PAST EVENTS
Screening and Discussion with: Robert Greenwald and Jim Miller
The Common Good was proud to present a special screening of Robert Greenwald’s new documentary Rethink Afghanistan
The Common Good was proud to present a special screening of Robert Greenwald’s new documentary Rethink Afghanistan about the US military presence in Afghanistan following the September 11th attacks. Jim Miller, the Executive Director of Brave New Films joins Greenwald in discussion of the film.
Robert Greenwald is the president of Brave New Foundation as well as being a producer, director and political activist. Greenwald is the director/producer of several documentaries: “Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers” (2006), “Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price” (2005), and “Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War of Journalism” (2004). He also executive produced a trilogy of political documentaries: “Unprecedented: The 2000 Presidential Election” (2002); “Uncovered: The Iraq War” (2003), which Greenwald also directed; and “Unconstitutional” (2004). His films have garnered 25 EMMY Award nominations, four Cable ACE awards nomination, two Golden Globes, the Peabody Award, the Robert Wood Johnson Award and eight awards of excellence from the Film Advisory Board. In 2002 Greenwald was awarded the 2002 Producer of the Year Award by the American Film Institute.
Jim Miller is the Executive Director for Brave New Foundation. He joined the company when the Foundation was initially formed by putting together the coalition of over 100 groups (including Amnesty International, MoveOn True Majority, and Voters For Peace) to push their unique system of distributuion and house screenings for Iraq For Sale. Since then Jim has strengthened their distribution coalition so that their short videos now get 1.5 million views per month. His film experience began over 20 years ago working on the film Bull Durham and includes being the Director of Development for The Shooting Gallery, an independent film company which produced ‘Sling Blade’ and ‘You Can Count on Me’, and Head of Acquisitions for Cinema Park Distribution.
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Meet & Greet: Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes
The Common Good was proud to present Redefining the Role of the Public Prosecutor: Reform through Creative Solutions with Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes
The Common Good was proud to present Redefining the Role of the Public Prosecutor: Reform through Creative Solutions with Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes. The speaker was introduced by Patricia Gatling and the program was convened by Arthur Eisenberg.
Joe Hynes was born and raised in Brooklyn. Starting in 1963 Hynes worked for the Legal Aid Society as an associate attorney before joining the Kings County District Attorney’s Office as an Assistant District Attorney in 1969. In 1971, Hynes was appointed as Chief of the Rackets Bureau and was named First Assistant District Attorney in 1973.
Patricia Gatling is the Commissioner and Chair of the New York City Commission on Human Rights. She is in charge of enforcing the Human Rights Law and combating discrimination in New York City. She also worked as a senior trainer with John Jay College, teaching '“Human Dignity and the Law” in newly emerging democratic countries, such as Botswana and Thailand. Previously, Ms. Gatling served as First Assistant District Attorney at the Kings County District Attorney’s Office. She is an active participant in community outreach programs and a widely respected speaker. For her unending public service, Ms. Gatling has received numerous awards throughout her illustrious career.
Arthur Eisenberg is the Legal Director of the New York Civil Liberties Union where he has worked for more than 35 years. During that time he has been involved in more than 20 cases that were presented to the United States Supreme Court. He has litigated extensively around issues of free speech and voting rights and has been increasingly involved in litigation concerning national security and civil liberties. Eisenberg is the co-author, with Burt Neuborne, of the Rights of Candidates and Voters and has published numerous law review articles. Art Eisenberg contributed and an essay on issues of faith and conscience in the book Engaging Cultural Differences, and an essay on military tribunals for the book It’s a Free Country.
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Lunch and Discussion with: NY Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly
The Common Good was proud to present Crime, Counterterrorism, Community Affairs with NY Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly
The Common Good was proud to present Crime, Counterterrorism, Community Affairs with NY Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly. The speaker was introduced by Paul Beirne and was convened by Felicia Taylor.
Raymond W. Kelly was appointed Police Commissioner of the City of New York by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, making Commissioner Kelly the first person to hold the post for a second, separate tenure. Commissioner Kelly was formerly Senior Managing Director, Global Corporate Security, at Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. Before that, he served as Commissioner of the U.S. Customs Service, where he managed the agency’s 20,000 employees and $20 billion in annual revenue. For his accomplishments at Customs, Commissioner Kelly was awarded the Alexander Hamilton Medal for Exceptional Service.
Paul Beirne is a principal in New York City based Bernstein Wealth Management, a unit of AllianceBernstein. The firm manages over $500 billion for individuals, families, pension plans, unions, foundations, public funds and other entities. In addition to his business activities, Beirne is active on several charitable boards and carries out a number of committee assignments, including the World Monuments Fund, Santa Clara University Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance, the Municipal Art Society (Vice Chair) and the Alliance for the Arts (Chairman 2000-2005).
