HUMANS & COSMIC WONDER
“There once existed an idea that articulated the human capacity for a particular type of transcendental experience. An experience in which nature, at its most fierce, most violent and most monumental would allow for a brief glimpse of the divine. It was an idea offered the possibility of the most utterly private experience. It was about enlightenment, about the soul and about beauty in its most painful of definitions.”—Arvo Pärt, composer.1
Jikalau kita sadari dengan seksama, bumi kita merupakan sebagian kecil yang keberadaannya nyaris tak tampak diantara debu-debu dan gas yang berterbangan di jagat raya ini yang rasanya tidak akan ada habisnya jika dieksplor. Esensi bagaimana kekuatan dari alam semesta dari mana kita berasal mengekspresikan sebuah grand idea tentang cosmos yang sangat epik dan heroik, namun diwaktu yang sama juga menampilkan sebuah ide yang destruktif. Tak jarang dari esensi yang dihadirkan alam tersebut memberikan nilai-nilai tersendiri bahkan mengajarkan manusia tentang berbagai teori kehidupan. Saya sangat tertarik dengan segala macam gagasan tentang hubungan antara manusia dengan alamnya dan segala macam bentuk interaksi yang terjadi didalamnya tersebut.
Saya juga sangat tertarik dengan segala suatu kreasi manusia yang diciptakan langsung dari tangannya. Saya teringat akan sebuah kalimat bijak yang kurang lebih seperti demikian, “Manusia merupakan makhluk yang sempurna karena dia tidak sempurna, malaikat tidak sempurna karena dia terlalu sempurna.” Ketidaksempurnaan yang dimiliki manusia seringkali menghasilkan suatu sensasi tersendiri. Gagasan akan sensasi manusiawi tersebut sangat inspiratif.
Manusia memang makhluk Tuhan yang paling sempurna. Dia diutus kemuka bumi sebagai khalifah. Sudah seharusnya dia berjalan selaras dengan alamnya. Bisa dibilang disana terdapat ikatan energi. Energi manusia & alam, baik itu positif maupun negatif, internal serta eksternal, energi yang menandai darimana kita berasal serta hendak kemana kita akan mengarah. Bentuk energi tersebut merupakan suatu yang transendental, meskipun tidak terlihat, energi tersebut sesungguhnya nyata dan hadir dalam lingkungan keseharian kita.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Radio Astronomy and Interference
Radio Astronomy and Interference
From the calendar and timekeeping to navigation to satellite communications systems to advanced medical imaging technology, astronomy has brought innumerable benefi ts to civilization. Today, the universe is a laboratory holding undiscovered knowledge that may spawn unimaginable new benefi ts and entirely new industries.
Astronomy is our tool for unlocking that knowledge. To preserve our ability to discover this new knowledge, we must prevent interference that blocks the universe from
our view. For optical astronomers, that means reducing light polution on the night sky. For radio astronomers, it means preventing interference from “dirty” radio transmitters
that spill over into sensitive receiving systems. Using well known and readily available engineering techniques, operators of communication and satellite systems can avoid interfering with radio astronomy. Just as we insist that industrial fi rms use good engineering to avoid polluting the air, water, and soil, we must insist that fi rms operating radio transmitters use good engineering to preserve humanity’s precious window on
the universe. What is Radio Astronomy?
Radio astronomy is the study of distant objects in the universe by collecting and analyzing the radio waves emitted by those objects. Just as optical astronomers make images using the light emitted by celestial obbjects such as stars and galaxies, radio astronomers can make images using the radio waves emitted by such objects, as well as by gas, dust, and very energetic particles in the space between the stars. Radio astronomy
has been a major factor in revolutionizing our discoveries and concepts of the universe and how it works. Radio observations have provided a whole new outlook on
objects we already knew, such as galaxies, while revealing exciting objects such as pulsars and quasars that had been completely unexpected.
