Past Events

 
Professor Jeremy Wiesen described how he helped to build the Financial News Network into a business that was acquired by CNBC; and, Tofutti Brands Inc. whose soy-based frozen desserts have been in supermarkets -- like Publix -- for over twenty-five years. He asked the audience to identify the elements of business infrastructure that needed to be obtained; the asudience shared business ideas and we  identified what it takes to be successful.
Professor Wiesen's recent article "The U.S. Needs an Industrial Policy" appeared in the Wall Street Journal (September 13th). He presented "The Protein Economy" at an October 14th speech at the U.S. Senate on "High-Impact Entrepreneurship Outlook: Finance and Innovation Create Jobs" sponsored by the Small Business Administration. 

Panelists, Colonel Randall J. Larsen, Dr. Dave McIntyre, Dr. Eric Rose, and Dr. Craig Vanderwagen. Retired U.S. Air Force Col. Randall J. Larsen is the chief executive officer of the WMD Center, a not-for-profit research organization he co-founded with former U.S. Senators Bob Graham (D-FL) and Jim Talent (R-MO). Larsen discussed the WMD Commission's bioterrorism threat assessment. Dr. Dave McIntyre is the Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Homeland Security and Defense Programs at the National Graduate School, and a visiting fellow at the Institute for Homeland Security in Washington, D.C. David McIntyre discussed "The Strategic Direction of American Security." -- So where are we today with national and international security, and where are we headed? He offered some challenges and solutions that the audience found provocative. 

Dr. Akhila Kosaraju is the Vice President for Global Development of SIGA Technologies, a company that specializes in small molecule drugs for emerging disease threats and biological warfare defense.  She received her M.D. from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and her B.A. in Human Biology from Stanford University.  Dr. Kosaraju was a White House appointee in the Pentagon, serving as the Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs.  In this capacity, she provided executive leadership in the management of a 42 billion-dollar Military Health System that included healthcare for military servicemembers, bio-defense, and international humanitarian assistance.  She received the Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service, the highest non-career civilian honor given within the Department of Defense.  She is a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, and is a member of the Board of the Alliance for Biosecurity and the International Security and Biopolicy Institute.

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Thursday, February 3rd

 Friday, February 4th

    9:30 AM - Discussion and Lunch

With John Clippinger and Professor Alex “Sandy” Pentland.
John Clippinger is Co-Director of The Law Lab at the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University. He is the author of A Crowd of One: The Future of Individual Identity, and other books and articles on artificial intelligence, language, business, and self-organizing networks. Sandy Pentland directs MIT’s Human Dynamics Laboratory and the MIT Media Lab Entrepreneurship Program. He advises the World Economic Forum, Nissan Motor Corporation, and a variety of start-up firms. Profiles of Sandy have appeared in The New York Times, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, Newsweek, Caring Magazine (Hospice), and Odyssey Magazine (children). His most recent book is Honest Signals, published by MIT Press. John and Alex have worked together on many projects for the World Economic Forum and are collaborating on the formation of a joint MIT-Harvard Center on Governance on the Net. Dr. Clippinger will explore how traditional norms of trustworthiness, privacy, and control over one’s own persona have changed radically in an increasingly virtual society. He will discuss the most current thinking about the power of social media and the role of the individual in sharing valuable, sensitive information. Whether you are someone who has readily embraced Facebook, Twitter and other networking tools, or if you remain skeptical about their role in your life, Clippinger’s presentation will provide a unique perspective on the evolving nature of the individual in our digitized world.
    Dinner at 6 PM on Feb. 3 at Villa Dei Fiori; the program will resume at 9:30 AM on Feb. 4 at a private club, followed by lunch at noon.

Friday, February 11th, 2011

   10:00 AM - Discussion, Lunch and Poetry Reading

Sarah Brown Weitzman, a postmodern poet, has had well over 200 poems published in numerous journals including The North American Review, American Writing, Potomac Review, and America. Her second chapbook, The Forbidden (2003, Pudding House) was followed by Never Far From Flesh, a full-length volume of poems (Pure Heart/Main Street Rag, 2005). Weitzman received a National Endowment for the Arts award, was a finalist in the Academy of American Poets’ Walt Whitman Award twice, and more recently was a finalist for The Foley Prize in 2003.  A former New York academic, now retired and living in Florida, she regards most postmodern poets as the grandchildren of the "Lost Generation." She will discuss the poetry of the past 50 years as it evolved in tandem with the visual arts, film, music, fashion -- even language.  By examining sample poems by Charles Wright, Billy Collins, Jane Hirshfield, Reg Saner, Stephen Dobyns, Philip Levine, Sharon Olds, Maxine Kumin, Norman Dubie and several others, the group will glean the characteristics of poetry written since the 1960s -- whether surreal, alienated, solipsistic, flaunting old taboos, shockingly personal, fractive, fearful of seeming sentimental, offering no answers or distaining traditional ideas of beauty and music. 
    The program will start at 10 AM with lunch at noon at Villa Dei Fiori. Afterward, there will be a poetry reading by Sarah.

