On February 20, 2010 Linda Grover, 76, who devoted more than 10 years to establishing January 1 as a worldwide day of peace, died Feb. 20 of uterine and ovarian cancer at the Washington Home and Community Hospices.

Last October, Citizens for Global Solutions joined Linda in her crusade to celebrate Global Family Day worldwide.  Global Family Day is a practical tool for peace and sharing that the US Congress and the UN General Assembly have both adopted.  Linda understood that what binds us together as true citizens for global solutions is our strong belief that we are all, everywhere in the world, connected as members of the Global Family.

Yesterday's U.S. Supreme Court decision in Citizens United holds tremendous implications for Citizens for Global Solutions and our supporters.  As you read the editorials in newspapers and online and listen to the pundits on television, I invite you to consider how this decision fundamentally changes the advocacy landscape in which we often operate.

This morning, I will leave it to the law professors and historians to put this decision in context and to dissect the constitutional principles in play.   I will put aside the "pros" and "cons" of the decision to focus on this:  As a practical matter, the financing of political speech and advocacy in the U.S. will immediately change.

Here are some pictures that Tom Hastings took at the Climate Action Day, Oct 24, at Manhattan Beach.  This world-wide event was organized by the 350 Organization (http://www.350.org).  The purpose was to raise awareness of the goal to reduce CO₂ in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million in order for the climate to be sustainable.  CO₂ is currently at 390 ppm and rising 2 ppm each year. 

Being an intern at CGS was an incredibly rewarding and enjoyable experience. I learned so much about the state of international issues domestically and how Congress, non-profits, and NGOs work to bring about change. I gained so much knowledge at CGS not by observing, but by getting involved with these projects and working directly with others who promote these goals.