We Are at a We Are at a Crossroads in History….Crossroads in History….

Where Do We Go From Here?Where Do We Go From Here?

Economic ConsiderationsEconomic Considerations

• Will globalization Will globalization be a force for be a force for good or for evil?good or for evil?

Social ConcernsSocial Concerns

• Will we achieve Will we achieve greater equality greater equality or continued or continued disparities disparities between rich and between rich and poor?poor?

Political PossibilitiesPolitical Possibilities

• Will we practice Will we practice democracy and democracy and rule of law or rule of law or autocracy and autocracy and executive executive mandate?mandate?

Cultural AlternativesCultural Alternatives

• Will we embrace Will we embrace qualitative values qualitative values (family, community, (family, community, quality of life, personal quality of life, personal fulfillment) or fulfillment) or consumerism (wealth, consumerism (wealth, mass consumption, mass consumption, material possessions, material possessions, selfishness)?selfishness)?

Intellectual ValuesIntellectual Values• Will we follow Will we follow

positive guiding positive guiding principles (life, principles (life, love, liberty, love, liberty, pursuit of pursuit of happiness) or happiness) or negative ones negative ones (greed, corruption, (greed, corruption, exploitation of the exploitation of the earth and people)?earth and people)?

Religious ConsequencesReligious Consequences

• Will religion be Will religion be a positive a positive force to force to cultivate cultivate understanding understanding and tolerance and tolerance or a negative or a negative one to breed one to breed hatred and hatred and contempt?contempt?

Where Have Opportunities Where Have Opportunities Taken Us in the Past?Taken Us in the Past?

Agricultural RevolutionAgricultural Revolution• The Agricultural The Agricultural

Revolution brought Revolution brought civilization – but it civilization – but it was accompanied by was accompanied by social classes, social classes, disparities between disparities between rich and poor, rich and poor, autocratic autocratic governance, and the governance, and the hijacking of religion hijacking of religion to serve political to serve political purposes. purposes.

Renaissance and ReformationRenaissance and Reformation

• The Renaissance and The Renaissance and Reformation brought Reformation brought Protestantism, capitalism, Protestantism, capitalism, and democracy – but not and democracy – but not without religious warfare, without religious warfare, exploitation of non-exploitation of non-European populations, European populations, and limitations on and limitations on participation (e.g., women, participation (e.g., women, Native Americans, and Native Americans, and African Americans).African Americans).

Industrial RevolutionIndustrial Revolution• The Industrial The Industrial

Revolution brought Revolution brought mass production and an mass production and an increased standard of increased standard of living for many – but it living for many – but it also meant exploitation also meant exploitation of labor, imperialism, of labor, imperialism, militarism, and warfare.militarism, and warfare.

Information RevolutionInformation Revolution• The Information The Information

Revolution brought Revolution brought advances in technology advances in technology and communications –and communications –but at the expense of but at the expense of corporate consolidation, corporate consolidation, globalization globalization (exploitation of cheap (exploitation of cheap labor, natural resources, labor, natural resources, and markets) corporate and markets) corporate control of mass media, control of mass media, and warfare.and warfare.

You Can’t Be Neutral on a You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train….Moving Train….

Where We Are Now…Where We Are Now…

• Some say we are Some say we are engaged in a mis-engaged in a mis-guided war that we guided war that we were tricked into were tricked into entering by an entering by an unscrupulous unscrupulous administration and administration and an unprincipled an unprincipled media – both media – both beholden to beholden to corporate interests. corporate interests.

• Others say the Others say the war is war is necessary to necessary to protect the protect the country from country from terrorists and terrorists and that those who that those who criticize the criticize the government are government are unpatriotic.unpatriotic.

Who Is Benefitting from the War?Who Is Benefitting from the War?

• Some call attention Some call attention to war profiteers to war profiteers (big oil, weapons (big oil, weapons manufacturers, manufacturers, reconstruction reconstruction firms, mercenaries) firms, mercenaries) and say they are the and say they are the only ones who are only ones who are benefitting from the benefitting from the war.war.

• Others say we all Others say we all benefit from the war benefit from the war because our troops because our troops are fighting to are fighting to protect freedom, protect freedom, democracy, and our democracy, and our way of life.way of life.

Why Do We Cooperate?Why Do We Cooperate?

• Some point to scare Some point to scare tactics (red alerts, tactics (red alerts, “sky is falling” “sky is falling” rhetoric, reminders rhetoric, reminders that America’s that America’s number one priority number one priority is to keep the nation is to keep the nation safe), corporate-safe), corporate-controlled media, controlled media, shoddy journalism.shoddy journalism.

• Others say it is Others say it is the patriotic duty the patriotic duty of every citizen to of every citizen to support the support the government government during time of during time of war.war.

What Are the Consequences?What Are the Consequences?

• The record shows The record shows countless numbers countless numbers of lost lives, the of lost lives, the deterioration of civil deterioration of civil liberties (removal of liberties (removal of habeas corpus, habeas corpus, illegal surveillance, illegal surveillance, emergency powers), emergency powers), and violations of and violations of human rights human rights (torture).(torture).

• Others point out Others point out that war requires that war requires sacrifices and that sacrifices and that we sometimes we sometimes have to give up have to give up our freedoms to our freedoms to insure national insure national security.security.

The ChoiceThe Choice• InvolvementInvolvement

(discover the truth, (discover the truth, demonstrate curiosity, demonstrate curiosity, awareness, awareness, compassion, and compassion, and leadership)leadership)

• ApathyApathy(ignore the truth, (ignore the truth, demonstrate demonstrate disinterest, ignorance, disinterest, ignorance, indifference, and indifference, and passivity)passivity)

Principles to Guide Principles to Guide Our ActionsOur Actions

Criteria for Well-Informed Decisions

• The Cliff Notes version of conscience formation could be summed up by asking oneself two questions:

• Is my contemplated decision LIFE GIVING?

• Is it GENEROUS?

-- Susan V. Vogt

Corporate PhilanthropyCorporate PhilanthropyExample: Bill & Melinda Gates FoundationExample: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

• Two simple values Two simple values lie at the core of the lie at the core of the foundation’s work:foundation’s work:• All lives—no matter All lives—no matter

where they are being where they are being lived—have equal lived—have equal value. value.

• To whom much is To whom much is given, much is given, much is expected. expected.

The Future is Up to YOU.The Future is Up to YOU.