Keynote Speeches, Seminars, and Workshops in Leadership and Conflict Resolution
Based on the values, conflict-resolution, and problem-solving abilities of world heroes of peace.  

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Some Keynote Speech and Workshop Topics

If you do not change your direction, you'll end up where you're headed!
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I       Leadership Based on World Heroes of Peace II      Hero's Problem-Solving Matrix - Leadership through Peaceful Crisis Management III     Diversity: Our Greatest Problem; Our Greatest Asset IV     Overcoming Our Instincts and Related Aggressive Behavior V      Street Children of the World - It's Time to Realize What's Happening! VI     Clean Water for the World - 25% of the Earth's Population Goes Without! VII    The Inspiring SSSSH Phenomena: Anonymous Giving to Strangers VIII  Grass-Root Entrepreneurs IX     The Tuskegee Airmen - One of the Most Remarkable Groups in American History X       Secret Black Military Units of WWII XI     Modern Human Trafficking - the second largest organized crime in the world!                                                                              Keynote speeches and workshop pricing

Roger F. Cram

I. Leadership Based on World Heroes of Peace
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     When the safety of millions of people was entangled in the traditions of oppression, what values did Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, and Mahatma Gandhi employ to come closer to freedom and equality without offending their adversaries? How did Booker T. Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Eleanor Roosevelt, when operating under great stress, remain calm and guide their decisions based on peace? When confronting extreme tyrannical rule, what persuasive means did Genetta Sagan and Shirin Edadi use to calm dictators into reason? What techniques of persistence did the Tuskegee Airmen and William Wilberforce utilize to manifest revolutionary awareness for the dignity of man?
     Magnificent people performing magnificently, at their finest hour – can their values and conflict-resolution processes be taught? Yes, they can. Will these techniques work successfully addressing today’s problems with our businesses, our politics, our families, and our personal relationships? Yes, they will.

1. Realize the only battles you will ever fight are the ones within yourself.
2. Recognize and control instinctual knee-jerk reactions that are counter-productive to effective relationships.
3. Become a master of conflict resolution and learn to end disagreements with mutual feelings of good will.
4. Live your life confidently guided by an internal value system modeled from our world’s heroes of peace.

II. Hero's Problem-Solving Matrix - Leadership through Peaceful Crisis Management
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     My research revealed how world heroes solved their problems peacefully while always advancing toward their goals. This remarkable process is taught in my field-tested, problem-solving matrix. The matrix is designed for solving sensitive or difficult issues involving people. It serves the interests, goals, feelings, and dignity of all people involved - especially your adversaries.

     Summary of advantages with the World Heroes of Peace GAP (Goal Assurance Protection) Problem-Solving Model

The matrix works for business, political, military, diplomatic, family, and personal problems.
The matrix resolves issues peacefully while maintaining your adversary’s dignity.
The matrix works for problems from a minor annoyance through a major crisis.
The matrix can be used in individual or in team and group environments.
The matrix puts the problem into its proper perspective with a higher goal.
The matrix solution must always create an advancement toward the goal.
The matrix helps determine if the problem is stated correctly.
The matrix helps insure that the solution is realistic.
The matrix guards the solution from creating new problems that must be dealt with later (burning bridges or alienating others).

III. Diversity: Our Greatest Problem; Our Greatest Asset
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     Long before man walked upright, diversity was used as a means to separate and discriminate against others in a power struggle for political and social dominance.  Discrimination occurs when a more powerful group restricts the availability of resources (money, jobs, education, housing, political power, social status, medical benefits) to a less powerful group for the reason of maintaining dominance.  Almost every race, culture, political entity, and social group throughout the history of man, has used diversity to encourage discrimination. It is an instinct engrained in Homo sapiens as a means of survival in more primitive times.  Diversity, however, is one of man's greatest assets and can be used to promote understanding, peace, education, problem-solving, and conflict resolution. Diversity used with wisdom will truly enrich the human experience.
     Why has such a beneficial characteristic been used as a weapon instead of a tool for the benefit of others?  What can we do to help change this paradox?

IV.  Overcoming Our Instincts and Related Aggressive Behavior
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      The only difference between the DNA of a human and an ape is 1.5%. Our behavior is mostly governed by the instincts of aggression, dominance, competition, jealousy, acceptance, self-esteem, and searching for a mate.  These instincts worked very well in the hunting-and-gathering clans 120,000 years ago. They are creating havoc in our modern cultures. Domestic violence, teenage gangs, corporate takeovers, violent crimes, war, and discrimination are examples of the dominance and aggression that have plagued our society since homo sapiens migrated out of Africa.
     The need to join groups is a strong instinct. Our political and religious groups have resulted in thousands of wars and conflicts throughout history. However, these groups are necessary for sharing our ideas and assets.
     How have heroes of peace overcome these instincts while maintaining their peaceful interactions with others? How do our instincts cause severe problems in our personal affiliations, our work place environments, our political affiliations, and our personal relationships?
     The instincts of dominance, aggression, and self-esteem have resulted in a multitude of social problems. The history of the United States reveals this as Anglo-Saxons tried to interact with the Native Americans, blacks, Irish, Italians, Jews, Chinese, Latinos, Puerto Ricans, and many other groups. This is true throughout the world as the Catholics and Protestants in Ireland, the Israelites Palestinians in the Middle East, the Hutus and Tutsis in Rwanda, and hundreds of other conflicting groups try to peacefully interact.
     Taking a closer look at ourselves is often uncomfortable. If you are inspired to become a true leader, an effective supervisor, a nurturing parent, a group mentor, or a loving and considerate mate, understanding this subject matter will benefit your endeavor in many ways.

