New Global Citizen - Fall 2014 by New Global Citizen

Fall 2014

8. MBAs Choose Toilets Over Stock Options

30. Are the United States and Russia Building a New Wall?

34. Net Impact is Breaking Boundaries to Repair the World

42. Jumpstart Your Career With Lean Method

52. Five Strategies for Effective Volunteer Alliances

Fall 2014 Editor In Chief Alicia Bonner Ness

Contributors Jailan Adly

Director, MBAs Without Borders

Executive Publisher

Rodrigo Soares

Key Client Manager, PYXERA Global

Amanda MacArthur

Amy Crumbliss

Senior Program Coordinator, PYXERA Global

Emma Boles

Global Communications Officer, SNV Netherlands Development Organisation

Chuck Montgomery

Senior Managing Attorney, MidAmerican Energy Company

Deirdre White

CEO, PYXERA Global

Liz Maw

CEO, Net Impact

Katie Levey

Director, Media Relations, PYXERA Global

Contact:

Mark Horoszowski

Co-founder, MovingWorlds.org

editor@newglobalcitizen.com

Deborah K. Holmes

Americas Director, Corporate Responsibility, EY

Maggie DeLorme

Program Manager, PYXERA Global

Susan Fowler

Author, Why Motivating People Doesn’t Work…and What Does

Design & Publication Manager Melissa Mattoon

Copy Editor Matt Clark

Published Daily At: www.newglobalcitizen.com

(202) 719-0656 @BeNewGlobal facebook.com/BeNewGlobal

Today’s world demands individuals and organizations prepared to thrive in a globally interconnected network of challenges and opportunities. Greater social awareness and innovative approaches have allowed us to cross borders and cultural boundaries to create shared value and understanding. The New Global Citizen chronicles the stories, strategies, and impact of innovative leadership and global engagement around the world. This publication seeks to capture the ground-level impact of these approaches, providing an avenue through which beneficiaries and implementers alike can showcase their impact. Today’s transformed and increasingly interconnected world has spurred a revolution, ushering in collaborative approaches that address complex challenges. The New Global Citizen elevates the ways in which individuals, corporations, and social enterprises champion a better future for our world.

THIS IS THE WORLD OF THE NEW GLOBAL CITIZEN. THIS IS YOUR WORLD.

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The New Global Citizen | Fall 2014

CONTENTS 4

Inside the Issue EDITOR’S LETTER Ali c i a Bo n ner Ness

Features 26

C h u c k M o n t g o m e ry

Comment

WHAT IS A GLOBAL CITIZEN, ANYWAY?

Ali c i a Bo n ner Ness

62 Book Excerpt

WHY MOTIVATING PEOPLE DOESN’T WORK…AND WHAT DOES Susan Fo wler

Around the World 8

TOILETS OVER STOCK OPTIONS

CAN PARTNERSHIP & TECHNOLOGY SAVE THE AMAZON?

JUMPSTART YOUR CAREER WITH LEAN METHOD M a rk Ho ro s z o w s k i

FIVE STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVE VOLUNTEER ALLIANCES D e bo ra h K . Ho l m e s

DEFINING “GOOD” DEVELOPMENT M a g g i e D e L o rm e

Happenings 30

SUSTAINABLE SHRIMP FARMING IN VIETNAM’S MANGROVE FORESTS Em m a Bo les

ARE THE UNITED STATES AND RUSSIA BUILDING A NEW WALL? 2 5 t h An n i v e rs a ry o f t h e Fa l l o f t h e B e rl i n Wa l l

THE LONG ROAD TO PEACE IN COLOMBIA Am y C rumb liss

Liz Maw

TV WHITE SPACES WILL BRING MILLIONS ONLINE Me li ssa M attoon

THREE WAYS TO BREAK DOWN BARRIERS TO POSITIVE NET IMPACT

J ai lan Adl y

Ro dri g o S oares

PIONEERS ON THE FRONTIER OF CITIZEN DIPLOMACY

LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR AFRICA’S FUTURE GROWTH U .S .- Afri c a L e a d e rs S u m m i t

THE DANGER OF VICTORY LAPS

PARTNERSHIP IS THE FINEST FORM OF FLATTERY

U N We e k 2 0 1 4

C o m m i t ! Fo ru m

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The New Global Citizen | Fall 2014

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

You’re More Like a Tree Than You Think

his fall, I visited New England just at the peak of the fall foliage season. Truly a sight to behold, this fall the colors were even brighter than usual. A local revealed that an early freeze, followed by a period of warmth, had yielded a remarkable expression of red, orange, yellow, and gold. As I drove through the splendor of the season, I reflected that, in some ways, humans are not unlike trees, a comparison that might seem humorous at first, but, upon reflection, showed itself to be remarkably true. We are each creatures of our environment, shaped by the people, ideas, and endeavors we encounter every day. And then, a shock to the system, an unexpected experience—either good or bad—yields an understanding that, once gained, cannot be unlearned. Over the course of a lifetime our perspective is colored and enriched by these experiences. Over the past months, the Ebola outbreak has cast a pall on world events. The Islamic State in the Levant has gained power and ground, with no apparent means available to counteract this malicious force. In a world full of threats, it is natural to want to turn inward, to seek isolation, to preserve the status quo. Yet, in a globalized world, isolation cannot address the challenges at hand. By embracing mindfulness and prudent

curiosity, we each have an opportunity to foster understanding and connectedness that can leave each of us changed by the experience. This fall issue is full of inspiring innovations, including how business is supporting the sanitation industry in Ghana, Uganda, and Zambia, how technology is aiding effective forest management in Brazil, how traditional shrimp farming practices are transforming the fishing industry in Vietnam, and how underutilized TV broadcast frequencies are being used to bring Africa online. It’s also ripe with lessons learned in volunteerism, personal leadership, citizen diplomacy, and international development as well as provocative reflections on recent events, including the UN General Assembly, Commit!Forum, the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, and the forthcoming 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. In a world full of bad news, there is plenty of room for doubt. Instead, these pages offer great cause for hope in the personal transformation that is in progress, with more still to come.

Alicia Bonner Ness Editor in Chief

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The New Global Citizen | Fall 2014

COMMENT

What is a Global Citizen, Anyway? Alicia Bonner Ness

his September, 50,000 people gathered on Central Park’s Great Lawn in New York City for arguably the best concert of the year. The 3rd Global Citizen Festival featured Beyonce, JAY Z, No Doubt, Sting, Carrie Underwood, and the Roots, alongside 15 national leaders—in town for UN Week—and close to 100 other celebrities. Their mission: end extreme poverty. The Global Citizen festival is an initiative of the Global Poverty Project (GPP) that seeks to “grow the number and effectiveness of Global Citizens to achieve the public, business, and political commitment and action to end extreme poverty” by 2030. GPP and the Global Citizen Festival are not alone in this pursuit. The World Bank, the UN Foundation, and several other organizations are allied with this target date in mind. What is unique about the Global Citizen campaign is its insistence that such efforts are principally oriented around justice, and a need for countries and corporations to pledge more dollars in aid to bring about this end. While I enthusiastically endorse all efforts to end poverty, I can’t help but notice that this campaign exposes two fundamental

flaws in its construct. First, the campaign suggests that the answer to extreme poverty is a call for more of what has, heretofore, been largely ineffective: aid. For over 50 years, with the best of intentions, national aid agencies and multilateral organizations, like the World Bank, have poured billions into aid, and yet billions continue to live below the poverty line, lack access to clean water, and die from easily curable disease. Can the right answer actually be “more of the same”? More problematically, however, the Global Citizen campaign confuses outrage over the injustice of extreme poverty with the notion of global citizenship. The campaign seeks to promote a culture of clicktivism that rewards online actions with tickets to Usher, instead of promoting a culture of good citizenship that endorses respectful curiosity for all people of the world. It’s unclear whether the 1.75 million actions taken by 250,000 “global citizens” were primarily motivated by a quest for justice or an opportunity to get up close and personal with JAY Z. The world is almost certainly better off for having 250,000 people who

The New Global Citizen | Fall 2014

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are more aware of the great development challenges facing our vided by their state. In today’s increasingly interconnected world, world, but I fear the campaign’s information may not be as well- the protections and privileges of the state have, in many ways, researched as one might hope. been surpassed by the cohesion of the masses. In March of 2013, For example, the page celebrating the countless pledges made another group, The Global Citizen’s Initiative, or TGCI, launched from the stage during the concert on September 27 sought to draw the Amherst Declaration on Global Citizenship, which identifies attention to the absence of sanitation infrastructure in much of the eight values a global citizen should hold. the world. The author claimed that “30 million people in Nepal This publication seeks to build on that foundation, providing a currently defecate in the open.” Upon reading this citation, I won- portal through which everyday people can better understand the dered at the number, thinking it quite high for a small country, like ideal of global citizenship not just as a hypothetical construct but Nepal. Indeed, further inquiry showed Nepal’s current population as a useful guide that informs our ability to engage appropriately, to be approximately 27 million, and the number of visitors to be purposefully, and globally every day. close to 800,000 each year. This would suggest that Nepal is a This world view is not about fostering a culture of clicktivcountry entirely devoid of sanitation infrastructure in which all ism, but about changing how things are done, and telling the people are forced to relieve themselves in public. This is clearly stories of those who are willing to lead the way in thinking and not the case, and such hyperbole could likely lead to outrage in acting differently. It requires adopting an individual mandate to quite another way. be good citizens who embrace and celebrate the opportunity to I didn’t take the time to verify every other number quoted on connect with and learn from one another, to be curious about the page, but I wondered at the use of the languages, cultures, and histories information without citation. While I did of those around us. Individual mind-set, find this particular error unfortunate, manifested as personal leadership, is the fundamental issue lies in the use the most fundamental way each person Listening means discovering of inflammatory information—both true on earth can contribute to transforming more impact, hearing (and and exaggerated—to convince people the global status quo. that the “net profits” of their $27 purIn his 2012 TED talk, Ernesto Sirolli, sharing) more stories, chase of a T-shirt, two bracelets, a USB the founder of The Sirolli Institute, sugamplifying the incredible keychain, a door sign, and a Global gests that there is only one way to actudifference global engagement Citizen sticker pack can meaningfully ally do this: “shut up and listen.” Liscan make—both when we do it affect the injustice of extreme poverty. tening means discovering more impact, right, and when we do it wrong. On the other side of the globe, anhearing (and sharing) more stories, amother group of visionaries undertook a plifying the incredible difference global similarly confusing endeavor. Based in engagement can make—both when we Dubai, UAE, Global Citizen magazine is do it right, and when we do it wrong. “a bi-monthly title that provides readers with a wealth of articles So much becomes possible if we can better understand how incovering investment opportunities and destinations, real estate novative and impactful approaches are changing the way people trends, entrepreneurial profiles, philanthropy, and challenges are empowered to define their own lives and livelihoods in the facing the region’s leading business leaders.” It also features “an far-reaching corners of the world. impressive lifestyle section focusing on everything from the arts In this worldview, xenophobia, as much as poverty, is a destrucand travel to luxury cars, male grooming and fashion, gadgets, tive adversary that must be eradicated. What’s more, a skin-deep and dining out.” The cover of each issue to date has featured an understanding is little better. Awareness isn’t actually helpful A-list celebrity, including Jimmy Carter, George Clooney, Jon Hamm, unless it drives a change in perspective and understanding that Angelina Jolie, Matthew McConaughey, and Oprah Winfrey. While ultimately changes behavior. one must admire their marketing panache, are we supposed to As global citizens actively choosing to continue our growth believe that the definition of a “global citizen” is an ultra-wealthy along a spectrum of global engagement, it is our responsibility to man or woman? I should hope not. bring others along, to see one, do one, and teach one. In both cases, the notion of global citizenship has been coWhat will you do today to help someone you know start their opted as a symbol of status, rather than a way of being. journey, to listen to others, to share their story, to discover their For centuries, citizenship has been a designation of political world? rights; individuals had responsibilities as citizens, often designated This is the world of the new global citizen. This is your world. in a nation’s constitution, and in turn, enjoyed protections pro-

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The New Global Citizen | Fall 2014

AROUND THE WORLD

STOCK OPTIONS Jailan Adly

his summer, four MBAs packed their bags and headed off to Kenya, Ghana, Zambia, and Uganda to work on water, hygiene, and sanitation related issues (collectively known as WASH) as MBAs Without Borders Advisors. Why would four talented business professionals leave the comfort of home and corporate job opportunities to go work in the toilet business? To be honest, I didn’t fully understand the business potential of sanitation myself until last spring when I attended the “Unclogging Blockages in Sanitation” conference in Kampala, Uganda. According to the World Health Organization, more than 2.5 billion people worldwide live without access to basic sanitation facilities, and one billion practice open defecation, contributing to contamination and disease. This population—25 percent of the world—represents a massive global market with tremendous profit potential. Sanitation and water problems are multifaceted and often require locally-driven, multidimensional solutions. Organizations like Water for People and Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP) are spearheading efforts to bring such solutions to market. Three months after I left the conference in Uganda, MBAs Without Borders was on the hunt for four talented MBAs to support WSUP and Water for People’s work. Jeff Walcott had just completed his MBA after what he dubbed “an early mid-life crisis.” Jeff was expanding marketing operations for a large corporation in New York and living what many people would consider to be “the dream.” But Jeff wanted to do more. Jeff knew that business could be harnessed to solve the world’s most complex challenges and, being an entrepreneur at heart, he was interested in using creativity and business to develop solutions to problems. “Despite the fact that I had a comfortable job, a career trajectory, and even qualified for a pension—a rarity for young professionals now—I couldn’t shake the feeling that by going to work every morning I was part of the problem and not the solution. I longed to work for an organization that successfully combined profitability and optimal well-being for the populations it served.” Determined to make a change, Jeff left his job to pursue an MBA focused on entrepreneurship. Now, four years after his mid-life crisis, Jeff is in Nairobi working with WSUP Enterprises to help define business models in four different markets that can provide communities with access to improved sanitation. He will spend

Why would four talented business professionals leave the comfort of home and corporate job opportunities to go work in the toilet business?