Thursday, Febraury 24th

      3:00 PM - Discussion, Dinner and Music

Friday, Febraury 25th

      9:00 AM - Discussion and Lunch

"Financial Crisis, Problems of Enforcement", featuring Robert Monks, is the opening of a three-part program about timely and critical economic topics. Monks is founder of Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc., the author of Corpocracy, and founder of Lens Governance Advisors, a law firm that advises on corporate governance in the settlement of shareholder litigation. His principal occupation is to develop ideas which harmonize corporate energies with the long-term interests of global society. This portion of the conference will focus on one aspect of the Angelides Commission Report – problems of enforcement.  It is painfully apparent that federal entities such as the Federal Reserve, the SEC, and the Department of Labor – which are responsible for enforcing existing laws -- failed utterly. How can we be sure that the new laws will be enforced?
    This program will take place at 3 PM on Thursday, Feb. 24 at Villa Dei Fiori, followed by dinner at 6 PM and a Cabaret Evening featuring pianist Robert Hardwick and company, Broadway singer Nancy Anderson, singer Patricia Cook, and others. 

February 25: “Animal Spirits” From Fear to Confidence is the second portion of the economic conference. William Cathers moderates seminars for The Aspen Institute and has co-moderated seminars with renowned philosopher and educator, Mortimer J. Adler, on Dr. Adler’s books, Reforming Education and Six Great Ideas. Cathers also has collaborated with Alan Fletcher, president of the Aspen Music Festival, on two popular seminars, “The Meaning of Music” and “Music and the American Experience.” Cathers will lead an insightful multimedia symposium examining the ideas, music and art born of The Great Depression; and their impact on the “animal spirits” of the American public during one of our country’s darkest times. In the 1930s, British economist John Maynard Keynes, author of The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money, used the term “animal spirits” to describe the “characteristic of human nature that a large proportion of positive activities depend on spontaneous optimism rather than on a mathematical expectation.”  Keynesian followers believed that something more than sound economic policies is required for a society to rebound after an economic crisis. 
"What Should We be Doing with Our Money Now?" The third economic segment will feature Robert Wiedemer and Bernard Picchi. Robert Wiedemer is co-author of America’s Bubble Economy and Aftershock. He also serves as the primary investment valuation adviser for the U.S. Small Business Administration's Small Business Investment Company division --the largest pool of private venture capital funds in the world with more than $20 billion under management in 4,000-plus investments. Bernard J. Picchi is managing director of Private Wealth Management at Palisade Capital Management, LLC. A former Wall Street energy analyst, he speaks frequently on energy and investment topics for Bloomberg, CNBC and the New York Society of Security Analysts. Other speakers and economists including Muriel Siebert will be participating.
         Both programs will begin at 9 AM on Friday, Feb. 25 at a private club; lunch will follow at noon.

Thursday, March 3rd

    Discussion, Dinner and Music

We are part of the Centennial Commission’s 100 year celebration and as an example we are using our house to show Mizners Architecure, the rare portuguese tiles and furniture he imported. A panel will discuss architecture and style, social life, and music of the past Century. They include John Loring, John Blades, Confrey Phillips and Orator Woodward. John Loring, design director emeritus of Tiffany & Co. since 1979, is the author of many Abrams books on Tiffany's. Loring is former New York bureau chief of Architectural Digest. John Blades, Executive Director of the Flagler Museum, has developed all of its policies, procedures and forms, and completely revamped the Museum’s operation. Confrey Phillips, singer, pianist, international entertainer and society band leader. Orator Woodward, a former resident of Villa Dei Fiori, will give some fun and interesting insight into life in Palm Beach. Other invited guests include Jeffery Smith of Smith Architectural Group, Gene Pandula of Pandula Architects, and Debi Murray, Chief Curator at the Historical Society of Palm Beach County.
    There will be a dinner at Villa Dei Fiori at 6 PM Thursday, March 3, and music at 8 PM. The forum will begin at 10 AM on Friday, March 4 at Villa Dei Fiori, with lunch at noon.

