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The global
impact of local networks working together
on
cross-border business investment commitments
can
transform the world market of growing communities.
Three
networks can work as one force to uplift the world. |
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We aren't there yet, however. A tipping point
is not sufficient. |
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The world is a wide area network of local business
communities and the individuals who work there. Those business
environments and lives can be improved through collaborative efforts. |
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The individuals and the businesses through which they
collaborate locally and across borders can efficiently achieve sustainable
global prosperity goals together through mutual interests. |
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Our mission is to develop many very competitive business
environments in a fast-changing world through action-oriented networks
of entrepreneurial business leaders motivated to uplift the world. |
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Successful business investment projects drive sustainable
prosperity. We will help many communities to develop a better future
through the positive social impact of successful business projects. |
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The three circles represent three intersecting global
networks in this market. They consist of many regional and local
networks which can work together as one global team :
- Executives responsible for the strategic planning
and implementation of capital investment projects as their companies grow
anywhere.
- Professional service providers specialized in the
support of capital investment projects to achieve goals faster and better
with less risk.
- Economic development professionals motivated to
attract, retain, and support business investments to achieve sustainable
prosperity.
This may seem optimistic, like "seeing the world through
rose colored glasses", but self-interest clearly motivates these
individuals to
pragmatically work together to mutual benefit. |
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Even
a few strong leaders working together can be a great social force to uplift
the world, and an inspiration to others to join the network as they pursue
their own interests. |
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For now, these networks are still
growing, and the linkages between them remain limited as they focus on their
separate self-interests. They are free to work together, or not. |
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We can make it easier for these networks of leaders in many
places to meet and discover their mutual interests and agree on ways to work
together, if they choose to do so. |
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The Global Direct Investment Foundation is a fulcrum.
It will invest knowledge and resources to drive innovation in this market,
guided by the suggestions and priorities of GDI Forum leaders. |
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It is small today, but can grow to whatever scale of
commitment the GDI Forum members choose to make. The balance of
priorities can be more global (to the left) or local (to the right). |
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There are many foundations and non-profit organizations which
can apply resources to tip the balance according to local or global
interests, and work with others to leverage their impact. |
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Their support can grow the leverage and impact of the GDI Foundation,
and influence the choices of global or local priorities. Think of this
as changing the size and position of the fulcrum. |
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Their work with other organizations - governments,
economic development organizations, business leaders, professional services,
non-profits, and multilateral organizations can also be helpful to increase
the leverage of all participants to achieve their desired impact. In
short, they can both move the fulcrum and help to grow the effectiveness of
the networks applied to the challenges. |
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There are many large and small non-profit and voluntary
organizations which focus on the operational challenges of meeting specific
social needs in one or many locations. They do many
good things, whether for local or global needs, but often work in isolation
as they compete for funds and focus on their own distinct approaches to social
challenges.
Their work generally stays closely tied to the social
priorities and expectations of their sources of funding - whether
foundations, governments, corporations, or private individuals. |
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The high value of their work lies in their potential to
improve one life at a time in specific communities by connecting with such
"grassroots" needs for solutions at a personal level. |
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On the dark side, there are many national and local
governments with large resources (large gray circles), plus smaller
multilateral organizations (small gray circles)
Regardless of good intentions, governments by design are generally
risk-averse, slow to change, and focus on conflicting "policies" driven by
local self-interests, not mutual interests.
They have limited ability to connect with or change the
"grassroots" needs of individuals, which would be perceived as unfair to
others. Their work is more at the macro level or with interest groups.
Governments have resources and potential to be part of the solution
if they rise to the challenge as leaders committed to more than just local
progress, but they can also be an obstacle to change.
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Their performance is generally measured only in their
aggregate impact at the macro "policy" level. There is little direct
accountability for results at the personal level except in very local
services |
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Even very large multilateral organizations have limited
resources, with many conflicting demands on them from national governments
and interest groups,
which limits their leverage or global impact. Some
multilateral organizations do very valuable work at the personal level, but
in general their leadership is very far removed from direct accountability
for "grassroots" achievements. |
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By contrast, businesses only succeed by delivering high value
for the individuals who choose to invest in their products or services.
Otherwise, they soon fail to survive. Governments don't. |
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It takes much longer for large, ineffective governments or
multilateral organizations to fail, because they are designed to be
self-perpetuating social bureaucracies which try to avoid such risks. |
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The lever for change is innovation by "social entrepreneur
ventures" working closely with all of the networks in this market -
locally or globally - to empower results through these networks. |
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Global Direct
Investment Solutions and the related
www.OnTheShortList.com service
as well as
www.Partners4Technology.com are examples of social entrepreneurs in this
niche. |
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Their role isn't to be the solution provider, but rather to
efficiently apply the potential force of the knowledge networks, research
work, and contacts to help overcome specific local challenges.
It is like the difference between being the software or
hardware which enables others to do great things according to their diverse
needs, or just producing a standardized product or service. |
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It is analogous to the role of a concierge service or an
independent retailer who brings many good suppliers and buyers together as
a more efficient distribution channel to mutual benefit.
This involves local-to-local peer relationships, rather than
hierarchical bureaucratic structures. The goal is to create personal,
one-to-one connections between needs and solutions. |
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There are other ways for the GDI Foundation to have a major
impact on global economic development, but the basic idea is to leverage
networks and social entrepreneur ventures. |
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Networking technology makes it possible to "flatten" the
world through personal connections. The impact is at the personal
level to drive progress locally through mutual benefits. |
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Social progress isn't driven by government. It is
achieved by helping individuals to find their own paths to sustainable
prosperity and progress, however they define their own dreams to pursue. |