MBAS WITHOUT BORDERS ADVISORS USE BUSINESS TO BUILD SANITATION MARKETS IN AFRICA

the next six months traveling between Kenya, Ghana, Zambia, and Bangladesh. “As an MBAs Without Borders Advisor, I’m happy to be part of a new approach to improving lives, one that empowers consumers by providing market-based choices to help solve their challenges. Through this role, my passion for social entrepreneurship has converged with my ability to fully execute on business ideas. This experience will undoubtedly be one that transforms and defines my personal and professional life for years to come.” For Mikael Baker, working in sanitation was an obvious next step. Mikael spent much of his youth in Botswana, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, and Tanzania where he witnessed countless failures of traPhoto: Water for People

ditional development initiatives. As a result, he became interested in how social enterprises could be used to disrupt and transform the existing development paradigm. While completing his MBA, Mikael attended a Net Impact event and was thrilled to encounter a large network of like-minded individuals with common values and goals. He joined the board of the DC Net Impact Professional Chapter, which brought him to the 2012 Net Impact Conference in Baltimore and ultimately to MBAs Without Borders. Following his MBA, Mikael worked with University Research Co, joining the Translating Research into Action (TRAction) project. TRAction guides research on how to effectively scale existing

WATER FOR PEOPLE UGANDA IS TACKLING SANITATION CHALLENGES BY UTILIZING THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO MANAGE WATER SYSTEMS.

interventions in WASH, clean cookstoves, food security, malaria, and maternal health. His work with TRAction led him to work with WASH experts on the viability of sanitation as a business, fueling his interest in this critical sector. Mikael had a strong desire to return to Africa but wanted to do so in a manner that was impactful—he just needed the right opportunity. Since his first introduction to MBAs Without Borders in 2012, Mikael had gotten into the habit of checking the MBAs Without Borders opportunities page. When a position supporting Water for People, a global NGO focused on increasing access to clean water and improved sanitation in emerging markets opened up, Mikael seized the opportunity. Water for People is launching a pilot aimed to support sanitation enterprises in Uganda and was looking for an MBAs Without Borders Advisor to help support its development. “My desire to contribute to economic development in Africa and my sense of adventure prompted me to look for a career move that would take me back to Africa, even if only on

a short-term basis,” said Mikael. “I decided I would devote my energy to tackling sanitation challenges if given the opportunity. The sector is ripe for innovation, and I want to help bring innovation to scale because of the social and economic impact that will follow.” Now, Mikael will spend the next year in Uganda working with Water for People to launch Sanitation Solutions Group. The position will enable him to develop a robust and well-rounded understanding of social enterprise in emerging markets as he helps build a new social business sector, launch and scale a startup social enterprise, pursue investment opportunities, and develop business plans with micro-entrepreneurs. Krystal Kovalik, an INSEAD graduate and selfdescribed “frugal innovator” is working as an MBAs Without Borders Advisor with Clean Team Ghana. Clean Team’s innovative business model enables consumers whose homes are not served by municipal sewage systems to rent portable, private toilets. Clean Team collects the refuse several times per week and is working toward Photo: Water for People

The New Global Citizen | Fall 2014 turning it into energy, fulfilling one of society’s most basic needs—sanitation—with the bonus of a positive by-product. The idea of going to Kenya, Ghana, Zambia, or Uganda for six to 12 months sounds fascinating to most people I speak with, but having the guts to actually get on the plane is much more difficult than it sounds. Effectively addressing a serious health challenge in what may be the world’s most unglamorous sector takes a whole new level of courage. The work might be dirty, but the potential for impact is enormous, so much so that The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation allocates almost $80 million a year to address WASH-related issues. Addressing sanitation would not only improve the health and safety of more than 40 percent of the world’s population, it also creates the opportunity to foster viable local businesses to help those communities thrive and prosper. MBAs Without Borders Advisors may have diverse and varied back-

ELISHA, A CLEAN TEAM WASTE COLLECTOR, REMOVES WASTE CARTRIDGES OF PARTICIPATING HOUSEHOLDS TWO TO FOUR TIMES A WEEK.

Photos: Clean Team

grounds, skills, and interests, but they often share a few critical characteristics—courage to forge into the unknown, resilience to bounce back from failure, and the awareness to understand that global connectedness is key to our collective progress. Khadija Jiwani, like Jeff, Mikael, and Krystal, was drawn to MBAs Without Borders because of her belief in the power of business to drive change, and her unquenchable entrepreneurial spirit. It was her sense of adventure, grit, and tenacity that gave her the courage to accept the offer, pack her bags, and move to Zambia—one of the world’s fastest economically reforming countries—for the next year. “Routine. Just the thought alone makes me squirm. There is a thrill in the unexpected and, as it turns out, I have a keen ability to adapt quickly to changing environments, to thrive in chaos and ambiguity,” said Khadija. “For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been drawn towards the next new challenge or adventure.”

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The New Global Citizen | Fall 2014

AROUND THE WORLD

C an Pa rt n e r sh i p a nd Te chn o l o g y S a v e t he Am a z o n ?

IBM AND THE NATURE CONSERVANCY PARTNER TO TRACK DEFORESTATION IN THE AMAZON

The New Global Citizen | Fall 2014

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Rodrigo S oares

n May of 2014, I had the opportunity to visit BelĂŠm, Brazil, to learn from the public and social sectors how the Brazilian government is addressing deforestation in rural, privatelyowned lands in the Amazon. As a Brazilian, deforestation in this region has loomed over the political and public discourse of my home country for as long as I can remember. Fueled by a multitude of social and market forces, Brazil alone has cleared more than 153,000 square miles of Amazon rainforest since the early 1990s. However, after an especially destructive year in 2004 and due in part to new political leadership, deforestation rates in Brazil actually began to fall. For the first time in my life, I felt hopeful that the Brazilian government was working to monitor and curtail this dire problem. Unfortunately, my optimism was short-lived. In 2013, deforestation increased by 33 percent, reversing part of the progress that had been made over the previous decade. Economic expansion in emerging and developed markets alike has motivated agribusinesses to clear huge areas of the Amazon to meet a growing global demand for commodities like soybeans, beef, and timber. According to The Nature Conservancy (TNC), every 15 minutes, an area of Brazilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Amazon rainforest larger than 200 football fields is destroyed. Close to 20 percent of the Amazon has been cut down in the past 40 years, and scientists predict another 20 percent of the trees will be lost in the next 20 years. In spite of these ongoing, devastating losses to this crucial biome, there is some cause for hope. In 2012, the Brazilian government revised its Forest Code, requiring the registration

20% Close to 20 percent of the Amazon has been cut down in the past 4 0 y e a r s , a n d s c i e n t i s t s p re d i c t a n o t h e r 2 0 p e rc e n t o f t h e t re e s will be los t in the n e xt 20 years.

Photo: Haroldo Palo Jr.

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The New Global Citizen | Fall 2014

of all private lands in a land registry system called SiCar, which the IBM team is enhancing the features of the TNC’s Municipal will enable local governments to collect environmental informa- Environmental Portal (PAM), a web-based portal that has been tion and assess the state of deforestation on private property piloted in a number of Brazilian municipalities to assess land in the region. According to TNC, “The new Forest Code is one use and compliance with Brazil’s revised Forest Code. The IBM of the most important advances in environmental management CSC team is working with TNC to enhance the portal’s capabiliin Brazil in the past 50 years. It ties and its integration with other is revolutionary because local government databases and is depublic authorities will be able to veloping a road map for TNC to The rainforest plays a key role in regulating attribute deforestation to indiintroduce the portal to municithe earth’s climate, and is home to onevidual rural property owners and palities throughout the Amazon third of the planet’s biodiversity and at identify those who are managRiver Basin. least one-fifth of its fresh water production. ing their lands in a sustainable This project is closely aligned fashion.” with the Brazilian government’s As such, it is no surprise that the Amazon Earlier this year, IBM’s Corgoal of decentralizing environrainforest has been deemed “the most porate Service Corps (CSC) partmental management, as state critical place for human survival.” nered with TNC in Pará state, in governments have been largely Northern Brazil to support the unsuccessful at monitoring pricapacity of municipalities in the vate lands at a local level. By Brazilian Amazon to enforce the revised Forest Code. Through building the capacity of the local municipal governments to this collaboration, a team of 10 IBM pro bono consultants from perform environmental management, the IBM team will play an across the globe worked with TNC in Belém, Pará to help local important role in ensuring the revised Forest Code’s impact is municipalities effectively establish land-ownership records, effectively realized. According to TNC, “The focus should be buildmonitor land use, and prevent illegal deforestation. Principally, ing the capacity of local municipalities with technologies such

Economic expansion in emerging and developed markets alike has motivated agribusinesses to clear huge areas of the Amazon to meet a growing global demand for commodities like beef, soybeans, and timber.

Photo: Erik Lopes

as the Municipal Environmental Portal, which will enable local governments to update the state government on a more accurate and regular basis.” IBM has embraced the opportunity to support such an important and impactful project, which aligns closely with the company’s corporate objectives. “This partnership with The Nature Conservancy provides an opportunity for IBM to exert environmental leadership on the ground that will balance the need for economic growth with the need to provide sustainable performance in the environmental space,” said Stanley Litow, the Vice President for Corporate Affairs who oversees the CSC program. Mechanisms for monitoring deforestation and implementing preventative measures depend heavily on the effective use of technology. Major investments in tools like PAM and SiCar are building a strong foundation for future initiatives. The partnership between IBM and TNC can serve as a model for other countries across the globe seeking to effectively leverage technology to address deforestation issues. Additionally, further investments that allow these tools to be integrated with other state databases will enable their use across the country, ensuring long-term success. The partnership between IBM, TNC, and the local Brazilian municipalities is also a reminder that, like any complex global challenge, the fight to preserve the Amazon rainforest is not just the sole responsibility of a single government, corporation, or NGO. “We can’t solve these big problems unless we have governments working with business, working with NGOs. It takes all three to be successful,” said Henry M. Paulson Jr., the former U.S. Treasury Secretary and co-chairman of the Latin American Conservation Council. Deforestation of the Amazon has significant environmental implications, Photos: Erik Lopes

FARMERS FROM SÃO FÉLIX DO XINGU, A MUNICIPALITY IN THE STATE OF PARÁ IN THE NORTHERN REGION OF BRAZIL

not just the for the hundreds of millions of people who inhabit the eight countries containing the 2.7 million square miles of Amazon rainforest, but for everyone in the world. The rainforest plays a key role in regulating the earth’s climate, and is home to one-third of the planet’s biodiversity and at least onefifth of its fresh water production. As such, it is no surprise that TNC has deemed the

Amazon rainforest “the most critical place for human survival.” The collaboration between IBM and TNC is a small step towards addressing this enormous challenge. With luck, it can inspire more partnerships that leverage the innovative technologies required to achieve large-scale conservation, protecting both the health of the Amazon and the health of the planet for years to come.

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The New Global Citizen | Fall 2014

AROUND THE WORLD

TV White Spaces Will Bring Millions Online Microsoft 4Afrika Fosters African Competitiveness through Affordable Access, Innovation, and World-Class Skills

Melissa Mattoon

Microsoft 4Afrika is a $70 million initiative designed to help improve Africa’s global competitiveness by bringing smart devices, connectivity, and technology training to African entrepreneurs, youth, developers, and graduates by 2016. The Initiative focuses on three critical areas: access, innovation, and world-class skills.

n a bright yellow shipping container nearly 140 miles from Nairobi, Kenya, a rural community is finally connected to the information highway. The container is actually a solar-powered internet café called ‘Mawingu’—which is Kiswahili for ‘cloud.’ The café leverages Microsoft’s stateof-the-art technology to provide broadband internet access to local teachers, farmers, and merchants in a community formerly without internet or even electricity. The shop, managed by the tech-savvy Benson Maina, is part of the Mawingu White Spaces Broadband Project, a pilot project of the Microsoft 4Afrika Initiative that is testing the commercial viability of low-cost hubs to provide internet access and technological services to rural communities in Africa. As of its launch in November 2013, Maina’s shop has seen enormous success. Much of this success can be attributed to the container’s use of solar power and

TV white spaces to deliver affordable broadband access to an area currently off the grid. Recognizing that access to low-cost, high-speed broadband is critical to closing Africa’s opportunity gap, Microsoft has made internet access through TV whitespace broadband one of the three pillars of the Microsoft 4Afrika Initiative. “Living here for the last 10 years, I have seen people suffering. If I wanted to know about something in high school, I had to buy a newspaper, but I didn’t have money,” Maina said. “Mawingu has had a huge impact on the community already. Having access to internet and technology is life-changing—and it’s the way to alleviate poverty. People in the area will begin having incomes as a result of information obtained from the internet. In a few years, this area will be different than the rest of the country; we will be icons for what’s to come.”

For tech giant Microsoft, investing in individuals like Benson Maina is not just a corporate responsibility priority, it’s good business. By providing access to technology, particularly cloud services and smart devices, Microsoft hopes to foster employment and African competitiveness while securing its market position for years to come. Maina’s shop is the first in what will hopefully become a network of other containers across Kenya, and eventually Africa, that are creating new opportunities for commerce, employment, and education. At a high level, ‘TV white spaces’ refers to the unused broadcasting frequencies, typically used for television transmission, that exist in the wireless spectrum. These frequencies are also suitable for delivering affordable broadband access to rural communities because they are able to travel over longer distances and penetrate more obstacles than other types of radio signals.

Benson Maina holds a TV white spaces an tenna in front of the Mawingu White Spaces Broadband pilot container near Nanyuki, Kenya. The café leverages white space technology to provide broadband internet access to a community formerly without internet or even electricity. Typical home wi-fi can only travel through two walls, but white space broadband can travel over six miles, through fields of crops, concrete buildings, and other barriers. Tablets, phones, and computers can all connect to this wireless network through fixed or portable power stations like Maina’s shop. The feasibility of the white space technology has already been seen in over a dozen trials that have taken place from remote villages in Africa to the dense urban centers of Singapore, and college campuses in the United States. Microsoft hopes that the success of the Mawingu project in Kenya and similar pilots in South Africa, Namibia, Tanzania, and Ghana will encourage other African governments to implement the regulatory changes needed to allow this type Photo: Georgina Goodwin

By providing access to technology, particularly cloud services and smart devices, Microsoft hopes to foster employment and African competitiveness while securing its market position for years to come.

of technology to be expanded across the continent. “It is going to significantly increase the ability for innovation and the great ideas that Africans have to actually reach markets and become available for use by consumers... . I think that there is a fantastic opportunity for Africa to showcase its own capabilities in the world because of the increased access,” said Fernando de Sousa, General Manager of Microsoft Africa Initiatives. The economic impact of the Mawingu White Spaces Broadband Project has already been seen with many of Maina’s first customers, including farmers, small business owners, students, and individuals seeking job opportunities. Diana, an unemployed teacher, used the broadband access at the Mawingu shop to research

Students at a school near Nanyuki, Kenya, use a tablet connected to the internet by white space broadband. These frequencies are ideal for delivering broadband access to rural areas because they are able to travel over longer distances and penetrate more obstacles than other types of radio signals.

and apply for teaching opportunities online, ultimately leading to the teaching position she now holds at Doldol Secondary School. Another customer, Steven, went to the Mawingu shop seeking information on computer software and now operates a successful business installing and repairing commercial and residential software in neighboring towns.

