Not without Controversy
Madame Wangari Maathai has just been named this year's recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. The 2004 award honors Maathai's "contributions to sustainable development, democracy, and peace." Maathai has a PhD in anatomy and much of her life's work has centered around the organization she founded in 1977 in Kenya, The Green Belt Movement, which "focuses on environmental conservation and community development across Africa." Among its many efforts, the organization has been responsible for the planting of millions of trees across the face of Africa in an attempt to combat deforestation. Madame Shirin Ebadi received the Nobel Peace Prize last year. Ebadi was honored in 2003 because of "her efforts towards democracy and human rights." She is an attorney, the author of numerous books on human rights, and the first woman to have served as a judge in the Iranian courts. In 1992, Madame Rigoberta Menchu Tum received the Nobel Peace Prize, as well. She was honored by the Nobel Prize Committee because of her work as a "campaigner for human rights, especially for indigenous peoples." Menchu became an outspoken advocate - and her story a focal point - on behalf of her people, following the deaths of numerous family members in the civil wars that raged in Central America in the late twentieth century. Although none of this is news, what is interesting at this juncture, is that the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to each of these recipients was not without controversy. Madame Menchu was said to have fabricated some of the story of the suffering that her family endured at the hands of right-wing death squads. The legitimacy of her award was called into question. Madame Ebadi was barely acknowledged by her government, per published reports, for having received the world's premier peace prize. When the official organs of her government did report on the awards ceremony in Oslo, they commented on the fact that in violation of the regulations of her society and religion, she appeared in public without a head covering and was seen shaking hands with a man. And according to some, this year's recipient Madame Maathai should not be receiving the award because her 30+ years of work on behalf of the environment do not actually fall under the category of waging peace. Her efforts have not been directed at the cessation of a specific armed conflict, hence she should not be receiving a peace prize. Would the critics like to see Maathai, Ebadi, and Menchu each return their respective prizes? Would they be satisfied if Madame Menchu said that she had indeed fabricated her stories of suffering and sorrow, things were actually great way back when, and: "Here - take your prize back. I don't deserve it and am unworthy of the honor." Would they like to see Madame Ebadi return her prize? Would they be satisfied if she were to publicly apologize for appearing without a headscarf and for shaking a man's hand? Would they like to hear her say: "Here - take your prize back. I don't deserve it. I have shamed my people and my nation." Would the critics of the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Madame Maathai be pleased to have the award withdrawn? Would they be satisfied and vindicated if she where to say to the committee, "Here - take your prize back. I don't deserve it because I have not waged peace. I've only waged preservation of our natural resources." *************** The answers are not clear, but now it's the EDA industry's turn. Of course, it's not the Nobel Peace Prize, it's the Phil Kaufmann Award and this year's recipient is former Cadence CEO Joe Costello. Within the EDA industry over the last 10+ years, the Kaufmann Award has become highly coveted and in Costello's own words, "I understand the decision to give me the award was not without controversy." That's not surprising. I, myself, have heard from more than one member of the close-knit EDA community that Costello is unworthy of the prize. What has he contributed to the technology, they ask. What has he done to move the state of the art of the software forward? What has he done to quell the war raging between the software vendors' technology and the needs of their ever-restless customer base? How does his work at Cadence fit within the guidelines of the Kaufmann Award? I don't have answers to these criticisms. All Costello ever did was put EDA on the map, bring zest and energy to play in the staid world of software, grow a company with moxie and huzpah to be a recognizable name in Silicon Valley, and make Wall Street sit up and take notice of the industry. What's so pivotal about that? It's true, he also pushed and nagged and badgered and persisted until folks who appear to have played footloose and fancy free with his company's intellectual property were called to task and forced to make amends. It was a battle he pursued long after he himself was disconnected from Cadence, and well into the years when others were telling him to just let it go. So, why does Costello deserve the prize? He's not really a classical software technologist. On top of that, he's critical of the EDA industry, and his being named does somehow change the perception of the Kaufmann Award. Therefore, what would the critics of the Award Committee's decision like to see happen? Do they want Costello to publicly apologize? Do they want him to go to EDAC and say, "Here - take your prize back? I don't deserve it because I have not waged technology. I've only waged business. Technology trumps business. This prize is about technology, not the lesser, more-sordid business of business." Well, he could do that, but don't hold your breath. Menchu and Ebadi have already made their trips to Oslo, and gratefully and humbly received their awards. Maathai will undoubtedly follow in their footsteps, and attend the festivities in her honor as well. Critics Prepare ... Joe Costello will be at the EDAC dinner later this month to receive his prize, and you may have to cringe if, when he stands up to speak, he chooses that moment to critique the industry, for better or worse. But I'm also betting you'll see him visibly delighted and honored to receive the award. He will accept gratefully, and humbly acknowledge the praise of his peers knowing full well that not all are in favor of his being there. It will take courage for Costello to stand up and accept the award as a gentleman and a scholar. And it will take an equal amount of courage for the naysayers in the industry to resist the urge to be whispering and whining from the back of the room. Costello's presence in the industry has never been without controversy, and that does not change with his receiving the Kaufmann Award. But for one evening, it would be so refreshing to see everyone put the past behind them. The gauntlet has been thrown down by the Awards Committee. They're saying, "For just one evening, could you all please be all that you can be?" They're also saying, "Thinking outside the box is never without controversy." Why is anyone in the EDA industry surprised?
October 13, 2004 Peggy Aycinena owns and operates EDA Confidential. She can be reached at peggy@aycinena.com
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