Nobel Peace Prize Forum Event March 08, 09, and 10 - 2013 Minneapolis MN

Dear All,

I am so delighted to report you that the Nobel Peace Prize Forum event went very well. They had invited very good speakers from different areas of society and economy. Although I don't agree on everything they
talked about, it was so happy to see many students from various colleges from this part of the country.

I really enjoyed speeches by two Nobel laureates, Prof. Yunus and Tawakkol Karman. Yunus talked about social economies beyond the state and the market. But, unfortunately, his organization, grameenabank in Bangladesh, is now collaborating with big corporations. I see this as co-optation of peoples' alternative initiatives by the capitalist system. Tawakkol's speech boosted our energies and revived hope in social movements. She spoke as an activist and sang many songs from their movement. She finally said: "so
far, we have managed to change the regime, but our goal is to transform the system and create a just society. Our revolution continues."

Ashok's talk was a big success. 

He talked about the political-economy of hunger across the globe. He spoke in two sessions. There were about 150 attendees in each session. Ashok's talk mainly focused on how neoliberalism has been perpetuating poverty and hunger by dispossessing people all over the world. He explained how ruling classes and corporations talk about food security and poverty. He deconstructed the arguments of ruling class and corporations that hunger can be solved just by promoting innovations and trade across the globe. This is what Ashok termed as neoliberal technocracyreducing politico-economic and social problems to technological issues.

Students, faculty members and general public were engaged in discussions, and asked some tough questions. Overall, the event went very well. Some faculty members from the university of Minnesota asked Ashok Kumbamu whether he can give a talk on similar aspects in their departments.

Rochester MN
March 13, 2013