From revealing the remnant of the “Big Bang” theory to showing that afterglows of the superenergetic Gamma Ray Bursters, radio observers have provided science with insights unobtainable with other types of telescopes. Of the ten astronomers who have won the
Nobel Prize in Physics, six of them used radio telescopes for the work that won them the Prize. Radio telescopes today are among the most powerful tools available for astronomers studying nearly every type of object known in the universe.
From the calendar and timekeeping to navigation to satellite communications systems to advanced medical imaging technology, astronomy has brought innumerable benefi ts to civilization. Today, the universe is a laboratory holding undiscovered knowledge that may spawn unimaginable new benefi ts and entirely new industries.
Astronomy is our tool for unlocking that knowledge. To preserve our ability to discover this new knowledge, we must prevent interference that blocks the universe from
our view. For optical astronomers, that means reducing light polution on the night sky. For radio astronomers, it means preventing interference from “dirty” radio transmitters
that spill over into sensitive receiving systems. Using well known and readily available engineering techniques, operators of communication and satellite systems can avoid interfering with radio astronomy. Just as we insist that industrial fi rms use good engineering to avoid polluting the air, water, and soil, we must insist that fi rms operating radio transmitters use good engineering to preserve humanity’s precious window on
the universe. What is Radio Astronomy?
Radio astronomy is the study of distant objects in the universe by collecting and analyzing the radio waves emitted by those objects. Just as optical astronomers make images using the light emitted by celestial obbjects such as stars and galaxies, radio astronomers can make images using the radio waves emitted by such objects, as well as by gas, dust, and very energetic particles in the space between the stars. Radio astronomy
has been a major factor in revolutionizing our discoveries and concepts of the universe and how it works. Radio observations have provided a whole new outlook on
objects we already knew, such as galaxies, while revealing exciting objects such as pulsars and quasars that had been completely unexpected.
From revealing the remnant of the “Big Bang” theory to showing that afterglows of the superenergetic Gamma Ray Bursters, radio observers have provided science with insights unobtainable with other types of telescopes. Of the ten astronomers who have won the
Nobel Prize in Physics, six of them used radio telescopes for the work that won them the Prize. Radio telescopes today are among the most powerful tools available for astronomers studying nearly every type of object known in the universe.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Heather Lord, Senior Fellow, Humanity in Action
Heather Lord, Senior Fellow, Humanity in Action
I have two more things to do this evening, one of which is make an embarrassing confession and the second of which is to make an announcement on behalf of the Humanity In Action American Senior Fellows. First, the confession: When I was a young college student and I arrived at Humanity In Action’s doorstep, I was afflicted with a terrible linguistic scourge: I could barely string together two sentences without the compulsive use and abuse of the word “like.” So, when I had to, like, make a point in public or, like, think through something aloud, I was always using the word LIKE. I don’t know if you Europeans have an equivalent linguistic virus that takes
over your young people, but here in America this is an epidemic and I was formerly one of the worst offenders. But luckily for me hundreds of other similarly afflicted young HIA fellows, there is one woman in our midst who has waged a tireless campaign to rid the world of these crimes against grammar, and that woman is Sue Mercy. Tonight we are honoring Sue not only for her commitment to the proper use of the English language, but in all seriousness, for her extraordinary commitment to the HIA fellows. When we Senior Fellows were thinking about what we wanted to do for this 10th anniversary celebration, we decided we would like to honor somebody who has really been a stand for the Humanity In Action Senior Fellows and we thought: who better to honor than Sue Mercy? Sue has been a dear friend, a grammarian, and a shining example of what a mentor really can be. She has brought so much of her heart her passion and her time to the fellows. I’m going to wrap this up by saying that in addition to being one of the only people who can keep Judy Goldstein in line, Sue is also one of the co-founders of Humanity In Action. It’s thanks in great part to her support and passion and vision that we are all sitting in this room today. She and her husband Gene Mercy, who is here this evening, have been friends and advocates for HIA and we thank you for that. I know there are many of Sueʼs friends here in the audience tonight and also her sons are here, so thank you all for joining us tonight as we celebrate the inimitable Sue Mercy.
