From the Director

Welcome to the Minnesota Center of Social Democracy. As its director, I like to share with you our vision and what we have accomplished since the mid 1990s. Located in the Political Science department, the Minnesota Center of Social Democracy is a nonpartisan, international policy forum for Minnesotans. The Center is committed to the investigation and discussion of social democratic theories, policies, and practices with regards to public policy questions. The center collaborates with non-profit institutions, NGOs, and political party representatives in Canada, Mexico, and Western Europe. The center provides experts as well as citizens in Minnesota and other countries the opportunity to engage in an international dialogue of information and experience. We value your support.

Sincerely,

Stephan Peter, director

Professor of Political Science

* The "solar age" dialogue: a sustainable and cooperative future as a multi-dimensional strategy, namely an economic and job strategy, a Third World development strategy, an anti-war strategy, and an environmental strategy.

* The "information age" dialogue: a social, economic, and cultural future that makes demands on scientific and technological progress in the spirit of the enlightenment as a humane, not merely technical-rational, process.

* The "Middle Eastern" dialogue: in particular (North) American, European, Palestinian, and Jewish relations in pursuit of peace and understanding of each other.

The center facilitates this international dialogue through alternative media productions and citizen journalism including:

* live, three point, international phone and video conferences which may include local and international panelists, community and academic project partners, and audiences in up to three countries,

* audiovisual recordings of symposia, panel, and speaker presentations,

* maintenance of a center website and occasional newsletter.

A sampling of dialogue activities since the mid 1990s:

• "20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall." Exhibition and live video conference with Johannes Peter Artshop at Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin, Germany. November 9, 2009. College audience of 130.

• "Isreali Politics Today." With guest speaker Noga Shavit, an Israeli shlicha (emmisary) from Tel Aviv, here to built connections between Israel and the Twin Cities community. Discussion with two World Politics classes on Israeli party politics, recent Israeli elections, and Israeli foreign policy. (2009)
  
  
                                       

Noga Shavit, an Israeli shlicha (emmisary) from Tel Aviv

• "Single Payer Universal Health Care." Kip Sullivan, local health care activist and author on the health care crises presenting a history of U.S. health care and a comparison of European, Canadian and US health care. (2009)

• "Among friends. A Canadian Perspective on U.S. Politics." Speaker presentation coinciding with the Republican Party Convention in St. Paul. With Marianne Cerilli, community activist, feminist, environmentalist, writer, and former chair of the New Democratic Party (NDP) caucus in the Manitoba legislature. College audience of 120. (2008)

End of August 2008

• "Mexican-U.S. Relations." College Hour with Saul Escobar Toledo, International Secretary of the Mexican Party of Democratic Revolution (PRD). College audience of 250. (2007)

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Faculty member Stephan Peter (left), speaker Saul Escobar Toledo

• "Social Ecology: Economy, Ecology, Energy." Panel in collaboration with Student  Government, PTK, and Campus Democrats and Progressives. With Maxine Klein, activist and teacher, Ken Pentel, Gubernatorial candidate 2006, Green Party, David Foster, United Steelworkers of America - Blue-Green Alliance, and Dan Frankot, Chair, Twin Cities Democratic Socialists of America. College audience of 120. (2006)

Panel with  moderator Kristin Burnham (center). Introduction by Stephan Peter

• "Building a Multilateral Future." Conference in collaboration with the U of M Humphrey Institute's Freeman Center and other foundations. Panelists included Robert Goebbels, member European Parliament from Luxembourg, Jo Leinen, Germany, president of the European Parliament's Constitutional Affairs Committee, Don Fraser, former Minneapolis major and U.S. Congressman. Letter of support from MP Alexa McDonough, Halifax/ Canada. Audience of 150. (2004)

October 2004

• "World Poverty and Sustainable Development." College symposium featuring Bill Fletcher, president, TransAfrica Forum, Washington DC, rep. Kathy Tingelstad, Ken Pentel, Marianne Cerilli, Winnipeg (via phone) and Hans-Juergen Fell, member of parliament, Germany, (via video link-up). College audience of 300, German and Canadian audience of 20. (2003)

