Green Family NeighborhoodHELP Outreach Gallery: October 2013

Once again we will be hosting the EMM Fellows this fall during the week of October 15^th thru 20^th

Thierry Baudet

Post-doctoral research fellow Korte Prinsengracht 7-I

Tilburg University 1013 GN Amsterdam, Netherlands

thpbaudet@gmail.com +31 624 219 475

Thierry Baudet, Ph.D, LLM, is a Dutch academic, journalist, and public intellectual. He is the author of several books, including, in English, The Significance of Borders, Why Representative Government and the Rule of Law require Nation States (Boston 2012). Thierry is currently working on two new books: one on the development of the BRIC-countries and the implications of their growth for the global balance of powers; another on the United States from a eurosceptic perspective. For the past seven years, Thierry has filled teaching positions in law, history and political philosophy at Leiden Law School, the University of Amsterdam and the Academia Vitae in Deventer. A columnist for the national newspaper NRC Handelsblad between 2011 and 2012, he frequently appears in Dutch media, and he is a member of the advisory board of the political tv-show Buitenhof. In 2013, Thierry acccepted a position as a post-doctoral research fellow at Tilburg University and a visiting fellowship at the Royal Dutch Institute in Rome.

Growing up in Haarlem, an old and beautiful city near Amsterdam, I attended the last Grammar School of the Netherlands to teach classes on Saturdays. As a teenager, I devoted much of my time to playing the piano and generally pursuing an interest in the arts. September 11^th, 2001, was the first day of my studies at university, and later that year, the widely popular politician Pim Fortuyn was shot dead at midday because of his critical views on immigration and Islam. These events had a profound influence on my development. Increasingly, I felt my efforts were required in politics, rather than the arts. I started my own radio talkshow; published two edited volumes in political philosophy; and set out to make the case for the nation state as opposed to the post-modern, post-national quasi-government of the European Union. In my current projects, I seek to broaden my horizon beyond Europe. Meanwhile, I am increasingly drawn back to the arts. I find the dominating modernist paradigm fundamentally unsatisfactory. Aesthetically, the 20^th century has surely been an age of dramatic decline. One of my aims in the coming years is to contribute to a renewed understanding and appreciation of beauty.

Professional Objective 1: My first travel objective is cultural. Dutch commentators often mistake New England or New York City for the whole of the US. I would like to see the mid-west, the deep south and the pacific states; and to try to understand the rural economic structures and the Native American, the Mexican and the Asian influences on America; to explore the values, the political views and the forms of cultural life that have gained shape in these parts of the US, including the religious ideas, the experience of authority, the folklore, the forms of leisure and the perception of social responsibility.

Professional Objective 2: My second travel objective is historical. I am interested in the culture that existed in the slave states, in the practice of slavery and in the economy and political ideas of the south at the time. In addition, I would like to explore if this culture and these ideas survived in some way after the war of 1861-1865, for example through the Southern Agrarians Movement or associations such as the "sons of confederate veterans".

Professional Objective 3: My third travel objective is political. I would like to scrutinize American federalism and the relationship between the federal government and the states. I am interested in the way the two parties canalize political ideas and the extent to which they succeed in legitimizing the political system. Almost two centuries after Tocqueville's celebration of American democracy, I would like to assess whether the system still functions properly or is in need of reform.

Begoña Graña Suárez

Oncologist Avenida Lamadosa Portal 3 6-B

Spanish National Health System 15009 A Coruña, Spain

begona.grana.suarez@gmail.com +34 620769421

Begoña Graña‐Suárez is currently an oncologist specialized in hereditary cancer and works for the Spanish national health system in northwestern Spain (Galicia). Her professional life has primarily focused on clinical practice and cancer research. She has actively participated in international research projects in several Spanish institutions, and led the family cancer clinics of University Hospitals both from Catalonia and Galicia from 2006 to 2012. Her previous professional experience includes a research fellowship at Memorial Sloan‐Kettering Cancer Center in New York, 2005-2006. Ongoing economic challenges in Europe, have recently made her focus on the organizational aspects of the public health system, currently facing drastic changes in Spain.

I was born in Galicia, a green peripheral region in northwestern Spain. I have lived very close to Cape Finisterre, considered during the period of Classical Antiquity to be the end of the known world. Despite being raised in such a remote ‐ yet charming ‐ European place, I had the chance to be exposed to a myriad of inspiring activities not only professionally, but also in the vein of the arts and sports. Last April 2012, I made my first public exhibition of photography about the effects of climate change on Iceland’s glaciers based on a trip to the country. I very much enjoy the company of my friends and family, sometimes singing and playing the piano for them and hiking and enjoying a good meal later on. But my true passion is to take care of my baby who is currently 14 months old.

