by Editor BGF | May 11, 2024 | Executive Board
Partner of EY
Scholar of Harvard Center for Ethics
Fellow of MIT Connection Science
- Partner: July 2001 – present
EY Consulting Emerging Technology Strategy & Governance Leader: July 2023 – present
- Our team addresses complex issues pertaining to emerging technology strategy, governance, risks, ethics, and policy, serving government and commercial clients. Drawing from our extensive experience with innovative business models and the application of advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), Web3, and cutting-edge data methodologies, my team and I serve as trusted advisors to senior leaders.
- AI Leader within the EY Center for Board Matters, with primary responsibility for strategic emerging technology sessions and services for corporate boards and C-suite executives. Our primary mission is to provide strategic education and guidance, enabling these stakeholders to navigate the intricate landscape of emerging technology adoption, ethical governance, and compliance, fostering innovation in the digital era. In this role, our team is developing new frameworks for senior business leaders to appropriately design and execute an emerging technology strategy, complying with legal mandates and achieving ethical outcomes.
- Leader of the EY Research Collaboration with MIT and Professor Alex Pentland, distinguished leader of the Connection Science Lab. The Collaboration has evolved to emphasize responsible technology strategy, solution development / adoption, governance, and policy matters. Together with MIT, we actively engage with corporate executive teams and government policymakers to research, experiment with, and harness the power of advanced technologies. Regularly host AI strategy / governance focused senior executive roundtables at MIT, principally for board directors and the C-Suite.Partner, Global Tax/Law Innovation Leader: July 2017 – August 2023
- Advised governments and commercial enterprises on the risks, opportunities, and policy implications emanating from innovative technology and data systems. Led teams in the discovery, design, and commercialization of new solutions, with an emphasis on the development of new advanced technology systems and business models grounded in AI, Web3, and data science.
- Designed and implemented EY’s Global Tax/Law innovation strategy, integrating technology and innovation solution development and R&D teams across the globe. Built a diverse team within EY’s Tax and Law practice to discover and develop innovative tax / law services and solutions. Developed a strong culture of innovation within EY.
- Designed and co-founded The Prosperity Collaborative, a multi-stakeholder initiative dedicated to helping countries create better systems through innovative technology as digital public goods. The mission of the Collaborative is to build and deploy new technology, improve capacity of government administrations, and advance Web3 based technology governance models that promote transparency and interoperability. Founding members of the Collaborative include, New America, MIT, EY, The World Bank Group, and the Michael Dukakis Institute for Leadership and Innovation.
- Launched and led a Research Collaboration with MIT and Professor Pentland. Focus of the Collaboration is to research and experiment with emerging/advanced technology and derive data insights to solve novel problems.
Collaborated with Pentland and MIT to host workshops with leading private sector organizations, The World Bank, and others.
- Designed, built, and led an industry leading Advanced Technology Cambridge Lab, comprised of data/computer scientists, software engineers, policy specialists, and strategists to address complex problems for both government and the private sector through innovative business models and the application of advanced technologies, such as AI, Web3, and innovative data methods.Partner, Americas Director of Indirect & State / Local Tax Services, Jul 2009 – Jun 2017
- Leader of EY’s Indirect Tax service-line in the Americas, which includes state and local tax consulting services in the United States, along with value added tax, customs duties, and tax credits/incentives services in the Americas. Indirect Tax is one of six service-lines in the Tax practice, generating ~$500M of annual revenue and comprised of ~2,000 tax professionals located throughout North, South, and Central America, Israel and India. Developed vision and strategy and led execution for a multi-faceted tax practice serving clients across a wide range of industries.
- Tax policy responsibility for the practice and client service, including the tax technical/quality determinations of complex tax matters, tax implications of M&A transactions, financial reporting tax analysis, controversy and planning.
- Co-led an initiative to develop a global business/tax incentives strategy for EY. Recruited and positioned a global team to serve multinational enterprises by aligning government incentives to business capital and labor investments.
- Frequent speaker on tax policy matters at various organizations, including trade associations, conferences, and EY client symposiums. Delivered approximately 25 tax speeches a year, with an emphasis on tax policy.Tax Partner; Northeast Region State and Local Tax Leader, Jul 2005 – Jun 2009
- Led team of 50 tax professionals (including 10 partners) providing state & local tax consulting services to clients in the Northeast region of the US. Responsible for tax technical quality determinations in the region and frequent speaker on tax policy matters.Tax Practice (Staff through Partner), Aug 1992 – Dec 1994; Dec 1996 – Jun 2005
- Client service professional within the Boston tax practice. Served clients in numerous industries, including financial services, retail, diversified manufacturing, and life sciences. Promoted to Partner effective July 2001.PRICE WATERHOUSE, BOSTON, MATax Senior, Dec 1994 – Dec 1996
- Performed state and local tax issue identification, research, analysis and resolution for clients across a wide range of industries.FELLOWSHIPS & APPOINTMENTS MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGYResearch Affiliate, Sociotechnical Systems Research Center, March 2024 – present
- The MIT Sociotechnical Systems Research Center is an interdisciplinary team uniting faculty, researchers, andstudents to study high-impact, complex, sociotechnical systems that shape our world.
- This Research Affiliate position will be closely aligned with my Harvard appointment to study AI ethics for corporate board members and the C-Suite (see below).
HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Appointment, Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics, August 2023 – present
- The Safra Center was founded in 1986 and unites scholars, ethicists, practitioners, and students from various fieldsto engage in thoughtful discourse and research on ethical challenges in modern society.
- This Harvard academic appointment and associated scholarship is focused on the ethical / responsible technology implications for both the public and private sectors. Align with the Harvard community to study the ethics and responsibility associated with innovative technologies, such as AI and Web3. These technologies are advancing rapidly and introduce ethical dilemmas that are now highly relevant for both governments and commercial enterprises. Government policymakers, corporate boards, and executive teams are faced with new ethical decisions prompted by innovative technologies that impact individuals, organizations, and societies on a global scale. Lead a research team at Harvard conducting extensive research (and developing new frameworks and decision-making tools) addressing the legal and ethical obligations facing corporate boards and the C-suite in designing, developing, and deploying AI systems.
- Published an OpEd in Fortune in May 2024 stressing the need for corporate boards to actively engage in responsible / ethical AI governance.
- Hosting a corporate directors Applied AI Ethics roundtable at Harvard Business School in June 2024. MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGYConnection Science Senior Founding Fellow, June 2019 – present
- MIT Connection Science is a cross-disciplinary effort drawing on the strengths of faculty, departments, andresearchers across the Institute, to decode, analyze, predict, and interpret trends in our data-driven world. Connection Science is a community of researchers and practitioners from leading organizations who are working together to invent the future of Artificial Intelligence, Web3 / Blockchain, and Big Data, for good.
- The aim of Connection Science and the fellowship is to help executives, entrepreneurs and policymakers open new possibilities by providing deeper insights into improving lives in our ever changing, hyper-connected world.NEW AMERICADigital Impact and Governance Initiative (DIGI) Senior Fellow, October 2020 – October 2021
- New America is a pioneering think and action tank; a civic platform that connects a research institute, technology lab, solutions network, media hub and public forum. New America is dedicated to renewing the promise of America by continuing the quest to realize our nation’s highest ideals, honestly confronting the challenges caused by rapid technological and social change and seizing the opportunities those changes create. DIGI is renovating democratic institutions by developing world-class, open-source digital / Web3 infrastructure to power the public sector.
- The purpose of the fellowship was to research, publish a paper, and devise new opportunities to govern and fund the development of global digital public goods.TEACHING EXPERIENCE BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAWLecturer, 2020 – present
- Developed and teach an Innovation, Technology, and the Law course, examining innovation theory and how itapplies within the legal profession. The course focuses on the disruptive forces and ‘megatrends’ in the world that have an impact on enterprises; application of advanced technologies (such as AI and Web3) to business, legal and societal problem solving; derivation of new insights from data science; the ‘future of work’ for professionals;
alternative business models; incorporating lean startup/design thinking theory into legal problem solving; and, addresses the rapidly evolving ethics, legal, and regulatory issues emanating from advanced technology application.
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Colleague Instructor, Fall, 2020, 2021
- Development Ventures is an exploratory elective Action Lab, focused on founding, financing, and buildingentrepreneurial ventures targeting developing countries, emerging markets, and underserved consumers everywhere. Particular emphasis is placed on transformative innovations and exponentially scalable business models that can enable or accelerate major positive social change throughout the world.ELON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAWLecturer, 2017
- Developed and taught an Innovation in Professional Services course. Topics included: introduction to innovation forlawyers; the forces of disruption impacting professionals; megatrends impacting businesses that lead to growth/innovation opportunities; application of alternative business models; lean startup and design thinking theories; and the future of work for professionals.SUFFOLK UNIVERSITY FRANK SAWYER SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT, BOSTON, MAAdjunct Tax Faculty, Sep 1997 – Dec 2000
- Developed and taught a State and Local Tax course as part of the Masters of Tax curriculum. Topics addressedinclude the history of state/local taxation in the United States, constitutional restrictions on the states’ abilities to tax individuals and businesses, and government use of tax incentives to spur economic investments.EDUCATION
BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW, BOSTON, MALL.M (Taxation), Sep 1993 – May 1997
- Attended part-time while working at Ernst & Young
SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF LAW, SYRACUSE, NYJuris Doctor, Sep 1989 – May 1992
- Moot Court Appellate Tax Team
- Student Extern: Onondaga County District Attorney’s OfficeIONA UNIVERSITY, NEW ROCHELLE, NYBachelor of Business Administration / Accounting, Sep 1985 – May 1989
- Student Government Association Vice-President
- Four Year Division I Varsity TennisADVISORY POSITIONS & AFFILIATIONS
- U.S. Department of Commerce Trade Finance Advisory Council; 2021 – 2022: appointed by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. Advised the Secretary in the identification of effective ways to expand access to trade finance for U.S. exporters and their foreign buyers, with an emphasis on new fintech investments to fuel economic growth.