This technology has the potential to deliver on the promise of universal and affordable high-speed wireless broadband for Africa, and we are proud and humbled to be part of this important effort.

It is anticipated that shops like Maina’s will eventually act not only as centers for individuals to gain access to critical information and knowledge, but will also serve as hubs for commerce, transforming the inefficient and expensive traditional marketplace. The Mawingu shop hopes to offer merchants the opportunity to attract a client base, grow awareness, connect business partners, and develop cooperatives online. The internet access provided at the centers will create efficiencies in the production of goods and will help connect products to new markets. Supporting the development of rural Africa’s broadband infrastructure couples the company’s commitment to social impact with its commercial interests. Having operated in Africa for over 20 years, Microsoft is keenly aware of the enormous market potential; the continent is home to more than one billion people and 16 of

the world’s 30 fastest-growing economies. Yet Africa also has the lowest penetration of network connectivity. Only 20 percent of the African population is expected to have internet access by the end of 2014. “Microsoft was built on the idea that technology should be accessible and affordable to the masses, and to date, this promise has remained unfulfilled in Africa,” said Louis Otieno, Legal and Corporate Affairs Director for Africa Initiatives at Microsoft. “This technology has the potential to deliver on the promise of universal and affordable high-speed wireless broadband for Africa, and we are proud and humbled to be part of this important effort.” As a result of white space broadband, an individual’s birthplace will no longer determine her ability to access a world of information, a disruptive innovation that has the power to reshape the continent.

IBM Corporate Service Corps: Creating leaders IBM Corporate Service Corps (CSC) sends teams of some of our most talented employees to provide pro bono counsel to countries in the developing world that are grappling with issues that intersect business, technology, and society. As of spring 2014:

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“... It’s the best program I know of to experience personal and professional growth on such a large scale in only a few short weeks.” — CSC participant

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For more information, visit: ibm.com/corporateservicecorps © Copyright IBM Corporation 2014. IBM, the IBM logo and ibm.com are trademarks of International Business Machines Corp., registered in many jurisdictions worldwide. Other product and service names might be trademarks of IBM or other companies. A current list of IBM trademarks is available on the Web at “Copyright and trademark information” at www.ibm.com/legal/copytrade.

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THE LONG ROAD TO PEACE IN COLOMBIA C o l o m b ia’s Gove rnme nt A ids D em obiliz ed Com ba t a n t Rein t eg ra ti o n Amy Cr umbliss

n September 24, 2014, Cristina, a former Colombian guerrilla, experienced the ultimate act of absolution. In an audience with Pope Francis, Cristina asked forgiveness on behalf of all of her comrades for the years of pain they have caused her country. Cristina is one of hundreds of thousands of Colombians who have fought in the country’s half-century-long civil war that has left over 200,000 dead and pushed approximately five million Colombians from their homes. But, like many others, Cristina chose to abandon this life of violence. In 2006, Cristina laid down her arms and began the long road of reintegration that led her to receive the Pope’s pardon. Colombia’s president, Juan Manuel Santos, is currently in treaty negotiations with the FARC—the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia—bringing the country the closest to peace it has been in the past 50 years. But peace isn’t the only hurdle. If an agreement is reached, the country will face the subsequent challenge of how to manage the simultaneous demobilization of tens of thousands of combatants, some of whom have spent their entire lives as guerillas.

FORGING A PATHWAY TO COMBATANT REINTEGRATION The Colombian Agency for Reintegration (ACR) believes it has the answer. This government entity, which reports directly to the Presidency of the Republic of Colombia, is tasked with coordinating and executing the social and economic reintegration of demo-

bilized people from organized illegal armed groups. Confident in his agency’s ability to successfully reintegrate former combatants, former ACR Director Alejandro Eder boasted that the ACR could double the number of demobilized combatants it currently mentors. In an interview with the BBC, he further articulated that they have an “emergency reaction plan” and are ready to receive up to 40,000 ex-combatants. Such is the faith Eder has in the innovative model of his agency. Colombia is on the frontier of former combatant reintegration. Decades of armed conflict have provided the ACR with ample opportunity to learn what works and what does not. The model developed and employed by the ACR today has drawn international attention. It is comprehensive, multi-dimensional, and personalized. Demobilization involves each combatant entering a program customized for the individual by a reintegration advisor who provides accompaniment and support during the lengthy community reentry process. The unique path is personalized based on the specific needs and goals of the individual. The ACR’s model is comprised of eight dimensions: personal, productivity, family, habitability, health care, educational, citizenship, and security. Each dimension is broken down into specific steps, such as psychosocial care for the demobilized person and their family, access to education and training programs, provision of healthcare services, business development and employment support, education about the duties and rights of citizens, and financial provisions. The ACR employs this multiPhoto: Policía Nacional de los Colombianos | CC BY-SA 2.0

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AROUND THE WORLD dimensional method in order to address all aspects of a person’s life, to ensure that the demobilized individual will be holistically reintegrated into society. The organization contends that it is not sufficient to provide a monetary stipend and a job. Persons in the reintegration process receive training in skills that allow them to pursue constructive projects as well as the personal support to ensure those projects become a sustainable foothold to keep them out of illicit activities. The average duration of the reintegration process is six and a half years per person, though this varies significantly from person to person based on individual needs. In most cases, individuals abandon their affiliation with guerrilla groups with very little to no education and no skills that could lead to gainful employment. Some individuals even lack knowledge of common, everyday tasks. According to Eder, even the most basic conventions of society must be learned: “You have to teach people how to stand in line at the bank, and how to pay [in a shop] because when you have an AK-47 slung over your shoulder, nobody wants to charge you.” As a result, the road to becoming a productive, law-abiding citizen can be a rather long one.

MOVING FROM REINSERTION TO HOLISTIC REINTEGRATION The ACR was the first agency of its kind in the world tasked solely with former illegal combatant reintegration, so it has had to employ a learn-by-doing approach to the process rather than looking to similar organizations in other countries as a guide. The origins of the ACR date back to 2003 when the Program for Reincorporation to Civilian Life (PRVC) was created under the Ministry of Interior and Justice. The PRVC’s focus was reinsertion—an 18month long process that sought to prepare people for their return to civilian life through psycho-social support, health care, education, and financial assistance. The collective demobilization of 30,000 combatants in 2006

forced the government to reassess its reinsertion program. While the model it was employing was efficient and well-managed, it lacked a holistic approach to reintegrating former combatants that accounted for external social factors such as family support networks and employment opportunities. Instead of a short-term assistance-focused approach, the ACR determined that it needed a more long-term, sustainable strategy. Demonstrating its commitment to effective reintegration, the government created a specialized unit named the High Presidential Council for the Reintegration of Individuals and Armed Groups. Under this new agency, the aim switched from reinsertion to holistic reintegration and the active participation of society in the process of reintegrating former combatants into civilian life. In 2010, the Council was renamed the Colombian Agency for Reintegration and placed directly under the President.

CREATING A CULTURE OF RECONCILIATION The ACR has found that focusing on sustainable reintegration—instead of reinsertion—and adopting a multi-dimensional model is the most effective way to foster combatants’ conversion to productive, lawabiding citizens. Currently, more than 30,000 individuals are moving through the reintegration process and 76 percent are gainfully employed. To date, over 8,000 former combatants receiving ACR support have started an entrepreneurial activity with seed capital provided by the ACR. Probably the strongest indicator of the success of the ACR’s model is the recidivism rate. As of January 2013, a meager one percent of people undergoing or having undergone reintegration returned to an illegal armed group, and only one in four participants reverted back to criminal activity. That number may seem high, but considering the recidivism rate of individuals who have served time in the Colombian criminal justice system is 70 percent (comparable to

criminal recidivism in the United States), a recidivism rate of 25 percent is highly favorable and speaks to the success of the ACR’s model in helping former combatants remain peaceful, law-abiding citizens. Despite the ACR’s success, challenges still persist, and much remains to be done. “The reintegration we are doing well, because there are already more than 20,000 people that are demobilized and legally working,” said Eder. “The biggest challenge now,” he added, “is eliminating the apathy and rejection shown towards this population.” Cristina, describing the day she met Pope Francis, noted that her fear of rejection was one of the first hurdles she had to overcome as a former combatant. Demobilized individuals carry a negative stigma in society, causing neighbors to distrust them and businesses to reject their applications for employment, two factors that are pivotal to the success of the ACR’s reintegration model. Reintegration, much like peace, requires the involvement of all members of society—not just the government. This is a significant demand of a society terrorized by decades of violence that has destroyed lives and shattered communities. Bitterness and demands for retribution continue to permeate Colombian society, but more and more people are joining those allied towards forgiveness and reintegration. On the day of her audience with the Pope, Cristina was joined by Sandra, a victim of illegal armed conflict who has survived kidnapping, torture, and the loss of her husband and son at the hands of guerillas. If anyone has a right to seek revenge, it is Sandra. Instead, she has chosen to forgive. Today, Sandra employs former combatants and leads reconciliation activities in her community. Only when more people like Sandra raise their voices for change will society forgo vengeance for forgiveness, enabling reconciliation and sustained peace to come to Colombia at last.

S USTA I NA BLE S HR I MP FA R M I NG IN V I E T NA M ’ S M ANG R O V E F O R E ST S Emma Boles

n the humid pre-dawn darkness of southern Vietnam’s mangrove deltas, Van Cong To is hard at work hauling nets to harvest shrimp for the world’s markets. Before the early morning light tints the estuaries of Cà Mau province, Van and his wife and child will have sorted 50 kilograms of shrimp for delivery to a nearby seafood processing plant. There, Van’s shrimp will be graded, frozen, and packed for export all over the globe. The profitability of shrimp exports in recent years encouraged Van and thousands of other farmers in the deltas of Cà Mau, Vietnam, to convert from rice farming to intensive shrimp aquaculture—the fastest-growing food source globally. Cà Mau is home to half of Vietnam’s shrimp production, an export industry worth $3.1 billion in 2013 alone. Van’s family, like many others, depends upon shrimp farming for their livelihood. However, over the past 15 years, more and more of their shrimp have been dying from disease.

Mangroves Support a Vital Ecosystem Mangrove forest is the natural habitat and breeding ground of shrimp—providing wild feedstock, organic waste for food and

shade, and root structures for shelter. In response to the rising global demand for shrimp over the past three decades, over half of Vietnam’s natural mangrove forest has been cleared to accommodate shrimp aquaculture ponds. Due to rapid expansion and insufficient environmental standards, the deltas of Cà Mau are now pockmarked with failed shrimp ponds, abandoned because of high costs and decreasing returns due to erosion, pollution, and shrimp disease. The development of shrimp aquaculture in Vietnam has come at the expense of the mangrove environment—reducing incomes and increasing the vulnerability of the livelihood of Van and others. Mangroves are integral to natural ecosystems, protecting against tidal waves and storm surges, and providing vital fish nursery grounds. They also function as blue carbon sinks. Blue carbon is carbon captured and stored by living coastal and marine organisms. The blue carbon that is locked away in coastal wetlands such as mangroves is critical to managing excess carbon in the atmosphere as it has extremely long residence times, potentially for millennia. Carbon sequestration—removing carbon from the atmosphere and storing it in vegetation

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AROUND THE WORLD SNV INTEGRATES SHRIMP AQUACULTURE WITH MANGROVE PROTECTION IN CÀ MAU, VIETNAM and soils—plays a critical role in managing global greenhouse gas emissions, thereby mitigating climate change. Changes in land use that disrupt ecosystems, such as mangrove deforestation, currently account for up to 20 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, which is second only to fossil fuel combustion. Removing mangroves releases the carbon stored in the trees and the excavation of the soil to create shrimp aquaculture ponds releases the carbon in the soil into the atmosphere. The global greenhouse gas emissions from the conversion of mangroves worldwide have been estimated as equivalent to the annual fossil fuel emissions of the United Kingdom.

Integrating Mangroves with Sustainable Shrimp Markets Increasingly, sustainability experts recognize the need for a new approach that preserves the critical environmental protection provided by the mangroves while also providing a sustainable basis for the shrimp farming industry. SNV Netherlands Development Organization has taken up this challenge with the Mangroves and

VAN’S FAMILY, LIKE MANY OTHERS IN THE REGION, DEPENDS UPON SHRIMP FARMING FOR THEIR LIVELIHOOD.

Markets (MAM) project to integrate ecologically sound shrimp aquaculture with the mangrove environment of Cà Mau—reversing mangrove loss and reducing carbon emissions. In alliance with shrimp importers, traders, and over 5,000 farmers, MAM provides training on breeding and marketing ecologically-certified shrimp, supports replanting and management of the mangrove forest, and mobilizes access for shrimp farmers to certified carbon markets and carbon financing. The MAM project utilizes a traditional shrimp farming model that integrates the farms into the mangrove ecosystems to reduce pollution and disease. These extensive, low-input shrimp farms require at least 50-percent mangrove cover and have much lower management costs than intensive farms. They are more sustainable for the small-scale shrimp farmers who make up the majority of shrimp producers. Van, who is a member of one of the 35 farmer groups that MAM works with, now supports the traditional farming approach for its benefits.

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“Forest area in my land is less than the required 50 percent. Many of my shrimp died from disease, especially on the land not protected by mangrove forest. I could see then that the forest is useful for raising shrimp,” he said. Yet, traditional shrimp farms do not have the high yields of intensive aquaculture, so access to stable and profitable markets is important for their long-term sustainability. Organic certification offers access to better export markets, providing shrimp farmers with a price premium and strengthening small-scale shrimp aquaculture. MAM selected global standard Naturland as the most suitable organic certification that requires mangrove conservation. Since the project’s start in 2012, MAM has trained over 1,300 shrimp farmers in organic shrimp farming practices and mangrove restoration.

