Wednesday-Night

Last Wednesday Night’s discussion encompassed lunar-based solar technology, reports by Kimon of exciting developments in the New School of Athens global governance initiative, the environment, the economy and, of course, acclamation of the publishing achievement that has given birth to The Metropolitain. It was a full and challenging evening which we […]

(Strategic Forecasting Inc.) Kosovo, Russia and the West
2007 saw the resurgence of a long-dormant issue: independence for Serbia’s breakaway province of Kosovo. The tiny region is a key pressure point on the fault line between Russia and the West.
The subject of independence for Kosovo is re-emerging as a serious issue. The West seems intent on […]

Before doing our usual tour d’horizon of news and events around the globe, we would like to call to your attention much pleasanter local happenings: the Octet Plus (with Holly Jonas and David Oliver) concert on Saturday, 26 April; the Infinitheatre fundraiser (John Mavridis) on Tuesday 29 April - featuring […]

No one should miss Alex Shoumatoff’s piece on the Arctic Oil Rush
In addition to a wealth of information about the Russian expedition and the attitudes of interested nations towards UNCLOS and other treaties (”(Basically, the U.S. doesn’t ratify anything that cramps its style. It has still not ratified the Kyoto Protocol, which Russia has, […]

First, we would draw your attention to last Wednesday’s discussion of China, Tibet & the Olympics - a number of points worth pondering.
NB:
Those of you who were with us last week heard about the Spring Concert to be performed on April 26th by Octet Plus, a choir that includes David Oliver and Holly Jonas. […]

Wednesday Night Goes Global - or at least partially!
On Wednesday April 2, a select group of Wednesday Nighters will gather in Athens on the first day of the New School of Athens (NSOA) Conference Athens-3 organized by Kimon Valaskakis OWN. Jaime Webbe and Cleo Paskal are participating in the Panel on Globalisation and Security: […]

U.S. firm lays claim to ‘potentially vast’ Arctic oil resources
Randy Boswell, The Ottawa Citizen
Friday, March 21, 2008
A U.S.-based company that has controversially laid claim to nearly all of the Arctic Ocean’s undersea oil said yesterday that new geological data suggest a “potentially vast” petroleum resource of 400 billion barrels.
That figure is backed by a respected […]

Background on UN Convention of Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

Photograph: Louise Murray/Science Photo Library
March 10, 2008
(The Guardian) As climate change opens Arctic, new conflicts on horizon
International conflicts over energy resources are likely to worsen in the future, the European Union has been told. For example, various governments are laying claims to the […]

March 4
See also: Rusian Energy and Foreign Policy
(Stratfor) Geopolitical Diary: Medvedev’s Grand Entrance
Dmitri Medvedev started out with a bang on his first day on the job as Russian president-elect, with European leaders waking up on Monday to the news that Russia had cut natural gas supplies to Ukraine by 25 percent.
Of course, state-controlled […]

Margaret Lefebvre will introduce her colleague and good friend, George Kesteven, president of the Canadian Association of Income Funds (CAIF) - an organization with dwindling membership in the face of the Conservatives’ taxation policy with regard to income trusts.
Director of Investor Relations for PrimeWest Energy Trust since 2001, George is in a unique position […]