Without further ado, on behalf of the American Senior Fellows I would like to announce the Sue B. Mercy Award which will be given every year to that group of American Senior Fellows who most embody Sue’s inimitable spirit, her passion for philanthropy and social entrepreneurship and all that she gives to social causes. Please join me in a round of applause as we offer our heartfelt thanks to Sue for all that she has done for HIA.
I have two more things to do this evening, one of which is make an embarrassing confession and the second of which is to make an announcement on behalf of the Humanity In Action American Senior Fellows. First, the confession: When I was a young college student and I arrived at Humanity In Action’s doorstep, I was afflicted with a terrible linguistic scourge: I could barely string together two sentences without the compulsive use and abuse of the word “like.” So, when I had to, like, make a point in public or, like, think through something aloud, I was always using the word LIKE. I don’t know if you Europeans have an equivalent linguistic virus that takes
over your young people, but here in America this is an epidemic and I was formerly one of the worst offenders. But luckily for me hundreds of other similarly afflicted young HIA fellows, there is one woman in our midst who has waged a tireless campaign to rid the world of these crimes against grammar, and that woman is Sue Mercy. Tonight we are honoring Sue not only for her commitment to the proper use of the English language, but in all seriousness, for her extraordinary commitment to the HIA fellows. When we Senior Fellows were thinking about what we wanted to do for this 10th anniversary celebration, we decided we would like to honor somebody who has really been a stand for the Humanity In Action Senior Fellows and we thought: who better to honor than Sue Mercy? Sue has been a dear friend, a grammarian, and a shining example of what a mentor really can be. She has brought so much of her heart her passion and her time to the fellows. I’m going to wrap this up by saying that in addition to being one of the only people who can keep Judy Goldstein in line, Sue is also one of the co-founders of Humanity In Action. It’s thanks in great part to her support and passion and vision that we are all sitting in this room today. She and her husband Gene Mercy, who is here this evening, have been friends and advocates for HIA and we thank you for that. I know there are many of Sueʼs friends here in the audience tonight and also her sons are here, so thank you all for joining us tonight as we celebrate the inimitable Sue Mercy.
Without further ado, on behalf of the American Senior Fellows I would like to announce the Sue B. Mercy Award which will be given every year to that group of American Senior Fellows who most embody Sue’s inimitable spirit, her passion for philanthropy and social entrepreneurship and all that she gives to social causes. Please join me in a round of applause as we offer our heartfelt thanks to Sue for all that she has done for HIA.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Program Officer for the Liberal Arts Colleges Program
Program Officer for the Liberal Arts Colleges Program, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
We are very fortunate, especially in these troubling times, to live in a country with a tradition of philanthropy which not to be found anywhere else in the world. Since we are all here tonight to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Humanity in Action, I suspect you would all agree that once in a while it is valuable and gratifying to preach to the choir, particularly here in St. Peter’s Church.
The Mellon Foundation is one of several funders who proudly support HIA, and while we all have our own special reasons for doing so, it is fair to say that philanthropic foundations need and want institutional partners who care as deeply about the public nature of their civic responsibility as they do about their own organizational selfinterest. What has impressed my colleagues the most about HIA is that the focus is always on the issues and challenges—not on the organization, except as it serves the larger purposes of finding creative solutions to address questions of immigration, minority rights and majority responsibilities.
From the Mellon Foundation’s earliest days its leaders have been unapologetic in their search for excellence. Under Bill Bowen’s and now Don Randel’s leadership, we try very hard to support the best ideas and the ablest organizations. We make grants to institutions and organizations, not directly to individuals—but we care immensely about the quality of the men and women who lead these organizations and we look carefully at the support provided by their boards of directors and trustees. Our passion is finding people with ideas who are bright, entrepreneurial, creative, and pragmatic.
