Mike Edwards has written a thoughtful and provocative challenge to philanthrocapitalists and philanthropods to join a discussion of the future of civil society and the possible roles for the two groups to play in building a more equitable society. I wait with measured optimism for the response to his challenge. My instinctive reaction is to be less than optimistic about the outcome given the history of the recent debates about what should be done and by whom to realize more perfectly an equal and just society not only at home but also abroad.

His charge to his audience raises most of the fundamental questions that need to be addressed head on. He certainly deserves high praise for his courageous effort to describe not only the existing situation but also what will be required if we are to begin to resolve the impending implosion of our dreams about a civic society for all.

Edwards states categorically that "power, politics and social relations (are) the things that really drive social transformation". He is spot on but I wish I thought his call to a truly candid and productive discussion will come to pass by virtue of his passionate call to action and his compelling list of items to grasp the attention of the people who could make a difference in achieving his goals for a civil society.

It will take more than this appeal to action to get the p_layer_s to the table. Senator Grassly must still be shaking his gray head at the failure of the philanthropic sector, the foundations in particular, to act voluntarily before they are threatened with political requirements to address the most important issue before them and their "clients", read donees, (would that they were treated as 'clients").

Where are the real leaders on either side of this much needed discussion who can bring to the table the most powerful and influential of their colleagues? Where is the organization or alliance of organizations with the courage and power to bring their fellows to this dialogue before the growing forces for dissolution of a civil society make the exercise irrelevant. Wishing that these leaders will show up is just that, wishful thinking. Who is going to bell the cat? Does Edwards have a plan of action to make something substantive happen?

Today we are reaping the harvest of educating more and more social scientists and MBA types at just the moment when we need women and men from both sides of this putative debate schooled in the humanities. Surely there are young Ylvisakers, Ken Daytons, John Gardners, John D Rockefellers III and Irwin Millers to be found in this country. Heaven help us if they are missing rather than just not discovered as yet. Perhaps Edwards would like to lead the search? Now ,that would be a search worth helping.