On January 28-29, 2010 we started the season with “The Global Crisis Facing Obama.”  American Foreign Policy Council’s Herman Pirchner, Ilan Berman, Stephan Yates, and Robert Reilly focused on several conflicts headed toward crises-mode. Topics included Iran’s march toward nuclear capability, the ever-present threats from Al-Qaeda and Sunni terrorist organizations, China’s rising military power, Crimea, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Russia’s ambitions in its former territories. The American Foreign Policy Council is widely recognized as a source of timely, insightful analysis on critical issues, and works closely with members of Congress, the Executive Branch and the policy-making community. It is staffed by noted specialists in foreign and defense policy, and serves as a valuable resource to officials in the highest levels of government.
 

 In conjunction with Palm Beach Investment Research Group, the Coudert Institute held “The State of the Art Market”, a lecture featuring Jonathan Dodd from Waterhouse and Dodd, a leading international art dealership; and Ellen Liman from Liman Gallery in Palm Beach.
 

On February 12, we presented “Economics and the Global Community in 2010.”
The main topic was “National Security and the Security of our Economic System. What should individuals consider when investing in this market?”  Robert Wiedemer discussed his ideas and two books he co-wrote, “America’s Bubble Economy”, and “Aftershock”, as well as national and economic security. Gilbert Harrison, founder and CEO of Financo Inc., and Sydney Forbes, owner of the Palm Beach Gardens Mall, dissected retailing in today’s market. Bernard Picchi, managing director of Private Wealth Management at Palisade Capital Management, L.L.C., analyzed America’s energy crisis and briefed us on how we are and will remain a fossil-fuel economy for years to come.

 With Paul Goldberger, Vladimir Kagan, Anne Fairfax, Richard Sammons and John Loring as Moderator. This was a vibrant program in March as we brought together some well known architects and designers. Paul Goldberger, architecture critic for “The New Yorker”, discussed his book, “Why Architecture Matters”. He talked about the role architecture plays in everyone’s life and where he expects architecture to be as we move into the second decade of the 21st century. Vladimir Kagan discussed extreme design and the question “Is it art or is it design?” He explained the design process of his own work and how it relates to and is inspired by architecture. Richard Sammons and Anne Fairfax of Fairfax & Sammons Architects conveyed their dedication to classical architecture and made fascinating comparisons to classic Roman and Greek works. John Loring, design director emeritus of Tiffany and Co., was our moderator for the day and he helped bridge the differences between the modernists and the devout traditionalists in reference to architecture.*
 

In mid-March we explored an intense topic in “A Conversation on Peace; The Challenges to Creating and Maintaining that Peace.” Rita Hauser, President of the Hauser Foundation, served as the U.S. Representative to the U.N. Commission on Human Rights and the International Center for Peace in the Middle East. She discussed issues of how we maintain the peace after the withdrawal of American troops. Dr. Andrew J. Pierre, an expert on international security, discussed nuclear proliferation and arms control, the ambitious agenda of the current administration, including an arms limitation agreement with Russia, the Comprehensive Test Ban and the 40-nation summit meeting in April to prevent terrorists from acquiring nuclear materials. Dr. Sally Roesch Wagner is the executive director of the Matilda Joslyn Gage Center, a museum of conscience dedicated to dialogue on issues of peace and justice. She discussed the influence Native American (Iroquois) women had on early women’s rights activists, and how historical facts about the Iroquois might bring some hope for peace into our reality. Alfred Stepan, a specialist in comparative government, discussed Muslim nations and democracy, religious holidays among the U.S. and Muslim nations and Israel vs. the Palestinians.  Elizabeth Morse, a founding director on the board of International Bridges to Justice, discussed efforts to protect human rights in the 113 “torturing” nations.*
 

At Palm Beach Atlantic University, we enjoyed a beautiful concert entitled “Celebrating Chopin, 200th Birthday Celebration.” There was a spectacular piano and cello performance coupled with a discussion on Chopin’s life, his works, his beloved friends and the era in which he pursued his passion.
Yehuda Hanani, a cello professor at the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, and Alexander Beridze, the Gold Medalist of the 53rd World Piano Competition, came together to celebrate the anniversary of Chopin’s 200th birthday and the spirit of Chopin’s poetic and romantic soul through his music in this unique and intimate setting.*
 

