstan.

TheWorldEconomicForumsGlobalAgendaCouncilsusedtheprojectCreativeforGoodtoencourageanumberofpro-socialcampaignsthatutilizecreativesolutions.Thecam-paignthatcameoutofthisprojectforbridekidnappingresultedinserviceannouncementsbroadcastonpublictelevisioninKyrgyzstanduringtheyear,aswellasaseriesofseminars.

AccordingtoCynthiaWernerofTheWilsonCenter,thepercentageofkidnappingcaseswithminimalconsenthasincreasedfromzeroto18percentfromthe1970stothe1990s.Nationalismandindependence[have]takenitsholdinKazakhstan,Wernersaysinherreport,citinganumberofreasonsforthisincrease.2

WithariseinKazakhnationalism,therehasbeenanincreaseinsupportformoretraditionalgenderroles.Alongwithrevertinggenderroles,

membersofsocietywereeagertodevelopandfosterthetraditionsoftheirancestorsinbuildinganewlyindependentsociety.Oneoftheseperceivedtraditionstoboastofandexpandwithnationalisticpridewasbridekidnapping.

ManyexpertsbelievebridekidnappingbeganduringtheperiodoftimewhenKazakhstanandKyrgyzstanwerebeinggovernedbytheSovietUnion.Arrangedmar-riages,thetraditionalwayyoungmenandwomenweremarried,wasoutlawedinanefforttowardsmoreequalrights.Alongwiththeoutlawofarrangedmarriages,collectiviza-tionmadethebridesdowrymoredifficulttoafford.Manyyoungmenandwomenweregoingtouniversityandhadanewfoundindependence.Atthistime,manybridekidnappingswereaconsensualmeansbywhichnewlyindependentyouthcouldcircumventdisapprovingparentsortheexpenseofamarriage.

PaulineJonesLuongwroteofherresearchintobridekidnappingthatthepracticeworked,inmanyways,asasolutiontotheconflictbetweenSovietvaluesforawomantoplayaroleinchoosinghermarriagepartnerandKazakhvaluesthatstressedawomanshouldnotbetooeagertogetmarriedorbeinvolvedintheprocess.3

Althoughbridekidnappingmayseemlikeanisolatedissue,itiscrucialthatitbeaddressed.

AsWernerexpressed,Theriseofnon-consensualbridekidnappingislikelytocauseahostofothersocialproblems,whichmightinclude

domesticabuse,depression,drugabuse,andhighdivorcerates.Alloftheseproblemshindereconomicandsocialdevelopmentintheregion.4

InareportbytheForumofWomensNGOsofKyrgyzstanin2011,itwasestimatedthatapproximately35to45percentofmarriedethnicKyrgyzwomenaremarriedagainsttheirwillthroughbridekidnapping.5In2010,PublicFundOpenLinequestioned268victimsofbridekidnappingandfoundthat77percentofrespondentsdidnotknowitwaspossibletoaskforhelpanywhere,includingfrompoliceorcrisiscenters.6

ThePublicFundreportalsofoundthat74percentofrespondentssaidtheyweresubjectedtopsychologicalpressurewhile23percentsaidtheyfacedphysicalviolence,includingrape.7

OneKyrgyzwoman,Nazgul,saidofhergroom,followingabridekidnapping,Hepromisedthatwedgetmarriedanotherway.8Shesaidshedidwanttomarryhim,butnotatthistime.Membersof

A lot of the conversation in the country is about this as a tradition, but we have found that it is not a tradition as much as a stereotype about gender involving men wanting to dominate and control women, and bride kidnapping is one way of doing that. Dr. Zhanyl Bokontaeva


Perspectives

herfamilysaidtheyhadhopedshewouldfinishschoolbeforemarriage.Whenaskedwhyshedidnotfightherkidnappersmore,Nazgulsaid,SinceIwasalreadytaken,theywouldntleavemealoneanyhow.Ithinkthatitskindofourtradition.Actuallyitsacustomthatcomesfromancienttimes.

Inthesamereport,leadingexpertRussellKleinbachoftheKyzKorgonInstitutethatworkstoabolishbridekidnappingsaid,ThemainsourceforKyrgyzcustomsisthenationalepic,Manas.But,ifyoureadtheentireManas,nowhereinitdoesthehero

kidnaphiswifeorevenreferencethepractice.Actually,accordingtoourresearch,wethinkthepracticeofbridekidnappingstartedinthe19thcenturyanddidntbecomepopularuntilthe1940sand50s,whenKyrgyzstanwaspartoftheSovietUnion.9

TheEpicofManasisatraditionalepicpoemoftheKyrgyzpeoplethatmightbeconsideredthemostvaluedpieceofliteratureexpressingtheKyrgyznationalheritage.

RestlessBeings,anNGOinKyrgyzstan,hascreatedasaferefugecenterandhomewherevictimsofbridekidnappingcanturnfor

counselingandservices.Theyalsoworktoraiseawarenessandcontinueresearchonthepractice.

