From the Director's Desk... |
| [Woodstock Report, June 2001, No. 66]
|
| This issue of the Woodstock Report features highlights
from our panel discussion at the April 25th forum entitled "Energy, the
Economy, and the Environment: Putting Them All in Context." I explain
the meaning and importance of the "context," as you will see, in the introductory
remarks I make as moderator of this panel discussion. A context is
a person's perspective. It is shaped by what one values, thinks,
believes in, and is concerned about. It is born of experience, education,
and lifestyle. But we also absorb our perspective from the communities
or groups we belong to and identify with.
If you make your living (economy) from the oil (energy) business - as my father did, incidentally - that experience and companionship influences the relative importance you place upon the environment. If you come from a family of forest rangers, on the other hand, you will instinctively organize, rank order, and see relations between energy, the economy, and the environment quite differently. That is fairly obvious. What is less obvious and more important is to know: (a) what your perspective is, (b) why you have it, (c) what its merits are, and (d) what its limitations are. You realize, then, that no one perspective is the "right" one. National policy, therefore, needs to be set on the basis of national dialogue in which all the perspectives are heard and incorporated as well as possible. Moreover, since energy, the economy, and the environment are all global and will never again be narrowly national, the perspectives and voices, the values and concerns, of others around the world must be heard and taken into account when policies are set and decisions made. Otherwise, those choices are being built on shifting political sands, and not on the genuine common good. What dialogue with the variety of interests and needs will invite is a genuinely creative and imaginative discovery of a new and broader perspective within which tired old "win-lose" options are re-envisioned as "win-win" opportunities. How dialogue can provide imaginative breakthroughs is one of the messages of a very interesting recent book. Its title is The Magic of Dialogue: Transforming Conflict into Cooperation by Daniel Yankelovich. What has all the earmarks of a crisis can, with appropriate dialogue, be transformed into a very imaginative opportunity. We hope to continue this dialogue on energy, the economy, and the environment here at Woodstock in the months ahead. A note on an internal "changing of the guard" at Woodstock is that Milan (Mike) C. Miskovsky steps down after four years as chair of the board of directors at Woodstock on June 30, to be replaced by Michael F. Curtin, partner at Sherman, Meehan, Curtin & Ain. Mike won't need much time to get acclimated, having served as board chair at LeMoyne College, Syracuse, New York, for several years. Many thanks to both Mikes! You will also find our final appeal for your financial support for Woodstock as we approach the end of our fiscal year on June 30. As always, I am very grateful for the generous support you give to Woodstock. Be sure of the prayers of all of us at the Woodstock Center. James L. Connor, S.J. |