Click on item of interest for greater detail….or scroll down and the same list is repeated below with a short description of each item
- The Measure of Man
- And Some Fell on Rocky Soil
- Garden of God
- The Food Bank as Prophecy
- MCC and Food Aid Policy
- Nutritional Self-Sufficiency as a National Objective
- Economics and Morality: Report from a Working Group (USSR – Jan 1991)
- City of Hope
- Leaning into the Wind – A Mission of Business
- Leaning into the Wind – Ethics of an Imperfect World
- Why I am Mennonite
- North America – no Longer an Island
- Globalization: A Response
- MBCI Commencement Address – June 2007
- Globalization: True Believers
- World Without Pity
- Entrepreneur of the Year Acceptance Speech
- UMSU Banquet Speech – 2001
- 2003 Red River Community College Graduation
- Perspectives on Anti-dumping
- Presentation to the Bank of Canada Board of Directors
- Live 8 and Global Justice
- The Third Way
- Goshen College Comments
- The Voice of Egypt and the (Missing) Voices of the World
- My Mother
- What If….An Alternative View of Reality
- It Takes a World to Create a Palliser
- Palliser – Strategy and Structure
- The Role of Family in Business and Community
- Long –Term Marketplace Trends in the Furniture Industry
- Human Capital and the Woodworking Industry
- Perspective on Furniture Markets
- Palliser Recognition Evening (2003)
- Response to “Pillar of the Industry” Award
- Palliser at 60 Years – A Time to Give
Thanks - The Business Case for Human Rights
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- 1. The Measure of Man
Speech presented April 28, 1972 to the Associates in Discipleship (Alumni donors) at EMU – Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The speech was closely related to my decision to leave my work with Palliser at the time and accept the assignment with MCC in Bangladesh and the beginning of my international career. Read more>>
- 2. And Some Fell on Rocky Soil
A presentation to the MEDA Convention in the fall of 1974. It was delivered as a devotional and reflects ambivalence about the nature and role of international development. My recent experience in Bangladesh is reflected in the comments. Read more>>
- 3. Garden of God
A 1975 speech delivered to an Assembly at Fresno Pacific University. The subject is a theological interpretation of the environment and our relationship and responsibility. Read more>>
- 4. The Food Bank as Prophecy
Written December 1981 during a period when there was lack of consensus about the nature of the Food Bank in the future and its role. This paper takes a theological perspective but fundamentally argues that the real role of the Food Bank should be as prophecy or as a witness to policy issues rather than only the distribution of food. The MCC Food Bank became the multi-dimensional Canadian Foodgrains Bank within the next two years. Read more>>
- 5. MCC and Food Aid Policy
A January 1982 document that continued to make the case for an emphasis on food policy rather than only food distribution. The fact that it was written indicates there were rather different views on the subject. Read more>>
- 6. Nutritional Self-Sufficiency as a National Objective
Written in late 1972 or early 1973 as the philosophical basis for the new MCC program of recovery in Bangladesh. It constituted a radical alternative to the Government policy of simply more rice rather than seek a diversity of crops to promote a better nutritional balance. The program later became the basis of the next Bangladesh 5 year plan. Read more>>
- 7. USSR – Economics and Morality Report – Jan 28, 1991
This article was written in response to the idea of developing ethics-based television programming for the emerging Soviet Union. The date indicates that it was written in January 1991, 7 months before the collapse of the USSR. It was not written by myself but was based on the work we were doing with Ethics conferences and some Television in the USSR at the time. The persons who met to develop these ideas are noted in the first paragraphs. It reflects an optimistic view of what could be accomplished at that early stage in a changing Soviet Union. The writer as noted is Paul Marshall. Read more>>
- 8. City of Hope
March 2003 response to award as Honoree for the City of Hope and its relationship to the Furniture Industry. The tribute was given by my daughter, Tara. Read more>>
- 9. Leaning Into the Wind – A Mission of Business
A 1987 speech – cannot recall where delivered. It represents an important aspect of my personal philosophy – to push but remain in a space where you can engage the process. Read more>>
- 10. Leaning Into the Wind – Ethics in an Imperfect World
A 2000 speech in Vilnius, Lithuania using the same concept of Leaning applied to the post-Soviet context. Read more>>
- 11. Why I am a Mennonite
Mennonite by Choice not by Chance – title of my article
Published in 1988 as a contribution to a book of the same titled edited by Dr. Harry Loewen, Chair of Mennonite Studies at the University of Winnipeg. There are a total of 30 personal articles by different writers many of them ambivalent about their Mennonite background or identity. My contribution was a more positive statement than most as to how I felt about my identity. Read more>>
- 12. North America – No Longer an Island
An interesting essay on the nature of change and how it particularly affects us in North America. It takes both an anecdotal and philosophical point of view. The date of the essay is not clear. Read more>>
- 13. Globalization: A Response