In the foundation world, words like “impact,” “evaluation,” and “assessment“ are much discussed. But as our president, Don Randel, has observed, “impact is a function of the definition of the size of the pond as well as the size of the frog, and small ponds also deserve their day.” Most philanthropies, with the notable exception of the Gates Foundation, usually decide that affecting a number of small ponds is often better and wiser than affecting one big pond, and that lies at the core of Mellon’s grantmaking strategy and philosophy. In the occasionally inscrutable and Byzantine world of grantmaking, foundations are sometimes guilty of “overexpecting” and grantees are almost universally guilty of “over-promising.” Both parties almost always “over-claim” when it comes to evaluating the results of these partnerships. I am very pleased to say that HIA, under Judy’s leadership, is a notable exception. She neither over-promises nor over-claims but lets HIAʼs mission and accomplishments speak for themselves. She is also indefatigable, unremitting, and relentless in her efforts, and we admire that hallmark of her leadership which infuses HIA’s identity. One of my favorite books is Carl Sandburg’s long-forgotten autobiography, Always the Young Strangers; it was a particular favorite of a hero of mine, the late James Freedman, president of Dartmouth College. One of Sandburgʼs main themes is the renewal of society in every generation by the emergence of “young strangers”— young people who have the ability to lead their contemporaries to renew the values that sustain our culture. It struck me that in many fundamental ways, HIA fulfills this goal on a trans-national and trans-cultural basis. So, on behalf of all your funders, we wish HIA continued vitality and future success in preserving our liberal, democratic societies, and we look forward to celebrating your 20th anniversary with you.
We are very fortunate, especially in these troubling times, to live in a country with a tradition of philanthropy which not to be found anywhere else in the world. Since we are all here tonight to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Humanity in Action, I suspect you would all agree that once in a while it is valuable and gratifying to preach to the choir, particularly here in St. Peter’s Church.
The Mellon Foundation is one of several funders who proudly support HIA, and while we all have our own special reasons for doing so, it is fair to say that philanthropic foundations need and want institutional partners who care as deeply about the public nature of their civic responsibility as they do about their own organizational selfinterest. What has impressed my colleagues the most about HIA is that the focus is always on the issues and challenges—not on the organization, except as it serves the larger purposes of finding creative solutions to address questions of immigration, minority rights and majority responsibilities.
From the Mellon Foundation’s earliest days its leaders have been unapologetic in their search for excellence. Under Bill Bowen’s and now Don Randel’s leadership, we try very hard to support the best ideas and the ablest organizations. We make grants to institutions and organizations, not directly to individuals—but we care immensely about the quality of the men and women who lead these organizations and we look carefully at the support provided by their boards of directors and trustees. Our passion is finding people with ideas who are bright, entrepreneurial, creative, and pragmatic.
In the foundation world, words like “impact,” “evaluation,” and “assessment“ are much discussed. But as our president, Don Randel, has observed, “impact is a function of the definition of the size of the pond as well as the size of the frog, and small ponds also deserve their day.” Most philanthropies, with the notable exception of the Gates Foundation, usually decide that affecting a number of small ponds is often better and wiser than affecting one big pond, and that lies at the core of Mellon’s grantmaking strategy and philosophy. In the occasionally inscrutable and Byzantine world of grantmaking, foundations are sometimes guilty of “overexpecting” and grantees are almost universally guilty of “over-promising.” Both parties almost always “over-claim” when it comes to evaluating the results of these partnerships. I am very pleased to say that HIA, under Judy’s leadership, is a notable exception. She neither over-promises nor over-claims but lets HIAʼs mission and accomplishments speak for themselves. She is also indefatigable, unremitting, and relentless in her efforts, and we admire that hallmark of her leadership which infuses HIA’s identity. One of my favorite books is Carl Sandburg’s long-forgotten autobiography, Always the Young Strangers; it was a particular favorite of a hero of mine, the late James Freedman, president of Dartmouth College. One of Sandburgʼs main themes is the renewal of society in every generation by the emergence of “young strangers”— young people who have the ability to lead their contemporaries to renew the values that sustain our culture. It struck me that in many fundamental ways, HIA fulfills this goal on a trans-national and trans-cultural basis. So, on behalf of all your funders, we wish HIA continued vitality and future success in preserving our liberal, democratic societies, and we look forward to celebrating your 20th anniversary with you.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Think Tank Process Design and Organizing Committee