Member of Parliament Mr. Fell on screen from Germany

• "Globalization, Labor, Environment- Beyond the Jungle of the Market and the Totalitarian Zoo." College symposium with Canadian House leader Bill Blaikie, Mexican writer Raul Ross Bineva, Larry Weiss, director of the Minnesota Fair Trade Coalition, and via international video conferencing link-up, Jo Leinen, member, European Parliament. College audience of 200, German audience of 20. (2002)

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Member of European Parliament Mr. Leinen (on screen from Germany)

Saarbruecken, Germany/ Jo Leinen, member, European Parliament

• "May Day 2000. College Students, Labor Movements, Political Action." With representatives of the MN AFL-CIO and Horace Small, national director, DSA, New York. College audience of 140. (2000)

Event flier

• "Wind Energy in Minnesota, USA, and Southwestern Germany-a Comparison." International video conference based exchange of information and experience with participants from the MN CREED project, the Midwestern Wind Energy Association, Zukunftswerkstatt Saar, Germany, and Hochschule fuer Technik und Wirtschaft, Solar Projektgruppe, Saarbruecken, Germany. (1999)

• "The German Federal Elections." With representatives of German political parties - via international video link-up. (1998)

Event flier

• "The British Elections." With Mike Mitchell, Midwest coordinator, Labor International, US branch of the British Labor Party. Darren Short, United Kingdom. Humphrey/ Fullbright fellow at the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs. (1997)

• "Making Alternatively Fueled Vehicles (AFV's) a Reality." International videoconferencing workshop with energy experts from Zukunftswerkstatt Saar, Prof. Altgeld from Hochschule fuer Technik und Wirtschaft Saar, Ed Anderson, president of Taxi 2000, and a representative from MN Department of Commerce. (1997)

• "Sustainability on the Local Level: Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy." International video conferencing workshop, supported by German Telekom, and featuring panelists from the Minneapolis Green Institute, the MN Office of Environmental Assistance, Energiewende Saar non-profit and Hochschule fuer Technik und Wirtschaft. (1997)

• "Annual Solar Boat Regatta in Dillingen, Germany, and Twin Cities, Minnesota." International phone conference with participants from Minnesota Renewable Energy Association, CREED project, and Zukunftswerkstatt Saar. (1996)

• "Renewable Energy in Minnesota and Saarland, Germany." Three-way international phone conference involving the college's Cambridge and Coon Rapids campuses and Volkshochschule Dillingen, Germany. With representatives of  CREED project, Hochschule fuer Technische Wissenschaften, Energiewende Saar, Cafe Mondial,  and Zukunftswerkstatt Saar non-profits, and Dillingen city hall, Germany. (1996)

German team members, Dillingen, Germany, 1:30am

• Workshop on the state of Israel using phone connections to University of Haifa faculty. (1995)

International Education at a community college takes many forms: study abroad, curriculum development, e.g., incorporating international content into class syllabi, attracting international faculty and students to campus or utilizing international faculty and students already on campus, and employing communication technologies such as video conferencing.

The MN Center of Social Democracy supports lecture, workshop, and symposia programs with panelists and participants

- on campus,

- connected through real time audio and video conferencing technology,

- or both.

Currently, video cameras are stationed at the college, in Canada, and Germany allowing for three way international conferences. All three international partners serve as centers of networks which attract further community partners to joint events. Panelists and the audience in Canada and Germany can be projected onto a large (10feet by 20 feet) screen and can thus become partners in the conversation with the local audience.

Our Canadian partner has been 'Change Agent: Community Development for Health, Sustainability, and Peace' in Winnipeg. Our principal German partner since the early 1990s has been 'Zukunftsnetzwerk Saar-Lor-Lux,' a European renewable energy and sustainable development non-profit centered in the Saarland state of Germany. The network emerged out of Zukunftswerkstatt Saar (ZW), founded in 1982 and influenced by the ideas of Austrian futurist Robert Jungk. In the 1980s and 90s, ZW was a pioneer developing cooperatively organized small businesses  and later, promoting solar energy projects through a myriad of activities.

Our name 'MN Center of Social Democracy' emphasizes the state of Minnesota as a partner for Canada, Mexico, and Western Europe. The center is not a local or national institution but builds on the Minnesota experience and model and the state's policies, practices, and movements inspired by it. The center is a 'network of networks' where citizens and experts organize grassroots forums on political issues-advancing innovation community colleges are known for.