V. Street Children of the World - It's Time to Realize What's Happening!
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     According to the United Nations, there are 150 million street children throughout the world. They range in age from three to sixteen. Some are abandoned orphans, many are refugees from wars or genocides, others are exploited for free labor or sex, and some are referred to as children-of-the-dump because they try to survive from city garbage dumps around the world. Let's not forget the thousands of exploited child soldiers or the children who have become runaways or throwaways from abused homes. This is a global problem. Here are some of the countries adding to the horror: Asia – 25 million, Africa – 15 million, Netherlands – 7,000, France – 10,000, Turkey – 7,000, Moscow City – 5,000 per year, Mexico – 2 million, India – 15 Million, and the United States, with all its opportunities, has 1.3 million street children. Over 4,000 new street children are added to these ranks each year in the city of San Francisco alone.
     It is time to understand where these children originate, how they are being exploited, and what we can do to make a major and positive difference in a world gone mad.

VI. Clean Water for the World - 25% of the Earth's Population Goes Without!
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     According to the World Health Organization, 25% of the people of the world, that's 1.6 billion people, have no clean water and are forced to drink polluted water every day. 30,000 children under 5 years of age died from the lack of water or from diseases caused by drinking polluted water - YESTERDAY! Many children cannot go to school because each day is spent searching for water. In the evening, if a child returns home without water, they are often beaten, even though the water they do find is often so polluted it pours like syrup. This is beyond most of our comprehension.
     Without clean water, people cannot concentrate on housing, education, health, employment, or even gathering food. Clean water is necessary for life, and precedes all other forms of humanitarian needs.
     A study was made of forty-nine water wells placed in villages throughout Nigeria. Two years after their installation, thirty-two of them were not working. Many required repairs as minor as replacing a cotter pin. How can water projects be started and guarantee they will remain viable for the years to come?
     If it took you one minute to read this speech topic VI., eight children died from the effects of polluted water while you were reading. Why is this problem so prolific?  What can be done about it? What is being done about it?
    
VII. The Inspiring SSSSH Phenomena: Anonymous Giving to Strangers
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     SSSSH activities have been used by corporations, higher educational institutions, local schools, families, and civic groups to promote diversity, leadership, and camaraderie. The basis of SSSSH is giving anonymously to total strangers. Giving to others just for the sake of creating more goodness in the world, without feeding our egos,  is what SSSSH is all about. SSSSH members call this ego-free compassion.
     SSSSH is designed to promote a healthy, peaceful society that will welcome and celebrate diversity and embrace all humanity. Through acts of kindness, it instills in ourselves and others compassion, creativity, imagination, and sacrifice - the true values of being human.
     SSSSH is one of the most unique organizations in the world – for we are intangible, yet everywhere, structured by pure spirit and governed only by benevolent goodness. SSSSH exists solely in the compassionate spirits of our anonymous members, for we have no address, headquarters, telephone, bank account, employees, or membership cards. We have an estimated 40,000 members, but we do not know their names or addresses. We thrive on adventure and carry serendipity around on our shoulder.
     We are all surrounded by a selfish materialistic world. SSSSH can reward us with the benefits of giving anonymously emphasizing that performing good deeds without rewards can be a special experience. This is an especially wonderful and enlightening experience for our children. See our School Programs and our Children's Page.

VIII. Grass-Root Entrepreneurs
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     Living among the world’s poorest are some very intelligent people fully capable of becoming successful entrepreneurs from deep within their poverty-stricken community. These remarkable people can significantly attack world poverty from the inside. How? Where can they be found? What are some of the political and cultural problems one might encounter trying to help the impoverished in third-world countries? How can one ensure that their donations are received by the intended parties? In what kind of business might an impoverished person engage? Are micro banks available to help?
     One girl, living in a home without running water or electricity, received outstanding grades in science and mathematics throughout high school. She simply walked six miles to school everyday and studied until the sun set. Another man is supporting ten families. He picks up garbage, beer and soda cans, and cuts them and fashions them into beautiful metal flowers and other works of art!  A lady named Glenys teaches nine year old prostitutes the art of sewing, craft, and jewelry making allowing many of these street children to support themselves in a more favorable manner.
     This presentation is derived from several missionary trips to South Africa and Nicaragua over a six-year period. You will not believe the power of one!

