Activism
Transcending the Threat of Trump’s Cabinet
I understand why people are reluctant to talk about politics, especially in the current political atmosphere. It so often fuels negativity, anger and conflict. I believe that is largely due to the nature of our President-Elect. When we speak of someone like Gandhi or Mother Teresa, emotions of peace, love, empathy and benevolence are evoked.…
Read MoreI Ask for Wonder
I’ve been a philanthropist and activist my whole life. It’s part of my identity. It derives from my profound love and reverence for our human existence and the gift of the magnificent cosmos in which we dwell. Over the last four years or so, my perspective on activism has evolved considerably. I wrote about that…
Read MoreLet Me In
Our friend Jonathan Olinger at HUMAN recently wrote and directed the latest Alicia Keys video, Let Me In. The film is a tribute to the refugee crisis around the world. There are more refugees today than at any other time in history. Half of them are children. Despite all our technical advances, the exponential growth of these…
Read MoreThe Choice to Value Love
The country of Bhutan protects 51% of it’s land for conservation, ensures that 60% of the land is covered in forests and is one of the top ten most bio diverse countries on the planet. What does Bhutan value? Costa Rica’s national slogan is “pura vida”, meaning “pure life”. 25% of their land is protected…
Read MoreThe Revolution Begins at Home
In my 20 years of philanthropic endeavors, I’ve certainly been guilty of “fighting for peace”. But after many years of deliberate studies lifestyle transformations, I’ve awakened to the irony of that tactic. Why do I gravitate towards fighting? I suppose it’s in my blood. But I also know it’s mostly just because I care so…
Read MoreTHE CHOICE BETWEEN APATHY & DEMOCRACY
Elections come and go in the United States, and often, little changes. But the 2016 Presidential Election is already proving to be an entirely different animal. Something important is brewing. Due to the dramatic juxtaposition of the characters in this charade, the United States has created the world’s most discussed reality TV show. Sensationalism is…
Read MoreThe Trend of Celebrity Philanthropy
Society has always been heavily influenced, if not guided, by celebrity. They are the trend setters and often the primary influencers of politics, economic agreements and social environments. Paris Hilton is what you’d call a celebutante: a celebrity not through talent or work, but through inherited wealth and lifestyle. Gandhi was a poor peasant that…
Read MoreTECHNOLOGY // Progress or Disconnection?
Is technology helping society progress? Perhaps we need to start by asking a different question. What is progress? PROGRESS // WEBSTER’S DICTIONARY : movement forward or toward a place : the process of improving or developing something over a period of time When we think about enrolling our children in school, my wife and I look at…
Read MoreWhen Alternatives Become the New Norm
Since the beginning of the 1760s Industrial Revolution in the United States, society has been moving exponentially deeper into mass consumption. We have the means to create excess easily and cheaply. And just as importantly, we have the ability to influence and brainwash society into believing that excess will bring us happiness and fulfillment. The…
Read MoreNaïve, Irrational Zealot
By the age of eight, I was well on my way to becoming an activist. It was 1985 and “We Are The World” was flooding the MTV airwaves that I was so enthralled with at the time. My heroes were all in the lineup, and they were determined to end the famine in Ethiopia. Even…
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