Dr. Noel Brown acted as moderator. Participants included Donald Vega, jazz composer and pianist from Nicaragua; Diana Barrett, founder of The Fledgling Fund supporting socially conscious documentaries; Dr. Ray Robinson, director of the Palm Beach Symphony and former Palm Beach Atlantic University professor; Rolland Smith, poet and former NBC newscaster. Noel Brown is former head of the United Nations Environmental Program for North America and the Caribbean.*

The Institute hosted an afternoon tea at 4 p.m. at Villa dei Fiori for author and island resident Laurence Leamer, who lead a discussion about his new book, Madness Under the Royal Palms; Love and Death Behind the Gates of Palm Beach.

Farah Walters, a member of the Coudert Institute, organized a seminar featuring three leaders in the fields of science and medical policy. Farah Walters is the first woman in the United States to lead an independent academic medical center, University Hospitals Health System in Cleveland, Ohio. Now the president and CEO of QualHealth LLC, Walters was selected by Modern Healthcare as one of 50 persons shaping the future of healthcare. The following participants provided a forum for members to explore global health policy, cancer, new discoveries and treatments: Dr. James Wilson, director of the Harold Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Associate Dean for Oncology Programs at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas; Dr. Sally Hodder, Professor of Medicine, Director of HIV Programs, and vice-chair of the Department of Medicine at the New Jersey Medical School of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey; Dr. Adel Mahmoud, Professor at The Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and The Department of Molecular Biology at Princeton University.*

In his new book, Hello, Everybody! The Dawn of American Radio, author and radio expert Anthony Rudel has examined the programming and the policies that led to what he calls "The basis of all modern communication." The five central themes of his book, Politics, Entertainment, News, Religion, and Sports have been the centerpieces of programming for nearly ninety years. An important component of the special presentation for the Coudert Institute, was of the content heard over the airwaves, on talk radio, on television, on cable, and certainly over the Internet would have been deemed to be illegal and bad for the nation if Herbert Hoover had his way. Hoover was absolutely prescient when it came to the electronic media. Set against the backdrop of the Roaring 1920s and the Depression of the early 1930s, early radio provides a wonderful comparison to the 24/7 media circus of today.

On March 27th and 28th the Coudert Institute, in collaboration with Dr. Lisa Miller of Columbia University Teachers College, hosted a seminar on "Consciousness, Wellness and Mental Health: Towards a Post-Newtonian Psychology." Ten distinguished scientists and psychologists convened for an intensive two-day think tank at The Breakers to explore the latest empirical evidence for non-local consciousness and its implications for models of health and healing that can move beyond the limitations of mechanistic reductionism to incorporate the impact of consciousness on health and healing through prayer, intention, and meditation. Participants included Dr. Larry Dossey, author of nine best selling books on the integration of mind and medicine; and Drs. Robert Jahn and Brenda Dunne of Princeton University's Engineering Anomalies Research laboratory, authors of "Margins of Reality: The Role of Consciousness in the Physical World." Other participants included Drs. Bruce Greyson and Jim Tucker, of the University of Virginia's Department of Psychiatry & Neurobehavioral Sciences, the world's leading researchers in near-death studies and reincarnation; Dr. P. Scott Richards, Professor of Counseling Psychology at Brigham Young University, an expert in spirituality and religion in psychotherapy; Dr. William Hathaway, Director of the Program in Clinical Psychology at Virginia's Regent University; Dr. Len Sperry, Professor of Mental Health Counseling at Florida Atlantic University; and Dr. Ruth Rosenbaum, of the National Psychological Association for Psychoanalysis. The scientists met at Villa Dei Fiori with members of the Coudert Institute, whose mission is to investigate new ideas that may be integrated into personal life and public service. BRENDA DUNNE, MD

