July August 2008
Where Christian faith gets down to business
Neighbors again:
Back to the future in Ukraine, Crimea Paraguay sojourn was better than golf Straddling the worlds of profit & non-profit What work model do your kids see?
The Marketplace July August 2008
Roadside stand
A ministry of competence I haven’t prayed often enough for accountants. A recent news item showed plenty of reasons why I should be thankful for those who competently crunch numbers. Some of them who work for Mennonite agencies did us all a huge favor when they alertly sniffed out a leveraged donor scheme (a “sham” in the words of Canada’s tax agency) that was making the rounds of charitable organizations. Its maze of loans and annuities promised a generous tax receipt far greater than the amount actually contributed to recognized charities. Now, many of those who signed on have to pay the government back, and many non-profit executives have red faces. But some are not suffering at all, thanks to accountants who were competent and vigilant. One Mennonite organization was tempted by the allure of several million dollars from the scheme, but because it seemed too good to be true it checked with an outside accountant, who did more digging and then flashed a red light. Another Mennonite agency received a similar invitation. Its financial officer played along and met with a promoter to hear more. He then sent a warning to a number of “prospects,” outlining the pitfalls, and reported the whole affair to tax officials. One of those involved sent a note to express “heartfelt thanks” for helping the agency “avoid an embarrassment and a potentially very sticky situation that would have caused Cover: Sunflowers in Ukraine by iStockphoto
The Marketplace July August 2008
many hard feelings within the constituency.” In accounting, as in so many fields, competence is a ministry.
managed not just to drive him out but to wreck the company. So it is with God. His best and most beautiful project has turned against him, has turned against itself and against the rest of God’s beautiful work. God’s children spit at him, practice genocide on each other, and pollute the environment.”
“Take and Eat: A Conference on Food and Creation Care” is slated for Oct. 3‑5 at Providence College, Otterburne, Man. Sponsored by Providence, Canadian Mennonite University, A Rocha and the Loewen Foundation, it will focus on how growing, processing and eating food relate to Christian discipleship. Keynote speaker will be Richard Cizik, creation care expert for the National Association of Evangelicals in the U.S. A dedicated website is planned; for now you can visit the Providence website for a link: www. prov.ca
Development artist Ray Dirks recently received the Above and Beyond Award from the Manitoba Foundation for the Arts for promoting global understanding through visual art. His own painting and his work as curator of the Mennonite Heritage Centre Gallery in Winnipeg (not to mention more than 20 years as designer of this magazine) have earned him a global reputation for sensitive cultural portrayals and for encouraging artists from developing countries.
Show me the green. If the joy of caring for creation isn’t enough, “going green” also has clear financial benefits, according to a New England research firm. It says companies that make a point to reduce, reuse and recycle manage to triple customer satisfaction, magnify employee satisfaction nearly five times, generate 1.7 times more revenue per employee and enjoy 42 percent more market share than firms that don’t. (Profit magazine)
Titus Horsch has been hired as director of the new MEDA Europe office in Germany. MEDA supporters in Europe have encouraged the formation of an office there to build up a base among companies there and create a MEDA presence among European funding agencies. Horsch’s hiring is a first step in that direction. He is a graduate (MBA equivalent) of the University of Applied
Palace coup? Have you ever thought about rebellious humanity as a family business struggle against God? In his new book Personal God: Can You Really Know the One Who Made the Universe? author Tim Stafford describes a man who built a highly successful business. “When he was near retirement age his own son organized a coup, stripped him of corporate control, and
Sciences, Ludwigshafen. His first tasks will be to set up an office, carry out legal registration and begin to build relationships in the European community. Why do people tell lies at work? The most common reasons are to appease a customer (26 percent) and to cover up a failed project (13 percent), according to a survey of workers. Typical lies told at work were: “I don’t know how it happened....I have to take another call....I’ve been out of town.” (Globe & Mail) If they ever quit their day job: Can the church have something to offer the world of commercial branding? Clearly yes, based on a fun exercise at the annual retreat of the Portland (Ore.) Mennonite Church. Participants were invited to suggest ice cream flavors they would like Ben and Jerry’s to create to celebrate Anabaptism. Among the submissions: Blaurocky Road, Banananabaptist, Conscientious Confector and Martyr’s Mocha. The winner was “The Schleitheim Confection: A consensus of seven flavors for the seven articles of the confession” (such as “double-dunked chocolate peanuts” for Baptism and “Dove bar crumble” for Nonresistance). — WK
Subscribers can choose to receive their copy of The Marketplace by e-mail. If interested, contact subscription@meda.org
In this issue
What do your kids think about your job? Page 14
Departments 2 4 17 20 22
Roadside stand Soul enterprise Business flashbacks Soundbites News
6
Neighbors again
10
Better than golf
12
Common ground
14
The kids are watching
16
Auction fever
19
More than an ATM machine
Volume 38, Issue 4 July August 2008 The Marketplace (ISSN 0199-7130) is published bi-monthly by Mennonite Economic Development Associates at 532 North Oliver Road, Newton, KS 67114. Periodicals postage paid at Newton, KS 67114. Lithographed in U.S.A. Copyright 2008 by MEDA. Editor: Wally Kroeker Design: Ray Dirks
Change of address should be sent to Mennonite Economic Development Associates, 1821 Oregon Pike, Suite 201, Lancaster, PA 17601-6466.
MEDA’s latest venture is to help boost farm output and markets in Ukraine — on some of the same land once occupied by Mennonites before the communist revolution. By Fred Wall
Was it divine intervention? Bernie Poetker got the best vacation of all when he put the clubs aside and went to Paraguay to help keep small farmers on their land. By Tracey Wagner-Rizvi
Years of straddling the dual worlds of for-profit and not-for-profit organizations shows similarities on both sides, including a tendency to stereotype. By Herman Bontrager
Are you modeling positive work attitudes to your children? Test yourself by answering this parenting quiz put together by career expert Dr. Barbara Moses.
It was supposed to be a simple pie auction, but by mistake, mischief or divine favor someone had switched the labels on the pies. Churchly commercialism became a case of just desserts.
Can we see entrepreneurs as a gift from God? Business skills in planning, management, and bigpicture thinking can add depth to the ministry of any congregation. By Edwin Friesen
To e-mail an address change, subscription request or anything else relating to delivery of the magazine, please contact subscription@meda.org For editorial matters contact the editor at wkroeker@meda.org or call (204) 956-6436 Subscriptions: $25/year; $45/two years.
