Revolutionary change is sweeping the Middle East and North Africa; in some countries triggering massive outbreaks of violence; in others a more peaceful transition.

Can the fairly peaceful changes achieved in Egypt and Tunisia be achieved across the region or will Libya and Bahrain be the model? And why are there such decided differences in how leadership reacted to their peoples’ protests?

Panelists Include:

• Jim Falk: President/CEO of the World Affairs Council-Dallas Ft. Worth,
• Radwan Masmoudi, PhD: President of The Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy and
• Tod Robberson: Pulitzer Prize Winner, Dallas Morning News Editorial writer 

Join us as panelists talk about what makes each country different; the possibility of real democracies emerging and what led to the continuing wave of uprisings.

Tod Robberson and Jim Falk, remind us that the various countries in the Middle East and North Africa are not monolithic. Each has their own distinct cultural differences , languages and society. Egypt and Tunisia, largely homogenous countries, with clear national identities and substantially well developed civil societies, would of course react differently than the more heterogenous societies found in Yemen, Libya, Sudan , Iraq, where the varied social, cultural, tribal ethnic and religious structures of each country, their degree of economic, development, leadership and other factors greatly influence how changes of this magnitude are viewed and acted upon. Tod says, “leaders are two-faced and that is part of the problem.”

One of the questions asked is one that many Americans take issue with, Islam and democracy. The issue raised, “will present conflicts lead to more democratic societies?”

I first met Dr. Masmoudi three years ago, when I was working on a new documentary; Divergent Voices, Seeking Democracy in the Middle East.  He hosted a conference on Islam and Democracy, and I had the opportunity to interview several of his speakers from, Egypt and the Muslim Brotherhood to American Muslims and invited him to take part. Dr. Masmoudi voices a very strong “yes”.  In fact he challenges the myth that Islamic societies cannot be democracies and reminds us of Turkey, Senegal, Malaysia and Indonesia and others who in fact have made that transition.

Jim Falk reminds us that some of the conflicts have perhaps been “influenced ” by technology. In Tunisia, former US Ambassador to Tunisia, Robert Godek’s messages were “exposed” on Wiki Leaks. Al Arabiya and is showing the reality of the situation as never before. In Egypt- the Internet was actually shut down for 48 hours, causing numerous challenges to business and banking. He believes that technology, from satellite TV to Al Jazeera, is a pivotal driving force to change. The masses are seeing what actually happens in oppressive governments and reacting accordingly.

The outcome: people are excited about the possibilities they see. They are fed up with 30 some odd years of oppression and want a voice.

Stay tuned for Part Two- as we discuss that voice and its importance…

Written by Niki Nicastro McCuistion Executive Producer/ Producer

Libya has deteriorated into civil war; European and American forces have intervened and remarkable events are shaping the Middle East. And while many hoped that the situations in Tunisia and Egypt would be a model throughout the region, Bahrain, Yemen, Syria, Libya and others have a different foundation for the way events are taking shape.

Joining us for Part Two of Why Should We Care About the Middle East are our guests from Part One:

• Jim Falk: President/CEO of the World Affairs Council/ Dallas Ft Worth;
• Dr. Radwan Masmoudi: President/ CEO of The Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy and
• Tod Robberson: Editorial columnist and Pulitzer prize winning journalist with the Dallas Morning News.

Mr. Robberson, who has extensive background in the region, comments on the historical parallels to the Spanish Civil War; a dominant entity in power, ruthless forces, and opposition from many different groups trying to find a uniformity of command make it very difficult for a smooth transition to take place in Libya.

The situation is of course, chaotic, difficult and unpredictable as a result. Jim Falk, who has lived in Tunisia, comments on the homogeneous populations of countries like Tunisia and Egypt, which made the transition flow more effectively than Libya’s; that a very tribal society.

Dr. Masmoudi predicted the future when he stated that the International community has a moral obligation to interfere in Libya for many reasons. First that the country is run by a madman, intent on killing his people, that Gadhafi is a dictator who has built the government around him as the central figure so there is no real government, no real army, institutions are weak and “if the international community does not interfere we may have a humanitarian tragedy.”

