The Best Bits from Ali Velshi from the launch of "Small Acts ot Courage

Too many TV "anchors" just read the loaded scripts dictated by their proprietors' whims. Not Ali Velshi, who like his predecessor and fellow Canadian, Peter Jennings, has a knowledge of world affairs and the strength of character to avoid pandering to herd-think.
 
As Velshi reminded the recent capacity FPA launch event, he arrived in New York from Canada to take up a new position with CNN as the 9-11 bombings brought down the twin towers. Poignantly on the 66th floor of One World Trade Center 23 years later, Velshi discussed his new book, Small Acts of Courage.
 
The book is an entertaining and informative work that ties his extended family history to geopolitics and exemplifies how journalists should look at the world. Velshi’s family history does not determine his world view, but it certainly informs and illustrates it.

Velshi’s life is a cross section of British Imperial history. His family were originally from (British) India and involved with Gandhi in the struggle for civil rights for Indian subjects in South Africa. It is indicative of Ali’s objectivity that he carefully notes that that struggle did not then extend to rights for black South Africans.
 
The family’s political activity was a good try, but Apartheid was developing nonetheless, and removed from their property, they moved on to British East Africa, and then on to British North America, or Canada, which, under the premiership of Pierre Trudeau had become the effective the spiritual head of the Commonwealth, establishing standards of genuine multicultural cohabitation both internally and internationally. The UK itself of course had retreated into the xenophobic isolation from which it has only occasionally emerged.
 
Velshi has brought genuine journalism to the small screen, with CNN, Al Jazeera, and MSNBC. He even took financial journalism to a new level above stock pumping. When he went to Minneapolis to cover the “Black Lives Matter” protests stemming from the death of George Floyd, he did not lazily and pejoratively call them “riots.” He was covering what he stresses was a non-violent demonstration when a police rubber bullet hit him in the leg and brought him down to the enthusiastic applause of Donald Trump.
 
In recognition of Velshi’s exemplary journalism, his book and his “purple heart,” for the rubber bullet he took in Milwaukee, the FPA presented him with its “Sharp Pen Award” at the event.
 
He concludes his book with the prescription, “Citizenship is something you have to practice. It’s a muscle that atrophies if you don’t use it, and if it does, other people will be willing to take advantage of its weakness.”
 
To pastiche an imperial poet, if you can keep your head when all around are losing theirs, then you might win the FPA’s Sharp Pen Award.
 
The FPA would like to thank marketing technology leader PRophet and Stagwell for hosting the event and underwriting the reception. We would also like to thank CommPRO for partnering with the FPA to organize the event.