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The Communitarian Update
Number 60
March 8, 2004
Tell us what you think!
Large segments of the population of the West, especially in the United States, believe that their
foreign policy makers should promote democracy around the world. Yet the United States
recently allowed gangs of rebels to depose Haiti's elected president. Should the United States and
its Western allies have sent troops to prevent this? Should the United States or the United
Nations have gotten involved despite the fact that Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide
presided over a corrupt regime and is associated with human rights violations?
For additional discussion on the limits of democratization, see http://www.gwu.edu/~ccps/etzioni/A313.pdf
Please respond briefly and tell us how to identify you. We do not run anonymous responses
because we hold that true identities make for better dialogues. Please also provide some details
about yourself; if not your affiliation, at least your town and nation, to help us understand your
perspective.
Special Announcements
We invite you to participate in
The Communitarian Summit: An Agenda for the Next Four Years
July 9-11, 2004, Washington, D.C.
On the campus of The George Washington University
Meet with scholars and practitioners to discuss communitarian issues. Our themes include
Communitarian Theory and Philosophy, Beyond Relativism, From Empire to Community,
Recapturing our Holidays, and Rights & Responsibilities in the Age of Terrorism. Scholars who
have agreed to join us include Benjamin Barber, Arthur Caplan, Ezekiel Emanuel, and Cass
Sunstein.
For more information and to register please visit us online: http://www.gwu.edu/~ccps/Communitarian_Summit.html
***
DePaul Law Review's "Privacy and Identity Symposium"
Panel 2: Privacy and Community
11:30 am
Saturday, March 13
DePaul University College of Law
Chicago, Illinois
The panel will include Amitai Etzioni, Tracey Meares, Jonathan Kahn, and Linda McClain
***
The Kennedy School of Government's Center for Public Leadership Speaker Series
9-10:30 am
Friday, March 19
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Featuring Amitai Etzioni
"The Role of Soft Religions in Democratization"
A Talk by Amitai Etzioni
12-1:30 pm
Friday, March 19
Boston College
Boston, Massachusetts
5th floor lounge of McGuinn Hall
News of Interest
Poll: Americans Prefer Government-run Healthcare
A Harris Poll conducted for the Wall Street Journal found that more Americans prefer
government-run health insurance programs. The survey also found that 19 percent of Americans
said that they would rather see hospitals run by for-profit business compared to 35 percent who
preferred that hospitals be run by non-profit organizations. Similarly, 16 percent stated that they
would want for-profit business to conduct medical research while an overwhelming 42 percent
would rather see universities conduct such research. For more on the study, see
http://www.harrisinteractive.com/news/newsletters/wsjhealthnews/
WSJOnline_HI_Health-CarePoll2003vol2_iss12.pdf
McDonalds Bows to Health Concerns
After facing years of criticism about the health content of its food, including two law suits,
McDonalds Corp. has announced that it will cut its "supersize" option by the end of the year. A
McDonalds spokeswoman said that the decision was made as part of a new effort to promote a
"balanced lifestyle approach" which will also include adult happy meals that come with exercise
tips. With American obesity levels on the rise, other industry rivals are competing to create for
themselves a healthier image by offering more white meat options, salads, fruit, and yogurt in
addition to the traditional fries and burgers. To read the story, go to
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=571&
ncid=751&e=1&u=/nm/20040303/hl_nm/leisure_mcdonalds_dc
Supreme Court Hears Internet Porn Case
This week the Supreme Court began hearing arguments on the constitutionality of the Child
Online Protection Act (COPA). Though the act was passed by Congress in 1998, it has twice
been struck down at the federal appeals level and this is its second hearing in front of the high
court. COPA would allow the authorities to prosecute web site operators who knowingly make
pornographic material accessible to children. ACLU lawyers argue that because the law does not
clearly define what is "harmful to minors" it could be used to criminalize artists or those who
operate self-help sex advice websites. The court is expected to come to a decision by this
summer. To learn more, go to
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/
AP-Scotus-Online-Porn.html
For a communitarian position on this issue, see the current issue of the Chicago Kent Law
Review, http://lawreview.kentlaw.edu/current_issues_webpage.htm
For a debate on Mel Gibson's "The Passion" including Amitai Etzioni's latest article on the rise of
anti-Semitism, visit
http://www.amitai-notes.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-search.cgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=passion
Publications of Interest
"The Well-Connected Community: A Networking Approach to Community Development" by
Alison Gilchrist (Community Development Foundation, 2004)
Argues that communities are in a strong position to make contributions to the civil society and
democratic renewal. Focuses on key programs in the UK that have been particularly successful at
promoting community participation, partnership and network-building, and public
decision-making. Outlines "best practices" for building community networks. To purchase, see
http://www.sccd.org.uk/resources/library/commdev.htm
"Local Actions: Cultural Activism, Power, and Public Life in America" by Melissa Checker and
Maggie Fishman (Columbia University Press, 2004)
After examining communities dedicated to social change, the authors conclude that activism is
flourishing in America. Uses diverse case studies including evangelical Christians in Tennessee,
transgender activists in New York, South Asian teens in Northern California, and Native
Americans in Minnesota to present important anthropological observations about the nature of
social activism. To buy the book, see
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/cup/catalog/data/023112/0231128509.HTM
"Leadership and Organization for Community Prevention and Intervention in Venezuela" edited
by Maritza Montero (The Haworth Press, 2004)
Presents an overview of organizations that cope with a wide range of problems that plague
low-income, urban communities in Venezuela. Describes the workshops, restructuring projects,
and other tools that have been effective at strengthening these communities and their leadership.
Highlights a practical, reflective approach to community building that was developed by Latin
American psychologists. To order, visit
http://www.haworthpressinc.com/store/product.asp?sku=5071
Articles of Interest
"Time Banks: Rewarding Community Self-help in the Inner City?" by Gill Seyfang, in The
Community Development Journal, January 2004
Examines the success of using a "time bank" in a poor community in Glasgow wherein
community members give and receive help to and from each other in the form of time credits.
Asks whether reciprocal volunteering is an effective way to inspire civic-mindedness and
community development. To buy the article, go to http://cdj.oupjournals.org/cgi/reprint/39/1/62
The Communitarian Network invites you to:
Order communitarian books by Amitai Etzioni, Edward W. Lehman, Daniel A. Bell, and Philip
Selznick at a 40-50% discount! For more information, please visit
http://www.gwu.edu/~ccps/order.html
Check Out Our Website and Weblog! Head to http://www.communitariannetwork.org for
communitarian publications, events, news, and ideas. Visit http://www.amitai-notes.com/blog for
current communitarian musings.
Send us your news. If you have news that highlights the communitarian perspective please
forward it to comnet@gwu.edu with "News" in the subject line.
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Endorse the Communitarian Platform!
Join other communitarians who have read and endorsed our platform. Visit our web site:
http://www.gwu.edu/~ccps/rcplatform.html.
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