Felicia Taylor was the co-host of Retirement Living TV’s Daily Cafe up until November 2008. She has returned to CNN and currently presents Business News reports for CNN.com’s live video feed. Previously, Taylor was a CNBC business news anchor and a correspondent for CNN. She served as weekend anchor on WNBC-TV in New York, and also worked at the Financial News Network, the Financial Times, and CNBC as co-anchor of Today’s Business and Market Watch.
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Breakfast and Discussion with Majority Leader Steny Hoyer
The Common Good was proud to present The Economy, the Stimulus Package and How to get the Economy back on Track with Majority Leader Steny Hoyer
The Common Good was proud to present The Economy, the Stimulus Package and How to get the Economy back on Track with Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. The speaker was introduced by Maurice Sonnenberg and was convened by Stuart Sundlun.
Congressman Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland is a strong advocate of Democrats’ policies to strengthen America’s middle class, its economy, and its national security. In response to the recession, Congressman Hoyer helped lead House passage of investments and tax cuts that non-partisan experts say are responsible for 3 million jobs. He is also spearheading the Make It In America agenda, a plan to rebuild American manufacturing and its well-paying jobs. He made crucial contributions to the passage of legislation to expand access to affordable health care to all Americans, as well as new common-sense rules to rein in Wall Street excesses and protect consumers while upholding the free market.
Maurice Sonnenberg is the Senior International Advisor at the investment banking firm of JPMorgan and a Senior International Advisor to the law firm of Greenberg Traurig. He has been an advisor in the fields of foreign policy, international trade, finance and intelligence to five Presidential Administrations. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations where he served on the Council’s Independent Task Force on Terrorist Financing, and is presently on the Foreign Affairs magazine Advisory Board. Among his awards is the Order of the Mexican Aztec Eagle (Orden Mexicana del Aguila Azteca) in 2001, and Phi Beta Kappa.
Stuart Sundlun is a Managing Director of BMB Advisors, a merchant banking group focusing on the Emerging Markets. In addition to private equity, BMB has created ShARE, which provides access for Islamic Sharia investors to leading alternative asset managers. Mr. Sundlun was one of the founders and serves as Board Member of The Dignity Fund which makes micro finance loans in developing countries. Active in business ventures in Russia since 1994, he currently serves on the board of South Oil. He was an unofficial advisor to his father, the Honorable Bruce Sundlun, during his five campaigns for Governor of Rhode Island.
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The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama with Gwen Ifill
The Common Good was proud to host a lunch and discussion with Gwen Ifill, author of The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama On. Ifill was introduced by Susan Fales-Hill, an award winning writer and television producer and the program was convened by Gail Sheehy, a cultural observer and bestselling author whose landmark work.
The Common Good was proud to host a lunch and discussion with Gwen Ifill, author of The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama. Ifill was introduced by Susan Fales-Hill, an award winning writer and television producer, and the program was convened by Gail Sheehy, a cultural observer and bestselling author whose landmark work.
In The Breakthrough, veteran journalist Gwen Ifill surveys the American political landscape, shedding new light on the impact of Barack Obama’s stunning presidential victory and introducing the emerging young African American politicians forging a bold new path to political power.
Ifill argues that the Black political structure formed during the Civil Rights movement is giving way to a generation of men and women who are the direct beneficiaries of the struggles of the 1960’s. She offers incisive, detailed profiles of such prominent leaders as Newark Mayor Cory Booker, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, and U.S. Congressman Artur Davis of Alabama (all interviewed for this book), and also covers numerous up-and-coming figures from across the nation. Drawing on exclusive interviews with power brokers such as President Obama, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, Vernon Jordan, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, his son Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., and many others, as well as her own razor-sharp observations and analysis of such issues as generational conflict, the race/ gender clash, and the "black enough" conundrum, Ifill shows why this is a pivotal moment in American history.
Gwen Ifill was a moderator and managing editor of Washington Week and senior correspondent for the PBS NewsHour. She was also the best-selling author of The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama. Ifill reported on a wide range of issues from foreign affairs to U.S. politics and policies interviewing national and international news-makers. She covered six Presidential campaigns and moderated two vice presidential debates. Ifill has received more than 20 honorary doctorates and served on the boards of the News Literacy Project, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and she is a fellow with the American Academy of Sciences.
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The Common Good has been hosting events since 2006 that cover important issues of today, highlighting speakers who have worked to bolster our democracy and can provide great insight on the issues that matter.