Beatrice Vanni is an independent consultant and professional editor and writer who specializes in project development to help public and private sector businesses and consultants attract more clients. She combines her editing, writing and program development expertise to help lead companies to long-term goal achievement by originating plans for enterprise initiatives and its timely implementation. She also works on grant development for companies who are interested in Corporate Social Responsibility.
For the past fifteen years, Bea has worked in both industry and education as a project developer and manager, and in the law enforcement and corrections profession during the previous 20 years. Bea’s responsibilities spanned a broad variety of project development with writing and editing management.
In the recent past, Bea has edited books on business, health and leadership, developed grant projects for Mediation Services and Turkish Pharmaceutical Standards, and created an interview package for a biography. She has also edited many academic research papers and articles for publication and designed materials for companies looking to expand their name in the business community.
Since 1982, Bea Vanni has shared her experience with others via public speaking in both business and humanities areas. While her focus is publishing for business purposes, her off-the-beaten-track life gave her the gift of reinventing herself for success. She speaks on leadership; mid-career moves for solo professionals; how to publish without a publisher, and selling your ideas to others. She also speaks on family violence and related topics.
Most recently, she's presented seminars on business blogging and writing CVs for new university graduates and mid-career professionals. She has shared her first career expertise in training local Turkish police and prosecutors about “Influencing the Outcome of Confrontations” and “Family Violence, First Response and the Role of Police and Prosecutor”. Additionally, she originated a training course on “Administrative Excellence for Staff Development”; presented a Leadership Development Certificate Course for 600 students with 3 academics, and presented a paper on Pilot Project Proposals at an international conference in Istanbul. She'll present at a Global Poverty conference in October 2007.
Prior to working independently, Beatrice Vanni enjoyed a 20-year Law Enforcement and Security career beginning in Sacramento, California, and culminating as an Air Force military officer. One of her most noted accomplishments was as a Systems Security Requirements Officer on the Consolidated Space Operations Center (CSOC) in Colorado Springs, Colorado, which encompassed full integration of all types of security from ground up. Later on, she assumed primary responsibility for all security activities on the CSOC Program. Since that time, she has worked many years with industry and universities as a project developer and manager.
Bea received her M.A. in Business Management from National University in Los Angeles; a Post-Graduate Certificate in Police Administration, Eastern Kentucky University; a B.A. in Corrections from California State University, Sacramento, and a Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL).
Since 1998, Bea has resided in Istanbul, Turkey, where she loves Turkish life, the people and the culture.
You may contact Bea at bvanni@remarkablesolutions.com or visit her blog, Turkey & My Foreign Perspectives at www.remarkablesolutionsblog.com.
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01/27/2009 - 2:22 p.m. CST -- by Beatrice Vanni 
Enter your body text here. Recently, there’s been a call to arms over censorship. Since the Turkish government casts a wide shadow for jailing the infidels of authorship, I thought I’d resurrect my impertint ramblings about commenters who both misinterpret the penned word and misunderstand the intent behind it. Writing about Turkey isn't always a fun time. Not only must I keep up with lots of reading and different aspects of many topics, but people send me questions by email and also leave blog comments which aren't always pleasant. So, let's keep an open mind and re-read what we have read, lest we make hasty judgements or inaccurate interpretations. It seems many people cannot open their minds wide enough these days to search for truth when confronted with diverging opinions or understanding the many issues which plague us. As a Turkophile of many years and an American, I can think of piles of controversy every day of the week with varying awareness of those subjects; yet, I also know that with time and technology, more information avails our intelligent senses. I think about this because I once posted an article on Arabisto about the presidential elections and how the media focuses on trivial matters at times instead of offering solutions. Within minutes two people had called me a Turkish-paid propagandist and a whore of the Turkish state. Whew! Mighty strong language, I thought, as I reread my post trying to figure out to whom I could have given such offense. Everyone has an opinion, but for an educated and open society, no matter our residence, we should read and educate ourselves on many issues which the world faces. Turkey, for one, is a quickly changing society and offers good family and societal values if one wishes to see them, not to mention embraces foreigners of every sort with open arms. Further, Turkey isn't who she was just a few years ago: She has grown, developed, and matured. Turkey is well... [Read More] |
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08/09/2008 - 8:01 a.m. CST -- by Beatrice Vanni
Anyone who knows even a little history about Georgia knows that they have always been the defenders not aggressors. They defend their sovereignty, not attack other territory or countries. A very small country, they have always fought hard to stay out of the hands of Russians; now is no different.
