China's Trajectory (YP Discussion Group)

China's Trajectory (YP Discussion Group)

The World Affairs Council, Young Professionals invite you to our biweekly discussion group:

Wednesday, 3 March 2010 | 7:00 p.m.

Madison's Grill, 1109 SE Madison St. (Map)
(NEW LOCATION)

Every American President since Nixon has claimed that the opening of the Chinese economy will eventually lead to democratic reforms. It is clear that the Chinese leadership is primarily concerned with prolonging their own rule, and thus far, has been able to use the economic growth to justify their position. As China's power and influence grows, will the leadership be able to create a new market system with fewer civil liberties, or are they merely delaying the inevitable demands for democratic reform?

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

JOIN GLOBAL SISTERGOODS IN A CONVERSATION WITH IRENE TINKER

Celebrate International Women's Day this year with one of the foremost leaders in Women in Development research, Irene Tinker (www.irenetinker.com)

Global Sistergoods will be hosting a happy hour with a full Mediterranean buffet, networking and lecture at
The James John Cafe,
8527 N Lombard St
Portland, OR 97203
(503) 285-4930

Saturday, March 6
4pm-6:30 pm

Drinks, networking and food 4-5, lecture 5-6

Cost: $20 includes full Mediterranean buffet, wine and a door prize ticket.

Please RSVP to info@globalsistergoods.com or 503-285-6780

Come see a PIFF movie with us this Sunday!

Young Professionals have a bloc of tickets for the Sunday afternoon showing of acclaimed French director Catherine Breillat's Bluebeard.  Join us at Broadway Cinemas for this stylized retelling of the classic, gothic fairy tale and then step across the street for a post-film happy hour at the Heathman.

 

 

In this retelling of the tale of the wife-killing Bluebeard, Breillat reminds us all that the best fairytales are dark around the edges. The film intercuts between the stories of two pairs of sisters. The first is set in the 1950s and features a young girl who loves torturing her older sister with dramatic readings of the story of Bluebeard. In the second, set during the Renaissance, a young girl becomes engaged to Lord Bluebeard, despite the suspicious disappearances of his previous wives.

Sunday, February 21st. Please arrive by 2:30 for the 3:00 show

 

Regal Broadway Cinemas 1000 SW Broadway at Main St.
We will be waiting at the door from 2:30 to 2:50 with a bloc of tickets: $9 each

 

Country Driving

Peter Hessler's new book, Country Driving: A Journey Through China from Farm to Factory, came out this week. When I moved to China in 2006, I brought his first book River Town with me. To this day, I think that River Town captures the feeling of life in modern China better than anything I have come across. His follow-up work Oracle Bones is also essential reading for Sinophiles. Hessler is currently the Beijing correspondent for The New Yorker and guest edited a special National Geographic devoted to China in 2009. No one writing in English today comes close to Hessler's insight and knack for finding interesting and informative stories.

La Blogotheque

The French website La Blogotheque has an ongoing series called "Les Concerts a Emporter" that shows cool bands from all over the world performing in intimate settings. The basic premise involves one of the sites videographers (armed with a digital camera) meeting the band, and finding a place to perform. Featured bands have included Efterklang, The Arcade Fire, Phoenix, Josh Rouse, Malajube, and many more. The site also features a handy "English Translation" for those who do not parle francaise.

YP Trivia 2/17

Do you know the inspiration for Shakespeare's Sonnets?  Mother Teresa's birthplace?  The significance of the Peace of Westphalia?  Bring your friends or come alone (we will place you on a team). Trivia Night is a fun opportunity to acquaint and socialize with fellow Portlanders who share your zest for all things international! RSVP by donating a minimum of $5.00 to Mercy Corps through the Young Professionals- Mercy Corps fundraising page.  Trees Restaurant will generously donate 5% of bar sales from Trivia Night to Mercy Corps for Haiti earthquake relief efforts.   Wednesday, February 17th 6:30pm | Trees Restaurant, 1211 SW 5th

Spielberg's Munich in real life

Fascinating case of an international assassination is unraveling in Dubai.  A group of 11 individuals holding European passports engaged in a clandestine operation in Dubai and killed Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, a senior member of Hamas.  For anyone who watched Steven Spielberg's Munich featuring Eric Bana, this may be reminiscent of the movie (based on true story) where Israel sent out Mossad operatives around the world to assassinate various leaders of PLO and Hamas to avenge the killing of Israeli athletes during the Munich Olympics in 1972.