Think Tank Process Design and Organizing Committee
Testing and evaluation of the Seminar process design was the major activity of the September Organizing Committee meeting. Sesh Velamoor, Deputy Director for Programs, provided an overview of the design. The process design test was a simulation of the Seminars using the design to discuss the proposition, “Humanity’s survival depends on the death of individualism and the birth of evolutionary humanism.” Organizing Committee members were divided into two working groups, representing separate affinity groups. One group discussed the proposition while the second group observed. The roles were reversed when group two discussed and group one observed. At the end of the session, both groups reported on their findings. In the second session, the groups were restructured, mixing the former groups into two new composites. Each group discussed the topic while the other group observed. At the end of session two, the groups reported their findings. General conversation followed on the process design capacity to engage each participant, explore the topic in an “affinity” group setting, and then expanded the discussions in groups with individuals of diverse perspectives. It was agreed that the process design does work; it provided the requisite framework and process for the conversations to take place.
The Organizing Committee devoted considerable time to the challenges inherent in assigning participants to affinity groups. It was decided that the participants will be required to pr ovide in advance a two page
statement of their own view of the longterm future of humanity. This brief document, including narrative on the highest potential that the author envisions for the future in his/her professional field, will be the basis upon which each participant is assigned to an affinity group. The brief paper will serve additional purposes, including challenging the writer to think through and articulate a long term vision. The statements
will be provided in advance to the participants, and will be the basis for each person’s self introduction to the group as a whole.
Testing and evaluation of the Seminar process design was the major activity of the September Organizing Committee meeting. Sesh Velamoor, Deputy Director for Programs, provided an overview of the design. The process design test was a simulation of the Seminars using the design to discuss the proposition, “Humanity’s survival depends on the death of individualism and the birth of evolutionary humanism.” Organizing Committee members were divided into two working groups, representing separate affinity groups. One group discussed the proposition while the second group observed. The roles were reversed when group two discussed and group one observed. At the end of the session, both groups reported on their findings. In the second session, the groups were restructured, mixing the former groups into two new composites. Each group discussed the topic while the other group observed. At the end of session two, the groups reported their findings. General conversation followed on the process design capacity to engage each participant, explore the topic in an “affinity” group setting, and then expanded the discussions in groups with individuals of diverse perspectives. It was agreed that the process design does work; it provided the requisite framework and process for the conversations to take place.
The Organizing Committee devoted considerable time to the challenges inherent in assigning participants to affinity groups. It was decided that the participants will be required to pr ovide in advance a two page
statement of their own view of the longterm future of humanity. This brief document, including narrative on the highest potential that the author envisions for the future in his/her professional field, will be the basis upon which each participant is assigned to an affinity group. The brief paper will serve additional purposes, including challenging the writer to think through and articulate a long term vision. The statements
will be provided in advance to the participants, and will be the basis for each person’s self introduction to the group as a whole.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Welcome Remarks
Welcome Remarks
Hans Binnendijk, Chairman of the Board, Humanity in Action
Welcome to the 10th Anniversary Celebration of Humanity in Action. Before we turn to Richard Haass and Roger Cohen for keynote remarks, a word about HIA and its mission. HIA is dedicated to the proposition that nations should be judged among other things based on the way they treat their minorities, whether religious, ethnic, racial
or other. HIA also believes that education and civic engagement can affect the way in which nations behave, and that the tragic lessons of the past should not be forgotten.