Postmaster: Send address changes to The Marketplace 1821 Oregon Pike, Suite 201 Lancaster, PA 17601-6466
Published by Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA), whose dual thrust is to encourage a Christian witness in business and to operate business-oriented programs of assistance to the poor. For more information about MEDA call 1-800-665-7026. Web site www.meda.org
The Marketplace July August 2008
A little theology
Money talks “Our money may be talking so loudly people can’t hear what we say. Think about it. Our money may be shouting our loudest testimonies. “Now, of course, money has no voice of its own. By itself, it has no ability to say anything. It can’t give its own witness. But money is a kind of public-address system. It amplifies and broadcasts our faith and our beliefs. “That’s a startling thing about money. It’s silent until we do something with it. Then it talks. It says something about our priorities. It articulates our theology. It discloses our commitment. It reveals our values. “We can talk until we are blue in the face. We can preach with vigor. We can respond at every testimony meeting. We can use the biblical vocabulary. But maybe, as someone has said, the real story of our Christian dedication is told on the stubs of our old checkbooks. Our money talks. “Money is one of faith’s indicators. It’s an index and a window to the soul. It’s a sounding trumpet. It’s so vocal that it helps nudge us toward confession and repentance. Thank God for money! “Think what our money could be saying to the world!” — John H. Rudy, reprinted from an early edition of The Marketplace. A larger compilation of his columns can be found in his book, Moneywise Meditations: To Be Found Faithful in God’s Audit (Herald Press) The Marketplace July August 2008
Have you ever thought of your job when partaking of communion at church (other, that is, than letting your mind wander)? The late Pope John Paul II saw an implied connection in the Catholic prayer, “We have this bread to offer; which human hands have made.... We have this wine to offer, fruit of the vine and work of human hands.” In his view, the bread of the Lord’s Supper is not just baked dough, not just bodily sustenance, but also “the bread of science, and progress, civilization and culture.” The wine that is poured out and shared also represents the fruits and produce harvested by migrant farm workers, transported by truckers, and stocked and sold by grocers, writes William Droel in his introduction to a new book, Pope John Paul II’s Gospel of Work.
Soft answer staves off bankruptcy Tom is a consultant for an accounting firm that often deals with bankruptcies. With a background in farming he gets called in when agribusiness firms are in trouble. That means emotions can run high, which makes it a timely place for Christian leaven. One day he was assigned to sort out the value of some livestock that was in question. An outside party had rented barn space and services from a farmer who was going to look after and feed its animals to market weight. When the farmer ran into financial problems, the animals and rent agreement became part of a dispute. The owner of the animals wanted the animals out of there if the farmer was going broke, but the farmer dug in his heels and refused. The court-appointed receiver (a nice word for bankruptcy agency) assigned Tom to evaluate the situation. Tom’s boss took a hard-nosed approach. “Let’s bring in the cops and take the animals,” he said. “Whoa,” said Tom, thinking there might be a better way. “Let’s slow down a bit. Let’s let him keep the animals for now, and grow them to market weight. Then they can be sold for a better price, which benefits all parties.” His boss relented, and Tom proceeded. In the end, the original owner of the animals got more money than he would have otherwise; the farmer facing financial distress got some breathing room (and survived), and costly legal action was avoided. By toning down the hostile rhetoric Tom became a peacemaker, producing a win-win-win situation.
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God’s resume “I reckon work to be the third-leading category of prayer requests, after health and family. People beg God for jobs, for success in business endeavors, for wisdom about career choices, and for better relations with bosses and coworkers. They bring extremely personal worries about work to God because they want to make a real connection with him. (Of course, they also want help.) Work is an important part of who they are, so they talk about it to God. “Strikingly, we rarely turn that around. We rarely talk to God about his work. “‘Hello, God, what do you do?’ “It is a good question to ask. Certainly it is a question God seems eager to answer. A very large proportion of the Bible addresses what God has done, is doing, and wants to do. You might call the Bible his professional resume.” — Tim Stafford in Personal God: Can You Really Know the One Who Made the Universe?
Great seminars ahead MEDA’s annual convention always has enriching seminars (in addition to stimulating keynote speakers). Here are a few to watch for: • Why (and how) I show up at soccer stadiums — Hear young entrepreneur Pat Vendrely talk about his unusual company — providing decor and branding solutions to the sports industry • How I got started in business — A “must” seminar for young people who are thinking of their own start-up company • How well do you fit in your congregation? — Youthful businessman Conrad Brenneman and others will explore positive links between church and business • Youth and microfinance — The global struggle to provide jobs for growing youth populations • Multi-channel marketing and you — How retail, print and on-line work together to maximize impact • Managing your investments in a turbulent economy — You’re never too young to think ahead • Overcoming barriers to family business success — How a family business grew into its next generation • Providing employment for felons — How to help ex-offenders find employment and new life through a second chance • Sarona Green and green energy — Nothing is more timely than a look at the future of alternative energy All this and more at MEDA’s “Dividends of Hope” convention, Nov. 6-9, Columbus, Ohio. For a complete list visit www.businessasacalling.org
Overheard:
“If we do not have good plumbers as well as good philosophers, then neither our pipes nor our theories will hold water.” The Marketplace July August 2008
Neighbors again It’s back to the future in Ukraine as MEDA helps farmers till ancestral Mennonite soil Fred Wall has spent a lifetime in farming, business and development. A graduate engineer, he worked for 10 years promoting agricultural and industrial development in Manitoba before owning his own plastics company and joining the MEDA board. Since selling his business in 2002 he has worked with MEDA’s microfinance initiatives in Nicaragua and with its affiliate, MicroVest. Last fall he went on MEDA’s agricultural development mission to Ukraine to explore microfinance and investment possibilities. The following report introduces the background and challenges of MEDA’s emerging new work there.
Ukraine and immigrated to Canada in 1924 after they lost their farms during the collectivization that followed the communist revolution. Their Mennonite forebears had occupied the empty steppes of eastern Russia (now Ukraine) at the invitation of Czarina Catherine around 1800, settling at first in a large tract called the Chortitza Colony (later referred to as the Old Colony) and a few years later in the Molotschna Colony. As a result of growth they expanded to various other new colonies, first south into the Crimea and then to various other parts of Russia. My father’s family came from the central part of Crimea. My mother came from the Molotschna Colony which had about 40 villages. Her family’s experience was a little more difficult as they were in the center of the civil war and lawlessness that occurred in that area. Both families were successful at farming and would never have left except for the revolution’s economic, social and religious disruption. Today there are virtually no Mennonites left in the area. That land is now farmed by Ukrainians whose parents and grandparents were neighbors of our ancestral family. But the agricultural scene today is dramatically different than when my family left.
