In an Increasingly Globalized World, Cooperation is an
Imperative, says CEO & International Speaker

Whether we like it or not as Americans, the world is changing. Berny Dohrmann, an entrepreneur and international speaker, says we should like it.

"Embracing change is at the heart of the spirit of cooperation, which I believe to be at the heart of a solution to the problems plaguing humanity," says Dohrmann, chairman and founder of CEO Space International, and author of "Redemption: The Cooperation Revolution," (www.ceospaceinternational.com).

"Many of us have been taught that competition is the primary feature of our economic system; however, the most salient common denominator for all successful human interaction features is just the opposite - it is cooperation."

Removing competitive thinking and replacing it with cooperative thinking opens us up to developing alliances that elevate what we do, rather than strategies that aim to take down our competitors, Dohrmann says.

"Cooperative thinking is the ultimate virus-removal program for the mind," he says. "Cooperative action helps resolve individual problems and, in the long run, can resolve the problems of the entire world."

Dohrmann describes some issues we face that would benefit from cooperative thinking:

• Republicans versus Democrats - a stalemate. We face massive problems -- terrorism, poverty, climate change, to name just a few. But our biggest problem lately has been agreeing upon the most basic functions of government, including paying our bills on time. Why? Because our federal congressional leaders view their roles as competitors, which demands that one group of them win and the other group lose. They value their competition over the welfare of their country and its citizens, who suffered lost wages, lost business, and lost access to crucial services.

• How will we deal with the major emerging economies that are developing? China, India and several countries in South America are among many emerging economies worldwide, which is why government and corporate leaders in America require a sea change in worldview. As Dohrmann puts it: "Cooperation produces speed in distribution of goods and services (social capital). Competition produces three speeds: slow, slower and damn near stopped. Cooperative investment rewards direction. Competition punishes it. Cooperative accounting rewards planning and this is in contrast to manipulated near-term profit illusions. Competition rewards hype. Cooperation rewards integrity. Competition rewards error. Cooperation rewards truth."

• The largest growing city in the U.S. is prison. By a large margin, America has the highest incarceration rate of any country on Earth. In 2009, the number of adults under correctional supervision - including probation, parole, jail or prison -was 6,977,700. The prison population has quadrupled since 1980, mostly due to mandatory sentencing since the "war on drugs." Almost 60 percent of America's prison population, an industry in itself, is related to minor marijuana offenses, which is a drug that's "far less harmful than over-the-counter meds or alcohol," Dohrmann says. He cites the recent case of a Utah woman who was sentenced to 11 years in prison for possession of $32 of marijuana.

"This is a staggering dynamic of stupidity in our society," he says. "Whether we like it or not, humans have taken chemicals to alter their experience since recorded history; it's like we've declared war on human nature. There is certainly a better cooperative solution to this problem, and others."

About Berny Dohrmann

Berny Dohrmann is chairman and founder of CEO Space International, one of the largest support organizations for business owners. He is the inventor of Super Teaching, a Title I technology that accelerates retention for public schools, and speaks on it around the world, at conferences and on TV programs. As a member of the Dohrmann family, which operated the largest global resort-outfitting firm as Dohrmann Hotel Supply for several generations, he grew up with several business mentors, including Napoleon Hill, Earl Nightingale, Walt Disney, Warner Earnhardt, Bucky Fuller, Dr. Edward Deming and Jack Kennedy. He has learned from both success and adversity: Indicted for criminal contempt for a $86,000 junk bund from an investment banking firm he had sold, he fought the charge in court, but lost in 1995 and went to prison for 18 months. He has since made a documentary about the experience.

She Says Jehovah's Witness is Just One Faith Group that Fosters Religion-Based Child Abuse

Lee Marsh, president of Advocates for Awareness of Watchtower Abuses, urges the public to tune in Nov. 8 to a ground-breaking conference focused on ending religion-based child abuse.

Child-Friendly Faith Project's first conference brings together religion, legal and other experts including Texas Supreme Court Justice Debra H. Lehrmann, "Prophet's Prey" author Sam Brower, Christian theology professor Dr. David H. Jensen, child advocate Dr. Rita Swan, and family law expert Ann M. Haralambie, JD. There will also be a survivors panel discussion moderated by cult expert Steven Hassan.

