Politico 01/14/2012 Huffington Post 02/02/2012 By Michael Shank With climate change a non-starter in Congress and among Republican presidential candidates, it is becoming clear that something more than mere nation-state commitments will be needed to counter climate change and reduce global warming. With nations reluctant to recommit to another climate […]
Author: Michael Shank
Measuring the Cost of Violence
PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER 01/12/12 By Michael Shank and US Congressman Michael Honda (D-CA) Homicide, other violent crimes, incarceration, policing, and guns are costing this country hundreds of billions of dollars, and millions of jobs, every year. According to conservative estimates by the Institute for Economics and Peace, if the United States […]
What My Amish and Mennonite Forefathers Would Think About My Job in Congress (and Why I Left)
Huffington Post 01/09/2012 By Michael Shank If my Amish-Mennonite forefathers could see me now, I wonder what they would say. If I sat down with America’s first Amish bishop (my 6th great-grandfather) or the first Mennonite bishop in Virginia (my 5th great-grandfather), how would they feel about my working in […]
Consumers, Business Carry the Ball on Climate Change
Vancouver Sun 12/26/2011 By Michael Shank and Melissa Powell As Canada withdraws from the Kyoto Protocol and United Nations climate talks conclude – postponing carbon cuts until 2020 – it is clear that something more than mere nation-state commitments will be needed to counter climate change and reduce global warming. […]
A Peace Dividend We Should All Want
THE HILL 12/21/11 By Michael Shank and US Congressman Michael Honda (D-CA) In light of Congress’s failure to wrestle up short-term cost-cutting measures for our country, we must not lose sight of longer-term concerns about the sustainability of our deficits, debts and, ultimately, our budgets. While we tempt deadlines now, […]
House Punt on Payroll Deal Highlights Need for Radical Reform
Huffington Post 12/21/2011 By Michael Shank and US Congressman Michael Honda (D-CA) In light of Congress’s failure to wrestle up short-term cost-cutting measures for our country, we must not lose sight of longer-term concerns about the sustainability of our deficits, debts and, ultimately, our budgets. While we tempt deadlines now, […]
Eight Ingredients for a Peaceful Society
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR 12/19/11 By Michael Shank What makes for a peaceful society? Hot spots from Congo to the Middle East would benefit from such knowledge. But so would the United States, which, at home, isn’t always so harmonious and abroad, is still at war in Afghanistan. The Institute for […]
The Power of a Dangerous Idea
The New Statesman 12/13/2011 By Mehdi Hasan Secular commentators dismiss religion as a malign force in the world. But from Burma’s Aung San Suu Kyi to the Arab spring, faith is inspiring the new peaceful protest. The names Yahya Shurbaji and Ghiyath Matar might mean little to people outside Syria. […]
What River Phoenix and $38 Trillion Can Teach Us About Peace
Huffington Post 12/05/2011 By Michael Shank, Joaquin Phoenix and Dot Maver Look at 2011’s most significant events, those that will have an indelible impact on our future. We saw new wars, revolutions, record-breaking global population growth, climate-related disasters and poverty and income inequality statistics. We also witnessed innovative efforts to […]
The True Cost of War
Washington Life Magazine 12/2011 By Michael Shank, Joaquin Phoenix and Dot Maver Several new organizations are proving that peace saves more than lives Look at 2011’s most significant events, those that will have an indelible impact on our future. We saw new wars, revolutions, record-breaking global population growth, climate-related disasters […]