by Fred Wall
M
y father used to gaze out on his grain field in southern Manitoba and get a faraway look in his eyes. He’d remember his family’s farm in Crimea, south Russia, with its rich earth, moderate climate and abundant fruit trees. It was so different from the frigid Canadian prairie where topsoil is measured in mere inches. “That,” he’d say wistfully, “was like living in heaven compared to this.” Both my parents were born into Mennonite families in
Ukraine was historically
Every smallholder farmer’s dream — a home, a greenhouse and a field of cabbage. The Marketplace July August 2008
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a part of Russia but after the 1917 revolution became a republic of the Soviet Union. Crimea remained a part of Russia until 1953 when Nikita Khrushchev gave it to Ukraine, where it remains today. The whole region is ethnically and linguistically more Russian than Ukrainian, which produces internal tension. Ukraine achieved its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 and has since been an independent republic. The country is divided between predominantly ethnic Ukrainians in the western part and ethnic Russians in the east, including
Crimea. The conflict in the past several elections has been largely due to the differences between the nationalistic and pro-western sentiments of the Ukrainians in the west versus the more pro-Russian sentiments of the Russians in the east. The last two elected governments since the 2004 Orange Revolution have been led by nationalistic Ukrainians but their margin in parliament is small and the split is deep. Ukraine has a population of some 46 million and a per capita GDP of about $7,800 operating under a free market system introduced in the 1990s. GDP growth has become strong The author visits the guesthouse on what remains of his family’s ancestral in recent years (7% in 2006). It is far farm in Crimea. from being as poor as some other Crimea for many years until being exiled after World War countries where MEDA is active, but 2. They are now coming back and struggling to re-estabeconomic disparity is great, and farm income in the eastlish themselves. ern regions is far below the national average. At the start of our mission a CIDA representative told In recent years Ukraine has become more visible on us we were being invited to work in the ancestral Mennothe radar screen of the Canadian International Developnite areas because of our history there as well as because ment Agency (CIDA). Last year MEDA and three other of recent efforts by other Mennonite groups to promote non-government organizations approached CIDA with social, cultural and economic development. Mennonites proposals for agriculare respected and welcome not only for their achievePeople were tural development ments of a century ago but also for their current activities. projects in Ukraine. A number of people we met during our travels praised Ours was to focus amazed that after the Mennonite record — both past and current — as on vegetables and being very good for the country. They were amazed that horticulture farmall the persecution after all the persecution and hardship Mennonites ening, while the others dured, their descendants are back trying to help without related to grain and Mennonites any attempt to recover ancestral property. They saw it as dairy farming. a lesson in forgiveness as well as an expression of genuine We were also endured, their concern for their former neighbors. asked to consider assisting a minority descendants are The MEDA mission comprised two development group of Tatars who officers from MEDA’s office in Waterloo, Ontario, a manare of Asian descent ager of its agricultural project in Tajikistan, which is very back, trying to help. but who lived in 7
The Marketplace July August 2008
The rolling land is
similar to that envisaged were the forms so they could apply for low-interest loans. for Ukraine, and myself. When they were informed we were there to consult I was to keep an eye on future programs and not dole out cash the meethighly fertile, with open for microfinance ing became pure pandemonium as they shouted at our and investment opUkrainian host and chairperson and at each other. The several feet of rich portunities. I also felt I chair tried in vain to calm them, but they accused him of could contribute in othmisleading them about the meeting. He tried to read the topsoil, but much er areas because of my written invitation he had sent out which clearly indicated lengthy farming involvethis was a consultative meeting, but eventually gave up of the land is ment and my familiarity and sat down. Our young interpreter, on only her second with the Mennonite assignment, gave up due to the noise and was reduced to connection. I freely gave tears. As nothing else seemed possible we in the mission poorly cultivated, my colleagues lessons talked among ourselves for a while until suddenly the on Mennonite history room hushed and one person in the audience said they some not at all. until they wouldn’t sit were now ready to talk. About 10 people promptly left near me in the van or at the meeting and we had a nice conversation with the rest. meals. We were told this was common in Ukraine today, and We started our tour encountered it elsewhere to a lesser degree. in Kiev meeting with CIDA and various other local government, NGO and financial organizations to get a grasp of The agronomic possibilities were readily apcurrent conditions. From there we flew to Simferopol in parent to us. The rolling land is highly fertile, with several the center of the Crimea and traveled to various commeters of rich topsoil and a favorable climate similar to munities from there. Next we drove by van to Zaporozhye that of southern Ontario. What was also very apparent and then Melitopol and to Dnepropetrovsk. was the low productivity being achieved in contrast to We visited with many smallholder farmers, both on what we are used to in North America. Much of the land their small plots of five to 10 hectares (12 to 25 acres) and is poorly cultivated, and some not at all. The causes of also in their local cooperatives and farm associations. We visited a few larger farmers who had grown in both size and success. How they made more rapid progress was not always clear, but prior connections to the communist party or government seemed to be a major factor. Here we were able to see what is possible if resources are available. We also visited some credit unions, a university and a private financial organization. The main purpose at every stop was to see what infrastructure already existed for smallholders and what they needed most. We had many ideas thrown at us and also a few demands. At a public meeting at an agricultural college in Melitopol about 40 farmers showed up and The goal is to develop a robust value chain for high-value crops such as grapes (above), their first question was where tomatoes, peppers, berries and potatoes. The Marketplace July August 2008
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Under collectivization
cultural schools, and some private agricultural consultants have already sprung up. The trick will be to make them affordable to smallholders. New technologies may also be imported. 2. Linkages will be created to the major markets in Ukraine and other nearby countries. Some of this is very basic, like creating basic processing and storage facilities. Vegetables and fruit are very perishable and much currently rots in roadside and village markets while supermarkets in the major cities import their food from other countries that can process, store and transport products to them in a predictable and timely fashion. Some aspects of this will be more sophisticated, like finding the markets and creating the right branding for customers. Virtually none of this infrastructure is currently in place. . Capital will be required all along the chain. Ukraine does not have the banking system in rural areas that we are used to. The credit union movement is growing, with guidance and support from North America, and has potential to help fill this gap. But credit unions get their capital from deposits and if members are poor they have little to deposit. So this is not an immediate solution. We may have to find a way to inject capital into the credit unions to allow them to reach our targeted smallholders. A related financing problem is that the government has imposed a moratorium on all farmland sales in an effort to prevent the rapid concentration of ownership by the few bigger and richer farmers. This prevents farmers from getting what little financing is available as no lender will provide a mortgage loan if they cannot foreclose on their collateral. So the government and the farmers debate the issue as they are afraid of going back to a feudal system in place before the revolution when a few land barons owned all the land and the majority of people were serfs working for bare subsistence. Smallholders who don’t qualify for loans are stuck in midstream. They can’t go back to the collective farm system and they can’t move forward to grow and develop their farms. Another challenge is the farmers’ distrust of financial institutions and anyone trying to form organizations. This goes back to their collective farm days when in theory everyone was supposed to work together for the common good but in reality the stronger ones undermined the weaker. It will take time and many small steps to build up trust and cooperation to move forward together. This program can have a huge impact on an important country that even now is just emerging from the legacy of its long communist slumber. As noted, there will be many challenges. Fortunately, MEDA is up to them as it has a long history of helping poor people become more productive and has special skills in assisting transitional economies. ◆
this disconnect are both political and economic. the operators The communist revolution of 1917 had equipment resulted in communal ownership and inputs; what of all means of production, includwas missing was ing farmland. The land was owned by the government motivation. Now as large collective farms that were they have much centrally managed. The operators were motivation, but employees of the system. Technololittle else. gy, equipment and inputs, while not the best, worked after a fashion. What was missing was the entrepreneurial motivation we in the west take for granted. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1990, Ukraine became independent. The collective farms were liquidated and the workers all got a share of the land, perhaps 10 to 25 acres each. But what to do with it? Now they have much motivation but little else. Besides technology, inputs and financing for equipment, they need markets for their products. While some individuals have found ways to move forward, many are stuck in the mud, figuratively and literally, and are worse off than before.
