February 17th at 11am: Reimagining immigration policies. Ric Grefé will lead an interactive workshop using design thinking techniques to capture observations and ideas from all those attending. Participants will need to see the problem from many perspectives. According to the Interactive Design Foundation, design thinking is a non-linear, iterative process that teams use to understand situations, challenge assumptions, redefine problems and create innovative solutions to prototype and test. The session will last 1.5 hours.
Category: Activities (Page 12 of 32)
Activities are gatherings that occur on a regular schedule, usually weekly, to enjoy a specific pastime.
The DMA golf season began at Oak Hills in July with 32 DMA members participating in a wonderful golf outing. The golf course was in great shape, everyone enjoyed the camaraderie, and there were no rain delays. Golf results remain privileged information.
The next golf outing of the season will be held at the Country Club of Darien at 9:00 AM on Thursday, August 26th. A buffet lunch will be served after play is completed. Cost for non CCD members will be $115 for golf and cart; the buffet will be $25. Please email Peter Carnes at picarnes@gmail.com if you wish to play. Make sure to include your email address and handicap for communications and pairing purposes.
We look forward to another great turnout of DMA golfers at CCD in August.
Peter
A probing history of the CIA’s evolving role from the outset of the Cold War into the 1960s, viewed through the exploits of four American spies. On the heels of Germany’s defeat in World War II, European leaders and intelligence agents were shifting focus to the Soviet Union’s dominance over Eastern Europe and threatening pursuit of influence in Asia. Under a recently sworn-in President Harry Truman, the American government was slower to gauge early. signals but eventually responded with often disastrous covert tactics. Anderson delivers a complex, massively scaled narrative, balancing prodigious research with riveting storytelling skills. He tracks the careers of four agents. In the Philippines, Edward Lansdale was instrumental in combatting the Hukbalahap uprising, lining up Ramon Magsaysay, the secretary of defense, to become president in 1954. Peter Sichel, a German Jew whose family escaped the Nazis, ran the CIA’s Berlin office for more than a decade. Former naval officer Michael Burke headed the paramilitary operations in Albania and elsewhere. Frank Wisner, the CIA’s deputy director of plans, had key roles in the Office of Policy Coordination until its full merging with the CIA in 1950. Though all four men began their careers with the strong desire to defend American freedom, the author
engagingly demonstrates how their efforts were undermined by politically motivated power grabs within the
U.S. government; poorly planned covert operations; and duplicitous scheming by the likes of J. Edgar Hoover
and Sen. Joseph McCarthy, who were espousing anti-communist rhetoric to advance their own careers. “By
the end of Eisenhower’s second term,” writes Anderson, “the geographical spread of governments that his
administration had undertaken to overthrow or otherwise subvert suggested an almost purposeful design, as if
it sought to alienate the citizenry of most every region and subregion of the globe.” Over the course of the
narrative, the author amply shows how the CIA was increasingly pushed to function as an instrument of
politically charged ambitions.
An engrossing history of the early days of the CIA.
Real Life as a Palestinian-Has America gotten this one right or wrong? David Maloof will moderate the discussion.
- Background
I am pleased to lead an in-house conversation on “Real Life as a Palestinian: Has America Gotten This Right or Wrong?” on September 16th from 11am-12 noon.
To save on time, let me start by providing my personal vantage point.
As a successful international lawyer, some two decades ago I asked: how could I make the biggest difference in this life? I decided that the biggest challenge I could undertake was to try to solve Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.
I then undertook the following tasks, among others:
1. Visiting Palestinian refugee camps in the West Bank and Lebanon to participate in real life; funding recreational facilities and a basketball court at a Palestinian refugee camp; serving on the national board of a Christian organization (“Churches for Middle East Peace”) dedicated to this cause, still a member; taking out a ½ page ad in the New York Times; paying for highway billboards; attending international Jewish organization’s peace conferences and lecturing on college campuses about my experiences; reviewing legal brief for US peace activist NGO.
2. Meeting with Middle East Christian Leaders; Palestinian leaders in Ramallah; Chief Palestinian negotiator (Saeb Erekat) and Palestinian and Arab leaders and ambassadors in Washington and London; Israeli Foreign Ministry in Tel Aviv; members of Knesset in Tel Aviv; Israeli Settlement leaders; and Israeli media elite.