In this case, Israel "has not commented officially on Mabhouh's death, in line with a long-standing policy neither to confirm nor deny responsibility for attacks on targets abroad." Besides Mossad, who else would be a suspect in this attack?

For the FT article on the case, follow the link: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d8be100e-1a9a-11df-bef7-00144feab49a.html?nclick_check=1

Chinese New Year: Year of the Tiger is February 14.

The first day of the new moon is the Chinese New Year celebrated throughout Asia.  Each year is represented by one of 12 animals.  This year is the Year of the Tiger, as were 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, and 1998.  People born in the Year of the Tiger are unpredictable and emotional, caring, thoughtful, fascinating, commanding, and exasperating.  Tigers have a lot to say on righting society's wrongs, and fiercely defend friends and families from all enemies.

"Reluctant German leaders now find themselves forced to help Greece"

"As the largest European economy with the most fiscal flexibility, Germany is crucial to any euro zone effort to save Greece." http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/11/world/europe/11germany.html?th&emc=th

Celebrate Vancouver Olympics this Friday

On Friday, February 12, 2010, the Oregon Sports Authority is hosting a viewing of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games Opening Ceremony at Portland’s Pioneer Square. The spirit of the Olympics will extend from one Northwest city to another as the square is transformed into the ultimate living room setting for winter sports enthusiasts, complete with two giant LCD screens, interviews with Oregon Olympians, live music, warm drinks and a hockey goal-scoring challenge.

Local Olympic programming on KGW NewsChannel 8 will begin at 5:00 p.m. on the big screens at Pioneer Square, followed by a live event program from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., featuring introductions of Oregon Olympians and Paralympians, and several exciting prize giveaways.  Governor Kulongoski is scheduled to attend. 

NBC’s broadcast of the Vancouver 2010 Opening Ceremony will begin at approximately 9:00 p.m.

 

 

YP Trivia Night: February 17 to benefit Mercy Corps

Special Haiti Benefit Trivia Night!




Are you an expert on the topics of peace, love, and humanitarianism?  Do you know the inspiration for Shakespeare's Sonnets?  Mother Teresa's birthplace?  The significance of the Peace of Westphalia?  If so, join us for a special Humanitarian Trivia Night to benefit the people of Haiti.

Bring your friends or come alone (we will place you on a team). Trivia Night is a fun opportunity to acquaint and socialize with fellow Portlanders who share your zest for all things international!

RSVP with the Young Professionals by donating a minimum of $5.00 to Mercy Corps through the Young Professionals- Mercy Corps fundraising page.  Trees Restaurant will generously donate 5% of bar sales from Trivia Night to Mercy Corps for Haiti earthquake relief efforts.



To register YOU MUST enter your name and the name of your guests (separated by comma) in the comments box upon donating.  Spaces are limited, so RSVP and donate now!

Wednesday, February 17th 6:30pm | Trees Restaurant, 1211 SW 5th

Kronos Quartet

Monday, 1 February 2010 7:30 p.m

Kaul Auditorium (Reed College), Portland

The most distinguished new-music ensemble of our times, Kronos engages audiences world-wide, blazing new paths in contemporary music, world music, and multi-media presentations.

For more than 30 years, the Kronos Quartet - David Harrington, John Sherba (violins), Hank Dutt (viola) and Jeffrey Zeigler (cello) - has pursued a singular artistic vision, combining a spirit of fearless exploration with a commitment to expanding the range and context of the string quartet. In the process, Kronos has become one of the most celebrated and influential groups of our time, performing thousands of concerts worldwide, releasing more than 40 recordings of extraordinary breadth and creativity, collaborating with many of the world's most eclectic composers and performers, and commissioning hundreds of works and arrangements for string quartet. Kronos' work has also garnered numerous awards, including a Grammy for Best Chamber Music Performance (2004) and "Musicians of the Year" (2003) from Musical America.

For more information about Friends of Chamber Music, and to listen to music samples from the Kronos Quartet: www.focm.org

Friends of Chamber Music has generously offered a special discount for World Affairs Council members and partners.