After studying the local situation firsthand,
MEDA put together a proposal which CIDA approved this spring. The five-year $10 million project aims to raise the incomes of small scale farmers in the Crimea and Zaporozhye regions by integrating them into domestic and potentially export markets. MEDA will work with communities, financial institutions, businesses and public sector agencies to develop a robust horticulture value chain for high-value crops such as table grapes, greenhouse crops (tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers), berries, potatoes and selected nutritional/medicinal herbs. It is projected that the initiative will directly help 5,000 farmers and a hundred businesses. Among the implications of the project are the following: . Extension services will need to help farmers improve crop yields and quality as well as identify new crop options. Some resources are available in local agri9
The Marketplace July August 2008
Better than golf Bernie Poetker got the best vacation of all when he put the clubs aside and went to Paraguay to help keep small farmers on their land by Tracey Wagner-Rizvi
S
Ron Enns photo
ome might call it divine intervention. Bernie Poetker was all set for a relaxing holiday in New Zealand, but as the trip drew close, something didn’t feel right. Poetker postponed his departure. Not long after, he received a call from MEDA. “Gerhard Pries [director of Investment Fund Development] said, ‘Bernie, you have been wanting to get more involved with MEDA — how would you like to go to Paraguay in three weeks?’ It came completely out of the blue,” tells Poetker. Poetker has been associated with MEDA for more than 25 years and says it has been an anchor through years of running his own electronics business. Last year he spent three weeks in Tanzania with a project promoting anti‑malaria mosquito nets and other health‑related items. “I had to make up my mind fairly quickly whether or not to go to Paraguay, but the decision was not very difficult,” says Poetker. “I felt quite guilty, actually — here I was flying off to New Zealand for Bernie Poetker to play golf when there was this opportunity to do some real good. I felt that I needed to go.” And so it was decided — Poetker was off to Paraguay for six weeks, leaving at the end of February. “On my way there I got to thinking, ‘Just what is it I am to do?’” laughs Poetker, adding that he went with rough ideas of what was to be done, but once there, more possibilities came up. “The idea for a microfinance foster plan, for example, presented itself once I was there. It was really about responding to the need and realities on the ground.”
No trucks here: Farmers use ox carts to haul manioc to the starch plants.
not get them anywhere in terms of progress. We want to help them farm the whole plot.” Land prices have risen appreciatively in recent years. People are coming from Brazil and Argentina and aggressively buying up land, offering up to $10,000 for three to five hectares. The farmers readily accept the money — more than they have ever seen — thinking they are going to be rich and set for life. They leave their land and end up on the outskirts of cities with no money‑managing skills, no food source, and before long no money. MEDA Paraguay hopes to give smallholder farmers an alternative to selling their land. Manioc starch processing plants are part of the strategy, offering a market for their surplus manioc. “Manioc processing is quite profitable. The main challenge is that they need to be set up near a reliable source of the raw materials,” says Poetker, who later in his visit helped complete a plan for opening a third manioc processing plant. “Smallholder farmers do not have trucks to haul the raw manioc. Instead they use ox carts or old school buses with the roof cut off and the manioc thrown in where the seats are.” Manioc has no fixed harvest time and can be left in the ground for many months without spoiling. This gives farmers a lot of flexibility and can even serve as a reserve for lean times. Conversely, if sorghum and sesame seeds, a high‑profit crop, are not harvested in time, birds will eat the entire crop overnight. “Farmers anywhere must consider many factors when
Poetker’s main objective was to help smallholder
farmers. Alongside MEDA Paraguay’s director, Arnold Epp, Poetker spent a lot of time in Asunción and East Paraguay at two manioc starch processing factories sponsored by MEDA Paraguay, and visited both larger manioc farms and smallholder farm families. “There are approximately 350,000 smallholder farmers in the East Paraguayan Caguazu area, each of whom owns about three to five hectares of land that they were given several generations ago,” says Poetker. “Many of them only use enough to grow a garden, as they can’t afford to till the rest. They are able to live off it, but it does The Marketplace July August 2008
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Ron Enns photo
be a weekend thing here. There is a lot we can learn from them.” The 900‑member Concordia Mennonite Church and campus also made a lasting impression on Poetker. Seeing all the facilities available on the campus — including a day care, a 40-classroom school, gymnasiums, auditorium, tennis courts, Parents’ biggest wish is to basketball courts and socsend their children to school, but if they are just surviving, cer fields – left him wonno school will be built. dering what was possible here in Canada and what it would take to make it a reality. Having never been to Paraguay before, Poetker had visualized a hot barren, sunny country. Much to his surprise, it was raining when he arrived and continued to rain for the next four days. The streets were potholed and did not have drains or curbs, so roads quickly became torrents of water. “I thought, ‘This is the pits!’ Finally, the rain stopped and the sunshine came out. Instantly it was 40‑45 degrees Centigrade and I wondered when it would get rainy and cloudy again so we could have some relief from the heat!” he says. “I quickly learned to appreciate the huge shade trees; you live from tree to tree and need the shade for survival. Otherwise you stay in the air conditioning and do not go out in the sun if you can avoid it — certainly no tanning!” The people Poetker encountered impressed him with their attitudes and friendliness. “Though people were predominantly poor, there were no complaints and they were always smiling and friendly,” he says. “At the bed and breakfast I stayed at, they were eager to learn English from me. In return they taught me Spanish.” Unlike Brazil, Argentina and Chile, which are frequently in the news for one development or another, Paraguay is seldom mentioned, says Poetker. He believes, however, that there are some big things happening in the country. He says he would like to remain involved in MEDA’s work in Paraguay, but would also like to pursue several other business initiatives aimed at helping the people prosper. “As inspiring as my trip last year to Tanzania was, I feel even more invigorated after Paraguay because I was more directly involved with the people and I stayed there twice as long,” says Poetker. “I have lots of ideas for new initiatives — there are just so many possibilities for helping these wonderful people get a step ahead!” ◆ Ron Enns photo
deciding what to grow — which crops offer the most profit or the most stable prices or require the least work — depending on their priorities or the current market,” says Poetker, who comes from a farming background. “These smallholder farmers need technical support to help make these decisions and plan for the future.” MEDA wants to encourage the farmers to grow manioc to supply the processing plant, but also to diversify into other food crops and cash crops. So it works to create companies that buy and process farm produce, as well as to provide technical and family support to smallholder farm families. “Paraguay has many natural products that can be utilized in North America and Europe. The country can become the breadbasket of Europe, supplying fruit, tomatoes, and so on,” says Poetker. “The only problem is shipping. It is more difficult to ship to North America. Paraguay has a connection with Germany and The Netherlands going back more than 60 years, so that would be a natural market.”
Inspired by his visit, Poetker envisions developing a plan for a microfinance initiative modeled after children’s foster plans. “In this case, families here in North America would sponsor smallholder farmers,” he explains. “They would receive pictures of the farmers and their families and updates on how the loans have transformed their lives.” Under his proposal, farmers who need it would receive loans of $200 to $500 for several years. They could use the money to improve their seed quality, purchase equipment, or have equipment contractors work the land for them. In 2007, the 1,600 smallholder farm families that supplied manioc to the two starch plants each earned an average of $1,150 — a big boost to families that live on a few dollars a day. With improved crops and farming techniques, families are soon able to build better houses and send their kids to school. “The biggest concern of parents is that their children get to go to school, but if they are just surviving on their plot, no school will be built,” he says. “And we must not forget the dreadful alternatives awaiting them in the cities.” Poetker says his experi-
Spiritual boost: “Faith is their life there,” says Bernie Poetker (above). “We can learn a lot from them.”
ence in Paraguay has strengthened his faith. “I went there thinking that I was going to a poor country, to people needing help, but in faith we need help, not them,” he says. “Faith is their life there, but it tends to
Tracey Wagner‑Rizvi is a freelance writer and a student at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario. She lived for 13 years in Islamabad, Pakistan, where she worked primarily with non‑profit organizations.