3. Meetings with US Senators, their staffs, and officials in the State Department; meeting with National Security Council Staff in the Obama White House; meeting with US Consul General in Jerusalem; providing informational documentaries to the same National Security Staff; meeting with George Mitchell, U.S. peace envoy.
4. Interacting with US media to place Palestinian peacemakers on US television and radio programs, such as CNN International and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (2009).
5. Arranged for the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, to directly address the American people in English on a college campus (The Cooper Union) and call for peace (September 22, 2014).
Notes on the parameters of the September 16, 2021 discussion given the potential breadth of the topic and the limited time:
1. I would like to hew closely to the subject of: “Real Life for a Palestinian.”
2. I suggest that given time restraints we avoid discussion of historical events and try to stick to the current situation in 2020-2021.
3. I suggest that it would also probably be useful to focus on current living conditions in 2020 and 2021 in Palestine and in Israel.
4. suggest that we should focus more on current and possible future US policies than past ones.
Media
I suggest that you might go online and watch some of the two following media:
1. “John Oliver – Last Week Tonight” Israel v. Palestine (5/17/21)
2. “Budrus” (2009) (1 hour, 22 minutes)
https://www.amazon.com/Budrus-Ayed-Morrar/dp/B00B1Z20UQ
3. “Five Broken Cameras” (2011). (Nominated for an Academy Award in 2013 for “Best Documentary.”) (1 hour, 34 minutes)
https://www.amazon.com/5-Broken-Cameras-English-Subtitled/dp/B00B03Z858
4. “The Daily Show” (guest Mustafa Barghouti) (2009)
5. Anna Balzer, “Life in Occupied Palestine.” (2008)
https://www.amazon.com/Life-Occupied-Palestine-Eyewitness-Stories/dp/0930852478
6. Written Materials
I also suggest reading some of the following written materials:
Daily Life/Human Rights in Israel
- B’Tselem, “A Regime of Jewish Supremacy from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea: This is Apartheid,” (2021)https://www.btselem.org/sites/default/files/publications/202101_this_is_apartheid_eng.pdf
- B’Tselem, “This is Apartheid,” (2021) https://thisisapartheid.btselem.org/eng/#1
- Human Rights Watch, “A Threshold Crossed: Israeli Authorities and the Crimes of Apartheid and Persecution,” (2021) https://www.hrw.org/report/2021/04/27/threshold-crossed/israeli-authorities-and-crimes-apartheid-and-persecution
- Amnesty International, “Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territories 2020” (2020) https://www.amnesty.org/en/countries/middle-east-and-north-africa/israel-and-occupied-palestinian-territories/
Treatment of Children in Palestine
- UNICEF, “The Situation of Palestinian Children in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon,” (2010)https://www.unicef.org/oPt/PALESTINIAN_SITAN-final.pdf
- Human Rights Watch, “Second Class: Discrimination against Palestinian Arab Children in Israel’s Schools,” (2001)https://www.hrw.org/reports/2001/israel2/ISRAEL0901.pdf
Life in Gaza in 2020-2021
1. Ghalayini, Basama, “A Gazan’s View on Hamas: It’s Not Complicated,” (2021) https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/24/opinion/israel-hamas-gaza-ceasefire.html
2. Save the Children, “Denial of Healthcare outside Gaza Is a Death Sentence for Children,” (2020) https://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/denial-healthcare-outside-gaza-death-sentence-children-save#:~:text=oPt-,’Denial%20of%20healthcare%20outside%20Gaza%20is%20a%20death,for%20children’%3A%20Save%20the%20Children&text=Children%20in%20Gaza%20are%20dying,Save%20the%20Children%20is%20warning
3. Al Jazeera, “‘Staggering’: WHO Says 200,000 Palestinians in Need of Health Aid,” (2021) https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/6/2/who-says-nearly-200000-palestinians-in-need-health-of-health-aid
4. BBC, “Israel-Gaza Violence: The Conflict Explained,” (2021) https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-44124396#:~:text=A%20ceasefire’s%20been%20agreed%20between,240%20people%20have%20been%20killed.&text=Israel%20and%20Hamas%20both%20claimed%20victory%20in%20the%20latest%20conflict
5. Conley, Julia, “This Is the Price of War,” (2021) https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/05/27/price-war-israeli-newspaper-publishes-photos-all-67-palestinian-children-killed-gaza
