Burgess COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

Gmail Peter Burgess Re: Staying in touch/ Invitation 1 message spencer@ccdny.org Tue, Apr 21, 2015 at 6:02 AM To: Peter Burgess Cc: Spencer Chiimbwe Dear Peter, I see that you have been very passionate, consistent and interested in coming up with or locating meaningful metrics as far as real development is concerned. Well, there are many leads I have gathered recently and we may need to talk about them offline and see if that is what would be helpful. I am mostly in Albany Monday through Friday but I am home on weekends. Would you like to come meet me this weekend ? In fact we have a visitors day at church in Nyack (On Saturday, why don't you join us after which you and I can exchange notes during lunch? Let me know if you are available. Sincerely, Spencer Chiimbwe. > Dear Spencer > > Good to hear that you are progressing in a positive manner. I always worry > a bit when I have been out of touch for a long time. > > You seem to have become engaged in a very interesting agenda. As you know, > I am not particularly enthusiastic about the political class .. but > anything you can do to make politics just a little bit better should help. > New York State politics is, I would imaging, quite a challenge! > > My inquiry about gold relates to my past experience with the way gold (and > other minerals and valuable resources) are exploited in Africa (an indeed > everywhere). There is a big value attached to these resources, but very > little of the value is ever available to benefit society at large ... most > of the value goes to those that control the system. > > Over the last fifty years or so, the dialog about issues regarding the > system have tended to be non-Africans blaming Africans and vice versa. My > view is that the exploitation arises in large part because both groups are > quite happy with the status quo. As you know I had an incident in Ghana > some years ago, and the best logical explanation of what happened was that > I was getting too close to some of the key issues that distort the gold > business in Ghana. Interestingly, this was confirmed to some extent by > some > of the other people who were in prison also for trying to engage in the > gold business outside the mainstream establishment. > > Whenever I get to do some analysis of something I think I understand, I am > always amazed at what is not immediately apparent. > > Please stay in touch ... and check out my work on metrics. I am still > working on trying to develop and deploy some better metrics for the 21st > century! > > Peter > > > _____________________________ > Peter Burgess ... Founder and CEO > TrueValueMetrics ... Meaningful Metrics for a Smart Society > Multi Dimension Impact Accounting > http://www.truevaluemetrics.org > > linkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/peterburgess1/ > twitter: @truevaluemetric @peterbnyc > landline 570 431 4385 > email: peterbnyc@gmail.com > skype: peterburgessnyc > > > On Mon, Apr 20, 2015 at 9:10 AM, wrote: > >> >> Hi Peter, >> >> >> Yes!, time flies. I am now working with the New York State Senate as a >> Fellow. I am in Albany most of the time. After my fellowship, I will be >> back in Rockland County where I am playing a key role with a group >> called >> Rockland Debates 2016 ....that began I floated the idea to a cohort of >> Leadership Rockland grads to have the county host the presidential >> debate. >> >> We collaborated with RCC and we are currently going through pre >> selection >> and procedures and if we get selected..I will be the happiest!! >> >> >> It terms of gold, one of the sons of the first President of Zambia, Dr. >> Kenneth Kaunda is a good and credible facilitator when it comes to such >> endeavors..I know him and I am in touch with him. It depends on what >> exactly you are looking for? Let me know. >> >> Thankfully, >> >> Spencer Chiimbwe. >> >> > Dear Spencer >> > >> > I have all these emails for you, but I am not sure if any of them >> still >> > work. In any event (1) the FOR newsletter reminded me of your work, >> and >> > (2) >> > some recent interaction with some Africans in New York reminded me of >> some >> > of the things you have worked on over the years. >> > >> > As you well know, I have been interested for a long time in the >> various >> > layers of understanding needed in order to make sense of everything >> that >> > goes on in Africa. Some people have been asking me about my many >> > different >> > experiences in Africa, and in connection with this my experience with >> gold >> > and diamonds in West Africa came up. You did, as I recall have some >> > involvement with gold in Africa at