by D-L Nelson
France
Old wars are usually forgotten as soon as new wars make headlines. The war fought in Bosnia between March 1992 and November 1995 is such a war.
by D-L Nelson
France
France is a mecca for the large number of small-scale raw milk cheese producers that live and work in the region.
However, many cheeses from France never cross the Atlantic because they are made from raw milk and are then sold anywhere from the day of their fabrication to six weeks of age. This is the case with the majority of goat cheeses in Provence.
And yet, this great tradition of raw milk cheeses has come under attack as France seeks to comply with the new food regulations coming from Brussels and the European Union (EU).
by D-L Nelson
France
Look closely at the Van der Grinten map. It is upside down, except it isn’t. The earth, seen from space, has no up and down.
ODT Maps of Amherst, MA, published the “What’s Up? South!" Map. Bob Abramms, ODT founder, publisher, diversity consultant, trainer and community activist, believes people need multiple view points to see the world correctly, each view not containing the truth, but part of the truth. He uses the “What’s up?” map and others to change peoples’ perspectives, not just about maps, but about the world.
by D-L Nelson
France
People talk of capitalism, socialism or communism as if these were the only three economic systems for the world to choose from. Little is said about co-operativism, one of the least-publicized economic systems,
View larger imagePart of the reason co-ops are so infrequently discussed is that they aren’t traded on the stock market. They seldom make the business news, yet they are responsible for generating billions of dollars.
by D-L Nelson
France
It is easy to talk about a problem; it is much harder to do anything about it.
Two Canadian women, tired of hearing about leadership crisis, decided to kick-start a national dialogue. Françoise Morissette M.Ed., P.C.C. and Amal Henein CHRP spent almost three years developing their book, Made in Canada Leadership: Wisdom from the Nation's Best and Brightest on the Art and Practice of Leadership.
All types of organizations and governments need a steady supply of people with real leadership skills to reach their goals and ensure a positive future. Waiting around for a knight in shining armour doesn’t cut it; the wringing of hands is a waste of time. Their book was researched and written to find and propose alternatives. In an interview, Morissette pointed out that the world spends more time and effort training athletes than they do training leaders.
by D-L Nelson
France
Geneva, Switzerland - “The chair is back,” Geneva residents are saying to each other.
The simple brown wooden chair would look good at any dining room table if it were of normal size and if it had four instead of three and a quarter legs. The fourth leg is broken off, leaving shards of jagged wood, yet the chair does not tip.
by D-L Nelson
France
Sujatha Venkatesh sips Indian spiced tea in her Geneva, Switzerland countryside home as she talks about her real and creative journey from Bangalore, India, to becoming the maven of Indian classic and folk dance in Switzerland.
Although she sits restfully and nibbles on a chocolate-covered cookie, when she talks about her childhood, it is clear why and how she has the work ethic she does, why she gets more done in a day then most people do in a week.
She was the middle child between an older brother and younger sister. Her father was an engineer in charge of a machine tool company. “He wasn’t a typical Indian father,” she says. “He helped with the children, probably an idea he picked up in his many travels.”
Her mother would not allow idleness. Time was for learning, crafts and cooking. “We kept fingers, eyes, feet and voices active,” Sujatha says. The family was up at 5:30 in the morning for yoga, something her father continues at age 80...except it is even earlier.
by D-L Nelson
France
What turns a happy employee and grandmother into a striker willing to walk an icy picket line in Hamilton, ON, Canada for almost six months? Nancy Bachorski says unfair treatment is to blame.
For twenty-six years, Bachorski worked as a mortgage administrator at F1rstOntario Credit Union and she loved her job. She would recommend her credit union to people in passing and while chatting with them as she walked her dog.
Canada’s 400+ credit unions are member-owned financial institutions that hold CND$94 billion in assets. Unlike banks, credit union profits are returned to the membership or the community. In 2006 they donated over CND$36 million to community projects.
In April 2006 management started negotiating a new contract with Bachorski’s union, COPE Local 343. In May, F1rstOntario’s relatively new CEO, John Lahey, announced its most profitable year ever.
by D-L Nelson
- France -
Anyone who says one person can’t make a difference never met Karen Tse. She looks like a college student, but at 43, Tse is a lawyer, a Unitarian minister, a wife and mother. As founder and CEO of International Bridges to Justice (IBJ; www.ibj.org), she travels regularly from Europe to Asia to train public defenders and to create public awareness of legal rights.
by D-L Nelson
France
Not having any business experience didn’t stop artist-sculptor, Cristina Schønberg, from creating an arts and culture center in the tiny Catalan village of Argelès-sur-mer, France (www.argeles-sur-mer.com) at an age when most women are thinking of retirement.
Her life was always a bit unusual. The fourth of six children, she was born in Argentina, the daughter of free-spirited Danes. The family moved back to Denmark when Cristina turned seven.