To purchase tickets: http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0F0042B5DE9B688A?artistid=739453&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=4

Please enter kronos in the 'promotions and special offers' box. For any questions, please call Friends of Chamber Music at 503.224.9842

Nuclear Iran (YP Discussion Group)

The World Affairs Council, Young Professionals invite you to our biweekly discussion group:

Wednesday, 3 February 2010 | 7:00 p.m.

Madison's Grill, 1109 SE Madison St. (Map)
(NEW LOCATION)

Iran continues to assert its right to pursue a domestic nuclear program. While Israel has kept alive the threat of a military strike against nuclear facilities, it seems unlikely that they have the ability to cause major setbacks to the program. With China and Russia avoiding harsh sanctions, and the US struggles in Iraq and Afghanistan, does the world community have the ability to force Iran to end the program? If Iran does create nuclear weapons, what are the consequences? Does the US have an obligation to stop Iran at all costs?

Short Term Volunteers Needed!

The Portland organization, Ushahidi, is receiving massive quantities of raw data in the form of text messages. We have an SMS short code (a short number to which people can send texts, analogous to 911 or 411 on telephones), which has been distributed via radio, cell phone service providers, and other media sources across Haiti. Haitians can send texts to this short code if they are hurt, in danger, need food or water, or for any other request for help. Once Ushahidi receives an SMS, we have a dedicated team of volunteers who use Google Earth and other mapping programs to pinpoint their exact location so that emergency responders and humanitarian workers can reach them. As you can imagine, many Haitians are taking advantage of this lifeline, and we are attempting to process thousands of text messages a day. We have an urgent need for people who can help us pinpoint locations.

As I said in my earlier email, I can train all volunteers, and we have an extensive support network set up to connect them to the rest of Ushahidi. This is what I'm looking for: 10-15 people who are tech-friendly (none of the programs we are using are complicated, but there are several of them) and willing to devote a couple of hours in the evening a couple of times a week. If you are still maintaining the Young Professionals network, I think this might be a project some of them would find interesting and rewarding. In addition, they will be working on the very cutting edge of humanitarian response to disasters, using a system no one has ever been able to apply successfully before this.

If you are willing to pass this on to the Young Professionals, or to Council volunteers who you think might be interested, I would be incredibly grateful. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions at all. Thank you!

Beka Feathers
Please email jon@worldoregon.org if you are interested

Obama's First Year (YP Discussion Group)

Obama's First Year (YP Discussion Group)

The World Affairs Council, Young Professionals invite you to our biweekly discussion group:

Wednesday, 20 January 2010 | 7:00 p.m.

Madison's Grill, 1109 SE Madison St. (Map)
(NEW LOCATION)

This week marks the first anniversary of President Obama's inauguration. During the campaign, much was made of his promise to break from the foreign policy objectives of President Bush. How meaningful has the change been? Has President Obama followed up on the promises made by Candidate Obama? Is there a clear, coherent Obama Doctrine? Based on the last 12 months, what do we expect for the next three years? Start the discussion on our blog.

Stay Informed: The Official YP Blog
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Submit your discussion topic ideas for future meetings.

Please Donate to Haiti Relief Effort

Please consider donating to one of the many organizations leading the relief effort in Haiti.  If you'd like to help but don't know where to start, consider giving to the Mangrove Fund.  The Mangrove Fund, a local non-profit, was established in 2007 in order to help existing organizations and people who provide sustainable assistance and support to impoverished Haitian communities.  Visit www.mangrovefund.org for more details. 

Below is a call-to-action from Bill Pierznik, Mangrove's co-founder and president:

"EMERGENCY CALL FOR HELP!   The 7.0 earthquake is only the most recent of a string of calamities to strike Haiti.  However it is by far the most devastating.  We at Mangrove will provide our full support to the rescue efforts currently being launched.  We will be funding several organizations who will be directly involved on the ground, including Vwa Ayiti.  100% of the monies we receive during this campaign will be sent directly to organizations leading the relief effort.  All donations are tax deductible and we audit every dollar we send to other organizations.  This is the worst catastrophe in Haiti's history.  More than 3 million people will be affected.  PLEASE HELP US BY DONATING NOW!  Every little bit helps."

