Friday September 22, 2006 SGN.org |
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Volume 34 Issue 38 |
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Wednesday, Jul 09, 2008
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Foolproof founder goes back to school |
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| Foolproof founder goes back to school | ||
| Marilyn Raichle chosen for special Harvard masters program
by E. Joyce Glasgow - SGN A&E Writer Marilyn Raichle, founder and executive director of Foolproof, a local Seattle non-profit organization dedicated to presenting, articulating and amplifying progressive thought, is taking a very unique sabbatical. She is enrolled in an intensive, accelerated one year Masters Program in Public Administration at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. This unusual program has been created to encourage public service and work in the non-profit world and, in order to be considered for enrollment, one has to be doing public service for at least six years. It includes classes in political advocacy and leadership, housing, criminal justice and environmental studies. There are two hundred and eleven students and half are from overseas. The median age is forty two. Raichle's high-powered, influential classmates include the former Prime Minister of Tanzania, an Iraqi Justice Minister, Members of Parliament from Thailand and Mexico and representatives from countries including; India, Ireland, Latvia, Iran, Russia, Chile, Bolivia, Finland, Denmark, Japan and Korea. There are about an equal amount of women and men enrolled. When asked by the school why she chose to be in this program, Raichle wrote that she was: "Here to gain more power, more wisdom and more confidence, to mobilize the American people to participate in their democracy and determine the future course of their country". This is the philosophy by which she has run Foolproof, rallying citizens to take action by presenting inspirational speakers who have made a difference by their participation, commitment and outspokenness, including: former President Bill Clinton, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Bill Moyer, Wangari Maathai, Ariana Huffington, the Honorable Ann Richards, Ambassador Joseph Wilson and Gloria Steinem. Raichle has had a lot of experience in leadership positions, having previously founded the Seattle International Children's Festival and running it for ten years. She founded Foolproof in 1997. At first she presented comedy festivals and quickly realized that incorporating humor was important in discovering and coping with the truth in politics and government. She started presenting more political speakers around the spring of 2003. Raichle has been running Foolproof on a very tight budget, working for very little pay and more out of a labor of love. The organization has recently started to receive some funding from foundations and also relies on donations from the public. I spoke with Raichle by phone recently. She was very excited about her classmates and her studies, which keep her busy from morning until night. Raichle feels that her access to great classes and professors at Harvard and at M.I.T. (including Noam Chomsky), her new international contacts and increased resources will help her take Foolproof to the next level in inspiring people with concrete ways to get involved. When people ask what they can do, she wants to be able to provide them with more tools. This year she wants the organization to be working closely with Progressive Majority of Washington State, the A.C.L.U., N.A.R.A.L., Planned Parenthood and Equal Rights Washington; finding more actions to actually put people to work and make them feel empowered. Raichle is planning to present speakers on Gay issues, on reclaiming our moral values, on our relationships to our fellow citizens, on Humanism. Foolproof is currently working on presenting a political film series starting in the spring of 2007 and live speakers planned for this season in Seattle include: former U.S. Senator Gary Hart, Seymour Hersh, Janeane Garofalo, Tavis Smiley, Garrison Keillor, Capitol Steps, Andy Borowitz, Molly Ivins, Kate Clinton, Sarah Vowell, Paula Poundstone and the return of Ambassador Joseph Wilson, this time with his wife, Valerie Plame Wilson, the C.I.A. agent who was outted by the Bush White House. Ted Killmer, a former performer, Broadway publicist and festival producer, has been appointed Interim Director of Foolproof while Raichle is away. For more information, to make a donation, to purchase tickets, or for an up-coming schedule of Foolproof events visit: www.foolproof.org. |
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International Readers |
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 It's new! and live from Bumbershoot! |
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working for the freedom to
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copyright Seattle Gay News - DigitalTeamWorks 2006