- Global Blockchain Business Council Standards Mapping Initiative; 2021 – 2022: Co-Chair Tax Working Group developing standards for distributed technology systems (blockchain, et al.) applied to Tax
- Innovation Leader Editorial Advisory Board; 2017- present: provide innovation advice to this media company with the largest network of corporate innovators in the world
- StreetCred Board Member; 2018 – present: advise this organization affiliated with Boston Medical Center providing free tax preparation and financial consulting services in hospitals and clinics targeting families eligible for evidence- based, antipoverty government programs
- Non-Profit Co-Founder and Board Member; 2008-2018: World Orphan Project, Inc., an organization providing relief to orphans across the globe
- Business Trade Associations – Board Member: prior to 2016: Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation; Associated Industries of Massachusetts; New York University State and Local Tax Forum
- Trade Association Publication Editorial Advisory Boards; 2013-2016: Commerce Clearing House – Corporate Business Taxation; Bureau of National Affairs State Tax Advisory BoardSELECT PRESENTATIONS
- Multiple corporate board and C-suite presentations; AI Opportunities, Risks, and Ethics (2023-2024)
- Multiple MIT Policy Roundtables for the C-Suite and Corporate Directors; AI Strategy, Governance, Ethics (2024)
- U.S. Department of Commerce Emerging Technology Leaders; U.S. Naval War College; U.S. / Allied Nations Global Government Forum; NACD; Harvard AI Ethics Research Readout (2024)
- EY Center for Board Matters – Nasdaq Directors Summit; AI Ethics (May 2024) •
- MIT Imagination in Action AI Forum; AI Governance Panel, Applied AI Ethics Lightning Talk (Apr 2024)
- Devex AI Policy Roundtable – Washington DC; AI Ethics and Governance (Apr 2024)
- Boardroom Governance Podcast Appearance; AI Ethics and Governance (Apr 2024)
- A Fireside Chat with Bruce Jackson, Author of ‘Never Far from Home; EY NYC DEI Forum (Apr 2024)
- EY America’s Board; Designed, Curated, and Hosted a 6-part AI Training Video Series (Jan-Feb 2024)
- Harvard Franklin Fellows; AI Ethics (Feb 2024)
- The Institute of Internal Auditors; The Role of Internal Audit in End-to-End Responsible AI Governance (Feb 2024)
- Mongolia Ministry of Digital Development; AI Strategy & Policy (Jan 2024)
- Nasdaq Trade Talks; AI and Venture Capital Investing (Dec 2023)
- EY Global Webcast; What you need to know: President Biden Executive Order on AI (Nov 2023)
- EY-Parthenon MIT Software Economy Forum; From Silicon Valley to the Compliance Valley: Unleashing Innovation, Embracing Regulation (Sept 2023)
- Nasdaq Trade Talks; The Biden Administration and 7 Leading Tech Companies Reach Agreement on AI Safeguards (July 2023)
- Innovation Realized; Integrating Generative AI and Web3 into the Risk Landscape (June 2023)
- LegalTech Hub; Combinatorial Creativity, AI and the Future of Law (June 2023)
- Revenu Québec, Digital Economy Taxation Network; Programmable Digital Currencies (May 2023)
- Czech Republic Ministry of Finance; Digital Transformation in Public Finance (May 2023)
- World Bank Group, Using Data Analytics to Power Digital Transformations in Tax Administrations; 1. Building Data Analytics with Peer Tax Authorities as Digital Public Goods, 2. Artificial Intelligence to Improve Tax Administration (April 2023)
- Nasdaq Trade Talks; Responsible Generative Artificial Intelligence (April 2023)
Boston Global Forum at Harvard University – Governing the Future: AI, Democracy, and Humanity – honoring Dr.
Alondra Nelson; Applied AI Ethics (Apr 2024)
- Tufts University; The Fletcher Forum of World Affairs Podcast; Financing Digital Public Infrastructure (Mar 2023)
- PepsiCo; Digital Assets Policy and Regulation (Feb 2023)
- Boston Global Forum 10th Anniversary Conference, Harvard University, Honoring United Nations Secretary- General’s Envoy on Technology Amandeep Gill; The Power of Diverse Stakeholder Groups to Promote Digital Technologies (Nov 2022)
- Nasdaq Trade Talks; Policy Implications of Digital Assets (Nov 2022)
- Microsoft Symposium at the WCO Technology Conference; Digitalization of Customs and Trade (Oct 2022)
- ADEX-Peru, Financial Tools for Foreign Trade Seminar; How Web3 Will Shape the Future of Money (Aug 2022)
- MIT Symposium, A New Foundation for the Global Digital Economy; Governance of Multistakeholder Technology Systems (June 2022)
- MIT Imagination in Action Web3 Conference; Web3 Policy Implications (June 2022)
- MIT CBDC Symposium; Tax and Policy Implications of CBDCs (June 2022)
- World Bank, Vienna University of Economics and Business, New Technologies: The Opportunities and Challenges of Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain for Tax Administrations; Demystifying Blockchain (May 2022)
- US Treasury Speaker Series; Data Governance (April 2022)