New Farming Practices Yield Profitable and Sustainable Benefits With organic shrimp certification in place, MAM guided farmers in negotiating a favorable purchase agreement with Minh Phu, the world’s second-largest seafood processor by shrimp export value. The farmers can sell their shrimp at a 10-percent price premium with significant benefits. The net income from selected integrated mangrove shrimp farming in 2013 has increased 1.5 times by comparison with traditional shrimp aquaculture or rice-shrimp without mangroves. Van has already realized the value of this new approach. “Previously, farmers could make 60 to 70 million Vietnamese dong per year. Having joined this project, we are able to make 150 to 200 million Vietnamese dong,” Van said. This arrangement does not just benefit the farmers. Mr. Le Van Quang, the Managing Director of Minh Phu also values the

A stable market and increased income from certified shrimp provides a strong incentive to all actors in the shrimp value chain to maintain and conserve the mangrove forest. program’s contribution to the company’s corporate responsibility mandate. “With certified shrimp from the farmers in the area, we oversee the shrimp farming process and protection of the forest. We have a responsibility to protect the forest, and at the same time ensure that the shrimp industry here will develop enough to supply our factory and global market demand.” A stable market and increased income from certified shrimp provides a strong incentive to all actors in the shrimp value chain to maintain and conserve the mangrove forest. Without the support of regional and national authorities, the gains of the MAM project will likely be short-lived. SNV has supported ongoing efforts by Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), and The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) to introduce national policy that provides the legal basis for mangrove protection. Because sustainable shrimp farming reduces carbon emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, this policy also incorporates strategies to leverage carbon finance to fund ongoing rehabilitation of the mangrove forests.

Extending the Benefits of Sustainable Shrimp Farming The MAM project continues to develop interventions to preserve and restore the mangrove forest, which include improved forest management based on the UN Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and

Forest Degradation (UN REDD+) standards. In addition, the project team is consulting with Naturland to explore opportunities to incorporate carbon-specific standards into their certification process. This change will allow farmers to earn carbon credits against the carbon savings in the shrimp

THE GLOBAL GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS FROM THE CONVERSION OF MANGROVES WORLDWIDE ARE ESTIMATED TO BE EQUIVALENT TO THE ANNUAL FOSSIL FUEL EMISSIONS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM.

value chain. Such carbon in-setting would monetize the carbon savings for farmers, further incentivizing sustainable shrimp production. Furthermore, new certification standards would specifically require climate change mitigation, providing an opportunity to market the ‘low carbon’ benefits of Naturland certified shrimp. Across the Cà Mau shrimp value chain, SNV is working with producers, businesses, and governments to improve incomes for farmers like Van, incentivize protection of the mangrove forest, and safeguard the sustainable future of shrimp farming. Tran Quoc Van, the leader of one shrimp farmer group, is now much more optimistic for the future. “All of the farmers have put what they learned into practice on their farms, so this project has been really successful for us. And with plans to expand this approach to up to 6,000 hectares, it really is just the beginning.”

Photos: Anna-Selina Kager

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PIONEERS ON THE FRONTIER OF CITIZEN DIPLOMACY Citizen Exchange Overcomes Tense Bilateral Relations to Foster Peace

Chuck Montgomer y

n 2012, Xi Jingping, then Vice President of China, paid a return visit to the small town of Muscatine, Iowa. Xi reflected on his earlier visit, observing: “You were the first group of Americans I came into contact with. To me, you are America.” With these words to old friends, Xi marked his return to the community that had warmly welcomed him over a quarter century before. In 1985, while a young bureaucrat from Iowa’s sister state, Hebei Province, Xi experienced a visit so personally meaningful that, 27 years later, he insisted on a return visit and a private reunion with the score of Muscatine residents to whom he had been closest. Xi’s reaction illustrates the power of citizen diplomacy, and the seriousness of the work entrusted to citizen diplomats, as do the reflections of his former Muscatine homestay hostess, Eleanor Dvorchak. She greeted Xi, in 2012, by recalling: “You were my first introduction to the Chinese people... . So many times you hear so much bad in the news. And after having met you, it was all washed away.” As Xi’s and Dvorchak’s observations underscore, citizen diplomats are their country for those with whom they connect.

Photo: Thomson Reuters

Thanks to his homestay experience, Xi Jingping, now the President of the People’s Republic of China, has a uniquely rich notion of the American people. He is only one of many high-government officials whose bilateral relations with America have been shaped by citizen exchange. At the height of the Cold War, Roswell Garst, an Iowa farmer and seed corn salesman, started a correspondence with Nikita Khrushchev that inspired a series of meetings aimed at improving Soviet farming practices. Khrushchev appreciated the straight-talking farmer, and when Garst eventually invited Khrushchev to his farm in central Iowa, the Soviet leader accepted. Indeed, Khrushchev insisted that his 1959 state visit to America include a tour of Garst’s farm and it became one of the highlights of Krushchev’s sojourn across the United States. The journey was otherwise largely characterized by tense interactions with government officials. Marking the 50th anniversary of his and his father’s visit to Iowa, Sergei Khrushchev observed to Rachel Garst, Roswell’s granddaughter: “Your grandfather was one who made a hole in the Iron Cur-

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CITIZEN DIPLOMACY Xi Jinping makes a visit to Iowa farmer Rick K imberley during a 2 0 1 2 t ri p t o t h e Unit ed St at es.

tain… He didn’t end the Cold War. He was the person who started the road to the end of the Cold War.” These two examples demonstrate the heightened importance of citizen diplomacy when international relations are fraught. Khrushchev’s relationship with Roswell Garst, and Xi Jingping’s relationship with Eleanor Dvorchak illustrate the ways in which people-to-people exchanges can transcend troubled governmentto-government relations and inspire unlikely bonds of friendship and understanding. When Xi visited Muscatine in 1985, China and the United States were still emerging from decades of mutual recriminations, even armed conflict. Khrushchev visited Garst’s farm when a nuclear exchange between the United States and the Soviet Union still seemed possible. The fruits of citizen diplomacy are mutual respect, understanding, and friendship across national boundaries. Today, these characteristics are notably lacking in U.S. relations with Iran, Pakistan, Syria, North Korea, Russia, and China. In some cases, the absence of citizen exchange has weakened bilateral ties to such an extent

that formal diplomatic relations are all that remain, along with the accompanying increased risks of escalating tension and military engagement. It is on these frontiers of citizen diplomacy where individuals who embrace opportunities for citizen exchange have the ability to change the status quo for the better, as did Roswell Garst and the citizens of Muscatine. Following in the footsteps of Garst and Xi’s Muscatine hosts, leaders in the American Mennonite faith community have, in recent years, embraced the opportunity to build bridges between the United States and Iran, by serving the Iranian people in the aftermath of a major earthquake. Following the Mennonites’ example, between March and June 2014, three delegations of faith leaders have visited the Islamic Republic of Iran, including Bishop Richard Pates of Des Moines, Iowa, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, megachurch pastor Joel Hunter, and Robert Destro, professor of law at the Catholic University of America, as well as other American Catholics, Protestants, Mennonites, and Sunnis. They have met with senior Iranian religious officials to discuss topics ranging from confronting religious extremism to weapons of mass destruction. In May, nine female Iranian seminarians from Jamiat al-Zahra, the world’s largest seminary for women, engaged in a citizen exchange with Eastern Mennonite University. In addition to being enrolled in the university’s Summer Peacebuilding Institute, the seminarians visited Washington, D.C., and an Amish community near Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Mohammad Shomali, the dean who accompanied the delegation, emphasized the importance of people-to-people relations, urging more American-Iranian exchange. “Nothing can replace face-to-face encounters as a path to peace,” said Shomali. On yet another frontier of citizen diplomacy, faith leaders are

People-to-people exchanges can transcend troubled government-togovernment relations and inspire unlikely bonds of friendship and understanding.

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seeking to improve relations between the United States and Pakistan. In May 2012, 24 faith leaders from Muslim, Jewish, and Christian backgrounds formed the U.S.Pakistan Interreligious Consortium (UPIC) which has, since 2012, conducted four meetings in Lahore and Islamabad, Pakistan, and Muscat, Oman. These meetings have included wide-ranging discussions of issues like blasphemy laws, free speech, American drone attacks, the troubled U.S.-Pakistani relationship, scripture, and religious tolerance. The visits to Pakistan allowed many Pakistani students their first interaction with a Jewish rabbi. The visits also yielded an inspired means of collectively addressing drone attacks, an issue that is troubling to nearly all Pakistanis. Adopting an approach that emphasizes the common values of all three faiths, the faith leaders have launched a joint U.S.Pakistani campaign to raise money toward rebuilding the lives and communities where drone strikes occur. Mumtaz Ahmad, one of the Pakistani members of UPIC, noted the way in which interactions with Americans have changed the Pakistanis’ view of the United States. Specifically, he noted his colleagues’ surprise at “the modesty and humility they

saw in their American guests.” “It was surprising for them for two reasons: they often find their own religious leaders here mostly stiff-necked and selfrighteous,” he remarked. “They thought that all Americans speak like the U.S. officials who visit Pakistan,” who typically emphasize greater effort and good behavior.”

Authentic, personto-person contact is fundamental to meaningful international relations.

“Almost everyone told me that they saw a new face of America: deeply religious, caring, compassionate, humble, and willing to listen with respect and patience. You simply can’t imagine, my friends, how important was your trip to Pakistan!” said Ahmad. “It was for the first time that many of us came to know that ‘winning hearts and minds’ meant something real.” Favorable contrasts, like Ahmad’s, be-

T h e U . S . - Pa k i s t a n I n t e r re l i g i o u s Consortium (UPIC) visits a class a t a C a r e Fo u n d a t i o n s c h o o l i n Lahore, Pakistan.

tween formal bilateral relations and peopleto-people exchanges are not uncommon. The impact of citizen diplomacy is real and lasting and often helps individuals challenge and overcome persistent national stereotypes. Today, the accessibility of global travel, email, and social media offer people everywhere the opportunity to build meaningful global relationships. As a result, common folk, not government officials, increasingly represent their nations to citizens of other countries. Those so engaged—citizen diplomats— now have the opportunity to shape international relations, even between nations at odds. Authentic, personto-person contact is fundamental to meaningful international relations. The greater the number of such relationships, the greater the probability of correcting misunderstanding and enhancing cooperation. The stories of Xi Jingping and Muscatine, and Roswell Garst and Nikita Khrushchev must inspire the citizen diplomacy community to first identify today’s frontiers of citizen diplomacy, and then deploy citizen diplomats to the troubled relationships found there, in the same spirit as the above-mentioned faith leaders from the United States, Iran, and Pakistan. As a proud Iowan, I am a true believer in the uniqueness of my state and its citizens, especially our skills as citizen diplomats. On a per capita basis, I believe Iowa packs more citizen diplomacy punch than any other state or province on our planet. But, I am willing to be proven wrong. I invite you to share stories of your state’s or province’s citizen diplomacy accomplishments, especially how you have found success on the “frontiers.” I hope you’ll take me up on that challenge so that we can learn from our parallel experiences. Work on the frontiers of citizen diplomacy is far too important to neglect. Submit your citizen diplomacy stories to editor@newglobalcitizen.com

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Are the United States and Russia Building a New Wall? TWENTY-FIVE YEARS LATER, A CITIZEN DIPLOMAT REFLECTS ON THE FALL OF THE BERLIN WALL D eirdre White

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HAPPENING Before I built a wall I’d ask to know What I was walling in or walling out, And to whom I was like to give offence. Something there is that doesn’t love a wall… - Robert Frost

quarter century later, I remember the day the Wall fell as though it was yesterday. On November 9, 1989, the world changed. As a student in the Soviet Union a few years earlier, I had come to understand Russia’s history and culture, making lifelong friends along the way. I remember the elation I felt upon hearing and seeing the news. So many lives changed, including mine. A year later, I uprooted my life and moved to Moscow for a four-month assignment at a university. I stayed for nine years. I fell in love with the Russian language, Russia’s culture, and her people. Many Russians are among my closest friends in the world. I married a Russian, and we are raising bilingual, bicultural children. Yet, over all these years, I had never journeyed to Berlin to pay homage to those courageous enough to overturn the world order. For years, I anticipated the joy and humility I would feel when I finally made the pilgrimage. This September, the opportunity to visit Berlin finally presented itself. Just weeks before the 25th anniversary of the re-opening of the East-West gates, I stood at Checkpoint Charlie, and then at the Berlin Wall Memorial, and choked back tears. Having spent a great deal of my life and my career working towards collaboration between the United States and Russia, I felt a cascade of feelings. Being reminded of the sacrifice of so many and walking the route of the Wall evoked all the expected emotions. The tears, though, quickly gave way to something else entirely. I was suddenly overcome with an almost unbearable anger. How is it that, 25 years later, the United States and Russia are once again rebuilding that wall? The old wall was built quickly, in the dead of night, such that the next day, it was impossible to ignore. This new wall, though invisible to the eye, is no less divisive. It has been

erected slowly, brick by brick, many of them placed by neglect and ignorance, rather than intent.

Building Barriers by Neglect Some of the construction is fresh. Earlier this year, Russian authorities announced the cancellation of the Future Leaders Exchange, or FLEX as it is known, one of the few remaining exchange programs funded by the U.S. Government. In just over two decades, FLEX built people-to-people relationships, bringing nearly 8,000 Russian high school students to the United States for a full academic year for a homestay and study abroad experience. At the 20th anniversary celebration of FLEX, in November 2013, Senator Bill Bradley, the founder of the program, stated: “The whole purpose of the program was to bring people together and show how basically we are all the same. And that should be the continuing objective and, hopefully, be a long-term outcome of the FLEX program.” Who could have imagined that a year later, the landmark program would be no more? On the occasion of the cancellation of FLEX, John Tefft, the U.S. Ambassador to Russia remarked on the program’s returns. “These young Russians have served as cultural ambassadors, representing the best of Russia, to millions of Americans throughout all 50 states…the United States remains committed to exchanges and programs that promote cultural ties and mutual understanding between the Russian and American people,” said Tefft. While the former is certainly true, the latter is a bit hard to swallow. The Russian Government is responsible for the cancellation of FLEX, but the U.S. Government’s commitment to cultural, educational, and scholarly exchange is also severely compromised. From 1983 until 2012, roughly $5 million

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annually was obligated to Title VIII, the Program for Research and Training for Eastern Europe and the New Independent States of the Former Soviet Union. In 2013, after the United States Department of State severely cut funding the year before, these monies were removed by State in their entirety and without explanation. In 2011, all funding for the Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad (DDRA) program for Africa, Latin America, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Russia was cancelled due to Congressional budget cuts. DDRA has since been restored but at significantly reduced funding levels. To add insult to injury, the half-million to $1 million in annual Department of Education funding for The United StatesRussia Program: Improving Research and Educational Activities in Higher Education, which began in 2006 was terminated in 2010. The decline in opportunities to build bridges between the two nations due to the contraction over the last four years of these and other regionally-focused programs makes it too easy to gloss over this as a recent phenomenon; however, the erosion of public diplomacy between the United States and Russia has taken place over more than 15 years. This is especially disappointing given that, over the decades of the Cold War, scholarly and cultural exchange kept important conversations going and built key relationships at a time when our governments were unable to do so.

