Luis Davila's Blog

sharing thoughts on life, change and innovation…

Why does Paul Krugman hate Obama?

I have been an avid Paul Krugman for a few years now. I don’t necessarily agree with all of his positions, but his data-driven explanation of the economy and issues such as health care has always been appreciated. My main area of disagreement with Krugman falls on his approach to create change. He focuses on this old-school idea of confrontation as the only way to accomplish a “progressive agenda.” This idea follows the same type of prescription that states: 1) let’s put together in a room a bunch of technocrats (scientists and lawyers for the most part) who come up with a “solution” to a specific problem. 2) Let’s hire a bunch of lobbyists, lawyers, NGOs and other groups to push and “fight” for the “progressive solution” and not stop till the other side (in Krugman’s vision this means the Republican Party) is fully destroyed and left with nothing. 3) Implement the solution and continue to step all over the opposing party (instead of looking for ways to create bridges and understanding),and focus on reminding the losing party that they are wrong and the winning party (in Krugman’s vision this means “the progressives”) is on top.
This of course has not worked since the 1970’s in the US (policy-wise) and since Lyndon Johnson (in presidential politics). At that point, the US population got tired of this old cycle, and started looking for political leaders to propose ideas (even if the wrong one), remain optimistic (even if for the wrong reasons), and provide the solutions that will keep people positive about their future (even if those solutions are wrong).
It is sad that Krugman doesn’t seem to get this, and instead continues to be insecure about the possibilities of unity and foregoing a stop to confrontation and bickering as the only way to obtain positive solutions.
Hopefully Krugman will get on the bandwagon before it is too late… A first step to achieve this is stopping to bash Obama every single opportunity he gets.

Posted by davilalu on April 21, 2008 | Posted in obama, paul krugman, politics | Comment

Is Blue the new Green?

I recently read Adam Werbach’s newest speech to the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco. The first one was extremely controversial among the environmental community, as it declared environmentalism dead. This was huge given Werbach’s work with Sierra Club (youngest president ever at 23), and essentially as the poster boy for young people involved in environmental issues (for more discussion on this go to Grist.com).
The new speech still declares environmentalism dead, but instead declares the birth of a new movement called Blue. This new movement is essentially a movement made up by everyone and anyone, allowing people to become better consumers, design what he calls PSPs (personal sustainability practices), and live better, healthier lives. Werbach designed this idea while working for WalMart as a sustainability consultant (this obviously brought more controversy to his image). The concept also feeds to the same thinking embraced by the folks at the Breakthrough Institute (see my previous posting).
I think the idea has a lot of potential… Sure, people conscious of the magnitude of climate change, should consider ways to reduce consumption, and live healthier lives through more sustainable lifestyles. However, most people are not aware of this! Until there are massive investments into educating citizens around the world about the dangers posed by climate change, and ways to adapt and mitigate its effects, efforts like Blue actually make a lot of sense. I also think that Blue also changes the framework by which most people consume and behave as members of society. It provides a positive, non-confrontational solution to the way we approach sustainability.
I am convinced that this idea is going to remain controversial, especially among the activist community, but I am looking forward to gaging whether it becomes a true vibrant movement or not.

Posted by davilalu on April 18, 2008 | Posted in Climate Change, global warming | 1 Comment

Obama and the Apollo Project

Hi everyone! It has been a while since I posted to the blog. I have been really busy and doing some traveling for work. Nevertheless, after watching last night’s debate I had a definite urge to start blogging again!
I don’t want to comment on the bickering between the candidates… For that go to Politico.com
Instead, I wanted to write about the most interesting subject (in my opinion) that came out of the debate; a clear remark by Obama supporting  an Apollo Project-like presidential initiative to support renewable energies and a global economy based on green jobs. This would include a dramatic increase of funding for R&D in overcoming the technology gap when it comes to energy resources.
Interestingly enough, I went to a meeting earlier this week with the Breakthrough Institute discussing recent findings published in a Nature Magazine on how the IPCC understimated the technological advances needed to stabilize carbon-dioxide emissions.
The presenters at my meeting focused on the need to mobilize the US in a massive technology innovation effort, like the rebuilding of Europe after World War II, the Manhattan Project and the Apollo Project. Michael Shellenberger, famous with Ted Nordhaus for proclaiming the Death to Environmentalism, has been promoting this concept as well, especially as it fits the idea of reframing the discourse on environmentalism to a more inclusive and broader movement for all progressives. All of this is very much influenced by George Lakoff’s work on framing language focus on strenghts and not on policy/wonky confrontational prescriptions (a la “bread and butter” Democrats).
The other side of this Apollo Project-type effort involves an honest partnership with groups that have not been fully engaged in the renewable energy discussion in the past, such as unions, environmental justice groups, people of faith, etc. An interesting group that is trying to bridge this is Green for All which tries to “build an inclusive green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty.”
The point with all of this is that at my recent meeting, I specifically asked if anyone was speaking to the presidential candidates about all of this stuff, and no one really knew… Based on Obama’s remarks last night, it seems that someone is! Let’s see how it works out!

