Philadelphia
Congratulations to Eric Dawson for being named by Boston Magazine as one of Boston's top 100 "visionaries, idealists and thinkers." An old friend of mine, Eric is President and Co-Founder of Peace First. Boston Magazine rightly lauds Peace First for helping young people develop peacemaking skills. The Clinton Global Initiative has embraced the work of Eric, Karen Grant and their team, serving as the platform last year to announce the first-ever national Peace First Prizes. Thank you, Eric, for your wisdom, determination and commitment. This recognition is richly deserved.
It's mildly irritating, however, that these magazine and newspaper lists touting leaders, thinkers and doers are often guilty of, in Casablanca's Captain Louis Renault's words, "rounding up the usual suspects." Do we really need the Governor, Mayor, US Senator, Cardinal, Secretary of State, and the predictable power-broker CEOs on the list - again? Sure, the recognition is deserved in some cases. And yes, the publishers need to sell magazines and that means celebrating celebrities. Still, we're always better off knowing more people like Eric Dawson who are changing our world for the better and actually need our recognition and support. (Photo from www.poptech.org)
It's mildly irritating, however, that these magazine and newspaper lists touting leaders, thinkers and doers are often guilty of, in Casablanca's Captain Louis Renault's words, "rounding up the usual suspects." Do we really need the Governor, Mayor, US Senator, Cardinal, Secretary of State, and the predictable power-broker CEOs on the list - again? Sure, the recognition is deserved in some cases. And yes, the publishers need to sell magazines and that means celebrating celebrities. Still, we're always better off knowing more people like Eric Dawson who are changing our world for the better and actually need our recognition and support. (Photo from www.poptech.org)