6. Balousha, Hazem and Berger, Miriam, “The U.N. Once Predicted Gaza Would be ‘Uninhabitable’ by 2020. Two Million People Still Live There,” (2020)https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/01/01/un-predicted-gaza-would-be-uninhabitable-by-heres-what-that-actually-means/
7. Hearst, David, “Gaza 2020: How Easy It Is for the World to Delete Palestinian Pain,” (2019) https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/gaza-2020-un-report-history-forgotten-israel-blockade
8. Kuttab, Jonathan, “Israel Has Effective Control over Gaza,” (2020) http://arabcenterdc.org/viewpoint/israel-has-effective-control-over-gaza/
9. Mahmoud, “Speech at The Cooper Union: Rethink Palestine,” (2014) https://oldwebsite.palestine-studies.org/jps/fulltext/188331
Anthologies
a.The Electric Typewriter, “8 Great Articles about Israel/Palestine” (2019) https://tetw.org/IsraelPalestine
b. Foote, Jilliam, Jensen, Kristen, and Wintz Neighbor, Tese, “Understanding the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: A Resource Packet for Educators” (2009)https://www.elon.edu/u/academics/csrcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/478/2017/08/Israel-Palestine-Resource-Packet.pdf
Hosts: Mike Wheeler and Mark Nunan
Note the time is 10am EDT for the Current Affairs. One hour earlier than usual. Mr. Cooke is joining us from Scotland.
June 17th Universal Basic Income in Europe-Jamie Cooke, Head of RSA Scotland and Leading figure is in the global basic income discussion. Appearance courtesy of Ric Grefe
As the COVID19 pandemic has thrown the world into turmoil, pre-existing issues of economic insecurity, the changing nature of work, and the impact of climate change have been accelerated and deepened. This has brought a significant challenge for the public and businesses, yet it has also opened up space to consider new ideas for changing the social contract of countries around the world.
One of these ideas to have sprung to prominence is that of a basic income, a regular, secure, and unconditional payment made to each eligible person. Cities across the US are considering piloting examples of the policy to test its impact, and countries such as Scotland are actively exploring opportunities to introduce the idea on a national level.
Join Jamie Cooke, Head of RSA Scotland and a leading figure in the global basic income discussion to explore the history of this old idea; the reasons that it has gained such traction in recent years; and what the future might look like. It will be an opportunity to explore your questions, reflections and critiques of basic income; and to potentially identify steps for getting involved if that is of interest.”
Jamie Cooke’s global references
- A Basic Income for Scotland https://www.thersa.org/reports/basic-income-scotland
- Stanford Basic Income Lab https://basicincome.stanford.edu/
- Mayors for a Guaranteed Income https://www.mayorsforagi.org/
- Economic Security Project https://www.economicsecurityproject.org/
- Basic Income: Scotland’s radical chance to lead the world again (TEDx Glasgow) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPA0qoem-hQ
- Poverty isn’t a lack of character, it’s a lack of cash (TED) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydKcaIE6O1k
- Pathways to Universal Basic Income https://www.thersa.org/globalassets/pdfs/reports/rsa_pathways-to-universal-basic-income-report.pdf
Mike Wheeler’s US references
- Hartford’s UBI pilot https://www.courant.com/community/hartford/hc-news-hartford-universal-basic-income-pilot-20210503-j6nwuq74f5babna2evlhw62jwa-story.html
- Biden Child Credit https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/26/upshot/mothers-child-allowance-biden.html?searchResultPosition=1
- Left Defense of UBI https://stanfordsphere.com/2019/11/13/a-left-defense-of-universal-basic-income/
- Libertarian Case for UBI https://stanfordsphere.com/2018/02/24/the-libertarian-case-for-universal-basic-income/
Link to Famie’s presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7R4gvZdicQY
Hosts: Mike Wheeler and Mark Nunan
Note the time is 10am EDT for the Current Affairs. One hour earlier than usual. Mr. Cooke is joining us from Scotland.
June 17th Universal Basic Income in Europe-Jamie Cooke, Head of RSA Scotland and Leading figure is in the global basic income discussion. Appearance courtesy of Ric Grefe
As the COVID19 pandemic has thrown the world into turmoil, pre-existing issues of economic insecurity, the changing nature of work, and the impact of climate change have been accelerated and deepened. This has brought a significant challenge for the public and businesses, yet it has also opened up space to consider new ideas for changing the social contract of countries around the world.