Posted by davilalu on April 17, 2008 | Posted in corporate social responsibility, environmentalism, obama, renewable energy | 2 Comments

What’s next for Silda Wall Spitzer? US Senator? President?

Very sadly we all learned today that New York Governor Eliot Spitzer resigned his post after it was disclosed in the media that he had been spending around $80,000 in prostitutes. This came from the man that the press liked to call “Mr. Clean” and “Eliot Ness.”
I think other blogs and the general news media have covered this and will continue to cover this episode for days or or weeks to come. Nevertheless, I have not yet read commentary on how this is going to pan out for Spitzer’s wife (I’ve only read one article in the NY Times so far – http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/12/nyregion/12wife.html)
Don’t get me wrong, I feel bad for her and her family. It must be an extremely difficult situation to be in, and I can’t begin to imagine how she must feel. However, it is hard to understand why she (as other politicians’ wives in the past) stood with her husband as he admitted such a scandalous affair.
Maybe she did it to protect her children or out of some strange type of loyalty towards her husband. Regardless of why she did it, she might want to consider some prospective opportunities based on the history of a similar disraught wife: Hillary Clinton.
A lot of cynics have commented on the reasons why Hillary Clinton remained married to Bill Clinton after the series of sex scandals that have been linked to the former president’s life. Many of them claim that she stayed eyeing a potential political career. This theory has been given credibility by how well she has done for herself in the political arena. Silda Wall Spitzer resembles Hillary in interesting ways; they both left lucrative law practices to support their husbands’ political careers, and both have shown a particular interest in promoting children’s causes.
Given the similarities, it might be interesting to see if Silda Wall Spitzer is also accused of sticking to her husband for the prospects of a potential political career. Only time will tell, but who knows… Maybe New Yorkers will have a Sen. Silda W. Spitzer very soon!

Posted by davilalu on March 12, 2008 | Posted in politics | Comment

Minerva Sound Society – intercultural understanding or just a lot of fun?

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Today I found out that my buddy Rob Camstra has a new band in the Netherlands. The name of the band is Minerva Sound Society and it is made up by 10 students in the Netherlands who play a pretty funky sound! They are also a sort of cultural ambassador troupe for the Netherlands, traveling the world and sharing good will. If you are interested check them out! They have videos of their performances in China, Dubai and Nigeria as well as some of their music.
Rob and I know each other from our time playing together in Curacao. We used to have a band named Retrospective, and we did pretty well for ourselves – even though we were just in high school!
Make sure you check out Rob’s band!

Posted by davilalu on March 11, 2008 | Posted in young people, youth | 2 Comments

Fidelity promoting genocide??

A couple of days ago I received a notice from Fidelity Investments letting me know that because of my 401k, I had the opportunity to vote on the upcoming motions to be introduced during the next board of directors meeting. The notice says that the board of directors suggests that as partial owner of a fund that invests internationally, I should vote to approve a motion to include new board members and another one that reduces the size of the quorum. Incredibly enough, the board of Fidelity Investments suggests that I vote against a motion that bans Fidelity from investing in countries that are engaged in genocide. Whaaat? You read it right! Fidelity Investments wants me to support their practice of investing in countries (like Sudan) that promote genocide. This is crazy!

