Green Mountain Global Forum

Malcolm Beck has spent almost a lifetime in the study, experiment and practice in the areas of soil building and maintenance and of the recycling of organic wastes. Malcolm owned and ran Garden-Ville, a successful organic farm with its own marketing center, for decades. Gradually his interest focused on how to achieve and permanently maintain the finest soil quality. Now he operates a successful business in composting and selling soil mixes that enrich countless gardens and fields. Details...

Local Montpelier legend Dot Helling teams up with Vermont Natural Resources Council Water Program Director Jon Groveman to help us understand the global and local issues we face around water. This summer, Dot joined an international team of athletes in a run across the world, passing the baton in cities, town squares, deserts and rural communities to raise awareness about the need to protect the world's fresh water. Details...

As a backdrop for his strategies for political change, Robert Jensen, journalism professor and political activist, will begin his talk with an assessment of the state of the world around us. After discussing the urgent real world situations that we face, Jensen will offer a thoughtful assessment of goals and strategies for moving forward. Acknowledging that old models of political activism have largely failed to bring about the needed response along with real change, he will offer reflections from his own experience as a journalist, writer, and political activist.

Dr. Nils Daulaire, renowned international health expert, offered an overview of the current issues in global health, speaking on the challenges and opportunities to improve the health status of people around the world. He has testified before Congress on numerous occasions and has appeared widely in the media as an expert on global health issues.

James Heintz, from the Center for Popular Economics of UMASS, discussed why multinational corporations pressure our administration to encourage unregulated trade, the resulting impacts of free trade on lower-income countries (who shoulders the costs, "free" for whom), and how our current free trade policies are connected with increasing inequalities across the globe. The presentation also explored whether "fair trade" business models and campaigns can be a workable alternative to free trade policies.

Zia Mian is a physicist and member of the research staff at Princeton University's Program on Science and Global Security. His work focuses on nuclear weapons and nuclear power issues, especially in South Asia. His work is published in technical journals and magazines, as well as newspapers in a number of countries. In addition to his research and writing, he is active with a number of civil society groups working in the area of nuclear disarmament and with the peace movement.

America faces a daunting dilemma. Oil prices have hit record highs, foreign conflicts highlight our increasing dependence on energy imports, and our energy policy is the single most important challenge to our environment. The pursuit of energy efficiency is vital to the health of America, and the world. Michael Dworkin, a Vermont Law School professor and Chair of the Vermont Public Service Board from 1999 to 2005, is a nationally recognized leader in energy and environmental law. See Michael Dworkin's power point presentation.

Green Mountain Global Forum is pleased to be a co-sponsor of this community wide effort to host seven days of education, discussion, workshops and earth-friendly activities to honor and heal our planet. To see the full listing of all related events, please see our friends at www.yestermorrow.org for the most up to date listings and information, visit the Step it Up website, or view our PDF.

Michael Taylor’s compelling movie about climate change, The Great Warming, was shown as part of the co-sponsored event Step it Up 2007 at The Big Picture Theater. The director was joined by Middlebury College professor Dr. Jon Isham for a panel discussion.

As part of the community effort "7 Days for the Earth" which features seven days of education, discussion, workshops and earth-friendly activities to honor and heal our planet, GMGF presented the films Affluenza and Escape from Affluenza. These two-hour long films explored the high social and environmental costs of materialism and over consumption. More...

Former Middlebury College president Olin Robison spoke on the influence of ideology and religion and their increasing roles in today’s global policy decisions. How has the United States altered its world view in response to ideological pressure? What are the direct and indirect consequences of this perspective? How does the rest of the world view us as a result? View MRVTV Presentation.

Scott Ritter, Former UN Chief Weapons Inspector in Iraq, spoke about his concerns regarding Iran, the Bush Administration's current policies and covert actions, and the very real risk we face of a war with Iran should these policies continue.

Diane Wilson, activist and author of Unreasonable Woman, and Bill McKibben, author and speaker, were "back to back" keynote speakers for the Action Coalition for Media Education (ACME) Conference October 6, 2006 from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. at the Wyndham Hotel in Burlington.

Quinn Mecham, Assistant Professor, Middlebury College, gave insight into the current crisis unfolding in the Middle East, a region that ripples with complexity. Who is Hezbollah? What are the roots of the current crisis? Who are the other regional players and what do they want? What is the role of the United States in the region?

Patrick Giantonio,Vermont Refugee Assistance director, Michelle Jenness, legal services coordinator, and Mohamed Cherfi, board member and an Algerian who was granted asylum in 2005.

Hear firsthand about the challenges facing those who flee religious and political persecution, rape, and torture in foreign lands to arrive in our country in search of refuge only to be unnecessarily detained in US prisons for months and even years.

Patricia Siplon, associate professor, author and researcher, highlighted accomplishments and developments in the global AIDS crisis.

The Big Picture Theater also presented a film on AIDS, "And The Band Played On," after the live presentation.

Gordon Robison, journalist for CNN and Fox News in the Middle East, discusses media in Iraq. View MRVTV presentation.

David Bornstein, author. Book website . View video of the event. View Seven Days press.

James Kuntsler, Author

Panelists: Dan Reicher, Assistant US Secretary of Energy under President Clinton; Scudder Parker, former head of Vermont Energy Efficiency Division; and Lawrence Mott, general manager of Earth Turbines.

Robert Barry, US Foreign Service professional, former US Ambassador to Bulgaria and Indonesia, and foreign election consultant.

Bill McKibben, noted author and environmentalist.

Mansour Farhang, former Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations and professor at Bennington College.

Rick McDowell and Mary Trotochaud, international aid workers.

John Feffer, noted author, foreign policy consultant, and Korea expert.

Thom Hartmann, author, national talk show host and media activist.

Documentary by Amy Goodman, and panel discussion with Ken Squier, David Goodman, Fran Stoddard, Thom Hartmann, and John Barkhausen.

Devindar Sharma, internationally renowned Indian journalist and food and trade policy expert.

Ray Close, CIA veteran and former Saudi Arabia station chief.

Thom Hartmann, author, national talk show host and media activist.

Panelists: Ben Scotch, Executive Director of ACLU; Trina Magi, past President of the Vermont Library Association; and Michael Katzenberg, owner of Bear Pond Books, Montpelier, Vermont.

Joseph Gainza, teacher, community organizer and Vermont Program Coordinator of the American Friends Service Committee.

Charlotte Dennett and Gerald Colby, researchers and authors.