As Jim Falk comments, in Tunisia and Egypt it was the army that told the leaders to step down, such is not a possibility in Libya and other countries in the region.Tod Robberson is also concerned regarding America, European and UN intervention, which could cheapen the effect of the citizen revolutions. He cautions that we proceed slowly and not dampen the euphoria of the people who have worked hard for democratic outcomes, “have sacrificed their lives and who are not going to trade one restrictive power for another.”

Jim Falk counsels: “We can’t engineer these elections. We’ve done that in the past and it never works.”

The concern throughout the world is the possibility of more violent extremism as a result of the abusive, oppressive regimes in question. Will the countries in the region be able to transition to democracy, which is wanted by so many of its citizens? Or will slogans and violence prevail?

Join us as we keep talking about  things that matter with people who care…

Niki Nicastro  McCuistion
Executive Producer/ Producer

Giving charitable donations is the focus of today’s episode on women and philanthropy.  The Boom generation may be one of the most talked about cohorts in history. Born between 1946 and 1964, (though some experts, such as William Strauss and Neil Howe, state 1943 to 1960) they changed the social landscape.

Panelists include:

• Margaret May Damen, CFP, CLU: President of the Institute for Women and Wealth and co-author of Women, Wealth and Giving
• Niki Nicastro McCuistion, CSP: Co-founder and producer of The McCuistion Program, consultant for non-profits internationally, and co-author of Women, Wealth and Giving
• Becky Sykes, President, CEO of the Dallas Women’s Foundation
• Jim Falk, CFRE, President, CEO of the World Affairs Council of DFW

After World War 11, American couples married in unprecedented numbers. In the next several years the US experienced a birth explosion, 78 million baby boomers were born. This generation became one of the most polled, analyzed, interviewed and criticized generations ever. Who they are, what they want and how they have influenced America continues to be news today. The references, beliefs, values, and convictions of our society have been largely shaped by boomers. They control the wealth, direct governments, businesses and the social and political policy of America. Today the producers of most TV shows and movies are boomers.  Our technology wizards, from Bill Gates to Steve Jobs are boomers. The President of the Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke, as well as the President of the United States, Barack Obama- yes- they are boomers. As is Hilary Clinton and our first lady, Michelle Obama. And the list goes on.

Every hour 330 baby boomers turn 60 years of age and 50.8% of these are women. Retirement is fast approaching for many in this group, although the economy in the last couple of years has changed this expectation somewhat. There is much that ties this generation together, not the least of which was the advent and influence of television. In 1948, 172,000 US households had TV sets. In 1952 that figure had jumped to 15,000,000. Music, news, lifestyle and politics greatly influenced this generation, much of it watched on our TV sets.

This was the generation of flower power and free love, civil rights and women’s rights, marches, protests and picketing, the Beatles, Motown and Woodstock, Haight Ashbury, sex, drugs and rock and roll.  The outcome was a free-wheeling, free-spirited, individualistic group, of activists and idealists, oriented to social causes and who absolutely believed in their capacity to change the world. Not just their capacity, but their mandate to. From President Kennedy’s, Ted Kennedy’s and Martin Luther King’s assassinations to Nixon, Watergate, oil embargoes and high divorce rates, it was a generation raised not to trust anyone over 30.

Yet this activism and skepticism was channeled into an idealism that made the boomer want to change society for the better, most especially since they as a collective group had formed much of the damage. It is of the good as well as the history, that Women, Wealth and Giving focuses. The television program airing this Sunday talks about a small part of the of the research undertaken by Margaret May Damen and myself, that chronicles, through extensive research and interviews, the Boom generation and what they want today.

The resulting work of the same title focuses on the Boomer woman, and how she has turned her idealism toward a new frontier philanthropy. Our research showed that Americans are the most generous group on the planet. In fact more Americans  give charitable donations than vote. In 2008, even when the economy took a downturn, Americans gave over $307 billion dollars tin charitable donations. And of this group it is women who are the most generous. Management guru Tom Peters says, “women are the largest national economy on Earth.” The Harvard Business Review, September 2009 issue backed this up, “As a market women represent a bigger market opportunity than China and India combined.”