Looking back to the mid-1990s, statistics from the Institute for International Education show that the number of students coming from Russia to the United States annually peaked at just above 7,000 in 1999 to 2000; the number of American citizens studying in Russia has seen incremental increases, but has still never broken the 2,000 mark. Together the countries have a population of nearly half a billion; it seems inconceivable that in 2014 fewer than 6,500 students will cross borders to learn about the other country and culture.

Effective Bilateral Relations Depends on Citizen Engagement There is an abundance of anecdotal evidence of the value of people-to-people interactions known as citizen diplomacy, but to date, there have been no broad-based studies of its impact. In 2012, the British Council conducted research on cultural diplomacy (like citizen diplomacy, a subset of public diplomacy) and shared its findings in the report Trust Pays: How international cultural relationships build trust in the UK and underpin the success of the UK economy. The British Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s research demonstrated four key facts about cultural engagement. First, participation in one or more

The New Global Citizen | Fall 2014 cultural activities with the United Kingdom was correlated with an increase in the average level of trust in UK citizens in all 10 countries surveyed. Second, the average level of trust in people in the United Kingdom increases with the number of different types of cultural activities in which a person has been involved. Third, increased levels of trust are associated with a significantly increased level of interest in opportunities for business and trade with the region. And lastly, when people trust UK citizens, they are also more likely to trust the government of the UK. It is not a stretch to extrapolate that the indicators for citizen diplomacy would echo these results, and thus all the more surprising that U.S. Government funding has been so lean for the past 15 years, a critical juncture for U.S.-Russia relations. Of course, government support is just part of the story—private grant-makers are doing no better where Russia is concerned. The MacArthur Foundation, which launched in Russia in 1991, provided an average of over $7 million in grants each year; in 2011, MacArthur decreased its grant pool for Russia by half. Ford Foundation ceased its Russian operations in 2009 after nine years, closing the door on over $100 million in funding it had provided. Both foundations were adversely affected by the Russian Government’s crackdown on foreign influence. Restrictive legislation regarding NGOs has also had a detrimental effect: In April 2014, Russia ordered American Councils, an NGO working in Russia for four decades (and the organization that managed my study abroad program in Russia in 1987), to cease operations and re-register. Six months later, the new registration is still not approved. Russia has done almost everything possible to prevent private interests from stepping in where the U.S. Government fears to tread. Though it is, no doubt, a great investment, citizen diplomacy does The Berlin not require government, foundaWall divided tion, or NGO funding or facilitation. East and West The overwhelming majority of citizen diplomats are tourists. But the Germany for number of tourist traveling from 28 years in the United States to Russia has an effort to mirrored government-sponsored eliminate the exchange. In 2014, the number of visitors is down 30 to 40 percent, exchange of ideas, culture, even in a year that the Sochi Olympics drew thousands of Americans and politics to Russia. While the number of Rusbetween citisian visitors has grown over the zens of the past several years, Russians are not even in the top 20 of nationalities Soviet-allied visiting the United States each year. nations. And while government involvement is not necessary for citizen

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diplomacy, government funding is often a critical enabler for such programs. Political scientists in both hemispheres will continue to ponder how U.S.-Russia relations went awry during the past two decades, but I feel certain that circumstances would be dramatically different had people-to-people interactions remained a U.S. Government priority. After all, it takes a person-to-person conversation to understand that the term American “exceptionalism” translates into Russian as “exclusivnost”—exclusiveness. The listener hears not “we’ve created something special” but “we’ve created something you are excluded from.” It becomes easier to understand how distaste quickly becomes resentment towards a nation that holds up such an ideology if it’s lost in translation—of words and experience.

The old wall was built quickly, in the dead of night, such that the next day, it was impossible to ignore. This new wall, though invisible to the eye, is no less divisive. It has been erected slowly, brick by brick, many of them placed by neglect and ignorance, rather than intent.

Over the past month, I’ve continued to reflect on my experience at the Wall. I have thought about those who built it to begin with, and those who tore it down. The United States and Russia—and indeed, any world power—are obliged to consider the effects of their actions in the long term. It is impossible to look at the host of cancelled programs and the anemic exchange numbers and not blame shortsightedness towards the importance of public diplomacy, at least in large part, for where U.S.-Russia relations stand today. Twenty-five years—is our collective memory so short? When governments fail to act, history has shown that individuals can transcend borders and barriers. Those who remember the darkest days of the Cold War on both sides of the Wall know that human relationships were the only hope for a better tomorrow, for the day the darkness would end. In a few weeks, the world will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the opening of the Wall, and people from across Europe—and the world—will flood the streets of Berlin in celebration. While there is certainly cause for celebration, there is also good reason to pause and consider the future. By embracing the culture, friendship, and generosity of another country, perhaps it is possible to influence others to stop building virtual walls in defense of some delusional idea of exceptionalism or exclusiveness. After all, great nations and their people don’t build walls, they build bridges.

Net Impact Celebrates Two Decades of Breaking Boundaries to Repair the World

Three Ways to Break Down Barriers to Positive Net Impact Liz M aw

wenty-two years ago, a small group of MBAs and entrepreneurs had a great idea. In the midst of a world where business was often viewed as an evil force, they dared to think differently. In the fall of 1993, MBA students from across the United States came together, united by their vision of a future where business could mean more than making money. Georgetown University hosted the first Net Impact Conference, attracting speakers that included Ben Cohen of Ben & Jerry’s (who showed up in an ice-cream-stained T-shirt) and Anita Roddick of the Body Shop. The conference opened the eyes of the 140 students in attendance to the power of business to improve the world. It wasn’t the first or the last time that the Net Impact community would demonstrate its commitment to breaking boundaries. This fall, the Net Impact community will once again return to this important theme. In many ways, the boundaries of the early 1990s were more entrenched and complex than those of today—the very concept of business as a force for good was suspect. While that debate may live on in some circles, today there is far more mainstream acceptance, from the C-Suite down, of not just the ability but the mandate for businesses to drive positive change in the world.

And yet, while norms have shifted, the boundaries of the 21st century are less obvious but no less limiting. In the realm of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), most of the low-hanging fruit has been picked. It’s not enough to give away a lot of money, or tweak a supply chain, or incubate a small social enterprise. The barriers we are grappling with are global in scope and structurally multi-faceted. What’s more, the stakes are higher than ever; persistent poverty, global health epidemics, climate change, and joblessness threaten the lives and livelihoods of billions of people around the world. In early November, MBA students and business leaders alike will have the opportunity to come together at the 2014 Net Impact Conference in Minneapolis to take on the messy, uncomfortable, and controversial—yet inspiring and imperative—challenge of breaking boundaries once again. Impact leaders across sectors are embracing three strategies for disruptive change: forging unexpected alliances, embracing multiple definitions of the truth, and leaving limits behind to shape creative solutions that can transform the world.

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ENTERPRISE 1. Work with the “Enemy” Breaking boundaries often requires being willing to collaborate with the most unlikely allies, even competitors. Unilever’s CEO Paul Polman has broken many boundaries with his leadership of the world’s thirdlargest consumer packaged goods company, from his emphasis away from short-term returns to long-term value to his commitment to grappling with the world’s biggest problems. To have a discernible impact on big issues, Polman knows that he must work with many stakeholders, including the competition. Says Polman, “What we’re now dealing with are enormous challenges of poverty or climate change; sustainable growth in its broadest sense; equality… . That requires a broader level of partnerships.” As one example, Unilever is working with marketplace rival Nestlé on a coalition to convert the global market to natural refrigerants for display cases. “It needs a tipping point; no individual company can do that alone,” Polman adds. Dr. Temple Grandin, who became famous for her achievements in mathematics, has also embraced the opportunity to work with unexpected bedfellows. Because of her high-functioning autism, Grandin thinks differently than most of us. Grandin has leveraged her keen ability to think visually, due to her hypersensitivity to noise and other sensory stimuli, into a unique and monumental career collaborating with fast-food companies like McDonald’s to improve the conditions of slaughterhouses. An animal lover working on slaughterhouses? As you might expect, her work with McDonald’s and others has been decried by animal activists, yet Grandin has been steady in her conviction to focus on maximizing animal comfort over lengthening animal lives.

Dr. Temple Grandin, a professor of Animal Sciences, collaborates with McDonald’s and other food companies to improve slaughterhouse conditions.

2. Put the Truth on Trial

Last year, Net Impact welcomed a lively debate on the future of energy between Exxon Vice President Ken Cohen and Sierra Club CEO Michael Brune.

To overcome the limitations of the status quo, leaders cannot hide behind publicity and good marketing. They must embrace the opportunity to dialogue through differences in a public forum. Last year, Net Impact welcomed a lively debate between Exxon Vice President Ken Cohen and Sierra Club CEO Michael Brune. While charged at times, the forum helped further the dialogue on the future of energy. As conference attendee and sustainability professional Laura Clise noted, “Leadership is the willingness to participate in difficult conversations. Dialogue takes courage on both sides.”

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According to a recent Harris poll, Monsanto has one of the worst reputations in the United States, yet it is also a company that is deeply engaged with the challenge of how to feed the two billion people that are projected to join the population of the planet by 2020. Monsanto executives know their company invites controversy, and they embrace the opportunity to dialogue with people who oppose their perspectives. This year, the Net Impact Conference will provide a forum for Monsanto executive Natalie DiNicola to debate the future of food with NGO leader M. Jahi Chappell from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, sharing their contrasting viewpoints on how to feed the world sustainably.

Our generation does not want its epitaph to read, ‘We kept charity overhead low.’ We want it to read that we changed the world. -Dan Pallotta 3. Measure What Matters

Overhead spending has been one of the most commonly used metrics to define “good” nonprofits by groups like the Better Business Bureau, but Dan Pallotta has begun a revolutionary movement to change how organizations measure the difference they make in the world. A decade ago, his company, Pallotta TeamWorks, was criticized for overspending on marketing, administration, and logistics. His critics argued that such overhead costs cut too deeply into the potential impact of their charitable contributions. Too many nonprofits, Pallotta says, are rewarded for how little they spend instead of for their results. He suggests that nonprofits should be evaluated on the basis of their ambitious goals and measurable impact, not their overhead spending. Dan Pallotta has called out the double standard that drives our In his now-famous 2013 Ted Talk, prorelationship to charities, arguing that too many nonprofits are vocatively titled, “The Way We Think About rewarded for how little they spend—not for what they get done. Charity is Dead Wrong,” Pallotta makes the point that the outcomes of the charity—in his case, fundraising hundreds of millions of dollar for AIDS and other health causes—outweigh the need to limit overhead spending in the nonprofit sector. As a keynote speaker at Net Impact 2014, Dan will ask the social impact community to question long-held assumptions about the best ways to measure impact and effectiveness.

Breaking Boundaries to Repair the World This fall, the Net Impact community will once again come together to break boundaries, just as it did more than two decades ago, in an effort to break the boundaries that prevent change-makers from creating a just and sustainable world. Mandy Yard, a student attendee at the last two Net Impact conferences, summarized her transformational experience: “I consider it a mind-blowing, life-changing experience. Not only are you surrounded by friendly, passionate, and knowledgeable people, but you are also exposed to inspirational and practical tools to increase social impact in any field.”

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LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR AFRICA’S FUTURE GROWTH U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit Convenes Leaders to Transform a Continent Katie Levey

t the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit this summer, Tony Elumelu, one of Africa’s most successful entrepreneurs and philanthropists, called for a change in the perception of business in Africa. “Drugs should not define U.S.-Latin American relations. Religious conflict should not define U.S.-Middle East relations. And natural resources and humanitarian assistance alone should not define U.S.-Africa relations.” At the invitation of President Obama, African heads of state and business leaders from across the United States and Africa gathered in Washington, D.C. for the first U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, seeking to advance a new paradigm for U.S.-Africa relations. The first day of the landmark event was dedicated to the U.S.-Africa Business Forum which sought to strengthen finan-

cial and trade ties between Africa and the United States. During the Forum, leading U.S. corporations announced commercial partnerships with African entities, and African political and business leaders articulated ways in which they believe the future of the continent’s business sector will be fundamentally different from in the past. “In many ways, it was an enormous ‘know your customer’ investment that’s sure to pay dividends in the coming years,” said Aubry Hruby, Visiting Fellow at Africa Center at The Atlantic Council. Less than three months later, the latest Ebola outbreak threatens to delay this outcome.

Forging a Pathway to Progress In the blink of an eye, the Summit has become a distant memory, but one whose implications are potentially significant. Since then, others, including The Council on Foreign Relations and The World Affairs

Council, have weighed in on the progress achieved by the Summit, celebrating the way it successfully stimulated a crosssector dialogue on U.S.-Africa relations at the highest levels of government and business, brokered new commercial deals, and shed a national spotlight on sustainable development issues like the youth bulge, infrastructure development, and access to power in sub-Saharan Africa. Most notably, perhaps, this Summit marked a deliberate shift away from models of engagement with Africa that have traditionally been focused on foreign aid; “trade, not aid” was among the Summit’s most common refrains. In 2014, Africa is home to approximately 1.1 billion people, a population expected to reach 2.5 billion over the next fifty years. Its rising middle class is the fastest growing in the world. The Obama administration, taking advantage of the U.S.-Africa spotlight, seized

Photo: Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy

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HAPPENING the opportunity to roll out the Doing Business in Africa campaign, announcing a $33 billion funding commitment from the public and private sectors. This included Coca Cola’s plans to spend $5 billion in Africa over the next six years, General Electric’s commitment of $2 billion dollars in investment by 2018 to boost infrastructure, access to energy, and worker skills, and Fidelity Bank’s award of a $66 million five-year contract with IBM to build up the bank’s technology infrastructure in Ghana. Such appetite for investment is a sign of change. Yet, the realities of doing business in Africa are complex and opaque to many, a gap that a week of active bilateral engagement could not bridge. A tapestry of fifty-four countries with distinct histories, governments, and languages is as diverse as it is nuanced; cultures and countries within Africa are often viewed as “homogeneous” by people with little experience on the continent. Worse, an outbreak of the particularly virulent Ebola virus in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria (now contained), and Mali and Senegal (one case) has captured nearly all the media attention, once more shrouding the entire African continent in a foggy haze of risk rather than opportunity.