One of these ideas to have sprung to prominence is that of a basic income, a regular, secure, and unconditional payment made to each eligible person. Cities across the US are considering piloting examples of the policy to test its impact, and countries such as Scotland are actively exploring opportunities to introduce the idea on a national level.
Join Jamie Cooke, Head of RSA Scotland and a leading figure in the global basic income discussion to explore the history of this old idea; the reasons that it has gained such traction in recent years; and what the future might look like. It will be an opportunity to explore your questions, reflections and critiques of basic income; and to potentially identify steps for getting involved if that is of interest.”
Mike Wheeler’s US references
- Hartford’s UBI pilot https://www.courant.com/community/hartford/hc-news-hartford-universal-basic-income-pilot-20210503-j6nwuq74f5babna2evlhw62jwa-story.html
- Biden Child Credit https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/26/upshot/mothers-child-allowance-biden.html?searchResultPosition=1
- Left Defense of UBI https://stanfordsphere.com/2019/11/13/a-left-defense-of-universal-basic-income/
- Libertarian Case for UBI https://stanfordsphere.com/2018/02/24/the-libertarian-case-for-universal-basic-income/
Jamie Cooke’s global references
- A Basic Income for Scotland https://www.thersa.org/reports/basic-income-scotland
- Stanford Basic Income Lab https://basicincome.stanford.edu/
- Mayors for a Guaranteed Income https://www.mayorsforagi.org/
- Economic Security Project https://www.economicsecurityproject.org/
- Basic Income: Scotland’s radical chance to lead the world again (TEDx Glasgow) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPA0qoem-hQ
- Poverty isn’t a lack of character, it’s a lack of cash (TED) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydKcaIE6O1k
- Pathways to Universal Basic Income https://www.thersa.org/globalassets/pdfs/reports/rsa_pathways-to-universal-basic-income-report.pdf
Joe Spain and David Mace will lead the Happy Wanderers in their final outing of the spring/summer season on Wednesday, June 23, the first trip to Manhattan on Metro North since the fall of 2019! The group will be leaving the Darien station on the 8:33 AM express to Grand Central (8:37 AM out of Noroton Heights); masks are required on Metro North. You should buy your tickets for the train at the machines on the Darien or Noroton train platforms. A Metro Card will be needed for the Tram to Roosevelt Island. If you don’t have a Card, you can buy your train ticket from the machines with one Metro Card ride included. The group will congregate at the information booth on the main floor upon arrival in Grand Central. The walking destination is the 59th St. Tram to Roosevelt Island, and then to the Four Freedoms Roosevelt Park at the south end of the Island. From there, the group will take the East River ferry to 34th Street, and have lunch. We then will walk back to Grand Central, with a short stop at the Morgan Library, and an afternoon train back to Darien. Please get in touch with Joe (203-554-4201) or David (203-505-9693) if you would like to join this excursion.
The History of Collecting. What do you Collect? Is it for Fun or Profit?
Doug Campbell will share some history. DMA members are asked to share stories and insights into what, why and how they collect.
Topic: MONEY MATTERS The History of Collecting. What do you Collect? Is it for Fun or Profit?
Time: Jun 14, 2021 10:00 AM
HIKING WARD POUND RESERVATION
MONDAY MAY 24, 2021
10:00 AM
Ward Pound Reservation is a 4,315 acre park located in Cross River, New York with more than 35 miles of hiking trails over varied terrain. We plan to cover only a fraction of that, about 3 miles, with some moderate climbing and descending on the Leatherman’s Loop section. The reward for the climb is a spectacular view of the Cross River Reservoir and surrounding territory. The trails are wide (except for the up and down to the Loop), well maintained and clearly marked. For the adventurous, a short but steep side trip to see Leatherman’s Cave is an option!
Guests and dogs on a leash are welcome and there will be no lunch after the hike which should take us about 2 hours.
We will assemble in the parking lot at the ticket booth (no fee) at 10:00 AM sharp and then drive our cars about a mile to a large parking lot at the trailhead (where there are porta pottys). DON’T BE LATE!
DIRECTIONS;
Address—6 Reservation Road, Cross River, NY 10518.