I did some research and it seems that Fidelity is investing on Chinese oil companies (such as PetroChina) that are operating in Sudan, which provide funding to the Sudanese government, which supports the Arab militias wreaking havoc in Darfur.  Activists have started organize against Fidelity, and have already started campaigns to push Fidelity into responsible investments and out of Sudan (see http://fidelityoutofsudan.googlepages.com/). 

I know that I will vote against Fidelity Investments on this, and hope that others consider doing this as well (for more information on how you can get involved check out: http://investorsagainstgenocide.googlepages.com/shareholderresolutions). I am also researching ways to roll out my 401k out of Fidelity into a private IRA, because I can’t believe that in 2008 we still have companies blatantly refusing to work responsibly. 

Posted by davilalu on March 9, 2008 | Posted in corporate social responsibility, darfur, fiduciary | 3 Comments

Youth and Social Enterprise

I am currently involved in a social enterprise fellowship called Startinbloc. For those of you who have not heard of this organization, it “educates, empowers and connects emerging leaders to drive positive social change across sectors.” It does so through intensive fellowship programs that provide prospective social entrepreneurs with the tools to become effective in their quest to achieve the so-called “triple-bottom line.”
This type of program also encourages a peer community of social entrepreneurs who share best practices and provide support while in the process of launching a social venture.
As part of the fellowship I was given a business problem that I need to resolve with a group of colleagues, similar to a management consulting assignment. Most specifically, I’m helping a social enterprise develop an effective volunteer program. I hope that my previous experiences at Junior Achievement and coordinating Global Youth Service Day will be helpful!

Posted by davilalu on February 25, 2008 | Posted in corporate social responsibility, entrepreneurship, social enterprise, social entrepreneurship, young people, youth, Youth and Social Entrepreneurship | 1 Comment

Obama and young Latinos

Wow! Obama won Wisconsin! Now he is off to concentrating in Texas and Ohio. I think that in Ohio the key group is going to be blue collar workers, who are hurting with the current economic outlook. In Texas, however, I think that the Latino youth vote is going to play a significant role in determining who wins. 
Based on previous contests in states heavily populated by Latinos such as New York and California, Hillary seems to have an edge. However, I think that in the case of Texas the election is not going to be based on identity politics, but instead it is going to be a big generational rift. I am a strong believer that Obama gains support from young people after they get a chance to interact with him, but also when they realize how close he is to their concerns and issues.

This is a candidate who is not afraid to call on young people to make some sacrifices, to get involved in their communities, to stop with the same old politicking of always.This guy actually says let’s stop with the political crap and get things done! Young people relate to this! As we can see day after day, young people are becoming more involved in their communities, are volunteering more, and are creating social enterprises that foster the power of ideas to benefit marginalized communities. 

For all of this, I am convinced that Obama will continue to motivate young people, especially Latino youth in Texas who are eager to turn the page, continue their engagement to social change, and finally say: yes we can! 

Posted by davilalu on February 20, 2008 | Posted in latino youth, obama, youth, youth engagement | 1 Comment

Welcome to Luis Davila’s blog

Youth and Social Entrepreneurship
After months of research I have finally decided to fully launch my blog! I will comment on my experiences in youth engagement in sustainability, international development, corporate social responsibility and entrepreneurship!
Youth have had a lot of media attention these past few days! There is an Op-Ed article by Nicholas Kristof where he talks about youth social entrepreneurs attending Davos, and a great series of articles at the Financial Times focusing on investing in young people.
I think both articles showcase the importance of fully supporting the work of young people to better their communities. In the case of Mr. Kristof, he mentions some familiar names; Jennifer Staple is a winner of the Global Youth in Action Award that I helped to coordinate while at the Global Youth Action Network, while Soraya Salti is the leader of Injaz – the Arab counterpart of Junior Achievement, my current employer.
I believe that the main issue facing young social entrepreneurs is not lack of passion or conviction, but difficult access to resources and support. In the case of the World Economic Forum, I would challenge the organization’s leadership to bring more young people and expand its Young Global Leaders program. This would help all young social entrepreneurs (especially those from developing countries) become successful and access networks usually not accessible to them.
I am convinced that more support structures will help young people succeed as entrepreneurs promoting social change in their communities.

Posted by davilalu on January 28, 2008 | Posted in Youth and Social Entrepreneurship | 1 Comment