- AI World Society, Harvard University, Rebuilding Ukraine: From Devastation by War to an Exemplary Nation for Remaking the World Toward an Age of Global Enlightenment; Application of Innovative Technology to Rebuild Ukraine (April 2022)
- World Bank – Uzbekistan, Vienna University, Transforming Tax Administrations: Roadmap for Full Digitalization and Implementation Challenges; Blockchain: Exploring the Longer-Term Potential (Nov 2021)
- MIT Connection Science Symposium; DeFi and Digital Currency, a New Bretton Woods Accord (Nov 2021)
- World Bank, United Nations, Vienna University of Economics and Business, and African Tax Institute; Conference on Tax Transparency and Corruption, Emergent Opportunities for New Technologies to Enhance Efforts to Combat Illicit Financial Flows (July 2021)
- Vienna University of Economics and Business; Transforming Tax Systems with Blockchain (June 2021)
- United Nations; Centennial Roundtable, Digital Future toward the Age of Global Enlightenment (May 2021)
- New America, Financing a Digital Decade Policy Roundtables (March – May 2021)
- MIT Connection Science; Emerging Technology World-Wide Standards, Regulation (Dec 2020)
- Tax Analysts Symposium; Tax and Artificial Intelligence (Dec 2020)
- Asian Development Bank, Southeast Asia Symposium on Domestic Resource Mobilization for Covid-19 Economic Recovery; Digital Transformation in Tax Administration (Dec 2020)
- Central and Eastern Europe Ministries of Finance Webcast, Microsoft; Ministry of Finance as Enabler of the Digital Economy (Nov 2020)
- The Digital Economist Speaker Series; Digital Transformation of Government Tax and Fiscal Systems (Nov 2020)
- Study Group on Asian Tax Administration and Research (SGATAR) Virtual Meeting on Tax Administration’sResponses to Covid-19; The Prosperity Collaborative, Emerging Technology and Tax Policies (Nov 2020)
- Northeastern University; Guest Lecturer; Emerging Technology and Taxation (Nov 2020)
- Money Reimagined Podcast, presented by the World Economic Forum and CoinDesk; Programing Tax Logic into Central Bank Digital Currencies (Oct 2020)
- Blockchain Central, aligned to the UN General Assembly; Reviving Trust and Resilience in our Institutions (Sept 2020)
- EY 2020 Africa Tax Summit; Insight Session: Practical Tax Considerations for Intra-Africa Trade (Aug 2020)
- The Prosperity Collaborative, Technology and Tax During and Beyond the Coronavirus Pandemic; UsingTechnology to Make Tax Systems More Efficient and Crisis Responsive (May 2020)
- Global Blockchain Business Council, aligned to the World Economic Forum; Davos, Switzerland; The ProsperityCollaborative (Jan 2020)
- 6th Annual World Bank Group/International Monetary Fund Tax Sunday; Washington, D.C.; Strengthening TaxSystems in a Digitalizing World (Oct 2019)
- Boston Global Forum Policy Roundtable – Harvard University; Cambridge, MA; AI and Concepts of the SocialContract for 2020 (Sept 2019)
- CEO Summit; Hanoi, Vietnam; How Artificial Intelligence Systems Can Improve Government Decision Making(Aug 2019)
- U.S. Congressional Roundtable; Wash. D.C.; The State of Blockchain Technology & Digital Assets (July 2019)
- Northeastern University; Boston, MA: EY Financial Services Tax Conference; Hong Kong: EY aHead of Tax Conference; London, UK; Public and Private Sector Advanced Technology Signals (May-June 2019)
- Blockchain + AI+ Human, aligned to the World Economic Forum; Davos, Switzerland; The Future of Enterprise Tax Solutions (Jan 2019)
- CFO Tech Outlook; The Promise of Artificial Intelligence to Solve Tax Problems (Nov 2018)
- Imagination in Action, MIT; Cambridge, MA; Blockchain for Government Tax Authorities (May 2018)
- TEDx BeaconStreet; Boston, MA; How Taxes Could Save the Planet (Nov 2016)
- Carbon Tax Forum; The Impact of Carbon Taxes on Climate Change – Roundtable Host; Wash. DC (2015, 2016)
- The Aftermath of US Elections – Webcast; Tax Implications of the Election (2014, 2012)
- African Business Incentives Roundtable for Government Trade Ministers; Johannesburg, South Africa; Aligning African Business Incentives to Capital and Labor Investments by Multinational Enterprises (Sept 2013)
- Evanta CFO Executive Summit; Dallas, TX; The Affordable Care Act – What CFOs Need to Know (June 2013)
- Business Incentives Roundtable for Government Trade Ministers; Lisbon, Portugal; Business Incentives BolsteringForeign Direct Investment (June 2012)
- Bureau of National Affairs; State Tax Policy Implications of the 2012 Elections (Nov 2012)
- Council on State Taxation, Education Forum; Atlanta, GA; US Constitutional Law Practice and Theory (2010-2014)BETTER INNOVATION PODCAST
- Founder and Host of the Better Innovation Podcast. Long-form interview and content rich discussions with innovation / technology thought leaders from across the globe. The podcast explores stories of how innovation is reshaping and transforming our inextricably digital world. Published 75+ hours of content from conversations with more than 100 guests across 7 podcast seasons (2017–present).
