It's my turn to host a meeting, on Tuesday, 8/30. After some struggle and tossing away a few other subjects, finally I settled down on one. It would be nice to see you there if you happen to be free and open for a current events discussion.
Session I:
First, I think we are probably somewhat familiar with these people:
Theresa May (British PM), Angela Merkel (Germany Chancellor), Park Geun-hye (South Korea President), Dilma Rousseff (Brazil President), Aung San Suu Kyi (Myanmar: state counselor), Tsai Ing-Wen, and Hillary Clinton.
They are only part of the world’s female leaders. Like it or not, the trend is clear: more and more women are joining the ranks of leaders in the worlds of business and politics. What is the impact of this trend? Is it a blessing (or a curse
)? Are there any problems having female commander-in-chief? Do women still have glass ceiling in business and politics? What are the reasons that stop more women running higher office?[Recommended Article]
- “Women in Charge: A new Record?”
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/ ... ers-214100.
- “Watch: How the world gets better when women are in charge”
http://matadornetwork.com/life/watch-wo ... en-charge/
“A more peaceful world if women in charge?”
http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com ... in-charge/
“The Data on Women Leaders”
http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2015/01/ ... n-leaders/
For the second session, I’d like to share with you an emotional speech presented by Michelle Obama in July at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. Of course, you don’t have to be the fan of Hillary Clinton or the Democratic Party to participate in the discussion. I just feel the speech is authentic, elegant and well-presented. For example, there is no mention of the other candidate’s name in the whole speech. Instead, Mrs. Obama uses puns and other hints gracefully broach the subject of Secretary Clinton’s opponent.
Some interesting statements in Michelle Obama’s speech for your reference, just in case you don’t have time to watch the whole speech:
- • She (Obama) made reference to a speech made by Hillary Clinton when she conceded defeat to Barack Obama in 2008, saying: “We weren’t able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time” after a bruising primary campaign.
Clinton “has the grace and the guts to keep coming back and put cracks in that highest and hardest glass ceiling until she finally breaks through, lifting all of us with her”.
• “So don’t let anyone ever tell you this country isn’t great, that somehow we need to make it great again, because this right now is the greatest country on earth,” she said.
The elegant inversion of Trump’s campaign slogan prompted the crowd to erupt in cheers and wave regal purple placards bearing the name “Michelle”.
Obama went on: “And as my daughters prepare to set out into the world, I want a leader who is worthy of that truth, a leader who is worthy of my girls’ promise and all our kids’ promise. A leader who will be guided every day by the love and hope and impossibly big dreams that we all have for our children.”
• After a rocky start to the convention, with supporters of Bernie Sanders rebellingover leaked emails, Obama urged Democrats to get to work and recapture the spirit of the past two elections when she was such a force for her husband. “So in this election we cannot sit back and hope that everything works out for the best. We cannot afford to be tired or frustrated or cynical. No, hear me: between now and November, we need to do what we did eight years ago and four years ago.”
• “How we urge them (Obama’s daughters) to ignore those who question their father’s citizenship or faith. How we insist that the hateful language they hear from public figures on TV does not represent the true spirit of this country. How we explain that when someone is cruel or acts like a bully, you don’t stoop to their level. No, our motto is: ‘When they go low, we go high.’”
• “What I admire most about Hillary is that she never buckles under pressure. She never takes the easy way out. And Hillary Clinton has never quit on anything in her life. And when I think about the kind of president I want for my girls and all our children, that’s what I want.
• “I want someone with the proven strength to persevere. Someone who knows this job and takes it seriously. Someone who understands that the issues a president faces are not black and white and cannot be boiled down to 140 characters.”
That dig at Trump’s tweeting produced another roar from the crowd. “Because when you have the nuclear codes at your fingertips and the military in your command, you can’t make snap decisions. You can’t have a thin skin or tendency to lash out. You need to be steady and measured and well informed.”