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The Marketplace July August 2008
Common ground Years of straddling the dual worlds of for-profit and notfor-profit organizations shows similarities on both sides, including a tendency to stereotype the other.
by Herman Bontrager
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was raised in an Amish farm family where the sacred and the secular were not separated. Learning to work was a God‑given mandate, and the harder the better. My father was a bishop, so the lines between church and other work were blurred. I grew up in a family business — farming and construction — where I not only learned and practiced the manual skills of farming and carpentry but also observed entrepreneurship, aspired to it and acquired the capacity to solve problems, both alone and with other people. Later I developed skills in teaching, communication, research, general management, organizational development, board service and advocacy. Roughly half of my working life has been in not‑for‑profit organizations and half in for‑profit. I spent almost 14 years in various roles with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC): personnel development, Latin America director, overseas peace office, plus five years in Central America. Currently I am living my Christian vocation in an insurance company. I’m in my 19th year at Goodville Mutual Casualty Company, which offers auto, home, farm, church and small business insurance.
Goodville Mutual is a for‑profit business, but as a mutual it operates a bit differently than a stock company. The profits are for the benefit of the policyholders, the ultimate owners. There are no external shareholders to satisfy, only thousands of customers. This helps avoid some temptations that are so rampant today, “Both in church like excessive CEO/management salaries. agencies and I’ve noticed over the years that some people in business, experience a gap between church and business. I’ve concluded that deeds are more if there is an actual gap it is because of arrogance powerful than on both sides — arrowords in sharing gance of piety and arrogance of pride. Church people sometimes feel one’s faith. superior to business, and people in business are People notice sometimes dismissive of the church. You can get your faith witness so steeped in the culture you’re committed to that it can come across as if it is lived.” arrogance. Both produce the same result: alienation and broken relationships. Straddling the two realms of profit and non-profit organizations has led me to some conclusions about Christian faith and work. My Christian vocation comes first. In other words, my calling is to follow Christ in everyday life. That calling is nurtured in the faith community, the Body of Christ. The church, my congregation, is my most important affiliation, and the place where I work is where I spend a lot of time
During this dual career in business and non-profit organizations I’ve encountered many generalizations, on both sides. At MCC I resented the stereotype that church workers don’t know how to run a real business. While I was there a friend and I set up our own company, Development Associates of Lancaster, which did consulting and training and forged connections that eventually landed me at Goodville. At Goodville, I resent the stereotype that businesspeople aren’t able to serve church organizations. For my own satisfaction and sanity I have continued to serve on church boards so I could maintain international connections. The Marketplace July August 2008
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• Every person deserves performance evaluations that have the goal of continuous personal and professional development, or to move them on to an assignment where the skills and requirements are better matched. At the risk of stereotyping, I think not‑for‑profits (NFP) might be more forgiving of inadequate performance for a longer time; that ends up being a disservice to both the individual and the organization. • A soft touch in leading/supervising/managing people is effective in both business and church. • Decision‑making: both have the same needs, participation and efficiency. NFPs place a high value on consensus and participation, sometimes at the expense of efficiency. In either case the organization is better if every individual is valued; efficiency is achieved in both cases if leaders can help people keep the focus on mission. • Capital formation applies to both: it takes a compelling mission to attract contributed funds or venture capital; you have to produce positive results and provide honest reports for the support to continue. When it comes to accountability, non-profits can be a little lax at times. Those that fail to meet objectives may be more easily tempted to beg for mercy and assume they will be given a second chance. • Policy and operations: whether in church or business, boards need to stay out of operations and staff needs to respect and support the board’s policy‑making role. • Leadership is a “Christian combination of innate qualities, specialized vocation is first knowledge, willingness work hard, tenacity, and primary. For to flexibility, respect for every person, appreciation of now, I’m living it the competition and commitment to a vision. Those in an insurance are all needed to successfully manage any complex company.” organization, whether church or business. • An intentional focus on operating by biblical principles is essential no matter what your enterprise. • Both in church agencies and in business, deeds are more powerful than words in sharing one’s faith. People notice your faith witness if it is lived. I have a life‑long mission to not accept that there has to be a gap between business and church people. Once we understand that our Christian vocation is first and primary, appropriate occupational choices come naturally. Working in both for-profit and not-for-profit enterprises has helped keep the focus on my Christian vocation. My faith has been nurtured in all my involvements. ◆
Goodville CEO Herman Bontrager: Earlier, he resented the stereotype that church workers don’t know how to run a business. Now he resents the stereotype that businesspeople aren’t able to serve the church.
fleshing out the values of my faith.
I’ve learned that there is much common ground
between the for-profit and the non-profit worlds. • Businesses and church agencies are one and the same in that both are formal, man-made entities with structure, rules of operation and people. Both have a specific purpose, or sense of mission. At Goodville, even though it is a business, our mission is to help policyholders recover from loss and we feel satisfaction when we are part of restoring well-being to people whose lives have been disrupted. • The same ethics apply in both. Neither side is immune to mistreating people on occasion, or engaging in excesses for purposes of self-preservation. • If you live your Christian vocation you are involved in God’s work to redeem the world whether you draw a salary from the revenue generated by a for‑profit business or from contributed dollars paid through a church agency. Your calling is equally valid in both.
Herman Bontrager is CEO of Goodville Mutual Casualty Company, New Holland, Pa. His article is adapted from a talk he presented to the Lancaster MEDA Chapter in its breakfast series on Faith and Work.
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The Marketplace July August 2008
The kids are watching What message are you sending about the work you do?
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6. Do you ever use long-suffering or victim language such as, “I have to go to work or my boss will be angry with me” or “I hate my job but what can I do about it?” 7. Do you frequently boast about your title or salary? 8. Do you say “no” to non-emergency work requests that infringe on family time? 9. Are your kids financially literate? 20. Do your kids understand that all jobs have some frustrations? 2 . Would you be happy if your children showed the same attitudes and behaviors related to work and home life as you do? 22. Are you distracted by or do you think about work problems when you are spending time with your children? 2 . From your family’s perspective, do you model a balanced work and home life? 24. Do you constantly moan about your job but do nothing to change it? 2 . Do your children feel that your career expectations of them put them under too much pressure or are unrealistic?