- Guests include, U.S. Congressman Tom Emmer (R-MN); Secretary Andrew Card, former U.S. White House Chief of Staff and Secretary of Transportation; Whitney Johnson, innovation thought leader and author; Steve Blank, serial entrepreneur and originator of Lean Startup theory; Jeremy Allaire, Circle Financial Founder and CEO; Alex Pentland, Founder and Director of the MIT Connection Science and Human Dynamics Labs; Rita McGrath, Columbia University Professor and leading strategist; Greg Medcraft, Director of Financial Enterprise Affairs with OECD; Yolanda Jinxin Ma, Head of Digital Policy and Global Partnerships with the United Nations Development Programme; and, Alexander Osterwalder, business model innovation thought leader.
by Editor BGF | May 10, 2024 | Executive Board
John Werner has created a career out of bringing ideas, networks and people together to generate powerful results. John is an MIT Senior Fellow, 5x-founder, columnist in AI for Forbes & Managing Director/VC investing in AI. Currently, John serves as Managing Director and Partner at Link Ventures. John is a leader on the MIT AI Venture Studio course fall and spring semester. Previously, John was a VP at Meta, a Y-Combinator augmented reality startup based in Silicon Valley. John also served as the Head of Innovation and New Ventures at the MIT Media Lab’s Camera Culture Group, and the Managing Director of Emerging Worlds SIG, where he led the launch of collaborative innovation centers in Mumbai, Nashik, and Hyderabad.
John channels his passion and curiosity into cultivating platforms for thought and exchange. He is the Founder & CEO of
ARIA, a community focused on the potential of augmented reality
Imagination in Action, which takes place at the World Economic Forum in Davos and at MIT with MIT Professor Sandy Pentland. John is also the cofounder of
TEDxMIT (which was recognized as best event at MIT 2022 & 2023 academic years and founded Ideas in Action Inc., a non-profit that creates and produces
TEDxBoston (formerly known as TEDxBeaconStreet, whose talks have accumulated 300+ million YouTube views.
John is also the co-Founder of
Citizen Schools, an advisor for Everquote, Liquid.AI,
Brelyon,
PhotoButler, Bloomertech, Ubicept, Everquote,
Vestigo Ventures and
Founders Forum (Boston), an
MIT Connection Science Senior Fellow, a
Loeb Senior Fellow at the Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design and a graduate of
Hamilton College. John was recognized by Harvard Business Review for his leadership; by BostonInno in 2014 as a top 50 on Fire in Boston; Boston Chamber with a TOYL (Ten Outstanding Young Leaders) Award in 2006. In his free time, John is a passionate
photographer and an accomplished triathlete (qualified for the worlds and 4x nationals). John and his family live in Brookline, MA.
by Editor BGF | Apr 4, 2022 | AIWS City and Rebuilding Ukraine
Boston Global Forum Plans To Host April 29 Conference
Chris Lisinski 4/4/22 9:30 AM, State House News Service
APRIL 4, 2022… Former Gov. Michael Dukakis and his leadership institute have already honored heads of state and international figures such as former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and former United Nations General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon.
And when it came time to select the latest dignitary to receive the “World Leader for Peace and Security” award, Dukakis felt there was no debate. All he had to do, after all, was turn on the news.
The Boston Global Forum and the Michael Dukakis Institute this month plan to present Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy with the annual award, honoring him for poise in the face of a Russian invasion that the former Massachusetts governor condemned as “madness.”
With the award, Dukakis said, the constellation of Boston-based experts in the institute hope to recognize “not only bravery, but the kind of leadership we need in this world of ours.”
“To introduce this (war) at this time, in a completely unprovoked way, is completely unacceptable,” Dukakis told the News Service in a phone interview. “The sheer bravery of this guy in doing what he’s been doing, not only risking his own life but the lives of others and mobilizing that community in the face of just brutal offensive attacks — it’s completely extraordinary.”
Zelenskyy, a former actor and comedian who handily won election as president of Ukraine in 2019, soared to new prominence on the global stage when Russia’s military invaded his country in late February.
His interviews have been broadcast worldwide, and Zelenskyy’s videotaped messages — sometimes filmed himself, usually depicting him remaining on the ground alongside his fellow Ukrainians — have been seen by millions.
“We’re appalled at what has happened,” Dukakis said. “We’re enormously impressed by the bravery of the Ukrainian people and not only the president, but thousands of them which seem to have stopped the Russians in their tracks.”
On Wednesday, Dukakis called on “students, scholars, and all alumni and alumnus of all universities throughout the world to support the students in Ukraine.” The Boston Global Forum launched a website to connect Ukrainian students with professors who could help advise and educate them.
Zelenskyy’s award will feature at an April 29 conference BGF and the Latvian Transatlantic Organization plan to host, titled “Laurel for Peace and Security in Ukraine,” to convene political leaders and academic experts from Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The former governor said he believes Massachusetts has demonstrated a “very broad base of support for Ukraine and its president and its people.” One of his own friends and neighbors, Dukakis said, is an immigrant from Ukraine who has proudly flown his home nation’s flag at his house.
Altogether, Dukakis said he hopes the visible and vocal backing for Zelenskyy and his nation will ramp up the pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to halt the war.
“Let’s hope that that’s getting through to Putin and company to end this madness,” Dukakis said.
A Brookline native who was Democratic Party’s nominee for president in 1988, Dukakis praised President Joe Biden’s response to the war, saying Biden has “exercised real leadership” and “pulled the world community together” in support of Ukraine.
Asked if he agreed with Biden’s argument that Putin “cannot remain in power,” Dukakis said he does but that “how it’s implemented is an interesting question.”
“Needless to say, at this point, what we ought to be doing is just try to rise together, get him and whoever it is who’s advising him to end this madness and to come up with a solution, which Ukraine has already laid out,” Dukakis said. “If Putin is serious about this whole thing, he should get deeply and actively involved in settling it in a way that makes sense but preserves Ukraine’s independence and its ability to chart its future.”