This Summit marked a deliberate shift away from models of engagement with Africa that have traditionally been focused on foreign aid; “trade, not aid” was among the Summit’s most common refrains.

President Barack Obama greets African leaders prior to a group photo during the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington, D.C. Ensuring employee health and safety remains a critical consideration; however, given an understanding of the vastness of the continent, there really is no substitute for being present, with a willingness to learn. Multinational corporations like The Dow Chemical Company and General Electric have recognized that to successfully enter African markets, a certain degree of trial and error is necessary. Learning how development challenges influence the business climate and building a foundation of trust with local leaders took time. During the Forum, Andrew Liveris, the President, Chairman, and CEO of The Dow Chemical Company, admitted to building the company’s understanding from the ground up. “We’ve been in Africa for sixty years and we cut our teeth learning there.” Liveris shared another key insight: “Big companies that bring their supply chain into an Africa market have to face the issue of how to approach a country’s philosophy and its culture, and they have to address poverty.” In other words, successful intervention, value co-creation, and sharing in a way

Photo: Official White House Photo by Pete Souza

that is appropriate and sustainable for all players requires understanding the whole system, first.

Economic Growth Requires Better Systems and Stability Following the Summit, many pundits pointed to the fact that, though African leaders might be eager for foreign investment, many countries on the continent pose too high a risk to American corporations. Some weeks later, The World Affairs Council convened, “Aftermath of the Summit: What Next?” a conversation with Herman Cohen, Former Ambassador to Gambia and Senegal, Dr. Raymond Gilpin, a senior economist at The African Development Bank and Dr. Daniel Silke, a known expert on Africa’s political economy. The panel examined the conditions within African nations that need to be addressed to increase the number of international and domestic private investors. Several key deficits—energy, food, security, and political stability—must be addressed by both individual country leaders and by those trying to assist or invest in

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African countries, in order to enable true of the companies not currently operating Change Requires Capital sustainable development. in sub-Saharan Africa view it as the least Investment and Human Resolve “To grow, African nations must find a attractive place to do business worldwide. During the Summit, many remarked at way to address their economies internally,” Unfortunately, the Ebola crisis likely only the apparent delay in the Administration said Ambassador Cohen. “Their leaders contributes to this perception. realizing the need for greater U.S. engagehave to address all of these deficits to enHowever, what may appear from the ment with Africa. “Too little too late?” sure the entrepreneurial spirit can flourish outside to be a barrier can, in actuality, some wondered, but most African leadwithin each country.” present a shared value market opportunity, ers agreed: “Better late than never.” As Cohen, Gilpin, and Silke unanimously if a company has the cultural mind-set to growth accelerates in many countries in agreed that establishing a foundation of embrace it. Strive Masiyiwa, Founder and Africa, opportunities for investment only good governance is critical to achieving Chairman of Econet Wireless, emphasized continue to multiply, and most are excited this. Effective government administration the business opportunities of market fail- by the willingness of American corporations and transparency is fundamental to solving ures, pointing to how lack of education to commit to future investment. Foreign underlying issues of food security, energy, infrastructure offers new opportunities to investment in African economies is foreand the establishment of peace. Gilpin sug- companies willing to go the distance. casted to reach a record $80 billion in 2014, gested one approach to establishing good with many American companies leading governance: incentivize coordithe way. nating mechanism such as cenFinancial capital alone, tral national banks that interface however, is insufficient. This with local finance institutions Financial capital alone, however, is insufficient. fact has been all too evident in and neighboring countries, al- This fact has been all too evident in the repeated the repeated failure of foreign lowing African nations to become assistance to translate into its failure of foreign assistance to translate into more responsive to their citizens its intended benefits for communities. Progress intended benefits for commuand international investors alike. nities. Progress requires capital

Perception Influences Investment

requires capital investment and human resolve on the part of private sector investors and African governments.

While private investors agree that addressing development challenges like food security, governance, and energy is a critical foundation for investment, social impact is not the only priority. Investors must also believe in the opportunity. In comparison with the tremendous commitments of financial capital, perception shifts—changes in how investors perceive value—are a subtler form of transformation. During the Summit, African and U.S. leaders acknowledged outdated stereotypes of Africa as a place of only aid, poverty, and corruption, and ways in which these misperceptions have historically discouraged U.S. private sector engagement on the continent. A recent EY study acknowledged the distortion caused by this perception gap. According to this study, nearly 90 percent of companies with business operations in Africa view it as the most attractive region for expansion. Strikingly, over half

“Fifty percent of African children aren’t in school,” Masiyiwa said. “There is no time to wait for the brick and mortar. We have to invest in the technology we have today to provide education for our children.” This kind of need—and market demand— is a remarkable opportunity for technology and network companies like IBM and Intel, both of whom have significant business investments and social initiatives to help address these issues, with shared value at their core. To fully make the most of these opportunities, companies must embrace a change in mind-set, abandoning outdated assumptions and historical contexts in order to adopt a more realistic view of what constitutes an opportunity—from both a realistic assessment of threats and opportunities.

investment and human resolve on the part of private sector investors and African governments alike. It requires financial capital coupled with a willingness to stretch beyond the barriers that exist today. A new paradigm requires that investors adjust their approach to market entry and reframe the notion of “development deficits.” It also demands a deep commitment from African governments to address the deficits that create barriers to greater economic alignment and partnership. Three months since the Summit overtook Washington, the conversation has all but disappeared from view and the public discourse on Africa has been entirely overshadowed by the threat of Ebola. Who now is responsible for advancing the commitments made during the Summit? The conversation on doing business in Africa has diminished, but the need is greater than ever. And with great need comes great potential for opportunity and growth.

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The D a ng e r of Vi c to r y Laps Three Lessons From This Year’s Celebration of the Millennium Development Goals

ho doesn’t love a victory lap? This fall, during the third week of September, the who’s who of international development gathered in New York to extol all the good that has been done for the world in the past year. This year, the celebration was especially jubilant, as it marked the achievements of the past 15 years of work towards the Millennium Development Goals—the infamous MDGs. The Social Good Summit kicked off the week with panels and short talks design to inspire a global dialogue on #2030NOW, the Clinton Global Initiative convened the ultra-influential in its usual style, and the UN General Assembly provided an opportunity for national leaders of all stripes to celebrate their country’s progress towards meeting their individual goals. The victory lap commenced, and it was glorious. Amidst all the celebration, it’s sometimes hard not to be cynical. Certainly those who gather have the best intentions, and many individuals and organizations have indeed worked hard to improve lives. At the same time, the parade of dinners and receptions at some of New York’s finest venues contrasts starkly with the endless discussions of extreme poverty and inequality. In past years, my cynicism has quickly turned to optimism as I glimpsed the many innovations underway that have the ability to eliminate the world’s most egregious social challenges. I have

D eirdre White been inspired to learn more, and to do more. This year, though, as I attended multiple events focused on the MDGs, I found myself utterly disappointed with the analysis and discussion of both what has been achieved, and what issues future goals must address. What’s more, my subsequent discovery of a flawed framework of impact evaluation—taking 1990 as the MDGs’ comparative measurement point—lends a degree of deception to the celebration I could not ignore.

How did we get to be here? In 2000, the UN member states affirmed the Millennium Declaration, solidifying a set of development targets that every UN member country would work to address over the following 15 years. A year later, these targets became the eight Millennium Development Goals: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger Achieve universal primary education Promote gender equality and empower women Reduce child mortality Improve maternal health Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases Ensure environmental sustainability Global partnership for development Photo: The United Nations (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

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HAPPENING By design, the MDGs had no strategic plan or associated budget, working under the expectation that countries, companies, and NGOs alike would come together organically to focus on these goals. To the UN’s credit, the goals have fostered progress on this front, bringing myriad players together to at least participate in the same conversation. For that fact alone, MDGs should claim some degree of success. That said, at nearly every discussion session, speech, or reception I attended during UNGA week this fall, the MDGs were at the top of the agenda, with laudatory comments about the international development community’s achievements against these goals. While statistics consistently presented do clearly show solid improvements across many indicators—halving extreme poverty, achieving universal primary education, reducing HIV infection— I found myself repeatedly wondering what was behind the data. On the United Nation’s website, the most readily available progress report is a color-coded chart that tells the reader very little. For more information, the reader is referred to an MDG-specific page where one can find the MDG 500-day countdown video. The video is titled Millennium Development Goals 2014, What does the data tell us? It is presented with the following explanation: “This video, prepared by UNSD, provides a snapshot of what has been achieved and what needs to be done to reach the MDGs.” The first achievement: 700 million people have been lifted out of poverty. Using Indonesia as an example, the UN claims a 70 percent reduction in the population living under $1.25 per day, a drop from 54 percent in 1990 to 16 percent in 2011, a truly impressive, and significant transformation. The problem here is that, while the UN selected 1990 as a baseline year for most of the targets, the MDGs were only endorsed in 2001. In other words, MDG reporting calculates progress that dates back more than a decade before the goals were enacted. From 1990 to 2003, the number of people living on less than $1.25 per day in Indonesia was reduced by half—from 54 percent to roughly 27 percent, making the improvement from 2003 to 2011 only 11 percentage points. Likewise, the video claims near victory on reducing the number of underweight children. The Bangladesh example provided shows a decline in this number from 62 percent in 1990 to 37 percent in 2011, but the decline between 2001 and 2011 is far less substantial, and nearly flat from 2006 to 2011. Thankfully, an encouraging example from Cambodia shows a clear and significant decline in infant mortality from 2001 to 2011. And the reduction in HIV incidence from 2001 to 2012 is astounding.

MDG reporting calculates progress that dates back more than a decade before the goals were enacted. Graphic: The United Nations

Regardless, the pattern of the data presented continues in this way, implying that the MDGs are responsible for the bulk of the progress. An accompanying written report provides a deeper look at the data, but also largely in the 1990 to 2012 comparison frame. Ironically, featured adjacent to the video on the site is the following statement: “Reliable and robust data are critical for devising appropriate policies and interventions for the achievement of the MDGs

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and for holding governments and the international community accountable.” I could not agree more with that sentiment. Unfortunately, neither the report nor the video significantly contribute to the ability to make policy or hold anyone accountable.

Where are we going? An enormous amount of research is required to meaningfully evaluate the headway that has been made. At a time when the world is considering the targets for the next 15 years—what will become the Sustainable Development Goals—the lack of comprehensive analysis of what contributed to success (or lack thereof) is alarming. Looking ahead to 2015, three lessons can help guide greater measurement and impact in the years to come.

1. RECOGNIZE THAT DATA IS REQUIRED TO MEANINGFULLY ASSESS INTERVENTIONS AND RESEARCH IS REQUIRED TO GENERATE IT. Those who are in positions of leadership on global progress— heads of development agencies, such as Rajiv Shah (USAID) and Justine Greening (DfID), foundation luminaries such as Bill Gates and Bill Clinton, and leaders of non-profit and for-profit development implementing organizations alike—have an obligation to hold data and claims of achievement up to a higher level of scrutiny. All those engaged in these efforts must invest in understanding what effect, if any, the Millennium Development Goals, and the associated interventions, have had on the progress made over the past 15 years. That understanding, however uncomfortable, must provide the foundations for the targets that will be set by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

2. LEARN WHAT WORKS, AND WHAT DOESN’T, MAKE DOCUMENTATION PUBLICLY AVAILABLE, AND RECOGNIZE AND REWARD THOSE WITH THE COURAGE TO DO SO. It’s no surprise that leaders in international development are taking a victory lap, claiming success for progress that the UN’s own data shows was, in many cases, steadily happening prior to the enactment of the MDGs. Anything less than that brings on a wrath that leads to reduced funding and prevents any additional forward movement. However, claiming achievement even where the progress slowed after the enactment of the MDGs, is not only intellectually dishonest, it’s not helpful in future planning. New leaders in poverty reduction, such as the Poverty Action Lab, are actively working to use scientific methods to test the efficacy of discrete interventions. Such evaluation is worth the time and funding required, providing an opportunity to forgo the wasteful, subjective investments of the past in favor of scaling effective interventions that actually make a difference. Esther Duflo’s TED talk in 2010 presents a compelling argument on why the right approach to evaluation is so valuable.

3. DEVELOP A WHOLE-SYSTEMS APPROACH TO A FEW KEY CHALLENGES. The international development community generally silos its interventions—projects are focused on health or economic growth, water or food security, good governance or the environment. But these are not stand-alone challenges—they are necessarily intertwined. It makes sense that large agencies need a defined structure, and the creation of pillars is understandable; however, the paucity of collaboration, or even conversation, across divisions within the same agency, let alone across multiple organizations, hinders the ability to analyze and learn from one another. Better knowledge sharing within and among industry players would foster better problem-solving given the complex ecosystems that must be considered in any intervention. Perhaps with a commonly developed understanding—even a commonly developed understanding of assumptions—it would become easier to respect the relative contributions of different players, hold appropriate people to account, and reduce the culture of territorialism that can pervade such institutions. While the results of the transformation remain to be seen, Dr. Jim Kim, the President of the World Bank, has begun to lead the way towards this way of thinking with the reorganization of that influential institution.

~ The aforementioned MDG video was transparent on the topic of the herculean work that remains—1 in 8 people on this planet still suffer from chronic hunger, 748 million still use water from an unimproved source, 800 women die each day from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth, and only 30 percent of those who need anti-retroviral drugs are receiving them. But without an analytical and honest evaluation of the progress to date—and the correlation of that progress with interventions—then it is difficult to believe that significant progress can be made towards combatting the serious challenges still ahead. At the end of the day, goals are effective motivators, something to strive for, that can yield both failure and success. It is only through clear goals and candid assessment that the best practices—of business, development, and individual life—can be uncovered. Creating a culture of “rah-rah” celebration aids the cause by raising the visibility of the ongoing efforts to achieve these ambitious targets, but it also sacrifices the opportunities for learning and improvement along the way. As the who’s who of international development faces the launch of the SDGs and the 15 years of work that are to follow, practitioners face a reflection point of learning within the community. I hope that with a commitment to testing, documenting, and sharing success and failure, the next decade of UN General Assembly weeks can become an opportunity to learn, grow, and innovate as much as to celebrate the great work this community has achieved together.