IX. The Tuskegee Airmen -
One of the Most Remarkable Groups of Individuals in American History
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     This is a study in leadership presented through the Tuskegee Airmen's continued examples of passive excellence. They addressed obstacles as welcomed as opportunities for growth instead of impediments to their goals. The Tuskegee Airmen and Women were the first black military pilots and support crews in the United States. Starting in 1941, they were an experiment designed for failure to show everyone that blacks did not possess the intelligence, courage, or ability to fly or manage aircraft. However, despite cruel discrimination, inferior equipment, unreasonable standards, restricted rights, limited privileges, insufficient opportunities, and little support, the Tuskegee Airmen succeeded beyond all reason with unprecedented achievements still unmatched today! They fought and died for a country that often gave them fewer rights than were granted captured German soldiers confined in our prisoner-of-war camps. How did they accomplish this? Can we learn from their techniques and apply them to our problems of today?
     The Tuskegee Airmen knew responding with insults to those demeaning them would only make them demeaning as well, and creating less than excellent work for those believing them incompetent would only prove their critics correct. To those who treated them without dignity, they were not indignant, and to those showing them disrespect, they were not disrespectful. The Tuskegee Airmen decided how they behaved; they did not base their behavior on how others behaved toward them.
     The Tuskegee Airmen’s true legacy is their values, their peaceful conflict resolution techniques, and their problem-solving abilities. They always maintained the dignity of their adversaries, and they knew this was the only road to lasting  peace.

X. Secret Black Military Units of WWII
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Did you know:

* Oregon was attacked by the Japanese in WWII by a submarine? The Japanese launched in the jet stream over 9,000 fire-bomb balloons that set forest fires in Washington, Colorado, California, Oregon, and Montana? An all-black secret air borne division, the 555th triple nickels, spent the war putting out these forest fires pioneering all the modern smoke-jumping techniques used today?
* The USS Mason, an black-crewed destroyer escort, saved an entire convoy single handedly in the North Atlantic before it was scrapped?
* The Red Ball Express, created by General Patton as a primary logistics convoy of nearly all black military, only existed for three weeks, but shortened WWII by over one year?
* The 761st all-black Tank Battalion spent six months on Patton’s front lines. Other troops were rotated every ten days. You will not believe these and more stories about our black military heroes that were kept a secret for over 60 years.
* When Teddy Roosevelt charged up San Juan Hill in Cuba he was accompanied by two military units: (1) The all white New York Rangers and (2) the all black Buffalo Soldiers. After the New York Rangers dropped the flag and retreated because of heavy Spanish resistance, the Buffalo Soldiers picked up the flag and led a successful charge to the top of San Juan Hill and to victory.
* The famed Tuskegee Airmen, after returning from the war as unprecedented heroes, had their records classified and kept a secret for 25 years after WWII?

      Why were these and other extremely successful black military units kept a secret? Why were these units formed if their original intent was never to go into battle? How could such units be so successful while working under extreme prejudice and discrimination? This is a wonderful, sad, fascinating, and inspiring story that will force us to look very closely at ourselves and our history.

XI. Modern Human Trafficking - the second largest organized crime in the world!
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     Is there really any slavery left in today’s modern World?  Didn’t the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation end slavery in the U.S.? Second only to drugs, human trafficking is the second largest and fastest growing organized crime activity in the world resulting in a multi-billion dollar industry. Forced factory and agricultural labor, the sex trade, debt bondage, domestic help, children soldiers, and the selling of human organs comprise the many facets of this contemptible trade.
     How can there be 27 million slaves in the world when slavery is illegal in every country?  Why do freed slaves often voluntarily return to work for their former owners? Why does the global economy help determine the amount of slaves in the world? What does a seven-year-old child slave have to do with your name-brand soccer balls and sports equipment? Does a six-year-old child slave, digging tunnels by hand in the Congo River basin, have anything to do with your cell phones and laptops? How did the Rwanda rebel army acquire $75 million to fund its anarchistic activities? Do child slaves have anything to do with the jumbo shrimp we enjoy?
     There are over 100,000 slaves in the United States secretly held captive and forced into manual labor and the sex trade. This program will explore the world slavery problem with emphasis on women and children and what each audience member can do to fight this horrible delema. The political and economic reasons slavery is so prolific, and the political undertakings currently trying to combat this scourge will also be investigated.

Fees for keynote speeches and workshops

1. One-hour keynote speech - $1,000
2. Three hour workshop - $2,500
3. Five to six-hour seminar - $4,500
4. Two-day conference or symposium - $8,000

NOTE:
(You may have an audience of 10 people or 1,000, the number of attendees at your function does not increase the fee other than the cost of handout materials. Prices do not include travel expenses.)

Contact Roger F. Cram

Important Related Links to Our Activities

The Hiram College Home Page

Children of the Dump - Nicaragua

The Tuskegee Airmen Home Page - North Coast Chapter

Email Roger Cram for more information.