Dr. Larry Dossey is a former physician of internal medicine and former Chief of Staff of Medical City Dallas Hospital. Dossey has lectured at medical schools and hospitals throughout the United States and abroad. In 1988 he delivered the annual Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Lecture in New Delhi, India, the only physician ever invited to do so. He is the author of eleven books dealing with consciousness, spirituality, and healing, including the New York Times bestseller HEALING WORDS: THE POWER OF PRAYER AND THE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE, and most recently THE POWER OF PREMONITIONS. Dr. Dossey is the former co-chairman of the Panel on Mind/Body Interventions, National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, National Institutes of Health. He is the executive editor of the peer-reviewed journal EXPLORE: The Journal of Science and Healing. Dr. Dossey lectures around the world. He lives in Santa Fe with his wife Barbara, who is a nurse-consultant and the author of several award-winning books. During a seminar at the Coudert Institute March 26-28, Dr. Dossey presented evidence for the role of the mind in healing, and discussed a model of consciousness that is nonlocal in nature. This image of consciousness asserts that consciousness is not confined or localized to specific points in space, such as brains or bodies, or in time, such as the present moment, but is nonlocal or infinite in space and time. Dr. Dossey presented scientific evidence supporting such a view. His latest book, THE POWER OF PREMONITIONS: HOW KNOWING THE FUTURE CAN SHAPE OUR LIVES, explores the nature and scientific evidence for premonitions and intuition. LARRY DOSSEY, MD

Dr. P. Scott Richards reported the results of an open-ended survey he conducted with Dr. Kari A. O'Grady of 450 natural and behavioral scientists from a variety of spiritual backgrounds concerning their beliefs and experiences about the role of non-rational intuitive insights and inspiration in science. The finding of the study indicated that these scientists and scholars have experienced inspiration throughout all stages of the research process, including when they were: (1) choosing a career or scholarly focus, (2), choosing a research study topic, (3) finding resources to support their research, (4) taking a break from their research, (5) during data analysis, (6) while writing manuscripts, (7) seeking new insights or solutions, (9) during their academic training, and (10) while instructing and assisting others. The scientists also reported that they believe that certain practices and virtues, such as openness to spirituality, humility, altruistic motives, hard work, dialogue with others, and seeking a relationship with the divine can help scientists and scholars be more prepared to experience non-rational intuitive insights and inspiration in their work. Dr. Richards is a Professor of Counseling Psychology at Brigham Young University. He is the past-President of the Psychology of Religion division of the American Psychological Association. He is the author and editor of several books about the topics of spirituality and psychotherapy that are published by the American Psychological Association. His website address is http://education.byu.edu/cpse/faculty/richards_scott.html and he can be contacted by email at scott_richards@byu.edu. DR. P. SCOTT RICHARDS

Jeremy Wiesen led a roundtable discussion of the new book, "I, Daphne Simone, World Leader (a true story)." The author, a black and white American cocker spaniel, conveys her observations of human interaction – from politics, to economics to child raising. The canine sniffed out some wrong directions in which the nation is headed but also had some answers. We explored different ideas on how to possibly change the world's current position by discussing the topics provided by this intelligent canine from 2015.

Kazanjian Brothers presented

He talked about his new jewelry collection and the creation of jewelry as an art form and collectible. This event was done in conjunction with the Institute and a percentage of the proceeds from the sales paid for a Grande Piano which was used for our Musical Event on March 28th Featuring Yehuda Hanani, Alexander Beridze. This event also incorporated the children's music program initiated by Mrs. Coudert and Mr. Hanani.

Featuring speaker Jerry Cameron who has spent a considerable part of his seventeen-year law enforcement career in fighting the 'War on Drugs.' Bill Davis was Moderator for a lively discussion on this major problem facing our country and the rest of the world.

Barbar Ahmed, Film Director and son of Akbar Ahmed who is the world's best-known scholar on contemporary Islam spoke about what is happening in Pakistan today and where is it going. Muriel Siebert, Founder of Siebert & Co discussed Economics, Sub Prime and what are the possible solutions to solve the problems in America today. Jeremy Wiesen, Professor of Entrepreneurship, Retired from Stern School of Business, New York University. He spoke about a free market solution to the housing crisis.

Presented by the American Foreign Policy Council.

Speakers were Herman Pirchner, Jr., Ilan Berman, Stephen Yates and John Wobensmith

Presented by the New York Stem Cell Foundation

Speakers Dr. Eggan and Susan Saloman

With Thomas W. Evans Author of "The Education of Ronald Reagan"

World renowned Cellist Yehuda Hanani and Pianist Alexander Beridze presented: "Architecture Reflected in Music" This evening was the debut for the Coudert Institute's new Grand Piano and the start of program designed to introduce children to fine classical music.