f you are a parent, you send a lot of “work messages” to your children. They pick things up from what you say and do. You are their primary teacher about “calling” in the world of work. If your work makes you feel happy and fulfilled, they too may look forward to joining the work force some day. But if you usually come home miserable, they may develop negative images about work, and likely won’t think of it as a place to minister and manifest Christian values. Even people who like their jobs can unwittingly send a negative message to their children if all they do at home is grumble about a lazy co-worker or bad boss. “Attitudes are like garlic. They ooze from our pores even when we don’t realize it,” says social worker Gary Direnfeld (quoted in The Globe & Mail). Here’s a chance to test yourself by answering this quiz put together by career expert Dr. Barbara Moses. . Do your children know what you do professionally? 2. Do your children know where you work? . From listening to you talk about work, would your kids conclude that you like your work? 4. Do you check your BlackBerry, e-mail or voice mail while engaging in family activities? . Do you make a point of discussing money with your kids so that they have a realistic understanding of finances? 6. When you come home from work, are you so bagged that you have little left to give your kids? 7. Do you often complain about your job, boss, colleagues and clients? 8. Do your children know what you find rewarding about your job? 9. Do you spend quantity time, as well as quality time, with your children? 0. Would you be disappointed if your kids chose a less-ambitious or lower-paid professional path? . When you return from work, can you put to bed whatever work problems you are grappling with? 2. Do your kids think that your job takes precedence over them? . Do you feel uncomfortable or think it crude to talk about money around the kids? 4. Do you frequently use words like “jerk” or “idiot” to describe people you work with when kids are within earshot? . When you have a problem or conflict at work, do you show your kids how you are trying to solve it? The Marketplace July August 2008
Setting the right example
Here are tips from career expert Barbara Moses:
Do Talk to your kids about work: Let them know what you do, where you work, the nature of your responsibilities and how you interact with others. Offer a balanced view: Talk about the rewards as well as the challenges. A compliment from the boss or a great presentation should be shared along with stories about projects that failed or colleagues you don’t like. Honor family commitments: Push back against unreasonable work demands. Do not check BlackBerry, e-mail or voice mail or allow your mind to drift to work during family time. Model healthy attitudes: Don’t come home every day looking completely defeated or constantly complaining. Show problem-solving skills: Discuss job conflicts and explain how you are resolving them. 4
Don’t Avoid talking about work or make it look simple: Your kids will develop a slanted view about the ability to always be successful. They will also think that everything should come easily. Complain about job demands: An endless litany about how you work too hard for what you are paid will leave your kids thinking either that employers are abusive or that you are a pushover. Moan about co‑workers or bosses: Kids need to understand that no workplace is perfect and that there will always be people you don’t like. At the same time, they also need to know there are people you enjoy being with. Use suffering language: Instead of saying, “Mommy has to go to work,” say, “Mommy wants to go to work.” Use anxiety‑inducing words about money: For instance, if you lose your job, reassure your kids that life as they know it will not change drastically. Cling to a job you hate: Bad work is toxic. By moving on, you demonstrate that nobody deserves an unfulfilling job, and that you have the power to change your situation. ◆
Respond effectively to adversity: If you’ve had a setback, don’t walk around the house moping. Instead, show how you’re trying to fix the problem and demonstrate optimism that your efforts will succeed. Tailor your message to the age of your child: A five‑year‑old doesn’t need to know that you are worried about your job; a 15‑year‑old can handle it, especially if you explain how you’re dealing with it. Talk about money: Kids need to develop a realistic understanding about income and work. Draw positive parallels between your work and their school: Make comparisons such as both of you getting to learn new things. Spend quantity as well as quality time: Kids aren’t programmed to turn on and off like taps according to your schedule. Fancy vacations do not replace regular daily interaction. Act on career desires: Don’t complain endlessly about hating your job. Show your kids how you are either trying to improve it or are looking for alternative employment. If you answered Yes to questions 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 11, 15, 18, 19, 20, 21 and 23, and No to 4, 6, 7, 10, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 22, 24 and 25, you are doing a great job of modeling healthy work attitudes. On items where you scored differently, think about what you can do to change your behavior.
Barbara Moses, Ph.D, is an international speaker, work/life expert, and best‑selling author of Dish: Midlife Women Tell the Truth About Work, Relationships, and the Rest of Life and What Next? Find the Work That’s Right for You. For more: www.bmoses.com
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Auction fever Churchly commercialism and just desserts by Wally Kroeker
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Her cherry pie, however, was think Jesus was on to something when he among the last to go on the block, chased the moneychangers out of the temlong after those with criss-cross ple. The church is no place to do business. crusts and curls of dark chocolate Not, at least, a pie auction. had vanished. The intention was noble enough — to raise I made it my cause to go after money for the young people to attend a youth it, and got it for $60. convention. People were asked to bake pies that At home I wasted no time. would be auctioned at outrageous prices. Lunch had been light, and even Since our kids are grown I contended that cherry pie was better than no pie. we had paid our dues in the youth department I peeled back the plastic wrap and and could sit and watch. My dear wife, she of excavated a large wedge. For mere more expansive spirit, proceeded to create not cherry it looked pretty fine. one but two pies for the auction. The first forkful gave me The first would be a plain cherry, and for that pause. This was the best cherry pie I was willing to abide her do-gooder inclinations. Was it by mistake, I’d ever had. But then, doubtless as a rebuke for my Not really. Clearly, someone curmudgeonly thoughts, she would make the had switched the labels, either by second one of saskatoons. mischief or mistake or by mischief. What I had Now, to non-prairie folk the word saskatoon before me was saskatoon pie. may simply denote a pleasant city on the banks divine favor that I don’t usually say grace for of the Saskatchewan River. But to us it means dessert, but in this case I was a luscious purple berry, packed with flavor and someone had tempted as there seemed no other wild intrigue. I’ve always thought the Creator explanation for the switch than was showing off when he made them. switched the divine favor. I was ecstatic. Saskatoons are persnickety. They grow when For me that would have been they feel like it, and some years don’t show up labels on the pies? the end of it, but not for my wife, at all. They are a precious fruit, not given to the for whom this transaction did not wanton commercialism of an auction. compute. The Peters family had So I was chagrined that my wife would dig paid $110 for a premium pie and received mere cherry into our precious freezer stash so young people could go instead. to a convention and pay for hotel rooms they probably “It’s for a good cause,” I said, wiping scarlet juice wouldn’t use anyway. At least not to sleep in. from my lips. My protests were ignored. In minutes she was on the phone explaining to the We brought the pies to church, me scowling and my Peters family there had been no intention to deceive. wife glistening with selfless virtue. They, having abundantly more, um, fruits of the spirit She had to leave early for another errand of mercy, than I, accepted the explanation — and substitute pie and I was left to preside alone. Now, at previous auctions — with good humor. I often felt sorry for bakers whose offerings fetched a low Far better humor than I, however, when I learned my price. I have been known to bid up a lonely pie, then bail wife had decided to right the scales of justice by yet again out before the gavel comes down. plundering our store of summer berries and making anI resolved to not let the saskatoon pie go cheap. other pie for the Peterses — this one the genuine article. No fear of that, it turned out. The auctioneer made The saskatoon rack in our freezer now had two gaping quite a fuss that this was a saskatoon pie, and the berry holes, like missing front teeth. season was long past and wouldn’t be back for months. I could only hope the youngsters had a good time at In no time my wife’s pie soared to $110, somewhat ametheir convention. ◆ liorating my sense of loss. The Marketplace July August 2008
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Business flashbacks
Innovation reaped grim reward
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t looks like a well-crafted antique toy, but the story behind it is full of heartache. It’s a model of the first combine produced in Russia, designed and manufactured by Mennonites. A century ago Mennonites in Russia were widely known as superb farmers and innovative agricultural manufacturers. In the early 1900s, the A.J. Koop implement factory and two other large firms flourished in the city today known as Zaporozhye in present-day Ukraine. Their combined annual output reached 15,000 mowers and 10,000 plows. At one point Mennonite industrialists were producing 12 percent of all the agricultural machines in Russia. “When the Bolsheviks took over, these three companies were amalgamated to form the Kommunar Factory,” says physician/historian Helmut Huebert, whose latest book is titled Mennonites in the Cities of Imperial Russia, Volume II. “Many of the engineers, particularly those from the Koop factory, were retained.” These included chief engineer Peter Dyck and his helpers Gerhard Hamm and Kornelius Pauls. In 1929 these men designed and produced the country’s first combine. Proud Soviet officials awarded the engineers and the factory the Order of Lenin. But the glory was not to last. The tide of Soviet opinion turned against them and many Mennonites were exiled. The engineers, including Dyck and Hamm, were ordered to hand back their medals and were declared enemies of the people. Then they were executed.