It was Russia who so long ago took Georgian people out of their land in the middle of the night to commit genocide on these people, as well as transport masses to lands which they did not belong, trying to turn them into Russians.
Russians took people from their own countries in this vast area to include Georgia and transported them to Russian territories, gave them Russian identities and forced them to become and finally believe they were Russians. Of course, there are Russians in South Ossetia; Russians too were transplanted from their non-native land during the glory days of the USSR.
Now, Russia just wants Georgia to be theirs once again and do not want any of the former Soviet countries to live independently. The closer Georgia, and also Ukraine, get to Europe or joining NATO, the more aggressive Russia has become in the past few years.
Russia could not hit Georgia in any way but militarily now because they ran out of all other options. Russia cut off oil to Georgia, so they'd have no heat in winter. That didn't work; Georgians survived a brutal winter. They cut off Georgian exports to Russia, so they'd have no income from the massive former USSR; that didn't work. Georgia prospered. They even planted moles throughout the country to undermine the democratic government and try to corrupt the brave spirits of Georgians. I ask who are the aggressors here?
Does Russia want to completely lose a country with people who have such a strong spirit and have fought to rema... [Read More]
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07/12/2008 - 6:03 a.m. CST -- by Beatrice Vanni
The final part of "Who Speaks for Islam" ends this brief series and what I had hoped would become a dialogue of thought and opinions expressed on the topic. You can watch the replay of the talk I attended on IPTV on July 17th.
What do the masses of Muslims think about the West? How can each of us turnaround our own thinking to create a passageway for global understanding and peace? Peter Gottschalk and Gabriel Greenberg in their book "Islamophobia: Making Muslims the Enemy," say that Islamophobia reflects the largely unexamined and deeply ingrained anxiety many Americans experience when considering Islam and Muslim cultures. If unexamined, or even unknown as I previously mentioned, then, we must take action to stem the tide of more Islamophobia and Muslim-bashing. According to the book, "Who Speaks for Islam: What a Billion Muslims Really Think," Muslims believe the West can improve relations in these ways: 1. Demonstrate more respect and show more understanding of Islam as a religion. 2. Don't denigrate what Islam stands for to Muslims. 3. Support economic development in their countries. Interestingly, radicals want less discrimination against Muslims and for the West to quit interfering ... [Read More] |
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07/10/2008 - 3:17 p.m. CST -- by Beatrice Vanni
"We speak different languages; We come from different cultures;
We keep different traditions. No matter who you are or where you are, You are not responsible for the past, But you are responsible for the future." I don't know who wrote the preceding words, but I found them apropos while writing more on Who Speaks for Islam. I felt this way living in Istanbul for 10 years. Today, people communicate different perspectives on the same subject. In The Trouble with Islam Today, Irshad Manji notes that Muslim families bring up their children to believe Islam is the most beautiful way of life—morally, socially and spiritually. Meanwhile, Joel Brinkley writes about how Saudi religious authorities directed the execution of two Saudi journalists for suggesting religions other than Islam are worthy of respect. Why? The Koran demands respect of all religions and prophets. Chairman Mohamed Sini of the Trust for Islam and Citizenship says he respects freedom of speech, all the while slamming Ayaan Hirsi Ali for speaking in defense of Muslim women's rights and considers her motives to address such issues as 'pure provocation'. While Muslim women desire equal treatment, they're not interested in complete adoption of Western values or morals. In "Who Speaks for Islam: What a Billion Muslims Really Think" majorities in most countries surveyed believe men and women should ha... [Read More] |
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07/08/2008 - 10:25 a.m. CST -- by Beatrice Vanni
For generations the Muslim world has been a part of the American landscape, and living in Turkey for ten years helped me remember pieces of what we share about our religious values.