Professional Objective 1: Health Care Reform. Up to April 2011, the Spanish National Health System was completely public and universal, but now it is being restructured and the political authorities in Spain want it to be partially privatized. To contact with those involve with the Health Reform in the U.S. will allow me to make analogies between the two systems in order to know the strengths and weaknesses of both reforms. Eventually, I would try to understand the future of both health systems.

Professional Objective 2: To contact the managers/directors of a U.S. public hospital in order to find out what are their daily problems, and especially how they face the attention of uninsured population with limited resources. The National Health System of Spain has recently changed and it is no longer universal, just for those with public health insurance. We are starting to face difficulties with uninsured population especially in community institutions, together with non-payment or delayed payment to suppliers, and shortage of medicines and health technology.

Professional Objective 3: To contact with a renowned cancer advocacy association that works for the rights of cancer patients. I am a physician with a career focused in cancer treatment in Spain. Unfortunately, in my country we have no such associations, that I think may be extremely helpful for those patients with cancer, especially considering the situation exposed in the two previous objectives.

Alexander Schweitzer

Minister Bauhofstraße 9

Ministry of Social Affairs, Labor, Health and Democracy 55116 Mainz, Germany

Alexander.schweitzer@msagd.rlp.de +49 173 708 4554

Alexander Schweitzer has been the Minister of Social Affairs, Labor, Health and Demography of Rhineland-Palatinate since January, 16, 2013. He is responsible for a key issue within the state government of Rhineland-Palatinate, a “land” of four million inhabitants in southern Germany. Prior to this, Alexander served as the General Secretary of the Social Democratic Party, the ruling party in Rhineland-Palatinate. From 2009 to 2011, Alexander accompanied the office of the State Secretary for Economic Affairs, Transport, Agriculture and Viticulture, and before that he was a Member of Parliament. After completing law school Alexander worked for several years in a management consulting firm in Mannheim and Heidelberg.

I was born in 1973 in Landau/Pfalz in a region very close to Ramstein, a focus of the American troops in Germany and Europe. I grew up in a small village, along with my younger sister Tanja, who now lives and works with her family in Japan. After completing my studies I went back to my rural homeland and live there today with my wife, Barbara, a teacher, and our three children Lilly, Béla and Leander. I love spending time with my family, playing with my children, and watching them grow. My family is definitely my emotional anchor - especially when I am very busy at work. When my time permits it, I like listening to music and I love to read.

Professional Objective 1: I would like to have intensive talks and contacts with representatives of companies, business associations, trade unions and those dealing with questions of economic policy in municipal and state administration. Here I am interested in particular issues: Where are seen the future markets? How does industry and how do small businesses prepare for the future? What role does education have for the companies? What is the role of renewable energy for economic growth? How is the cooperation between employees and firms?

Professional Objective 2: How is the participation, particularly by young people in democracy? How is seen the future of American democracy and society? Where do people see the most important challenges for the American society? How are American political parties developing? How far is the U.S. on the road to overcoming social differences? I would like to discuss these questions with representatives of political parties, foundations, think tanks, governments, political consultants.

Professional Objective 3: I'm interested in the relationship between the U.S. and Europe. How does the U.S see their role in Germany and Europe in the next ten years? Will there be a new phase of cooperation? Or is Europe very soon just one of many players no longer as important as China or India - economically and politically? What do the peoples know about each other? How can we support the exchange and the cooperation especially among the younger generation? I would like to talk to representatives of youth associations, foundations, and political parties.

Fiorela Shalsi

National Program Coordinator Rruga Skënderbej,Pll 6, Ap 11/12

UN Women in Tirana, Albania Tirana, Albania

fiorelas@yahoo.com +35 56 92 09 75 54

Fiorela Shalsi works as the national program coordinator with UN Women in Tirana, Albania, leading the efforts to achieve gender equality, fair and just democratic political representation, equitable electoral policies, increasing the participation of women in decisions that affect their lives, and strengthening networks of civil society organizations and media to hold decision makers accountable on their gender equality commitments. Working with the United Nations since 2003, she has also been a university professor and a psychology counselor, an author and a trainer, authoring numerous articles and running a monthly column in Psychology magazine since 2006. She is regularly interviewed by various TV and radio stations as a psychologist and expert on gender issues. She has a master’s in Gender and Development Studies from a joint Denmark’s Roskilde and Tirana University program as well as a master’s in Counseling Psychology.

I come from the capital of Albania, a country that after fifty years of isolation and ten years of political unrest now is at the cusp of unprecedented societal transformation. My nation’s dramatic developments as well as my personal soul-searching induced my interest in psychology and my country’s new openness has led to my penchant for travelling, writing, art and photography. Although I have been described as a European urbanite, I actually love nature and all types of outdoors activities and my favorite leisure activity is horseback riding. I also love to sing and dance and even contemplated a career of a professional singer when I was younger. I enjoy different types of music depending on where I am, but especially chamber music, philharmonic, jazz, and rock. I am continuously working on my skills as a photographer as I often feel that it enables me to better connect with nature and people’s personalities and that’s why I believe I have gradually evolved from representational into a more conceptual imagery. I do hope to exhibit my photos in an art gallery someday.