Women today control 60% of the wealth in the US, initiate 74% of all new business startups and employ 13,000,000 people.

An economic force to be reckoned with, they are opening up their purses and giving charitable donations that systemically impact society, and as program guest Becky Sykes, President and CEO of the Dallas Women’s Foundation states, “most especially to women and children’s issues.” Currently there are approximately 175 women’s foundations in the US, with the Dallas Women’s Foundation the largest in asset size.

Jim Falk, President and CEO of the World Affairs Council of Dallas Ft. Worth, says,

“Women do sometimes have a different objective.  A man I recently met with for fund raising for the WACDFW was interested and talked about networking. On the other hand, a woman I met with later that day asked and talked about, how can I make a difference, in this society? It really crystallized the difference for me.”

And as Margaret mentions: “It’s not about conspicuous consumption anymore. Women are rewriting the rules for a caring society.” I believe, that more than in any other venue, the achievement of financial independence, the freedom to decide the use of money, has made women equal partners in the decisions to save the worlds we have created. The “power of the purse” is the power to rewrite the rules for a caring society, not only through its use in philanthropic endeavors but also in how money is invested in the financial and business institutions that control our capitalist system. The “power of the purse” has an exponential advantage as women unite, network and agree on the importance of particular causes.

As one of our book interviewees, Dallas boomer, Brenda Pejovich said,

“By increasing our participation in the competition for ideas, women will continue to contribute to a better society. It’s our checks that influence and it’s never been more important to open our wallets and give.”

Her sentiments are echoed by Marilyn Wechter, a Clayton, Missouri boomer and psychologist, who tells us,

“We are experiencing a paradigm shift that well may change our lives forever. This new world has us moving from consumption to collaboration and we’re staring to realize what’s really important- and recognize how little it takes to make us feel valued.”

In the aftermath of the financial debacle, credit crisis and government mishap of the last couple of years, Women, Wealth and Giving offers more than hope; it offers a philanthropic business strategy to direct all of our, men and women’s philanthropic initiatives to put us back on course.

Thank you for joining us as we talk about things that matter… with people who care.

Niki Nicastro McCuistion, Co-author of Women, Wealth and Giving

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1821 – 05.02.10

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The latest studies on philanthropic giving point out that women are the strongest contributors to charities. What has caused this demographic change?

Airing this Sunday, November 14, 2010 at 12:30 PM on KERA, Channel 13, the McCuistion Program focuses on Women, Wealth and Giving, based on the book by the same name, co- authored by Margaret May Damen and Niki Nicastro McCuistion.

Panelists include:

• Margaret May Damen, CFP, CLU: President of the Institute for Women and Wealth, philanthropic advisor
• Jim Falk, CFRE: President, CEO of the World Affairs Council, Dallas- Ft. Worth
• Becky Sykes: President, CEO of the Dallas Women’s Foundation
• Niki Nicastro McCuistion, CSP: Co-founder and producer of The McCuistion Program, consultant for non-profits internationally

Women, Wealth and Giving, focuses on the combined work of Margaret May Damen and Niki Nicastro McCuistion and their extensive research on Boom generation women and their social and philanthropic activism.  The team talks about the socially conscious Boom generation woman and how she is turning her activism into active compassion.

The September 2009 issue of Harvard Business Review stated, “that women are a bigger market than China and India combined.” Tom Peters, management guru concurs, “Women are the largest national economy on earth. In the United States they constitute 43% of the nation’s top wealth holders and that number is growing.

And as panelist Becky Sykes adds, “they are writing big checks, especially for causes they really care about, women and children’s issues.”

Join us as we talk about the next frontier, philanthropy from a woman’s perspective and why it matters to our society, most especially in today’s economy.

Thank you for joining us as we talk about things that matter… with people who care.

For more information on Women, Wealth and Giving, visit www.WomenWealthandGiving.com.