Brentwood Beat
In last month’s Brentwood News, Teri Redman Kahn wrote that Brentwood should oppose the Berggruen Institute, a think tank planned for the hills above Brentwood, while Dawn Nakagawa, executive vice president at Berggruen wrote why the community should embrace the project.
Founded by wealthy philanthropist Nicolas Berggruen, the Institute’s mission is to create a welcoming place for scholars and world leaders to explore methods of governance that will lead to the betterment of society.
Achieving world peace, coming to terms with climate change, facing up to the problems of mass migration and navigating the unparalleled changes brought about by technological advances, are the kinds of issues Nicolas Berggruen wants to see the Institute’s scholars address.
I had the pleasure of attending a recent presentation on the current state of politics, co-hosted by the Berggruen Institute and the Los Angeles Times, and thought how terrific it would be if the Berggruen Institute held occasional seminars like this up in the hills above Brentwood – and to which Brentwood residents would be invited. The Getty does something like this with its annual “Community Day.”
I asked Dawn Nakagawa if the Institute might consider doing something similar here in Brentwood, assuming the Berggruen project is approved.
She was quite open to the idea, which I think would be a big plus for our community. Maybe we can get great seats and meet world-class thinkers and leaders.
Those of us who have lived in Brentwood for a while can remember that many opposed The Getty before it was built. But isn’t The Getty now a source of tremendous local pride? The Getty did a wonderful job of working with the community to overcome concerns.
My sense is that the Berggruen Institute will approach things in much the same way. Maybe one day, world leaders will gather at the Berggruen Institute and sign some big accord that effectively tackles a monumental issue.
Surely, as a community, we want to support the potential that the Berggruen Institute represents. This isn’t just about Brentwood; it’s about the entire world, really.
I say we rally behind the Berggruen Institute, figure out solutions to whatever problems its arrival poses – just as we did with The Getty – and then wish the Institute well as it grapples with the enormous challenges our planet faces.