A model of the first combine is on museum display in Zaporozhye. Using original photographs supplemented by archival film footage of the original combine in operation, the adjoining replica was produced by hobbyist Abe Friesen of Winnipeg. ◆
Leica’s “freedom train”
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wanted help getting out of Hitler’s reach. Leitz quietly set up the “Leica Freedom Train” to help Jews leave, “assigning” employees, retailers and their families to sales offices in the United States and elsewhere. Many were absorbed into Leica’s distribution system in the U.S., then the company’s biggest market. Others were given temporary support until they found jobs elsewhere. All were given a new Leica camera to wear around their neck and sell for quick cash if needed. The camera magnate’s daughter, Elsie Kuhn‑Leitz, was imprisoned by the Gestapo after she was caught helping Jewish women cross into Switzerland. The Leica Freedom Train ran regularly in the late 1930s, transporting Jewish refugees to the U.S. every few weeks until Germany closed its
or generations the Leica has been the Porsche of cameras. Invented when cameras were big and clunky, the small 35 mm Leica revolutionized photography and photojournalism in the 1930s and beyond. Its maker, the Leitz company, has been in the news lately for plunging sales and revenues, due partly to its slow embrace of digital technology. But another story is the company’s heroic conduct during the Nazi era when it smuggled Jews out of Germany to escape the Holocaust. Ernst Leitz II (1871-1956), the son of Leica’s founder, was “the photography industry’s Schindler” (a takeoff on the movie Schindler’s List which chronicles another German businessman who saved Jews). Shortly after Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933, Leitz, a Protestant, began receiving appeals from Jewish employees and colleagues who 17
borders. By then hundreds of endangered Jews had escaped to America. Earlier, the Leitz company was already known for pioneering progressive business practices like pensions, sick leave and unemployment insurance. The family resisted publicity for its efforts on behalf of Jews, insisting any decent person would have done the same thing. The story is told in a new book titled The Greatest Invention of the Leitz Family: The Leica Freedom Train by Frank Dabba Smith, an American‑born rabbi currently living in England. ◆ The Marketplace July August 2008
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More than an ATM machine Can we see entrepreneurs as God’s gift to the church? by Edwin Friesen
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ometimes business entrepreneurs get a bad rap in our churches. Far too often they are stereotyped as caring only about the bottom line, with little regard for the welfare of their employees or the environment. Conversely, these same businesspeople may feel that the church sees them primarily as an ATM machine, with little regard for the wisdom and skills they can bring to the church. To be sure, some businesspeople deserve negative stereotyping, as do some people in other professions. But many entrepreneurs deserve better, much better. In my years with Mennonite Foundation of Canada I have met many entrepreneurs who believe that business is what God has called them to, and within that calling they seek to provide a good product, be fair to their employees (and their families), make a margin and be generous with their profits. Many of them go the second mile for their employees, helping them over rough spots in their personal lives, even when their productivity lags. Jesus seemed drawn to businesspeople. He mixed easily with tax collectors, joining them for an evening of conversation and dinner hosted by Matthew, a brand new follower of Jesus (Matt. 9:9-13). On another occasion, he invited himself to the home of Zacchaeus, another wealthy tax‑collector who turned on a dime, made restitution for his fraud and heard Jesus pronounce a blessing on his home (Luke 19:1‑9). Jesus and his entourage were supported in their itinerant ministry by a group of women who, as Luke is careful to note, did so out of their own income, in all likelihood self‑employed income (Luke 8:1‑3). Many of Jesus’ stories and parables have an entrepreneurial flavor. In one story, an entrepreneur gave various amounts of money to three individuals and sometime later called them to account (Matt. 25:14‑30). Two had doubled their money and were highly commended. The third had kept the money safe by burying it in the ground, but was soundly condemned for not having ventured. The first two saw opportunities and pursued them, while the third waited for a cloudless sky that never came. Businesspeople are God’s gift to the church just like janitors, musicians, teachers, ushers, food coordinators and youth sponsors. Often they have skills in planning, management, human resources, big-picture thinking and problem-solving that can add depth to the ministry of any congregation. The next time anyone negatively stereotypes entrepreneurs in the church, they should ask themselves some
Business skills in planning, management, human resources and big-picture thinking can add depth to the ministry of any congregation.
questions: • How many people in your church, including yourself, would have a job if there were no entrepreneurs? • What personal skills do the entrepreneurs in your church have that could enhance the work of your congregation? Don’t short‑change your church by marginalizing its entrepreneurs. After all, they are God’s gift to the church. And when you take an entrepreneur out for lunch, pick up the tab (that will really surprise them) and leave a generous tip. That will surprise them even more. ◆ Edwin Friesen is a stewardship consultant with Mennonite Foundation of Canada, His article is reprinted with permission from The Messenger, published by the Evangelical Mennonite Conference.
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Soundbites
Rubbing shoulders for God Business brings us into contact with countless people who will never likely darken the door of a church.... Every time we have contact with a customer, employee, competitor or supplier who make up the daily relational interaction of business, we have the opportunity to give them an impression about God. This happens as a result of how we interact with them in the various roles that we play with one another as we “do business.” We have the same opportunity as we relate to them as neighbors, relatives, friends or others we rub shoulders with simply by living in the world. — Buck Jacobs, Owner/CEO of Fruit, Much Fruit
Buy low, sell high? Usually God favors the people who try to do good. So, when you find the crowd is desperately trying to sell, help them
beings and indeed, in a sense, become more human. — Pope John Paul II
and buy. When you find that the crowd is desperately trying to buy, help them and sell. It usually works well. — Investment guru and legendary philanthropist Sir John Templeton, explaining how he made billions in the stock market
Idol check-up The difference between doing God’s will in the workplace and turning work into an idol is so small that you have to check yourself almost every day. We need to be in the Scriptures regularly and to have people to whom we are accountable. We need to be
Why we work Through work people not only transform nature, adapting it to their needs, but also achieve fulfillment as human
part of a church fellowship that calls us back to a focus on Jesus Christ. — Dennis Bakke, quoted in Why Work? Careers and Employment in Biblical Perspective
Price of principle More and more I have come to the conclusion that a principle isn’t a principle until it costs you money. — Advertising executive Bill Bernbach
“Classic” issue
Letters The cover of the latest Marketplace is a classic. I can not remember a picture which better shows the phenomenal juxtaposition of the traditional bucolic African rural life (although romanticized by me, I am sure) with the latest “cool” high tech cyber world.