Empowering Communities At John Deere, we recognize that communities form the foundation of society, and that strong communities provide greater opportunities for lasting health and prosperity for all. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why John Deere supports programs to improve communities around the world, including the impoverished villages near our manufacturing facility in Pune, India. The Village Improvement Program increases access to quality education for children, provides vocational training to young adults, and helps women start their own businesses. As well, the program is helping improve basic amenities in the villages, including sanitation, roads and health care. Investing in our communities is one more way John Deere is becoming a catalyst for positive change in the world. Sponsored Content

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The New Global Citizen | Fall 2014

Five Strategies for Effective Volunteer Alliances D eborah K . Holmes

fter almost 20 years as a successful leader in marketing and communications, Linda Whalen, the Brand and External Communications Leader for EY’s West region, decided to do something different. She took on a two-month assignment in Chile helping to refine the marketing strategy and plan for Buscalibre.com, an e-commerce portal. For Linda, the experience was eye opening. “It helped me to expand my international business and cultural awareness.” And, the Chilean enterprise obtained the benefit of world-class consulting services at no cost. Onuwa Uzor, a senior manager in EY’s Transaction Advisory Services practice in Atlanta, spent seven weeks in Brazil supporting Pixel Labs, a developer of interactive cosmetic technology solutions for point of sale and online channels. He helped Pixel’s management team better understand their needs while developing sustainable solutions for growth and success. “Although I had never worked in a startup environment or in Brazil before, I was able to outline best practices for produc-

COLLABORATION BETWEEN ENDEAVOR AND EY YIELDS LESSONS ON HOW VOLUNTEERING DRIVES SOCIAL IMPACT tion planning and market research, and develop a framework for considering new clients.” While these business approaches are typical for most well-established companies, such practices can be the difference between whether a new business will successfully scale, or fail. EY’s Vantage Program works with nonprofit Endeavor to pair EY employees with high-impact entrepreneurs in emerging markets. Linda and Onuwa’s assignments are just two examples of the many ways EY and Endeavor have collaborated through the EY Vantage Program over the past 10 years. The union, established in 2005, provides a strong example of how two such organizations—one for-profit and the other non-profit—can work together to achieve common goals. Specifically, the Vantage Program yields significant two-way benefits. First, access to EY staff enables Endeavor to be more successful in helping local entrepreneurs build their businesses. This in turn benefits EY, most visibly by stimulating a local, developing economy and driving future de-

mand for additional services. In essence, a rising tide floats all boats. But EY and its employees also benefit by gaining experience in emerging markets. In fact, such volunteers almost invariably describe the experience as one of, if not the most significant and meaningful in their entire careers. As Onuwa explains: “Professionally, I enhanced my cultural awareness, improved my management skills, and was pushed outside of my comfort zone. I also managed to learn enough Portuguese to get by, developed some lifelong friendships, and built my network outside of the United States. The experience overall has been priceless to my career development and was easily some of the best seven weeks of my professional and personal life. I encourage other companies to explore creating an International Corporate Volunteer program to help their employees develop leadership skills, relationships in emerging markets, and a global mind-set.” The collaboration has been so successful that the Vantage program, which started in the Americas, has led to a broader global

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GLOBAL PRO BONO relationship between Endeavor and EY, paving the way for more cooperation across the globe. Collaborations between the private and social sectors can often accomplish remarkable things, and they are even more effective when a company encourages its employees to engage directly with a social sector organization. Yet, finding an organization with which sustained collaboration is both feasible and productive can be more difficult than it might seem. Getting things right requires a foundation of mutual understanding, shared values and objectives, and a commitment to sustained engagement. For the corporations, this means taking the lead to make sure the partnership is mutually beneficial in the long term. In practice, EY’s collaboration with Endeavor demonstrates that effective volunteer programs depend on sustainable partnerships with social-sector organizations that are able to operate anywhere in

EY Vantage Advisor, Linda Whalen, collaborates with Buscalibre. com colleagues while on assignment in Chile.

the world, and effectively extend the company’s commitment to sustainable social impact. Like any marriage of time, values, and resources, the EY/Endeavor alliance is founded on five key tenets. These include ensuring both parties have common values, a shared core focus for the collaboration, a clearly defined mission and corresponding objectives, a clear understanding about respective capabilities (and responsibilities), and of course, an ongoing willingness to review, refine, and improve the operations and outcomes of the partnership.

ENSURE COMMON VALUES AMONG PARTNERS

Each organization needs to closely examine the other to ensure alignment of values and objectives. Both organizations must be confident of a low likelihood of culturally- or mission-driven conflicts or

surprises down the road that could severely compromise the relationship. Perhaps the not-for-profit could potentially become involved in initiatives that could harm the reputation of the corporation or otherwise reduce the willingness of its employees to associate or volunteer. Get to know the organization, worldwide, and if any organizational activity generates cause for concern then the relationship is probably not worth pursuing.

ALIGN PARTNERS BASED ON A CORE FOCUS

Part of this “getting to know you” phase should also include significant efforts by the corporation to make certain the core focus of the partnership is clearly understood. The most hard-hitting and successful partnerships tend to be constituted to address a particular set of challenges for a

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The New Global Citizen | Fall 2014

clearly defined set of recipients. One thing to avoid is a case where a social sector organization, anxious to secure funding or associate with a highly visible corporation, becomes willing to significantly alter its raison d’être. Such alliances may seem initially appealing, but over time tend to garner less attention from the host organization, and thus underperform or fail.

FORMALIZE THE MISSION AND ITS MEASUREMENT

The sponsoring corporation and the social sector organization should establish a clear vision of what they want to accomplish together. How, specifically, do the organizations intend to collaborate? What are the specific mission objectives, and how will progress against objectives be measured? What resources will be provided by each, when, and where? To be successful, partners must work toward clearly defined milestones and metrics.

CLEARLY DEFINE RESPECTIVE CAPABILITIES

Any organizational relationship built on employee involvement demands a realistic understanding of what the company’s people can provide within the partnership. Successful pairings begin with the company taking the time to help the organization understand the skills and knowledge likely participants possess and what sorts of tasks they can accomplish. This should also include realistic scene-setting and understanding around the structure of the workdays, work weeks, and work years.

It is vital that the two organizations are honest and open about what each is truly “good” at providing. Talking openly about skills and resources, together, the two groups can coordinate to better design the overall program, develop realistic job descriptions, and more optimally manage workflow. Cultural and resourcing gaps can hamper the relationship. Workers from the corporation, for example, are likely accustomed to receiving rapid responses to calls, emails, or even tweets. Those from the host organization, however, may come from a less time-obsessed culture or otherwise operate under significant resource constraints and may resent pressure for immediate or even same-day responses. Committed collaborators will be honest about such differences and, through communication, find effective workarounds.

CONTINUOUSLY REVIEW, REFINE AND IMPROVE

Successful partnerships foster open communication and ongoing reflection, both formal and informal. Informally, leaders from both groups should speak openly, being honest about what’s working, what’s marginal, and what is so aggravating it could inhibit the mission. Formally, the collaboration should be working toward specific short-term and long-term metrics. In addition, many such teams also rely on tools, such as shareholder satisfaction surveys, to get a clearer assessment of the state of the collaboration. If the two organizations are not open and honest with one another, the relationship can suffer as a result.

Successful partnerships foster open communication and ongoing reflection, both formal and informal. Finding the right long-term fit EY’s collaboration with Endeavor, via the EY Vantage Program, has developed over the past 10 years on the basis of the above traits, but these are by no means the only drivers of success. For example, opportunities to add to one another’s strengths outside of any core mission can also arise. A corporation, for example, might be wellpositioned to provide invaluable services and insight to a social sector organization in the form of anything from web design and function to stronger HR strategies or management structure. The bottom line is that if the two organizations are right for one another, the relationship has a strong chance of bearing fruit beyond expectations. But it is only through strong initial due diligence that the two will find the right fit. In the case of EY and Endeavor, a decade later, the union is still going strong. As Endeavor co-founder and CEO Linda Rottenberg explains, “We focus on revolutionizing entrepreneurship in emerging and growth markets.” Together with EY, “we are helping to unleash the tremendous social and economic value of high-impact entrepreneurs.” The collaboration, says Linda, “will be bearing fruit for generations to come.”

EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of EY.

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DEFINING “GOOD”

DEVELOPMENT

THE JOINT INITIATIVE FOR VILLAGE ADVANCEMENT TESTS MODELS FOR EFFECTIVE DEVELOPMENT IN RURAL INDIA

hat makes a development project successful? I ask myself this question each day I spend designing and managing projects. Development certainly isn’t easy, or perfect. As a social science, it is inexact, subjective, and ever-evolving, striving for objective measurement in imperfect, variable-ridden environments. How can one rely on data to indicate success in what is at its beginning and end a human experience, intervention, or endeavor? As foreign aid passes the quarter and half-century marks in some countries, we practitioners must become ever more mindful of our presence, and the effects thereof. Although investment varies from project to project, monitoring and evaluation is widely accepted as a fundamental pillar of effective development. In their 2013 annual letter, Bill and Melinda Gates

re-emphasized the importance of measurement in the global efforts to improve the human condition. Unlike profit generation in the business world, the “bottom line” of development is less straight-forward. Standards of success are predicated on a subjective selection of inherently imperfect data, making “good” development nearly impossible to define. In project management, success is often considered the accomplishment of a specific goal within a designated time frame. When these are self-selected, proper goalsetting and measurement tools become all the more necessary to minimize confirmation and self-reporting bias. Shifting an indicator from number of toilets built to number of toilets used, for example, can have tremendous implications on the focus and direction of a project. Toilets abandoned and in disrepair several years

Maggie D eLor me after construction are an avoidable repeat investment. Dissemination of all data—the good, the bad, and the ugly— is critical for avoiding these kinds of duplications.

Depth Before Breadth The Joint Initiative for Village Advancement, or “JIVA” as it is known, has sought to develop metrics that will inform the effectiveness and sustainability of its integrated approach. This multi-year community development program, funded by the John Deere Foundation, aims to improve the lives of those residing in three rural villages in Rajasthan, India. The program employs a multi-sector approach focused on three priorities: agriculture and income security, education, and small-scale infrastructure. In a country of 1.2 billion people, a smaller, three-village investment may raise

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IMPACT & INNOVATION some eyebrows. Significant development efforts typically span broad geographies. By reaching more beneficiaries, the theory is that projects will scale more quickly and have a greater social impact. Yet these projects are often designed by officials or experts seated far from the communities they are aiming to serve. In India, more than two-thirds of the population lives in rural areas. With languages, customs, social structures, natural resources, and available services often changing in any given fifteen-mile radius, shouldn’t approaches to its rural development be equally diverse and varied? Earlier this year, Nate Clark, Vice President of The John Deere Foundation, highlighted the importance of JIVA’s partnerships to its participatory approach in the first installment of this series. The project model depends heavily on the expertise and resources of its partners to successfully execute a multi-sector approach. JIVA’s local NGO partner, Jatan Sansthan, has been actively engaged since the project’s beginning and serves as the basis for the John Deere Foundation and PYXERA Global’s long-term exit strategy.

A Commitment to Measurement Beyond developing a foundation of partnership for long-term sustainability, the JIVA team remains deeply committed to quantitatively evaluating not just the outputs, but more importantly the impacts of its interventions. Following a needs assessment in 2012 that informed the overall program design, a census baseline study was conducted six months later to validate previous findings and provide a baseline for comparison over the next five years. Two years later, the early results are encouraging. In less than eight months, 100 percent of village drop-outs were enrolled in JIVA’s after-school tutoring program, 60 percent were reintegrated into government schools,

and 71 percent of those reintegrated were attending class regularly. Children from castes historically ostracized and living on the outskirts of villages enrolled in school for the first time. A year later, several of these students now rank among the topfive performers in their class. Due to JIVA’s relatively short duration, addressing complex, long-standing social challenges is not an explicit focus area. Yet with a participatory, systematic approach, it is impossible to ignore their omnipresence in everyday village life. Shayari Bagariya, a teacher in the JIVA after-school program, remarked on the changes she witnessed in her students over the last year, “I used to teach only to Bagariyas, who are my caste. Gradually, change has happened and all children have started calling me teacher. They even take water from me now. People from other castes do not like to take things from the hands of Bagariyas. Now [Bagariya and other children] sit together like brothers and sisters in the JIVA after-school tutoring program.” A small but tremendous step forward, this kind of change is atypical to see in the given time frame. Solid impact analysis over time will enable us to learn the implications of this change for both the JIVA villages and similar future efforts. In agriculture, demonstration plot yields increased by 34.5 percent and 48.1 percent for sorghum and maize, respectively. More than 70 percent of farmers participating in demonstration plot trainings adopted one or more improved agricultural practices before the completion of the first cropping season. Contrary to Everett Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations Theory, the risk-taking behavior of these ‘innovators’ and ‘early adopters’—who, in theory, account for only 16 percent of the population—was not correlated to social status or financial liquidity. Village contribution to community infrastructure work, such as school toilets and classroom repairs, has totaled more

than $6,000—a staggering amount for those living on less than a dollar a day. Local contracting and hiring for JIVA’s infrastructure–related construction resulted in 9,479 hired person days, in addition to the 40 full- and part-time jobs generated by JIVA.

Continuous Self-Reflection and Learning In the face of positive outcomes, it is easy to gloss over failures. Yet, recognizing shortfall in performance is essential to course correction, and therefore must be a focus of any effective monitoring and evaluation effort. Continuous self-evaluation allows JIVA to identify and troubleshoot issues early and adapt to the local context. For example, the after-school program had great early success in enrolling the majority of village children within two months and getting drop-out students back in school. Yet month after month, many students’ test scores remained stagnant in all three villages. By re-evaluating different indicators such as school attendance and parent engagement, JIVA was able to isolate the “pull” effect some students, mainly dropouts, were having on their peers and restructured the program accordingly. Shortly thereafter, student test scores improved markedly. JIVA also struggled with public perception and ownership in the beginning. Initially viewed by villagers as an opportunity for free services, project staff received endless requests for hand-outs the first few months of operations. Understanding the risk this posed to long-term ownership and sustainability, JIVA quickly decided that all infrastructure work would be contingent upon village participation and monetary contribution. Less than a year later, villagers now take an active role in the planning and execution of infrastructure improvements, creating Village Development Committees to monitor construction and manage community funds.