Professional Objective 1: Learn how the United States articulates, develops, and implements Gender Equality - history, advancement, present situation. Capabilities, opportunities, and empowerment for women with access to education, educational attainment and enrollment rates, the equality of access to resources such as land, credit, and property, labor force participation, gender wage gap and employment rates. Women level of representation in deliberative bodies, the percentage in the legislature, gaining access to women in decision-making positions. It should enable me to be more effective in my role of developing gender equality in my country.

Professional Objective 2: Identify and understand American academic theories, research and political science as they apply to politics, leadership, gender, electoral patterns and democratic processes. My work demands practical implementation of societal goals, but also a solid theoretical background, so I am interested in connecting to the members of American university community to help me define the direction of future research and theory as they apply to Albanian environment. Thus, visiting with American authoritative academics is one of my goals. Georgetown University and Columbia University are of particular interest due to the intensity of their scholarly approach to political theory and democratic process.

Professional Objective 3: Explore American democratic institutions and how they deal with promoting a gender-equal, egalitarian society by providing its people economic and social rights simply for being a citizen, regardless of gender. I am interested to investigate what measures have the Congress and political parties have used to increase women participation as members and how well they are represented. What structures and networking have women built themselves to increase their power and lobbying efforts within Congress and especially political parties. For this it would be an honor to meet with Senators, Congresswomen or women from both political parties.

Max Steinhardt

Senior Economist Holstenhofweg 85

Hamburg Institute of International Economics (HWWI) 22043 Hamburg, Germany

steinhardt@hwwi.org +49 176 611 94 636

Max Friedrich Steinhardt is currently working as a postdoctoral researcher at the Helmut Schmidt University in Hamburg and as a senior economist at the Hamburg Institute of International Economics (HWWI). His previous professional experience includes work at the Centro Studi Luca d’Agliano (LdA) in Milan, Italy, and the European Center for Advanced Research in Economics and Statistics (ECARES) in Brussels, Belgium. In addition to this, Max has worked as an external consultant for the OECD in Paris, France as well as for a number of national ministries. His main research interests are in the areas of labor economics and economics of migration. He completed his doctoral thesis in Economics in 2009 at the University of Hamburg.

I was born and raised in Hamburg, which is the second largest city in Germany located on the river Elbe, also known as Germany’s “gateway to the world”. I grew up in an urban, multicultural neighborhood characterized by a maritime atmosphere. This and the influence of my parents gave me a strong sense of civic freedom, an open-minded character and curiosity about different cultures. The latter motivated my studies in Italy and Belgium. Besides my research focus in economic and social topics, I have a strong interest in philosophical and ethical questions. Furthermore, I am an enthusiastic soccer fan and like to spend my leisure time doing sports (hiking, soccer, squash and swimming). Last but not least, I enjoy very much the company of my family as well as my diverse group of friends.

Professional Objective 1: Deepening my understanding of the US society and economy. As a labor economist, I would be generally interested to meet local stakeholders who deal with labor market issues like unemployment, wage growth, inequality, assimilation and gender gaps. I also would like to exchange with representatives of cities and metropolitan areas who are facing problems like ethnic segmentation and raising inequality. Related to the latter phenomena, it would also be very inspiring to talk to representatives of nongovernmental organizations representing ethnic minorities. Moreover, I would like to interact with representatives from federal institutions, which deal with immigration.

Professional Objective 2: Exchange with Policymakers about immigration. I have a strong interest in the political economy of immigration. Therefore, it would be great to meet any legislators, who shape immigration policy in the house and senate. This would allow me to discuss my research on the determinants of US immigration policy in the House of Representatives, which was recently published in one of the leading US economic journals. Related to this it would be also inspiring to exchange with business groups lobbying for liberal or restrictive immigration legislation.

Professional Objective 3: Expand my transatlantic network. My expectation is that the fellowship will help me to make new contacts to US researchers and institutions and to improve my professional network. In particular, I would be interested to meet professors and researchers who are specialized in labor economics and political economy. This would help me in my plan to conduct empirical cross-country comparisons between the US and Germany with respect to labor market, health and policy outcomes. Furthermore, it would increase my chances of a successful academic career in an international environment.

Green Family NeighborhoodHELP Outreach Gallery

Thursday, October 10, 2013

City of Miami Gardens Peace Park Rally October 10, 2013

FIU College of Medicine Breast Cancer Walk/run October 19th at 8:30 am

South Florida's Cultural Arts Park

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Ingrid Moss at Pentab Center for Advancement Restoration and Empowerment Inc.

Green Family Foundation Will Be Hosting the 2013 European Marshall Memorial Fellows October 15th-October 20th

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