Dukakis said the Boston Global Forum would try to have Zelenskyy appear remotely at the group’s event to receive the award. At a minimum, Dukakis said, he hopes to welcome Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova in person.
“We sincerely thank the BGF Board for honoring President Zelensky and all Ukrainian people the 2022 World Leaders for Peace and Security Award,” Markarova said in a statement provided by the Boston Global Forum. “We take it as acknowledgement of outstanding bravery and exemplary leadership, demonstrated by our Head of State, his government and military personnel under the challenging and daring times of Russia’s unprovoked attack on our sovereign nation.”
by Editor BGF | Mar 30, 2022 | AIWS City and Rebuilding Ukraine
Boston, March 30, 2022
Today, Boston Global Forum and Michael Dukakis Institute honor President Zelensky and all Ukrainian people as the recipients of the World Leader for Peace and Security Award for 2022 for their courage and sacrifice for freedom and independence.
We are calling upon students, scholars, and all alumni and alumnus of all universities throughout the world to support the students in Ukraine. Like all Ukrainian citizens, students continue to be under attack from the Russian military. They need our concrete support to continue their education and live their lives in this new brutal reality. The Boston Global Forum (BGF) calls upon students across the world to connect with and help Ukrainian students. We call on scholars and professors of universities to advise and educate Ukrainian students in their efforts to rebuild Ukraine. The Boston Global Forum is creating a website to organize these connections: Ukraine.AIWS.city
The BGF is working with the Ukrainian Government, and organizations on the ground in Ukraine, to connect their students to this website. We invite students from all over to become friends of Ukraine, and to help them through our online resources. Students who contribute to these meaningful efforts will be recognized for their support.
Governor Michael Dukakis
Co-Founder and Chair
Boston Global Forum
Nguyen Anh Tuan
Co-founder and CEO
Boston Global Forum
by Editor BGF | Mar 10, 2022 | Papers & Reports, Publications
The Russian invasion of Ukraine throws into sharp focus many urgent global problems that have been neglected for decades, including cybersecurity, disinformation, trade disparities, and dependence on unreliable and environmentally damaging fossil fuels (“Hey Congress, blue and yellow ribbons won’t save Ukrainian lives,” Editorial, March 4). They are all related and all need immediate attention.
An overarching concern that touches on all of these challenges: artificial intelligence technology. This technology can make positive contributions to health care, commerce, and communications. However, in the wrong hands, AI can be used to distort reality, invade individuals’ personal space, and undermine democracy.
Through the Boston Global Forum and the Dukakis Institute, a global effort is underway to create an international accord on AI and digital rights. This accord would establish guardrails for the use and abuse of personal information to drive policy decisions that generate positive pressure and counteract efforts by malignant governments and private entities.
Dozens of heads of state and other world leaders are sharing ideas and recommending solutions to address growing concerns about AI. Without such protections, we are at the mercy of technologically savvy actors who can cause significant damage to our world.
Michael S. Dukakis
Cofounder and chairman
Nguyen Anh Tuan
Cofounder and CEO
Boston Global Forum
Boston
Dukakis is the former governor of Massachusetts. Tuan is director of the Michael Dukakis Institute for Leadership and Innovation.
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/03/10/opinion/ai-means-progress-can-do-harm-if-wrong-hands/
by Editor BGF | Feb 21, 2022 | AIWS City and Rebuilding Ukraine, Statements
Boston, 02/20/2022
We, the Boston Global Forum (BGF), an organization dedicated to promoting a more peaceful world through its World Leader for Peace and Security Award (its recipients have been Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chancellor Angela Merkel, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, President Toomas Hendrik Ilves, President Sauli Niinisto, President Vaira Vike-Freiberga, President Ursula von der Leyen, Riksdag Speaker Andreas Norlen), urgently call upon concerned parties to peacefully resolve the conflict between Russia and Ukraine in a way that upholds the rule of law and the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and legitimate security interests of both nations.
We urge Ukraine to pledge not to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and not accept offensive military weapons on its soil. We urge Russia to pledge respect for the independence of Ukraine on land, air, sea, and cyberspace and to refrain from acts that threaten the territorial integrity of Ukraine and its people’s right to self-determination. We urge other nations to respect these commitments and refrain from acts disruptive thereof.
We urge the world community to respond to the current crisis by developing binding new international rules and instruments to safeguard the rights, interests, and integrity of countries that are too weak on their own to withstand aggressive hostile actions by more powerful countries. We, the Boston Global Forum, commit to assisting in the development of the new international rules and instruments and to advocating for their adoption.
Michael Dukakis, Co-founder and Chair, Boston Global Forum
Tuan Anh Nguyen, Co-founder and CEO, Boston Global Forum
Thomas Patterson, Co-founder, Boston Global Forum
by Editor BGF | Dec 23, 2021 | Uncategorized
by Editor BGF | Dec 21, 2021 | Publications
Governor Dukakis,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
I want to start by thanking Governor Michael Dukakis and Boston Global Forum for selecting me for the World Leader for Peace and Security Award 2021. I am honoured and proud both for the award and for the opportunity to address you today. Your organisation plays an important role in working for a more peaceful and secure world, for instance by raising both the potentials and risks of artificial intelligence and other digital technologies. Your initiative on Global Law and Accord on AI and Digital is timely and important.