Our speakers were: Author, Susan Butler "My Dear Mr. Stalin"

• Author, Lynne Olson "Troublesome Young Men"
• Author, Stanley Cloud
• Winston Churchill Jr., the grandson of Sir Winston Churchill.

The first speaker of 2006-07 was the Institute's own Bill Davis, author of the recently published book, The Rich: A New Study of the Species. A former editor of Punch magazine and speechwriter for Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, he said that London has become a magnet for wealthy foreigners, attracting so many Russians in recent years that wags have dubbed it "Londongrad." Dismissing the notion of "compassionate conservatism," he suggested that "wealth has to be created before it can be distributed. I don't believe in an equitable distribution of assets; that's a socialist fantasy." *

Ilan Berman, vice president for policy at the American Foreign Policy Association in Washington, D.C., and an expert on regional security in the Middle East, Central Asia and the Russian Federation, addressed the Institute Jan. 18 on "The Iranian Challenge." A consultant to both the Central Intelligence Agency and the Department of Defense, he described Iran as the greatest current threat to the United States. Igniting a spirited debate, Berman warned that failure to employ economic leverage to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions will leave us with two distasteful options: "acquiesce to the emergence of an atomic Iran or use military force to prevent it from happening." *

Other guest speakers included Coco Blaffer, whose new book deals with finding and collecting the works of major artists in the most unlikely places, and Ethan Cohen, an expert in contemporary Chinese art, who reviewed the works of some of that country's hottest new artists.

Dr. David Perlmutter told the Institute on Feb. 2 that even though people who reach the age of 85 have a 50-percent chance of developing Alzheimer's, "we have a 70-percent success rate in slowing cognitive decline." The Naples, Fla.-based neurologist and frequent guest on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" recommended a three-pronged approach: building a better brain through nutrition, lifestyle changes and brain workouts; coping with specific brain disorders such as stroke, dementia, Alzeheimer's, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis and Lou Gehrig's disease; and individually tailoring a diet and supplementary program. *

Thomas W. Evans, author of The Education of Ronald Reagan: The General Electric Years and the Untold Story of His Conversion to Conservatism, visited the Institute on Feb. 12 and offered a unique perspective on the former president and the origins of his political philosophy. More than anything else, he said, Reagan's ideological transformation from New Deal liberal and president of the Screen Actors Guild to Goldwater supporter and conservative politician can be traced to his nine-year stint as spokesman for General Electric and host of its popular Sunday night TV show, "GE Theater." It was at GE, Evans insisted, where Reagan became immersed in free market economics, low taxes and other conservative principles, which in turn would influence him both as California governor and President of the United States.

A leading expert on international affairs told the Institute on Feb. 15 that "there appears to be no end to the chaos in Iraq and the Middle East generally." Rita Hauser, who served on the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory and Intelligence Oversight Boards as well as U.S. Representative to the U.N. Commission on Human Rights, offered a grim but realistic assessment of the situation in the Middle East. After tracing the region's centuries-old history of sectarian strife, she suggested that we concentrate on "protecting the oil lanes" and "base our policy on geopolitics, not ideology." A senior partner and now of counsel to the New York law firm of Stroock, Stroock & Lavan, Dr. Hauser has served on commissions affiliated with the Department of State, The Brookings Institution and the International Center for Peace in the Middle East. *

Guest speakers included collector and fashion icon Iris Apfel, designers Alfred Fiandaca and Duro Olowu, and Vogue editor Sally Singer. Among the many issues covered were what constitutes fashion and what is the difference between fashion and style. Ms. Apfel, whose "Rare Bird of Fashion: The Irreverent Iris Apfel" exhibit was as enthusiastically received at West Palm Beach's Norton Museum of Art as it was at the Metropolitan Museum in New York, provided her refreshingly candid take on a wide range of subjects. An American original in the truest sense, her personal style has been described as "both witty and exuberantly idiosyncratic. She combines colors, textures, and patterns without regard to period, provenance and, ultimately, aesthetic convention." *

Another highlight of the 2006-07 season featured author Martin J. Sherwin, whose American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer (written with Kai Bird), was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for biography in 2006. Dr. Sherwin, the Walter S. Dickson Professor of English and American History at Tufts University, traced and analyzed the mercurial life and times of the man widely considered to be the father of the atomic bomb. Rather than focusing primarily on scientific issues, however, Sherwin approached Oppenheimer as a prism through which to understand 20th century American history, including the Manhattan Project and McCarthyism. *

The Institute hosted a tea and cocktail reception in the garden of Villa dei Fiorri featuring the bronze sculptures of Dr. Steven Rose. Iris Apfel: With top designers and fashion writers. Charlie Firestone: Moderator at The Aspen Institute, "Citizen Diplomacy vs. Government Diplomacy."

