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...incubation space
“What elders may see while sitting, the young may not see while standing" |
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February 28 (report)
Unsustainable Enterpreneurship
Fiona Dove
Executive Director
Transnational Institute, Amsterdam
Unsustainable Enterpreneurship
Fiona Dove
Executive Director
Transnational Institute, Amsterdam
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The two classrooms adjacent to one another, were packed with attendees from both Masters programs and the International Development Management programs of VHL. They came to have a conversation with Fiona Dove, Executive Director of the Transnational Institute. This watchdog organization, made up of scholars watching the World Economy and social development, had just published their report 'The State of Power' during the recent World Economic Forum in Davos.
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The private sector ruling the world
What was evident from her presentations is the relative weakness of the national states compared to the power of corporate entities surpassing state boundaries, looking for the right ecology for their products to be made and the right tax regime for their profits to remain relatively untouched by the public eye.
Leadership
The participants, coming from over 20 nations world-wide showed an outstanding performance each giving a personal account of how foreign direct investment impacts their direct environment. At the same time the personal reflections did not spare national leadership in trading the national public goods with outsiders for private benefit. Mrs. Valerie Tjirimuje from Namibia tilted the discussion towards the responsibility of citizens to not only critizise their leadership but take responsibilty by electing the right leaders that will bring the desired change and act responsibly in the public interest.
Positive changes as a result of investment
Reinier van Hoffen, as facilitator of the discussion encouraged the participants to also bring out positive stories of investment in agricultural chains and export opportunities that participants from the Masters of Agricultural Production Chain Management should be able to produce. These came out scarcely and will hopefully have been saved for the next U®conversation with Mr. Robert Dijksterhuis from the newly established Netherlands Enterprise Agency. He will bring the Dutch policy perspective on private sector development and how his agency will try to spurr inclusive growth.
To be continued...
What was evident from her presentations is the relative weakness of the national states compared to the power of corporate entities surpassing state boundaries, looking for the right ecology for their products to be made and the right tax regime for their profits to remain relatively untouched by the public eye.
Leadership
The participants, coming from over 20 nations world-wide showed an outstanding performance each giving a personal account of how foreign direct investment impacts their direct environment. At the same time the personal reflections did not spare national leadership in trading the national public goods with outsiders for private benefit. Mrs. Valerie Tjirimuje from Namibia tilted the discussion towards the responsibility of citizens to not only critizise their leadership but take responsibilty by electing the right leaders that will bring the desired change and act responsibly in the public interest.
Positive changes as a result of investment
Reinier van Hoffen, as facilitator of the discussion encouraged the participants to also bring out positive stories of investment in agricultural chains and export opportunities that participants from the Masters of Agricultural Production Chain Management should be able to produce. These came out scarcely and will hopefully have been saved for the next U®conversation with Mr. Robert Dijksterhuis from the newly established Netherlands Enterprise Agency. He will bring the Dutch policy perspective on private sector development and how his agency will try to spurr inclusive growth.
To be continued...