A speech written for delivery at the 75th Anniversary of MCC in Fresno, California. The paper is a response to two longer essays on the subject of Globalization and its impact and message for the church and MCC. Read more>>
- 14. MBCI Commencement Address – June 2007
The take home points were that we should live our life in reverse – what you do now influences what you will be later in life. Secondly we should “Lean into the Wind”. Read more>>
- 15. Globalization: True Believers
Written to Tom d’Aquino, head of the CCCE – Canadian Council of Chief Executives as a critique of what I felt was an undue belief in the benefits of Globalization. In particular I pointed out that a great many people and industries are in fact shielded from the impact of Globalization. Read more>>
- 16. World Without Pity
A 1999 Speech to MEDA. It is a harsh critique of Globalization and the behavior of the major economic players and the way the system works. Read more>>
- 17. Entrepreneur of the Year Acceptance Speech
The award was for Manitoba and awarded May of 2000. Read more>>
- 18. UMSU Banquet Speech – 2001
Comments about how University affected my career plus anecdotes from Asper and Harvard experiences. Read more>>
- 19. 2003 Red River community College Graduation
The occasion was the granting of a special award from the college to myself. Read more>>
- 20. Perspectives on Anti-dumping
A proposed article for Furniture Today, the US industry periodical submitted in 2003. The magazine was compromised in terms of the many advertisers who were involved with imports and would be damaged by any anti-dumping action so FT did not publish. Read more>>
- 21. Presentation to the Bank of Canada board of Directors
A 2005 presentation made to a Winnipeg meeting of the board. The invitation to present came from Bank Governor David Dodge and was focused on manufacturing in the Canadian economy. Read more>>
- 22. Live 8 and Global Justice
A 2005 presentation to MEDA that speaks to the question of global justice and unequal access and opportunity. Read more>>
- 23. The Third Way
Middle road between the extremes of capitalism or a more social or communitarian philosophy. Read more>>
- 24. Goshen College Comments
A 2011 response on the occasion of beign recognized as one of their graduates of distinction. Read more>>
- 25. The Voice of Egypt and the (Missing) Voices of the World
My personal response and frustration to the 2011 uprising in Egypt and the relatively complete failure of the world and its voices to grasp what the youth in the square were saying. Everyone was trying to be cautions and not come out on the wrong side so really had no opinions. Read more>>
- 26. My Mother
Mia – The Story of a Remarkable Woman (title of her English biography)
This represents my personal statement about my mother. It tells her story from my perspective and weaves some of my own experiences and perspectives on my mother and how she influenced my life into the story. Read more>>
- 27. Furniture-industry-what-if – An Alternative View of Reality
A November 2000 document that looks at the nature of the furniture industry and asks if it might become different or what the implications of dramatic change might be. Read more>>
- 28. It takes a World to Create a Palliser
The speech from myself as President of Palliser to management and recipients of service and special awards in February of 2001. It is an interesting philosophical statement about the nature of a company and its relationship to its people. Read more>>
- 29. Palliser – Strategy and Structure
A 2001 article written to consider the relationship between the strategy of an organization like Palliser and it structure. Based on some of the theoretical ideas on the subject. Read more>>
- 30. CAFE – The Role of Family in your Business and Community
A speech to CAFÉ delivered in Winnipeg – Canadian Association of Family Business in 2002. Read more>>
- 31. Long Term Marketplace Trends in Furniture Industry
A document from 2002 that looks at the changes on the horizon for the furniture industry. Read more>>
- 32. Human Capital and the Woodworking Industry<
A speech delivered at UBC on the occasion of an event to mark progress of the CAWP – Center for Advanced Wood Processing which was a development based on the German Technical University system. I was chair of the NEI – National Education Initiative that developed this idea and program in the early 1990’s. Read more>>
- 33. Perspective on Furniture Markets
A 2002 document written at the time Las Vegas was announced as competitor to High Point. The document makes the argument that High Point exists because it is the best solution for the furniture industry even if it is managed badly. Read more>>
- 34. Palliser Recognition Evening (2003)
This was also the occasion of my being with Palliser for 35 years, The speech outlines the history of the development of Palliser. Read more>>
- 35. Response to “Pillar of the Industry” Award
March 2002 at High Point. This is the industry award from the association of Sales Representatives. Read more>>
- 36. Response to “Palliser at 60 Years – A Time to Give Thanks” Award
A prayer written for the occasion of celebrating 60 years of Palliser based on Ecclesiastes – “A time to…..” Read more>>
- 37. The Business Case for Human Rights
A presentation to the MEDA (Mennonite Economic Development Associates) annual Conference in Winnipeg, Canada on November 6, 2014. The event coincided with the recent opening of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights which is located in Winnipeg. The objective was to encourage and audience of professionals and business owners to think about how human rights connected to the more practical aspects of their lives and work. Read more>>