Japanese American New Year celebration on 1/31 - $12 adults

Mochitsuki will welcome the Year of the Tiger with the 14th annual Japanese American New Year celebration in a new location in downtown Portland. Located at SW 15th and Morrison along the MAX line, the Scottish Rite Center features a beautiful theater and ballroom in a historic Portland building. At 1:30 PM, there will be a single Mochitsuki Stage Show in the theater. There will be storytelling by favorite Robert Kikuchi-Yngojo and Japanese dance by the Sahomi Tachibana Dancers and Fujinami-kai. Celebrate with the taiko drums of Portland Taiko, Tanuki Taiko and Takohachi Taiko, along with lively mochi pounding by Utsuki-kai to welcome the new year with a traditional gathering of the community. Tickets for the 1:30 PM Mochitsuki Stage Show are $12 for adults, $9 for students and seniors (62 and older), and $5 for children (under 12). Children under 2 are free. Doors open from noon to 4 PM for the Cultural Fair throughout the rest of the Scottish Rite Center. Dozens of community organizations will provide hands-on activities and displays in the Cultural Fair, and community performers will enliven the Community Stage. There will be an opportunity to try pounding mochi with a wooden mallet and to sample the sticky rice cakes made in contemporary mochi machines. Gathering with friends and family to make and eat mochi is an auspicious start to the year. Tickets to the stage show include admission to the Cultural Fair. Otherwise, the suggested donation is $4 for individuals, $2 for children or $10 per family to participate in the Cultural Fair. Tickets are available online through Box Office Tickets at http://pdxtix.net/mochitsuki or at their walk-up location at the Hollywood Theater at 4122 SE Sandy Blvd from 1 PM to 9 PM. Tickets are also available at the Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center, 121 NW Second Avenue in Old Town, (503) 224-1458. Please contact us at info@mochitsuki.org for detailed information about wheelchair access to the event or any other questions. Mochitsuki 2010 is sponsored by Japanese American Citizens League Portland Chapter, Konko Church of Portland, Oregon Nikkei Endowment and Portland Taiko. We are generously supported by the Japanese Ancestral Society and the Consulate General of Japan in Portland.

International Speaker Series (YP Discussion Group)

The World Affairs Council, Young Professionals invite you to our biweekly discussion group:

Wednesday, 6 January 2010 | 7:00 p.m.

Laurelwood NW Public House, NW Kearney & 23rd (MAP)
(Upstairs in the back room.)

The World Affairs Council has announced the speakers for the International Speaker Series for 2010. It's an exciting line up. Two political heavy weights (Howard Dean and Karl Rove), a Nobel-Prize winning economist (Joseph Stiglitz), the former president of perhaps the most important country at the front lines of the war on terrorism (Pervez Musharraf), and an expert on global environmental issues (Dr. Jane Lubchenco). Which of these speakers interests you the most? What questions would you like to ask them when they come to Portland? What do you expect them to say?

Stay Informed: The Official YP Blog
Facebook: Become our Friend!

Submit your discussion topic ideas for future meetings.

YP Event: NGOs and Civic Activism

Join fellow Young Professionals for drinks with civic activists from 25 countries!

This January we are thrilled to welcome 25 international activists here to share and learn about organizations championing social and political issues. This is an extraordinary opportunity to share your thoughts and experiences with directors of NGO's, heads of institutions, managers and leaders serving communities across four continents. Visit our website to read more about the visitors and register to attend. http://worldoregon.org/events/registration/yp_civic_activists.html

Light appetizers and a no-host bar will be provided.

Date and Time: Tuesday, January 19th, 2010, 6:00–8:00 p.m.

Location:

Al-Amir Restaurant,
223 Southwest Stark Street,
Portland, OR 97204

Cost:

$7 WAC members
$10 Non-members

Free admission 1/2-11 PDX Classical Chinese Garden

The Portland Classical Chinese Garden will be celebrating the tenth anniversary of its opening throughout the coming year.  NW Natural will sponsor the Anniversary Year, and they will kick things off by hosting the general community to free admission into the Garden for ten days, January 2 -January 11.  Please look for updated information about these at: www.portlandchinesegarden.org