"Climate Change, Severe Weather and Coastal Devastation" moderated by Noel Brown with speakers Dr. Stephen Leatherman, Dr. Frank E. Muller-Karger and Dr. Ellen Prager.

"The Art and Joy of Collecting" moderated by Bruce Helander and John Loring. Presenters included Iris Apfel, Susan Borchardt, Susie Elson, Mickie Kaplan, Ellen Liman, Murray Gell-Mann, Edwina Sandys and Ralph Wanger.

"You and Your Money" (What should you be doing with it now?) presented by Muriel Siebert and Ralph Wanger.

"Spirituality and Health" presented by Dr. Mehmet Oz, Dr. Allen H. Neims and Giulia Plum, CSB.

"Ethical Challenges in a Contemporary World" presented by Dr. Lee Bycel.

"U.S. - European Relations After the President's Visit" presented by His Excellency András Simonyi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Republic of Hungary. Ambassador Simonyi was introduced by Ambassador Nancy G. Brinker.

A Cabaret Evening with dinner featuring singer K. T. Sullivan with her accompanist, James Followell was enjoyed by all.*

"How To Nourish Your Brain to Prevent Alzheimer's Disease and Other Related Disorders" presented by Dr. Alarik Arenander Ph.D, a Director at the Brain Institute. Also, Dr. Jeffery Kelly of the Scripps Institute in La Jolla, California presented "Amelioration of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Related Diseases."

Ambassador Richard Fairbanks, Chairman of the Board of Layalina Productions, Inc. Layalina develops and produces culturally appropriate Arabic-language television programming for licensing to satellite and cable TV networks throughout the Arab Middle East and North Africa. Their programming is in association with top Hollywood talent. Layalina's efforts represent the first private sector initiative to establish new lines of communication and dialogue with citizens and key opinion leaders throughout the Arab world.

"Einstein's 100th Anniversary of The Discovery of Relativity" presented by Professor Murray Gell-Mann in conjunction with the South Florida Science Museum. Jim Rollings, CEO and President of the South Florida Science Museum was our moderator.

"What is Human Potential? Myths, Maps and Methods", the understanding of TM on one's health and brain, presented by Dr. Alarik Arenander.

"The American City", presented by Paul Goldberger and Robert A. M. Stern, moderated by Dr. Noel Brown.

"Simple Regularities In Human Affairs", presented by Professor Murray Gell-Mann accompanied by his wife, Marcia Southwick, who presented a small seminar on poetry writing.

"Conciliation In A Terror Driven World", presented by Professor Akbar Ahmed, Rabbi Hillel Levine, The Very Reverend James Parks Morton and Dr. Noel Brown.

"The New Global Goals" presented by Jeremy Wiesen.

"Spirituality and Health in A Scientific Age", presented by Dwight Allison, Alarik Arenander, Dr. Lisa Miller and Dr. Joseph Wagenseller.

"Restoring the Confidence of American Investors in Equity Securities", presented by Robert Monks, Professor Charles Elson, Jeremy Wiesen, Allan Towers and Muriel Siebert.

A conversation with Nobel Prize Recipient Professor Murray Gell-Mann.

"The Effects of Genetics and Medicine in The 21st Century" presented by Dr. French Anderson and Dr. Kathryn Anderson.

"The War on Terrorism", presented by Dr. Andrew Pierre.

"The Responsibility of The Media for The Public Good" presented by Newt Minow, former FCC Chairman, and former President of NBC, PBS, the RAND Corporation and Carnegie Corporation of New York.

"911 Aftermath - Security vs. Freedom" and "Making Our Destiny by Choice NOT Chance" presented by Dr. Robert Solomon, President of Intellergy, Inc.

Round Table discussion with Mr. George Elder on "Modern Man in Search of His Soul".

"Age In Transition" presented by George Elder who discussed Jungen Psychology. Mr. Van Wishard also presented "Between Two Ages" which was written up in the Vital Speeches of the Day.

"Transcendent Spirit and The Ethical Order" presented by Declan Murphy, President of Inpresario, Ltd., Washington D.C., and Molly Pyle, a consultant for the U.S. Department of Commerce.