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The New Global Citizen | Fall 2014

Neeta Kumawat, JIVA Field Coordinator and a village resident, described the transformation she’s seen in the villagers’ perception of JIVA’s work: “Earlier, people thought improving the villages was the job of JIVA and that they would do the work in any case. Now, after working for a year, there is a change in the villagers’ perspective of JIVA. Now they understand that it is not JIVA’s duty, but it is their own responsibility.” Evaluating a community’s development is no easy task. There are innumerable confounding variables and symbiotic relationships, and causation can never be definitively proven. But systemic change requires systematic interventions. JIVA’s integrated approach recognizes that each stakeholder plays multiple, interactive roles in a community’s growth. A female farmer attending agricultural trainings is also a mother of a child enrolled in the after-school program and a wife of a carpenter building classroom desks. Evaluating a system holistically allows the project to introduce activities based on each sector’s unique and complementary developmental opportunities. With more than seventy different indicators that can be disaggregated by various socio-demographic variables, JIVA strives to piece together potential correlations and track the effects of its interventions.

Setting the Bar for “Good” Development In some ways, JIVA is akin to thousands of projects, past and present, around the world. It is not the first time implementers have attempted to marry a multi-sector approach with locally-

A J I VA fi e ld c o o rdinator leads an a f te rsc ho o l tutor ing class wi t h stude nts i n Mor r a village.

driven solutions, emphasizing partnerships, a mid-term duration paired with a long-term focus, robust monitoring and evaluation, and flexibility to innovate and adapt to local situations. But it is among a rarer few that have attempted all of these factors simultaneously at a micro, village level where correlation is easier to gauge. Less than two years in, the project’s early results are impressive. Yet many questions remain unanswered. Which aspects of JIVA’s model are most important? Are they mutually inclusive? Is the model replicable? Is it sustainable? The answers to all of these questions will help determine whether or not carrying out the project in a few villages can have broader impact. As the John Deere Foundation and PYXERA Global seek to build on JIVA’s encouraging early results and identify opportunities to test the model’s scale, replication, and impact elsewhere, the answers to these questions are critical. So, what makes a development project successful? In the absence of definitive criteria, examples of the alternative come quickly to mind. Indeed, sharing missteps is important for the success of future programs, but success is not the opposite of failure. Understanding what doesn’t work is equally as important as understanding what does. Lessons learned from projects like JIVA can help shape the expectations of future initiatives and test innovations at scale. With better goals and measurement thereof, practitioners can better evaluate the industry’s progress, where success means one day becoming obsolete.

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PARTNERSHIP IS THE FINEST FORM OF FL ATTERY Commit!Forum Encourages Authentic Partnership for Social Change Amanda MacArthur “PARTNERSHIP” IS TO RELATIONSHIPS WHAT “VANILLA” IS TO ICE CREAM.

t has been so overused, in many cases with no real definition. A previously useful word has fallen prey to what some might call “the jargon curse.” Much too often the term partnership is deployed in support of a relationship that does not reflect the true intent behind the definition: “A relationship between individuals or groups that is characterized by mutual cooperation and responsibility, as

for the achievement of a specified goal.” The key to “partnerships” is mutuality—mutual respect, mutual responsibility, mutual accountability, for a shared goal. Too often, however, relationships that are actually hierarchical—vendor-supplier or donor-beneficiary—are labeled “partnerships,” without the authentic engagement that recognizes the expertise and capabilities of both organizations to make the whole greater than the sum of its parts. At PYXERA Global, where authentic partnership is at the organization’s very core, the

apparent trivialization through jargon has been a concern. It was a real pleasure, then, to join a panel at the Commit!Forum in New York City, with Deborah Holmes from EY and Gina Tesla from IBM, to speak about the changing nature of partnerships and how they can evolve from a management construct to a more active ongoing approach to engagement. Both EY’s Vantage program and IBM’s Corporate Service Corps are prime examples of programs that engage NGOs with specific expertise in emerging and frontier markets.

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HAPPENINGS For its Vantage program, EY partners with Endeavor, a global nonprofit, to find the best and the brightest entrepreneurs in Latin America in need of free consulting assistance from EY associates. Similarly, IBM deploys 500 employees a year through its Corporate Service Corps, providing IBM employees an important leadership development opportunity while simultaneously building the capacity of organizations in growth markets. IBM partners with four NGOs, including PYXERA Global, to identify the best projects and to support the participating employees during their four-week assignments. Both IBM and EY initially identified the very tactical need for local support “on the ground,” and reached out to organizations that could help. But this quickly developed into more strategic relationships. The two companies highlighted the need for open dialogue between partners, creating a “we” mind-set with their partner NGOs, and developing a communication strategy that tells the story of their partnership in a way that speaks to the minds as well as the hearts of stakeholders—both inside and outside the company. The Joint Initiative for Village Advancement (JIVA), is another example of partnership. Born primarily of a philanthropic engagement with John Deere, the program in rural Rajasthan, India, now has a strategic and egalitarian structure in which no one partner is more important than the other, contributing to improvement in agriculture, education, and infrastructure in an integrated and impactful manner. After two days at the Commit!Forum, a theme emerged around partnership. People were eager to restore the term to its original meaning, ensuring that CSR partnerships are strategic, impactful and, perhaps most importantly, authentic. Sessions such as a plenary between The Nature Conservancy, Unilever, and The Mosaic Company highlighted how their partnership, Field To

Market® brings together the many stakeholders in an agricultural value chain, including the conservation community, to identify strategies for improving the supply chain across the sector and limiting waste. In the not-so-distant past, a partnership between a major conservation organization and a fertilizer company would have been unthinkable. Yet, these are the very partnerships that will drive solutions to complex challenges, such as feeding the world’s seven billion people while maintaining the sanctity of the world’s ecosystem. Authenticity, however, is not limited to describing partnership. It also describes reputation, and in this regard, CVS Health was the highlight of this year’s Forum. President and CEO Larry Merlo discussed the company’s decision to stop selling tobacco products in their retail stores, a decision that could potentially cost them $2 billion in revenue. How much is a mission worth? CVS decided: about $2 billion. CVS is dedicated to providing an integrated approach to healthcare for the American consumer and selling tobacco products was in direct conflict with that goal. As an integral part of many communities and the first, and sometimes only, access to

healthcare professionals that many people have, CVS made a strategic—perhaps even heroic—decision to authentically live into their values. There is no finer example of corporate social responsibility than putting the health of your customers ahead of the health of your bottom line. In today’s hyper-connected world, where consumers have more choices than ever before and loyalty is defined by Sunday’s coupon circulator, being authentically engaged in the community can make the difference between positive and negative earnings reports. It is no longer enough for companies to simply donate to a cause; rather they must contribute to a cause in an authentic way. Such a contribution can manifest itself in myriad ways: through the expertise of their employees, as companies like EY and IBM have done, or through a partnership that can mutually create and implement a joint vision like PYXERA Global and John Deere. When companies ensure that their core business decisions reflect their mission, they embrace the opportunity to demonstrate how authentic partnership can move off the jargon bandwagon and into the real world.

This fall, CVS Health made the monumental decision to stop selling tobacco products at its CVS/pharmacy locations across the country.

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The New Global Citizen | Fall 2014

BOOK EXCERPT Motivation: it’s not something you can do for people. It’s something the best leaders enable individuals to find for themselves. THE MVPS OF SELF-REGULATION Self-regulation is the mechanism for countering the emotional triggers and distractions that tend to undermine our psychological needs for autonomy, relatedness, and competence (ARC). People need high-quality self-regulation to help manage their workplace experiences if they ever hope to have an optimal motivational outlook. Three potent techniques promote high-quality self-regulation—mindfulness, values, and purpose. These are the MVPs of self-regulation. Mindfulness: The first MVP of self-regulation Mindfulness is noticing—being aware and attuned to what is happening in the present moment without judgment or an automatic reaction. It is a state of being but is also a skill that requires development through practice and patience. People express mindless reactions differently. Some convey anger, frustration, or self-righteous indignation by yelling, ranting, or bullying and others by going silent, being passive-aggressive, or avoiding the person or situation that seems most responsible for thwarting their psychological needs. When we are not mindful, we tend to react with typical behavior patterns—many of which we are born with or have acquired unconsciously through life experience—or uncontrolled emotions when we feel •

•

We are pressured or lack control over a person or situation (an absence of autonomy) A person or organization has disappointed us or let us down (an absence of relatedness) We don’t have the ability to cope effectively with the person or situation (an absence of competence)

Mindfulness, however, provides a view of reality without the filters, self-centered thoughts, and historical conditioning that tint your outlook. When people are not in control of their reactions, their lack of mindfulness reflects low-quality self-regulation. The result is one of the three suboptimal motivational outlooks: •

•

Disinterested—People disengage because they are overwhelmed but not thoughtfully or through conscious choice; they are unable to link the activity with values or anything meaningful. External—They revel in the power they exert, stimulated by their status over others or controlled by an external reward or incentive. Imposed—They feel they have no other choices and there is only one way of dealing with the situation.

Ironically, suboptimal energy can be addictive. It is also exhausting. The rush of adrenaline generated through self-righteous indignation, the heat of anger, the thrill of the kill in intense competition— they can all fuel a person like junk food. Whether the energy is expressed more inwardly through passive aggression and silent disengagement or more outwardly through frustration or impatience, consider this: the only way to sustain the negative energy is to continue being mad, infuriated, and disappointed in whoever or whatever sparked the negativity in the first place. Sustaining negative energy requires fueling negative energy. It is no way to live. My wish for people as they explore mindfulness is to discover how suboptimal motivational outlook energy pales in

comparison to the energy generated in an optimal motivational outlook. Mindfulness and ARC are directly linked. The high-quality self-regulation that comes from mindfulness is highly relevant to a person’s motivational outlook. Kirk Warren Brown, a leading mindfulness researcher, reports on how mindfulness links to a direct experience of psychological needs. In other words, when people are mindful, it is almost impossible for them not to experience ARC. The neuroscience of mindfulness is fascinating. Brain scans show that mindfulness and the experience of ARC activate the same part of your brain. The more mindful you are, the more likely you are to satisfy your psychological needs. A space exists between what is happening to you and the way you react to it. Mindfulness is that space. This is where you can choose how to respond. When a person is mindful, she experiences a heightened sense of autonomy because she is not controlled by her own

The New Global Citizen | Fall 2014 potentially misconstrued and misaligned self-concept based on irrelevant past experiences. In this mindful state, a person is better able to experience relatedness because she can be genuinely concerned about another person without self-serving interpretations or prejudice. Mindfulness also enhances her competence because without the knee-jerk response, she has options for making more appropriate choices—she is better able to navigate and master whatever situation she finds herself in. When people are mired in their prejudiced version of reality, they have fewer options for coping with that reality.

VALUES: THE SECOND MVP OF SELFREGULATION Values are premeditated, cognitive standards of what a person considers good or bad, worse, better, or best. Values are enduring beliefs a person has chosen to accept as guidelines for how he works—and lives his life. Values are at the heart of high-quality self-regulation, yet most individuals have not explored their own work-related values. I find this ironic. If you stop people in the hallway at work and ask them to list their organization’s values, purpose, or mission statement, chances are they will come close. Today, promoting organizational values and purpose is an accepted business practice. This is a good thing. However, we cannot stop there. Individuals need to identify, develop, clarify, declare, and operationalize their own work-related values and purpose—and then determine how they align with the organization’s values. Employees with clarified values are more likely to experience high-quality self-regulation despite inevitable workplace demands and challenges. But therein lies the problem. First, people need to have developed values! If values are mechanisms for change and good decision making, shouldn’t all individuals in the organization have clarity about their own values—and

how they align, or not, with the organization’s? Developing workplace values for yourself and with your people is worth the investment of time. Linking developed values to a challenging task, goal, or situation activates a shift between a suboptimal motivational outlook and optimal motivational outlook. A developed value is freely chosen from alternatives, with an understanding of the consequences of the alternatives. It is prized and cherished. It is acted upon over time. An intriguing aspect of values is that developing them tends to be a mindful process that reflects not only what we need to flourish but what others need as well. Acting upon developed values helps us satisfy our psychological needs. To guide your people’s shift to an optimal motivational outlook, help them self-regulate by linking assigned tasks, goals, or projects to their developed values. For you to do that, your people need to have developed values—and to have you as a good role model.

PURPOSE: THE THIRD MVP OF SELFREGULATION Purpose is a deep and meaningful reason for doing something. Purpose is acting with a noble intention—when your actions are infused with social significance. As consultant and author Dr. Charles Garfield drove over the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge on his way to work, he heard loud music coming from the tollbooth he was about to enter. He rolled down his window to pay his toll and found a dancing tollbooth operator. “I’m having a party,” the operator declared. Dr. Garfield drove away more joyful than he did most mornings and realized he had just experienced a peakperforming tollbooth operator. Intrigued, Dr. Garfield followed up and discovered that the young man’s purpose in life was to be a dancer. His coworkers described their booths as “vertical coffins,” but this young man saw it as a stage for

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performing and his job as an opportunity to dance. He developed a philosophy about his job, created an environment to support his vision, and happened to entertain those he served. Research on peak performers confirms what you might suspect about people who attain high levels of success and sustain it over time. Peak performers are not goal driven. Peak performers are values based and inspired by a noble purpose. The danger of drive is that it distracts people from what really makes them dance. People are more likely to meet or exceed expectations when they pursue goals within a context of a meaningful purpose. If, for some reason, the dancing tollbooth operator were failing to achieve his goals of collecting correct fees and preventing backups on the bridge, as his manager, you would know the root of the problem: His work-related role, values, and purpose are not synched. However, odds are that this peak performer is achieving both your goals for him and his personal, purpose-based goals for himself. Employees who have clarified their personal values and vision and integrated them with their organization’s stated values and vision are likely to be living, working, and even dancing purposefully. Most organizations have a vision, mission, or purpose statement, but few employees have one for their work- related role. This is a lost opportunity and a shame. Without a noble purpose, what is enticing employees away from the daily bombardment of junk foods? Without a higher cause or sense of meaning, why give up those French fries or wait for the promised marshmallow? Collaborate with your employees to find alignment between their perception of their role-related values and purpose and your perception. Come to conclusions together that meet both their needs and those of the organization. Acting with a noble purpose reflects the highest-quality self-regulation.

Printed from the book, Why Motivating People Doesn’t Work…And What Does: The New Science of Leading, Energizing, and Engaging, by Susan Fowler with the permission of Berrett-Koheler Publishers 2014. www.bkconnection.com

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The New Global Citizen | Fall 2014

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Leadership in Action

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