[Recommended Speech]
- Michelle Obama DNC speech transcript:
http://www.vox.com/2016/7/25/12282760/t ... dnc-speech
(Or the same speech on VoiceTube you can see the transcript side by side and pause anytime: https://tw.voicetube.com/videos/41272 )
- Why Donald Trump So Popular?
http://www.ibtimes.com/why-donald-trump ... ia-2393839
Trump presidency rated among top 10 global risks (The Economist Intelligence Unit)
http://www.bbc.com/news/business-35828747:
One Chart Addresses a Misconception about Hillary Clinton
http://www.attn.com/stories/10483/chart ... es-honesty
https://qph.ec.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-4 ... _webp=true
Session I: The Trends on Women Leadership
1. What do you think about the trend of “Women in charge”? What are the pros and cons of this global trend?
2. Does gender really matter in leadership? Statistically, the ratio of women in leadership role is still low, why aren’t there more female leaders? (What are the reasons that stop women pursuing higher office? What are the barriers to female political leadership?)
3. Do you think Hillary Clinton is an “aggressive woman”? Do you think Donald Trump is an “aggressive man”? Which one is more unbearable? Why? Any gender bias here? Have you seen any "double standard" cases personally?
Session II: A Speech by Michelle Obama
1. What do you like and dislike about this speech? Share your favorite statements in this speech or any speeches related to this Presidential Election.
2. Does this speech make any difference in your opinions of either candidate (Trump and Clinton)? If yes, in what ways? If no, why?
3. Free debate on “United States and the world will be better off if Donald Trump wins the US Presidency”.
Some discussion points for your reference:
- • Would Donald Trump be/not be a risk as president?
• Could a Trump presidency soothe/disrupt the world economy?
• Could a Trump presidency increase/decrease political tensions and lead to global security/insecurity?
6:45 ~ 7:00pm Greetings & Free Talk / Ordering Beverage or Meal / Getting Newcomer’s Information
7:00 ~ 7:10pm Opening Remarks / Newcomer’s Self-introduction / Grouping
(Session I)
7:10 ~ 7:50pm Discussion Session (40 mins)
7:50 ~ 8:10pm Summarization (20 mins)
8:10 ~ 8:25pm Regrouping / Instruction Giving / Taking a 10 Minutes Break (Intermission)
(Session II)
8:25 ~ 9:05pm Discussion Session (40 mins)
9:05 ~ 9:25pm Summarization (20 mins)
9:25 ~ 9:30pm Concluding Remarks / Announcements ********************************************************************************************************************************************
聚會日期：列於該貼文主題內
聚會時間：當天請準時於 6:45 pm 到達 ~ 約 9:30 pm 左右結束
星期二聚會地點：丹堤濟南店
地址、電話：台北市濟南路三段25號 (02) 2740-2350
捷運站：板南線 忠孝新生站 3 號出口
走法：出忠孝新生站 3 號出口後，沿著巷子(忠孝東路三段10巷)走約 2 分鐘，到了濟南路口，左轉走約 2 分鐘即可看到。
最低消費： 80 元
注意事項：
1. 文章是否需要列印請自行斟酌，但與會者請務必自行列印 Questions for discussion。
2. 與會者請先閱讀過文章，並仔細想過所有的問題，謝謝合作！
給新朋友的話：
1. 請事先準備 2~3 分鐘的英語自我介紹；會議結束前可能會請你發表 1~2 分鐘的感想。
2. 請事先閱讀文章以及主持人所提的討論問題，並事先寫下自己所欲發表意見的英文。
3. 全程以英語進行，參加者應具備中等英語會話能力，對任一討論問題，能夠以 5 到 10 句英文表達個人見解。
4. 在正式加入之前，可以先來觀摩三次，觀摩者亦須參與討論。正式加入需繳交終身會費 NT$1,000。
what to find in a good leader ...maybe a lot ...
at work.
for early of 
