WP Article and Podcast episode: Vladimir Kara-Murza tells his story
From the Washington Post: Pulitzer Prize winner Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was part of August’s massive prisoner exchange with Russia, sat down to talk with Post Opinions editor David Shipley about his time in jail, the importance of freedom of speech and what the future holds for Putin’s regime.
Read more and listen to the episode here.
I have the privilege of calling Vlad a friend and colleague. We know each other through our work at the Wallenberg Foundation for Human Rights and Human Rights Foundation of which Yuila Navalnaya is now Chair, succeeding Garry Kasparov who succeed Vaclav Havel.
Steven Kest to serve CPD Action Leadership Team
The Trebuchet hosted a conversation with Steven Kest and Abby Keisa about the current state of the 2024 Presidential and Congressional elections. Several of The Trebuchet's Convisero community attended including including Barry Bluestone, Ehren Brav, Bonnie Kramer, and Michael Maso. I also wanted to acknowledge Dayna Cunningham, the Pierre and Pamela Omidyar Dean of Tufts' Tisch College for introducing me to Abby for this dialogue.
CPD Action, along with their sister organization Center for Popular Democracy, works to create equity, opportunity, and a dynamic democracy in partnership with high-impact base-building organizations, organizing alliances, and progressive unions. CPD Action works on campaigns that promote a pro-worker, pro-immigrant, racial and economic justice agenda and win victories to improve people’s lives. Steven Kest, a friend and colleague, serves on the Leadership Team and has recommended me to this organization of which I am in support of its efforts.
How India Can Fix Its Employment Crisis by Convisero mentor Bhaskar Chakravorti
How India Can Fix Its Employment Crisis: Bhaskar Chakravorti
Harvard Business Review
Despite a roaring economy, India is in the middle of an employment crisis: In a country with the world’s largest and youngest workforce, there are very few good jobs to be had. To maintain its economic momentum through consistently high GDP growth, India needs to produce more jobs and move a greater proportion of its workforce into higher productivity sectors. Failure to do so would result not only in depressed incomes and slowdown in consumer demand, it would also add to future political instability, social unrest, and a waste of the country’s much-vaunted “demographic dividend.”
Convisero Mentor Rachel Svetanoff Leads UNA-USA Program
Through the UNA-USA Global Goals Ambassador Network, members can leverage their passion for issues within an SDG and engage local and national communities around programming and other activities. During this yearlong program, the Ambassadors receive training from UNA-USA and United Nations Foundation staff to help support their engagement plans, blog posts, workshops, speaking with various audiences, and all other efforts around their SDG. Rachel Svetanoff takes on the leading role to coordinate, collaborate, and partner with mission-aligned organizations to promote and advocate for achieving the 2030 SDGs. Please refer to this link for more information!
Dr. Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, Convisero mentor, receives 2024 Templeton Prize
Pumla Joins Past Laureates Desmond Tutu and Jane Goodall to Receive One of the World’s Largest Individual Lifetime Achievement Awards.
We are so proud to share the wonderful news that our dear friend and colleague, Pumla, has received this prestigious award. My wife Iris Adler and I will be with Pumla this year at her invitation conducting workshops at her Stellenbosch University center.
Quick bio: Dr. Gobodo-Madikizela is a professor and South African National Research Foundation’s Chair in Violent Histories and Transgenerational Trauma and the Director of the Centre for the Study of the Afterlife of Violence and the Reparative Quest at Stellenbosch University.
At home with Convisero mentor Pumla (link to Trebuchet) holding a gacaca reconciliation bowl from Rwanda (2024).
Convisero Mentor Patrick Schmidt wins Kansas Democratic Primary for State Senate
In the November general election upon winning the Democratic Primary, Patrick will face Republican Party nominee Tyler Wible, a Topekan who defeated moderate Cynthia Smith in the primary. He is running for Kansas' 19th State Senate district as a sixth-generation Kansan, coming from a family of farmers, miners, and teachers. Patrick is currently working in the Naval Reserve and returned to Kansas with his wife, Megan, to fight for rights in the Kansas Legislature.
I am also honored to say that I have been awarded the 2024 Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate distinction. MAD has recognized me as a candidate that advocates for gun violence prevention and will govern with gun safety in mind. I'm committed to passing legislation that saves lives.
I have also been endorsed by Sheet Metal Air Rail Transportation (SMART). I am honored to have the endorsement of these union workers!