Tomorrow on December 13th we celebrate Lucia in Sweden. Lucia is an ancient mythical figure with a role as a bearer of light in the dark Swedish winters.
If there is one thing most people associate with Christmastime, it must be light. To me, light symbolises both hope and faith in the future; two things we truly need, both as individuals and as a society.
And I believe our need for light and hope is greater than it has been in a long time. The pandemic is not over, even if there might be light at the end of the tunnel, and we will forever carry with us the memories of all that we have lost and everyone we have lost.
***
Ladies and gentlemen,
I feel very humbled when I read the motivation of the award honouring me for my “efforts, in a turbulent political landscape, to enhance transparency, knowledge and public trust in the complicated processes of forming government in Sweden”. I would like to begin by elaborating a bit on this and its connection with global peace and security. I will then move on to talk about issues related to the theme of the symposium – “Global Law and Accord on AI and Digital”.
Firstly, let me say that I think it is of great significance that you have presented your distinguished award to a Speaker, a leader of a parliament. Often, in international politics, there is great focus on Governments and Presidents and you have previously honoured representatives of the executive branch in countries and organizations. It is of course very relevant to look for global leaders among heads of states and governments, but by highlighting also the importance of parliaments, I think you send an important signal. In that sense I proudly accept this award not only for myself but on behalf of all leaders of democratically elected parliaments.
Winston Churchill once said: “I am a child of the House of Commons”. I think that is a beautiful way of underscoring the importance of parliaments also for a famous head of government. Parliaments are at the heart of democracy. The Swedish constitution states that the Parliament is the foremost representative of the people in our democracy. Of course, in democratic countries also Governments and Presidents have democratic legitimacy, but there is a special bond between the Parliament and the people, forged not least through direct elections.
Secondly, I believe that democracy is a prerequisite for lasting global peace and security. Many of the tensions and conflicts we can see in the world today within countries and between countries originate from a lack of democracy – a lack of respect for freedom of speech, for minority rights, for rule of law and for other fundamental parts of a democratic society.
From that perspective I think that by giving the leader of a parliament your award, you recognize the importance parliaments have for democracy and the importance democracy has for global peace and security. For this, I truly commend you.
Moving on to the specific events you allude to in the motivation, we have in Sweden experienced an electoral period like no other. When a prime minister resigns and a new government is formed, it is in Sweden the task of the Speaker – not, as in most other countries, the Head of State – to prepare a proposal for a new prime minister who can gain sufficient support in the parliament. We have now had three such governmental formations since the last election in 2018.
This period started with a record-long process of formation of government in 2018-2019, a process that took a total of 134 days. This was followed by a government crisis in June to July this year, and then in November, I received the application from Prime Minister Stefan Löfven of the Social Democratic Party, to be discharged from office.
Thus, in November we had the third formation of government of this electoral period, and on 30 November, a new Government took office with Ms Magdalena Andersson from the same party as Prime Minister.
During these many twists and turns, I have worked hard to explain the processes to the Swedish people and demonstrate that the many formations of government have not meant a crisis for democracy.
Swedish democracy stands strong. All the actors taking part in these processes have used the various tools available to them in the parliamentary toolbox. Certain events may have been rather turbulent, but they are all a result of the rules of democracy. As a Speaker, I may not act in a partisan way and I have tried my very best to be a neutral broker and a representative of the Parliament as an institution, not of any particular party. In order to maintain public trust in the political processes I think it is important that there are representatives who are not embroiled in fights but who try to calm the situation. I am humbled and grateful that you, Governor Dukakis, and the BGF, have chosen to give me your award because of these efforts.
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Ladies and gentlemen,
I think it is important to take note of the fact that since around 1980, we witnessed a positive trend with more and more states moving from authoritarian to democratic rule. However, since a few years back, that positive trend has been reversed, and a larger proportion of citizens on this planet are now living in authoritarian countries. It is clear that the pandemic has accentuated this negative trend.
It is alarming how leaders in different parts of the world are using the COVID-19 crisis for authoritarian purposes such as silencing independent media and obstructing the ability of civil society to make its voice heard.
Current developments with regard to the rule of law also require attention. Basically, the rule of law is a system that restricts arbitrary exercise of power, a system where laws are applied equally for all – I believe that a strong sense of this crucial principle is a prerequisite in sustaining basic rights and freedoms. I believe there is reason for concern in this regard.
Sweden supports efforts to defend and promote this principle and to improve the tools needed by the institutions and member states of the European Union to strengthen the rule of law, within the Union and globally.
For the rule of law to be a ruling principle, it also needs to be enforced by the legal system. Protecting the security and integrity of judges, prosecutors and civil servants must therefore be a key issue in any discussions on how to promote democracy.
Sweden is very active on the global stage to promote peace, security and democracy, and this is supported by both the Government and the Parliament.
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Ladies and gentlemen,
The Boston Global Forum has worked a lot with important issues regarding AI and other matters relating to digitalisation. Let me now give som perspectives on those issues.