one point, and I would be very >> > interested to compare your experience with my own. I think it is fair >> to >> > say that my experience was an unmitigated disaster, but I survived. >> > >> > In any event there is a lot to catch up on. How is the family? Times >> > flies. >> > >> > All the best >> > >> > Peter >> > _____________________________ >> > Peter Burgess ... Founder and CEO >> > TrueValueMetrics ... Meaningful Metrics for a Smart Society >> > Multi Dimension Impact Accounting >> > http://www.truevaluemetrics.org >> > >> > linkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/peterburgess1/ >> > twitter: @truevaluemetric @peterbnyc >> > landline 570 431 4385 >> > email: peterbnyc@gmail.com >> > skype: peterburgessnyc >> > >> > >> > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- >> > From: Rev. Kristin Stoneking >> > Date: Fri, Apr 17, 2015 at 1:25 PM >> > Subject: Christian Leaders Support Iran Framework Agreement >> > To: peterbnyc@gmail.com >> > >> > >> > >> > < >> http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=lYh39YHgOZ2c2ZQ%2B4HBwdSJHuo%2Bf2cSP >> > >> > < >> http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=jO2gGU1fhaPk2npVXQyJDSJHuo%2Bf2cSP >> > >> > >> > < >> http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=llmxLfAGjlbZIFkEoH2ecSJHuo%2Bf2cSP >> > >> > >> > < >> http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=C2YbPGDqhis56FMWWmwFpSJHuo%2Bf2cSP >> > >> > < >> http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=yZ%2BCyvL0dMnH6aGokgdH2CesV7ki7IyG >> > >> > < >> http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=GqGt7L6agTWDiyAf8XIMxCJHuo%2Bf2cSP >> > >> > >> > Dear Peter, >> > >> > This week, FOR-USA joined a large and diverse group of Christian >> leaders >> > to >> > voice support for the framework of a Joint Comprehensive Plan of >> Action >> > < >> http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=HzcQmLIzEpG1SxkKyWOfNyJHuo%2Bf2cSP >> > >> > between Iran and the P5+1 nations concerning Iran’s nuclear >> program. >> > >> > In an open letter entitled *Hope, But Verify* >> > < >> http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=1KcgWpXI9lXJr%2FCjss84oiJHuo%2Bf2cSP >> >, >> > we told political leaders that *“It is imperative that you >> pursue this >> > agreement with integrity, commitment, and perseverance.†* We >> affirmed >> > the >> > biblical commandment to seek peace and urged political leaders to >> support >> > diplomatic efforts to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear-armed >> state. >> > >> > *The mark of a Christian is that we live in hope, believing that the >> world >> > of peace, justice, and love that Christ showed us can indeed come to >> be >> > for >> > all people. * >> > >> > The Iran Nuclear Framework Agreement is based on hope and trust, while >> > offering a mechanism of support and accountability. >> > >> > Organized by Rev. Jim Wallis >> > < >> http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=pb%2BXMRXINgJSn4a%2FToDMxsx%2FRjCS7LAl >> >, >> > Founder and President of Sojourners, the letter was published as a >> > full-page ad in Roll Call >> > < >> http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=ZitovukKt1ARO8lKMuOWJSJHuo%2Bf2cSP >> >, >> > a Washington D.C. political newspaper widely read by members of >> Congress >> > and their staff. This statement of support and encouragement of the >> > agreement is particularly timely with the 2015 Review Conference of >> the >> > Treaty of Nuclear Non-Proliferation >> > < >> http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=Wa%2Ft6gHKh6oO0RtXqbnGFCJHuo%2Bf2cSP >> > >> > at the United Nations beginning at the end of this month, where FOR >> will >> > have presence in leadership in pre-events (more info to come on the >> Peace >> > & >> > Planet Conference >> > < >> http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=GqGt7L6agTUXlKAuX68qriJHuo%2Bf2cSP >> >!) >> > and as participant observer at the talks. >> > >> > I urge you to consider *adding your own voice in support of the >> diplomatic >> > process * >> > < >> http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=0tqQ1EJnTIiXzJXtql4NEiJHuo%2Bf2cSP >> >and >> > to share the opportunity with others. Read the letter, discuss it in >> your >> > churches and communities of faith, and *add your name* >> > < >> http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=ynJo790UlrPbvdXdiVyiUiJHuo%2Bf2cSP >> >. >> > This is a historic opportunity for diplomacy to triumph over armed >> > conflict, and as people of faith, you can play an important role in >> > helping >> > the process succeed. >> > >> > With prayers for peace, >> > >> > Rev. Kristin Stoneking >> >> >