You can watch the conference during a live stream beginning at 9 a.m. Nov. 8 at ChildFriendlyFaith.org. The goal is to end all religion-based child abuse and cover-ups that protect abusers.

"There are a number of practices that hurt children," says Marsh, who was raised a member of Jehovah's Witness. "Some faiths encourage spanking and other physical abuse - even for small babies. Some forbid their followers from seeking medical treatment, relying instead on faith to heal, which has led to the deaths of children. And some allow child sexual abuse to go unchecked and unpunished."

Religion-based child abuse is more prevalent than many believe, she says.

"It neither started nor stopped with the infamous Roman Catholic Church scandal," says Marsh, who says as a child, she and her 13-year-old aunt were sexually abused by the same man.

"Instead of calling the police, the leaders of the Jehovah's Witness congregation I attended were told to deal with the problem," Marsh says.

"In both cases, the elder in charge suggested that we girls go to live at another home away from our families. The issue was kept quiet and the accused person remained in the home and in the congregation."

Among those expected at the conference is another Jehovah's Witness, Candace Conti. She's one of the few members of the faith who successfully pushed for legal prosecution of the church for protecting her abuser. The Watch Tower Society, which oversees Jehovah's Witnesses,  was found guilty of covering up child sexual abuse to protect a molester, and she was awarded $28 million in damages.

"It's important for everyone to be allowed to practice the faith of their choice, and to draw the strength, support and instruction from it that they need," Marsh says. "However, we have to protect the most vulnerable in our society from the practices that cause physical and emotional harm - practices that are not tolerated in any other area of civilized society."

Lee Marsh is a retired trauma counselor and president of Advocates for Awareness of Watchtower Abuses and the director of Support Services. AAWA is an international organization established to educate the world about some of Watchtower's most shocking practices.

November 8th from 5:30-8pm at Modern Woodmen Park

All proceeds will benefit

Alternatives for the Older Adult?

Classic Rock provided by the band Red Rock-It

Cost is $10 for Adults $5 for children (ages 4-12) (Children 3 and under are free)

* Cash bar for beverages (both alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks)

Tickets can be purchased at Alternatives for the Older Adult,1803 7th St. Moline or at the door at the event.

To learn more about Alternatives visit our website at www.4olderadults.org

or call Ellen Berberich at 309-277-0167

I-80 Rest Area Will Become State's First to Generate its Own Power

HAMPTON - Governor Pat Quinn today announced a capital investment of $195,000 to construct a wind turbine to power a rest area along Interstate 80 in the Quad Cities. It will become the state's first rest area to generate its own power through wind energy. The project is part of Governor Quinn's commitment to moving the state toward energy independence using green technology.

"The best energy source is free, renewable and has little environmental impact - that perfectly describes wind energy," Governor Quinn said. "Producing our own energy at this well-used rest area will reduce operational costs and serve as a model for other rest areas in the state."

A wind turbine and associated equipment will be built at the Mississippi Rapids Rest Area along Interstate 80 northeast of Hampton, and should be operational in spring 2014. Located on a bluff just a short distance from the Mississippi River, the rest area is in an ideal location to take advantage of prevailing winds. The project, awarded to Laverdiere Construction, Inc. of Macomb for $195,682, will also include an informational kiosk so visitors can see the amount of power being generated to supply the 2,700-square-foot, two-story building's energy needs. The 40,000 KWH/yr produced by the wind turbine should supply enough electricity to completely power the rest area on most days. The project will be managed by the Illinois Capital Development Board, and the rest area is administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

"As the Chairman of the Senate Energy Committee, I am proud that we are able to manufacture wind turbines and also put them to use on a local project where they will provide self-sustaining power to a Rock Island County rest area near Hampton," State Senator Mike Jacobs (D-Moline) said. "Bringing clean energy projects to the district will not only provide skilled labor jobs in the area, but also allow the state to reduce its costs while providing a necessary service along Interstate 80."

"This investment creates construction jobs, adds to our local energy infrastructure and helps lower utility costs for taxpayers," State Rep. Mike Smiddy (D-Hillsdale) said.

This project is part of Governor Quinn's $31 billion Illinois Jobs Now! program, which will support more than 439,000 jobs over six years. Illinois Jobs Now! is the largest capital construction program in Illinois history, and is one of the largest capital construction programs in the nation.

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