The pandemic has served as a catalyst for an accelerating digitalisation. Digitalisation and artificial intelligence raises questions that need to be addressed. When and how to share data and information is for instance a central question for all companies and government agencies working with data driven methods. It is now more important than ever that we all work for technology that is trustworthy, secure and human-centric.
I would like to mention a couple of examples of issues that are topical in Sweden and that concern rule of law and inclusivity, in a time when more and more of the activities of our public agencies are being digitalised.
The Swedish National Audit Office has examined whether automated decision-making by government agencies is effective and efficient, without jeopardising legal certainty in decision-making.
The overall conclusion is that automated decision-making by government agencies has led to increased effectiveness and efficiency and that fundamental legal certainty aspects have improved to some extent. However, there are shortcomings in the agencies’ processing of cases with a high risk of fraud and error. In addition, there is far too limited follow-up of the correctness of automated decisions. There is therefore a risk that resources for manual control and follow-up have too frequently been accorded too low a priority.
Another audit shows that the accessibility of government agencies has deteriorated in non-digital channels. Digitalisation of government agencies’ activities contributes to more efficient and improved service for citizens. But for many people, being able to access services by phone or by visiting in person is still important.
The audit shows that many public agencies have become less accessible in non-digital channels in the past ten years.
Agencies’ customer contacts in digital channels have increased significantly, but despite this, the number of phone calls has not decreased. Simpler cases are now often managed online, at the same time as more phone calls come from people needing guidance on how to use such online services.
The conclusion is that digitalisation of the public agencies’ services represents good management of central government resources. Nevertheless, the opportunity to contact agencies by phone and at a physical office is still important.
These are examples of questions that need to be taken into account in the continued digitalisation process.
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Ladies and gentlemen,
Martin Luther King said “Only in the darkness can you see the stars”.
Right now, our need for hope and light is perhaps greater than usual, as well with regard to the pandemic as with regard to democracy. But we can all take comfort in the fact that the light will return to our societies. In the long run, light is always more powerful than darkness.
Democracy is facing challenges, but we all have to do our utmost to defend it. I am hopeful that we will succeed. Let us, together continue to develop our countries and the global society along a path built on the cornerstones of democracy.
Because in unsettled times, democracy is the beacon of light that can guide us through the darkness.
Thank you.
by Editor BGF | Dec 16, 2021 | Uncategorized
Boston, December 12, 2021
Welcome.
I’m Tom Patterson, co-founder of the Boston Global Forum.
It was on this day nine years ago that Mike Dukakis, John Quelch, Nguyen Anh Tuan, and I founded the Boston Global Forum. Every year since then, we’ve marked December 12th with a conference and a new initiative.
The 2015 conference, for example, marked the announcement and creation of Global Cybersecurity Day, a conference at which we recognized and honored Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and in the 2016 conference we recognized and honored UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.
And December 12th is when we present our annual World Leader for Peace and Security Award. This year’s recipient is Andreas Norlen, Speaker of Sweden’s Riksdag – that nation’s national Parliament. Speaker Norlen is with us today.
Before introducing Boston Global Forum’s chairman, Mike Dukakis, I want to say a few words about some things that the Boston Global Forum has done during the past year.
We’ve been working closely with the Club de Madrid, which is the organization whose members are former presidents and prime ministers of democratic nations. Across several conferences, we’ve been looking at the challenges and opportunities presented by the digital revolution, and particularly by Artificial Intelligence.
Together, we’ve promoted the need for a new social contract, one that can advance AI’s potential for good while mitigating the threats that it poses. A social contract that would, for example, protect the right of individuals to their privacy and from exploitation by those who would use their personal data to manipulate their consumer or political choices. A social contract that would also prohibit governments from using AI as a tool for repressing dissent. The social contract would extend beyond what’s prohibited to what must be done to empower ordinary citizens, such as guarantees of digital literacy and access.
The agenda for today’s discussion is an extension of that work – the need for an International Accord on the use of AI and Digital.
The past year has also been marked by publication of the book, “Remaking the World: Toward an Age of Global Enlightenment.”
Edited by the Boston Global Forum’s CEO, Nguyen Anh Tuan, and including chapters by more than two dozen prominent leaders and thinkers, it was developed in collaboration with Ramu Damodaran, founding director of the United Nations Academic Impact Program.
The book is a visionary look forward to the year 2045, the centennial of the United Nations, and asks what must be done between now and then to fulfill the UN’s founding vision.
In a conference this past Thursday, the leaders of Vietnam’s Khánh Hòa Province pledged to implement many of the programs contained in the book, in order to create a model that can be emulated by governments elsewhere.
Finally, I’d like to give a special word of thanks to Tuan, who as those associated with this organization know, is its driving force.
Tuan is our organizer, our networker, and our leading thinker. Many of the initiatives that have marked the Boston Global Forum’s work these past nine years have come from the mind and dedication of Tuan. And most of you who are with us today were brought into the Boston Global Forum by Tuan’s efforts.
On behalf of everyone here, Tuan, I want to thank you for all that you do for the Boston Global Forum.
Let me now hand the floor over to Michael Dukakis, Boston Global Forum’s chairman. Mike has been part of the Boston Global Forum since its founding and has guided not only our December 12th conferences but the others that we hold each year.
Mike was three times elected as governor of Massachusetts, was the 1988 Democratic Party presidential nominee, and is currently Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Northeastern University.
Mike, the floor is yours.