Semih Akcomak reminds us again that the differences between Turks and Europeans pale when compared to the similarities. Unfortunately, in Who Speaks for Islam, it revealed that there's a negative perception '...the war against global terrorism is really war against Islam.' Americans seem to have forgotten that America was built on the backs of immigrants from diverse cultures and countries to include Muslim-Americans from America, Turkey, Europe, Africa, Asia or wherever. There's no need for Islamophobia here, but a greater need for understanding and learning. Roger Cohen recently wrote that there's a war going on for Turkey's soul, but I disagree. Turkey is going through a time, like many nations, to figure out who they are and how they wish to evolve. He also talks about how countries change. Islam and democracy have been working in Turkey in many aspects since the 1920s; although, freedom of speech and ability to surf the internet at times has been impeded. They'll continue to seek out their way to integrate religion into daily life. How will they do this? A look at some responses given by Turks in Turkey will help them pave a strong way for religion and democracy to stand in unison. While a majority of Turks embrace the Sunni sect of Islam along with 85 percent of Muslims as a whole, there are fe... [Read More] |
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07/05/2008 - 6:58 a.m. CST -- by Beatrice Vanni
Engaging people in meaningful ways has been proven to help overcome our fear and prejudices and learn about the sources of agitation, misunderstandings, and misinformation.
Dr. George Gallup from Jefferson, Iowa, and founder of the Gallup Poll, believed in the wisdom of the people. Not just American people, but people from Turkey to South Africa, China to Argentina and places in between. Thus began the search for answers to thousands of questions by real people sitting in their own homes and nations.
When Egyptian journalist Sameh Fawzy recognized more similarities than differences of religions at weddings, he found that we are, in fact, more similar as a world people. We can bridge the divides by addressing these similarities, and Fawzy gives compelling reasons why.
At the words '9/11', considered the terror event of all time on the American people, we experienced a new day in media. With it came the popular term global terror and the time when Osama Bin Laden claimed his religious rhetoric.
... [Read More]
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07/03/2008 - 9:34 a.m. CST -- by Beatrice Vanni
As I sat in a room filled to capacity waiting with others to learn more about 'Who Speaks for Islam', I observed one thing: People 40 years of age and below are just not interested, at least not here in Des Moines. The area was humming with interest by baby boomers. Boomers who've already visited or lived in other parts of the world and pursue a curiosity for life.
The room demographics revealed baby boomers have a keen interest in this issue while the younger people didn't even show up. How can such issues not attract the young? It's their world, too, that's changing; all the while Turkey and many countries are now becoming a bread basket of multiculturalism.
I expect the boomers, not only built careers with their open minds and forging the non-profit sectors in America, but now they also show up in force to solve the problems, understand the issues, and learn where to go from here. 'Who Speaks for Islam' is one such issue of our times.
Where are the children of all these baby boomers? I know where! Stuck in their self-centered, individualistic worlds of the past two decades in which the boomers probably so eloquently created.
Can we solve how to bridge the great religious divide without the involvement of our youth? Not a chance. We need to invigorate our communities now with a blend of ages, educational levels and mind-thought. Here in the Midwest of America, we have organizations that sponsor these great events to encourage mind-expansion and critical thought about our world. The Iowa Council for International Understanding and the US Center for C... [Read More]
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07/01/2008 - 5:08 a.m. CST -- by Beatrice Vanni
Do you know how Muslims in Turkey feel about their religion, Islam, and the relationship to how the rest of the world thinks? One of the hottest serious issues today around the world debates the question 'Who Speaks for Islam?'
Recently, I attended just an event sponsored by the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy, headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa. It works toward increasing citizen involvement and inspire global partnerships.
As part of this program, over 200 people gathered to hear Dalia Mogahed talk about how Muslims feel worldwide. Dalia Mogahed, the executive director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies in Washington, leads an unprecedented study on this issue and also directs the Muslim West Facts Initiative.
If you don't already know..."Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think," is a premier book written by Dalia Mogahed and John L. Esposito, based on the findings of the Gallup Poll in a multi-year and ongoing study to find out what Muslims think in over 130 countries.
Over the next couple of weeks, my commentary will show not only how Turkey and America share many values not yet recognized, but how similar the world masses think in general about the key issues revolving around Islam today.
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