Railpower

Railpower

Global Summits

The first Global Futures Summit was held at the Jefferson on November 11-13, 2009. The JES hosted the following speakers: Stephen Porter, J.D. Director of the Climate Change Program talked about climate change and international cooperation.; William A. Smith, Ed.D Senior Fellow at Innovations Management addressed the promise of the social marketing approach in poverty.; George S. Howard, Ph.D. Chairman, Department of Psychology at Notre Dame Universitiy  asked, "Are you ready for the hydrogen economy?";  Kevin Fickenshcer, M.D. EVP of International Healthcare Perot Systems spoke about healthcare reality and possibilities to a lunch time audience of 112 people; and E. J. Dionne, Ph.D. writer for the Washington Post and frequent guest on NPR and Meet the Press spoke to a crowd of 175 about how American politics will change in the future.

Christine Riehl, M.S., M.P.A. was the Chair for this first ever event at the Jefferson which drew 561 participants to the 5 events, 210 of whom had never participated in a Jefferson event to date.

Building on the Summit's initial success and positive feedback from participants, sponsors, students and media, the Jefferson Educational Society is pleased to announce a spring Summit which will be more focused on the current state of the NW Pennsylvania region. We hope to offer analysis of the current state of the NW PA region, review progress (or lack therof) toward regional goals, and discuss new and successful approaches for revitalizing regions such as ours.  Details of this upcoming event will be published in 2010.

Erie’s Think Tank

As an Erie ‘Think-Tank’ the Jefferson Society will further promote academic knowledge and civic pride through institutional and familial research, the publication of policy papers on public issues, and the sponsorship of civic forums for the understanding of community problems. The Society also will sponsor a bi-annual conference to study not only the ‘state of Erie City and County’ but also the urban practices which have proven most successful in the great cities of the Nation.

 

Society Offers Global Perspective with Foreign Policy Association Programming
 
The Jefferson Society now offers the Great Decisions program is in association with the Foreign Policy Association, the nation’s oldest organization devoted to citizen education in world affairs.


Founded in 1918 with the motto “An informed public is an educated public,” and the belief that Americans should not frame foreign policy goals to meet global challenges without a citizenry knowledgeable in international affairs, the Foreign Policy Association has grown into a multifaceted educational institution.  

 
The FPA, of which the Jefferson Society is a member, provides the Great Decisions program as an annual national discussion program focusing on eight major foreign policy issues each year. The Great Decisions topics for 2009 are: Human Rights in a New Era: Wars for Peace?, Afghanistan/Pakistan, Energy and the Global Economy, Making Arctic Policy, Cuba in a New Era, Global Food Crises, Egypt: Key Ally in the Middle East, and the U.S. and Rising Powers