RimmaSultanova,anexpertwiththeWomenSupportCentre,saidonlyoneoutof700casesispursuedbythejusticesectorandonlyonein1,500casesresultsinajudicialsentenceinKyrgyzstan.10

TheWorldEconomicForumsCreativeforGoodcampaignonbridekidnappingtargetedparentsofvictims,potentialkidnappers,indifferentyouth,andpotentialvictimswithauniquevideoforeachtosharetheoffenseofbride

Lukas Bergstrom A statue of the Kyrgyz hero of legend, Manas. The Epic of Manas serves as the main source for Kyrgyz customs, but the poem does not include any reference to the practice of bride kidnapping.


Perspectives

kidnappingandtheoptionsvictimsandtheirfamilymembershave.

AfterthecampaignandtheworkofotherNGOsandlawmakers,PresidentofKyrgyzstanAlmazbekAtambayevapprovedanamendmenttotheCriminalCodeonJanuary26,2013.Thisamendmentchangedthesentenceforforcingwomenintomar-riagefromamaximumofathreeyearprisontermtoamaximumtenyearprisonterm.Since,therehavebeenmorecallstothepoliceandtothePublicFundOpenLineforvictims.Therehavealsobeenfourcriminalcasesonbridekidnapping,whereasbeforethecampaigntherehadbeennone.11

Moreaction,likethiscampaign,isneededtochangetheculturesur-roundingbridekidnappingandtheperceptionofitinsociety.

Farrukh Participants take part in an event put on by Restless Beings, an NGO in Kyrgyzstan that raises awareness around the issue of bride kidnapping and offers refuge and resources to victims.

References1. BrideKidnapping(Kyrgyzstan).CreativeforGood,

WorldEconomicForum[online](2014)http://www.

weforum.org/best-practices/creative-good/bride-

kidnapping-kyrgyzstan.

2. Werner,C.TheRiseofNon-ConsensualBride

KidnappinginKazakhstan:Developinga

Culturally-InformedandGender-Sensitive

Response.TheWilsonCenter[online](2011)

http://www.wilsoncenter.org/publication/the-rise-

non-consensual-bride-kidnapping-kazakhstan-

developing-culturally-informed-and.

3. Luong,PJ.The Transformation of Central Asia: States

and Societies from Soviet Rule to Independence (Cornell

UniversityPress,Ithaca,2004).

4. Werner,C.TheRiseofNon-ConsensualBride

KidnappinginKazakhstan:Developinga

Culturally-InformedandGender-Sensitive

Response.TheWilsonCenter[online](2011)

http://www.wilsoncenter.org/publication/the-rise-

non-consensual-bride-kidnapping-kazakhstan-

developing-culturally-informed-and.

5. Stakeeva,B.,C.Kartanbaeva,andN.Djanaeva.

AccesstoJusticeforVictimsofBrideKidnappingin

Kyrgyzstan.ForumofWomensNGOsofKyrgyzstan

[online](2011)http://www.karat.org/wp-content/

uploads/2012/01/Access_to_justice_Report_

Kyrgyzstan_en.pdf.

6. BrideKidnapping(Kyrgyzstan).CreativeforGood,




7. BrideKidnapping(Kyrgyzstan).CreativeforGood,




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[online](2015)http://www.vice.com/video/bride-

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Perspectives

Lessthanthreepercentoftheplanetsavailablewaterissuitableformosthumanuses.1Thisfractioncould,nonetheless,meetglobaldemand.Theproblemisitsunevendistributionandmismanagement,whichleadstopollutionandsevereshortagesthatharmhumanandplanetarywell-being.In2013,1.2billionpeopleexperiencedwaterscarcity.Another1.6millionweredeprivedofaccessbecauseoflimitedfinancialresources.2In2000,approximately66percentoftheworldsmajorriverbasinswerepolluted.3Continuedpopulationgrowth,climatechange,4andexistingdevelopmentgaps,suchasinadequatesanitation,5willlikelyexacerbatetheseproblemsinthefuture.

Traditionalsolutionstomeetingthewaterscarcityandpollutionchallengehavefailedbecausetheyrarelytackleissuesofwaterdepletion,degradation,andunevendistributionwiththesortofmarket-based,hybridapproachthatoffersthemostsensitiveandflexibleofsolutions.

Waterusagecanbedifficulttomonitor.Corporationsandprivateinterestshavetraditionallyfounditeasytoexternalizeenvironmentalandsocialcosts,leavingthecostlybusinessofremediatingdamagedaquifersandwatersourcestothepublicpocket.

Mostpoliciesaddressingwaterusageseparatetheissueofwatershort-agefromthatofquality.Large-scaleinfrastructure,suchasdams,isoftenconstructedtomeetshortages,2butthisfailstoaddressfactorsthatdrivedemand,suchasinefficienciesinwateruseandunequaldistribution(tosaynothingofthesocialandenviron-mentalimpact).Forquality,effluentstandardsthatlimittheconcentration

ofpollutantsinwastewaterareoftenimposed.6Whileeffectiveintheshort-run,thesestandardsoftendontrespondquicklyenoughtochangesinpollutionsources.IntheUnitedStates,forinstance,theCleanWaterActonlysucceededinmeetingwaterqualityobjectivesinthefirsttwodecades.Fromthe1990s,however,increasesinpollutionandshiftsinitscompositionfrombeingpredominantlyindustrialtoagriculturalanactivitythatisnotcoveredbytheregulationlimiteditseffectiveness.7

Market-ba

Solutions Volume 6, Issue 5

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