The 20th Century was not kind to minorities. In the first half of that century, millions were killed simply because of their race, religion or ethnic background. We saw improvement in the second half of the century (for example the American Civil Rights movement) but as the century ended, we saw this same evil active again in places like
Bosnia, Kosovo, and Rwanda. In Africa today, we are faced with this evil in Darfur. In Europe today, Muslim minorities are not assimilating into European societies. Their alienation breeds violence with potentially dramatic consequences. In Russia today, the Kremlin leadership asserts the right to protect minority rights for Russian nationals in neighboring countries, sometimes using this right to intimidate their neighbors.
With these last examples we see that minority rights today are again an issue with potentially profound strategic consequences. We are now in the most serious economic crisis since the Great Depression. We cannot forget that 75 years ago, that earlier global economic crisis eventually yielded the greatest assault on minority rights that the world has ever witnessed. Some believe that todayʼs crisis if unchecked could again shake the very foundation of democratic legitimacy. This is a time for vigilance. So HIAʼs mission is even more relevant today than when it was founded a decade ago.
In that past decade HIA has been extremely successful at its educational mission. It operates in six countries: the US, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, France and Poland. About 750 Fellows from Europe and the US in about equal proportions have attended HIAʼs five-week program. The bonds that are formed by these Fellows
improve transatlantic relations at the grass roots level. American Fellows have come from 89 different colleges and universities.
I can judge from the experience of my own two daughters as well as testimonies from other Fellows that this program has a profound impact on their lives and social entrepreneurship. Being an HIA Fellow is a lifetime experience. HIA is in touch with 96% of its previous Fellows and it has created two centers to develop even closer
ties with them. This success is demonstrated by the fact that 83% of the American Senior Fellows contributed to HIAʼs annual appeal last year. This is remarkable participation. So HIAʼs mission is more important than ever; and HIA has been very successful in accomplishing that mission.
Hans Binnendijk, Chairman of the Board, Humanity in Action
Welcome to the 10th Anniversary Celebration of Humanity in Action. Before we turn to Richard Haass and Roger Cohen for keynote remarks, a word about HIA and its mission. HIA is dedicated to the proposition that nations should be judged among other things based on the way they treat their minorities, whether religious, ethnic, racial
or other. HIA also believes that education and civic engagement can affect the way in which nations behave, and that the tragic lessons of the past should not be forgotten.
The 20th Century was not kind to minorities. In the first half of that century, millions were killed simply because of their race, religion or ethnic background. We saw improvement in the second half of the century (for example the American Civil Rights movement) but as the century ended, we saw this same evil active again in places like
Bosnia, Kosovo, and Rwanda. In Africa today, we are faced with this evil in Darfur. In Europe today, Muslim minorities are not assimilating into European societies. Their alienation breeds violence with potentially dramatic consequences. In Russia today, the Kremlin leadership asserts the right to protect minority rights for Russian nationals in neighboring countries, sometimes using this right to intimidate their neighbors.
With these last examples we see that minority rights today are again an issue with potentially profound strategic consequences. We are now in the most serious economic crisis since the Great Depression. We cannot forget that 75 years ago, that earlier global economic crisis eventually yielded the greatest assault on minority rights that the world has ever witnessed. Some believe that todayʼs crisis if unchecked could again shake the very foundation of democratic legitimacy. This is a time for vigilance. So HIAʼs mission is even more relevant today than when it was founded a decade ago.
In that past decade HIA has been extremely successful at its educational mission. It operates in six countries: the US, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, France and Poland. About 750 Fellows from Europe and the US in about equal proportions have attended HIAʼs five-week program. The bonds that are formed by these Fellows
improve transatlantic relations at the grass roots level. American Fellows have come from 89 different colleges and universities.
I can judge from the experience of my own two daughters as well as testimonies from other Fellows that this program has a profound impact on their lives and social entrepreneurship. Being an HIA Fellow is a lifetime experience. HIA is in touch with 96% of its previous Fellows and it has created two centers to develop even closer
ties with them. This success is demonstrated by the fact that 83% of the American Senior Fellows contributed to HIAʼs annual appeal last year. This is remarkable participation. So HIAʼs mission is more important than ever; and HIA has been very successful in accomplishing that mission.
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