Reservation Road is Rte 121 and the entrance is just south of the intersection of 121 and Rte 35. Take either 124 up through New Canaan or the Merritt to exit 35 and then north on 137 to Inn at Pound Ridge. Past the Inn bear left on 137 to the end then right on 121 for 2.9 miles to the entrance.
CONTACTS: Dave McCollum and/or Bob Plunkett
Hike recap:
On a refreshing cool morning after the heat of the weekend, a hearty group of 12 (plus one dog) spent a delightful two hours exploring a tiny section of the mammoth 4,300 acre reservation in Cross River, NY. The park offers not only hiking over miles of trails but also camping, picnicking and horseback riding. Ever on the lookout for fauna, we spotted a fat worm and a tiny frog—wild kingdom!
As on past hikes here we opted for the Leatherman’s Loop trail which climbs steeply to a scenic overlook of the Cross River Reservoir. Once on top we paused to admire the view and take some photos. As we descended from the viewpoint over a narrow but navigable trail we stopped again for a side trip up to Leatherman’s Cave, one of the many caves frequented by the legendary “Leatherman” who roamed the northeast around the mid 1800s. Four of our group hiked up the very steep rock path to the cave. Alas, he was not in residence.
We returned to the main trail to continue our 3 mile circuit back to the parking lot. A very pleasant hike in a beautiful and rugged park.
This was the final hike of the 20-21 DMA year. Since September of 2020, we have been on 7 hikes or almost one a month, giving our hikers a chance to get outside to walk and talk to fellow DMAers despite the pandemic. We will resume our hiking program in September along with resuming the optional lunches.
Dave McCollum and Bob Plunkett
David Mace and Joe Spain
The next wandering of the DMA will be on Tuesday, May 25 to the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. Jamaica Bay is a wildlife refuge managed by the National Parks Service as part of the Gateway National Recreation Area. It is located in Queens just a little over an hour’s drive from Darien. Our group will leave from the DCA parking lot at 8:30 am. We will car pool to the site and then enjoy the beautiful scenery and birdlife. Bring your binoculars and your camera. Afterward we will have lunch. If you are planning to join us please let Joe Spain or David Mace know in advance. We look forward to this spectacular day.
Host: Bob Baker
Discussion Leader: Charles Salmans
On Thursday, May 20 at 11 a.m., I will lead a Current Affairs discussion on Covid — an update. We’ll address vaccine resistance and what may be required to prevent further mutations that potentially could get around the vaccines, the challenge of vaccinating people in poor, high density populations, whether a vaccine passport should be required, and what lessons have been learned so we are better prepared should another pandemic arise.
Charles
Slides from the discussion: Covid Discussion DMA Current Affairs
Updates on the latest Covid infection rates, vaccination rates, hospitalizations, and deaths are available from several sources.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/05/11/coronavirus-covid-live-updates-us/
Breakdowns for Connecticut, the United States, and Around the World
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/connecticut-covid-cases.html
CDC data on vaccination rates
https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#datatracker-home
Wall Street Journal — US Covid metrics take a positive turn
Taking ‘Extraordinary Measures,’ Biden Backs Suspending Patents on Vaccines
The Biden administration, siding with some world leaders over the U.S. pharmaceutical industry, came out in favor of waiving intellectual property protections for coronavirus vaccines.
Can Employers Require Vaccination
Vaccine hesitancy, misinformation is just part of the problem.
“The Magic of RNA: From CRISPR to Coronavirus Vaccines.” presented by Tom Cech
Groton Connecticut is an old New England town settled in the 1640s between the Thames and the Mystic Rivers. Early on it became a shipbuilding town. During WW1 Groton became a submarine base and in 1954 the first nuclear powered submarine, the Nautilus, was launched from Groton. In the waning days of the American Revolution the turncoat Benedict Arnold overwhelmed a cadre of militia on the heights of Groton overlooking the Thames. Arnold sacked the town as well as setting New London on fire across the river. This is the only major battle fought during the Revolution in Connecticut. We will meet in the parking lot of the DCA at 8:30 am. Those who wish to car pool may do so. Others may wish to drive alone. It is a 1 hour and 45 minute drive to Groton. We will pick a place for lunch either in Groton or in another town on our return. Please join us for an exciting day in a lovely part of Connecticut. Let Joe Spain or David Mace know of your interest in joining us.
Joe Spain, David Mace
Some great pictures: Wandering in Groton