Speaking of Ray Dirks, the photographer, much the same can be said for the rest of his photography and artwork in the magazine. But I hasten to also compliment you for the very pertinent and informative articles on a range of different topics. Ron Enns’s review of how food is a “football” between various global factors is brief, informative and ominous. Spencer Cowles’ presentation on micro‑enterprise is also very informative, though he does not say much about the role MEDA has played in its development. Art DeFehr, when he decides to retire, should turn to writing thrillers. More observations could be made, but probably the most unforgettable are the anecdotes on company communication in Roadside Stand. I especially like “Teamwork is a lot of people doing what I say.” I am inclined to say this is the best Marketplace yet, but my wife Freda insists that “they are all the best.” — Cal Redekop, Harrisonburg, Virginia
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Travel tips for business diplomats
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13. Watch your politics. Avoid expressing opinions about local issues, and don’t argue about North American politics. 14. Read a map. Everyone’s country is important to them. Learn the local geography and avoid insulting mistakes. 15. Dress up. In some countries casual dress is a sign of disrespect. Err on the side of more formal attire. 16. Take a local tour. Few things make a better impression than showing your interest in another country. ◆
ant to show your (and your country’s) best face when you travel? Here are some practical ideas abridged from a pamphlet produced by Business for Diplomatic Action, an organization founded by MEDA convention speaker Keith Reinhard. 1. You’ll never go wrong with a smile. It’s a worldwide equalizer. Impatience and rudeness are turnoffs everywhere. 2. Show your pride, but respect theirs. Go ahead and be proud of your country, and let them be proud of theirs. 3. Think big, but talk and act smaller. In many countries boasting is considered rude, and creates resentment. 4. It may be Greek, but try anyway. People love it when you try to speak their language, even if you make some flubs. 5. Be careful with your hands. Common North American gestures, like crossing your fingers or signaling “okay,” can mean something very different in other cultures. 6. Leave the slang at home. Our colloquial expressions may be meaningless (or worse) to others and may seem insensitive.
To see the complete text go to www.businessfordiplomaticaction.org
7. Listen at least as much as you talk. Show interest in their way of life. 8. Save the lectures. Judge not. Try to understand other viewpoints. 9. Think locally. Try to find topics that are important in the local popular culture, like their sports heroes or TV personalities. 10. Slow down. Not everyone eats, talks and moves as fast as we do — or appreciates instant solutions to problems. 11. Speak lower and slower. Match your volume and tone to theirs. Avoid loud, aggressive talk. 12. Your religion may not be theirs. Respect those who believe differently and who don’t know your Bible. In many cultures religion isn’t a subject for public discussion. 21
The Marketplace July August 2008
News
Popping the bubble of business start-ups
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cott Shane wants to poke holes in the prevailing view that people who start new companies are innovative job-creators laden with creativity and courage. Some are, but they are exceptions rather than the norm, he claims in his new book, The Illusions of Entrepreneurship (Yale University Press). Only “a small sliver” of new businesses actually deliver the vaunted new jobs and economic growth commonly attributed to entrepreneurship, he declares. It’s not that Shane is antibusiness. In fact, he’s professor of entrepreneurial studies at respected Case Western Reserve University. But he wants to deflate “entrepreneurial myths” and tame any wild expectations that start-ups lead to job-creating nirvana. Here are some of his “mind-clearing” findings (backed by 30 pages of research endnotes): • America is not as entrepreneurial as people think, and it’s becoming less so. The rate of self-employment has been declining for many decades. “For all the talk about how often Americans start businesses, we do it a lot less often than people in other countries,” says Shane, claiming that Peru, Uganda, Ecuador and Venezuela all have more than twice the start-up rate of the U.S. • Wealthier countries typically have lower rates of selfemployment because higher wages make it more expensive to own a business, in which case why not work for someone else. • Only a third of people who start a business get it up and running within seven years. Almost half (46 percent) The Marketplace July August 2008
that are still alive after five years are home-based. • Those who start new businesses don’t do so because they are bursting with innovative new ideas or because they plan to employ a lot of people. “Most people start businesses simply because they just don’t
a business to do what they’re already doing. And it doesn’t necessarily earn them more money. “The typical entrepreneur works more hours but earns less money than he would have earned had he worked for someone else,” Shane claims. • But the news isn’t all bad. Despite harder work and lower income, the self-employed report higher job satisfaction. “Entrepreneurship provides a very important nonfinancial benefit: it makes people happier.” According to Shane, the typical entrepreneur is not someone with extraordinary skills or hidden psychological
like working for someone else,” says Shane. • The media likes to feature dazzling new start-ups, but in reality most new businesses are in run-of-the-mill industries like construction or retail trade. “The typical start-up isn’t innovative...it produces the same products and services as existing businesses....” • That’s because people tend to start businesses in fields they already know. “Entrepreneurs don’t select industries because they are good for start-ups but rather because they know these industries and because it is easy to start businesses in them.” • A common denominator of people who start businesses is that they don’t like working for someone else. So they start 22
powers, but rather “a middleaged white guy who just wants to earn a living and doesn’t want to work for someone else.” Shane fears that prevailing erroneous views about entrepreneurs produce unsustainable hopes. “The myths about entrepreneurship are so strong that, as citizens, we have fashioned public policies around them,” he says. “Unfortunately, the truth is that entrepreneurship is not a panacea.... Making policy decisions on the basis of myths about the impact of start-ups leads to a lot of wasted resources ◆ and bad incentives.”
Leadership program has Anabaptist flavor Leadership training with an Anabaptist perspective will get underway in late September at Laurelville Mennonite Church Center, Mt. Pleasant, Pa. The two-session Valuesbased Leadership Program (Sept. 23-25 and Feb. 24-26) is geared to senior leaders from business, church‑related organizations and congregations who want to strengthen their
leadership abilities and impact. The program includes formal presentations, built‑in times for reflection, self‑assessment exercises, peer discussions, spiritual input and one‑on‑one mentoring. Organizers say what sets VBLP apart from other leadership training programs is its servant leadership perspective, grounded in participants’ faith,
MEDA hires new VP for marketing Jon Unger Brandt has joined MEDA as vice president of marketing & resource development. He will develop an overall marketing strategy that broadens MEDA’s focus beyond the Anabaptist community. In addition, he will be accountable for resource development, achieving financial targets for member donations and other contributions and investments. Unger Brandt will also expand MEDA’s image and exposure and enhance MEDA’s influence on key issues. “We are very happy to have Jon joining our team,” says president Allan Sauder. “MEDA is a leader and innovator in international development. Now, with the addition of Jon’s expertise, we intend to become known more broadly for the work we are doing to reduce poverty around the globe through business solutions.” For the past five years, Unger Brandt has been director of advancement with Eastern Mennonite Missions in Pennsylvania, leading the public relations, media and resource development teams. Media relations, graphic design, resource development, events
core values and life experiences. Resource leaders are: • Nelson Kraybill, president, Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary • Linford King, denominational minister, Mennonite
Church USA • Lee Schmucker, owner, Schmucker Training and Consulting • Rick Stiffney, president, Mennonite Health Service • Allon Lefever, entrepreneur and educator, Eastern Mennonite University • Erin Clymer, program director, Laurelville Mennonite Church Center The event comprises two sessions in September (“Leading from the Inside”) and February (“Leading and Empowering Others”) so that participants can use the time between to apply and test the lessons of the first session, discover what works and what doesn’t, and bring experiences and questions to the second session for resolution. For more information visit www.laurelville.org/vblp ◆
Jon Unger Brandt & church relations, database and IT have all been part of his role. “I am excited to have this opportunity to bring my skills to MEDA,” says Unger Brandt. “It is a privilege to be a part of MEDA’s mission in helping the poor around the world and sharing how our MEDA members make a difference in their own workplace.” He is a graduate of the University of Winnipeg and Red River College, also in Winnipeg, with an MBA from Taylor University in Indiana. He will be based in MEDA’s office in Lancaster, Penn. ◆ 23
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Pew? The Marketplace July August 2008
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