==== ygl annual summit 2006: innovations 4 the future ==== Young Global Leaders: http://www.younggloballeaders.org/ 4 days conference: day 1: dignity day, visit to vancouver schools, talking to kids about the concept of 'dignity' and the initiative to allow everyone to lead a dignified life ('we're all the same'). opening reception with Gordon Campbell (president of BC) and Klaus Schwab (chairman wef, founder ygl) day 2: plenary session on what we do, why we're here, what we want to achieve. panels and interactive sessions on (see final programme). museum of anthropology - dinner and performance. day 3: business brainstorming. priorities for 2020; presentations and round tables: poverty and development, education, environment, global governance and security, health, new initiatives. outdoor team building. dinner with members of foundation board day 4: defining a common vision + action plans for task-forces. new ideas worth following up. closing panel. informal networking. ---- innovations for the future (from ygl meeting san francisco): digital media, biotech, alternative energy ygl - leaders * participatory leadership inspiring reason + emotion * too many overeducated but demotivated people in the world * emphasis on personal communication and contact * 'you can't be a leader without the will to serve' - always ask yourself - how can i personally contribute? * creativity and leadership: process of eliminating options (michelangelo - david) --- discussion about similarities and differences in the ygl community: why are we here (1 table - open src software in the US, art+tech in belgium and holland, thai parliament (education), poverty eradication in mozambique, art and human rights (video) in kenya, alpha-tech - broadband and alternative energy in canada): openness sharing and participation * to share technology and ideas (open source, creative commons) * participation in shaping the cultural, social, ecological and technological future * awareness of individual issues on a global scale * fight ignorance: either don't know or don't want to know * people from different parts of the world are focusing on different priorities, but all issues are linked (environmental+economic+cultural issues can't be seen as separate) - eg. open src <> microfinance + how do we scale this? poverty and human rights * poverty eradication (can technology bridge the gap between the non/educated? * access - technological development to improve people's lives, using all possible means, never leaving out any part of the world * focus on human rights - raising awareness through film, the arts... to help people liberate themselves environment * climate change and pollution * biodiversity benefit of ygl * "how do you eat an elephant?" * large network with many different disciplines -- new perspectives, no need to reinvent the wheel. existing task forces: 1. environment: focus on climate change ) * need to communicate alarming facts * get people out of apathy * focus on solutions rather than problems (from environmentalism being a burden to becoming an opportunity) * tf focused on an 'umbrella campaign' (love-hate, cool-uncool...) 2. governance and security * understanding why good people do evil things to each other * promotional campaign: setting up a non-profit film company for awareness and prevention of genocide * legitimacy index (current systems - both informal and formal (relationship very messy), still based on military, wealth, territory) * world government (UN comes the closest, but skewed - either big territory, the US or winners in WWII) 3. microfinance * spreading awareness between regulators and industry * getting leaders of financial institutions interested * different microfinance business models * dignity initiative - appeal to people's emotions to inspire action (individual / social...) * access to financial products for the poor * informal sector (small businesses - 70% of employment - the base of the pyramid) * scalable micro-enterprises * current model - very labour intensive 4. health * there is lots of money for r&d on drugs, not so much for treatment * more affordable medicine * states don't do much * press business and local government * individual self-care and prevention - diet, exercise... * focus on chronic and lifestyle diseases (80% in low income countries 5. education * progress for educational system, global database on schools * 'grassroots dignity college' - need translation in many languages * one mind at the time 6. new task forces 6.1 diversity on the bottom line - to promote cultural and religious understanding through basic education 6.2 social and action networks environmental TF in detail "undeniable" facts: * temperature raise of 1.5C in the coming century * increase of greenhouse gas * changing sea-currents * raise of water levels * climactic and tectonic uncertainty * biological mass extinction * deforestation * proliferation of heat absorbing surfaces * depletion of fossil fuels in the face of these issues -- too much apathy around the globe: usual responses: * we're screwed and i can't do anything about it * i can't do anything on my own ygl mission: empowering the individuals to ditch this apathy ) * short and long term * working on energy efficiency, education and awareness campaigns first things to change: * how we look at and use energy: in our own companies, with our clients/audiences/users * how we produce and distribute energy * disconnection between scientists/technologists - society+business YGL to influence: * awareness of wide populations * business opportunities * policy * technology issues with energy production: * problem with fossil fuels: low energy ratio, high emission of co2 * alternative energy production needed: * short term: bio-fuels (ethanol), solar energy, wind-power, nuclear energy, geothermal, hydro-power * longer term: hydrogen fuels (nuclear fusion -- see fusion in a bubble UCLA) * increasing efficiency of current energy production and consumption * finding better ways to generate energy * push r&d in alternative energy, for 'cool' technology (solar tech much more increase in efficiency than internal combustion motors) * 'small is profitable' - solutions of right size for the right place things to address in short term concerning energy production and consumption: waste, biofuels, natural gas * waste - mostly produced in transportation: because of heat dissipation, rolling resistance, aerodynamic drag -- problem with the weight of vehicles ('platform physics') - lightweight steel, aluminium-titanium alloys, carbon-fibre composits (until now used in aerospace and sports) * biofuels - mostly ethanol: in the US from corn (not efficient), in Brazil from sugarcane (more efficient). another good solution - cellulose based ethanol (from switch grass and woody parts of plants) - can be grown on depleted agricultural land, where it doesn't need to compete with other crops * natural gas - wasted producing electricity. more appliances / transport should use it. electricity power plants are too often 'peak' plants - we need to find a better way to store the energy and use only when needed. nuclear future? "i don't like the stuff, but it's there and i know what to do with it" * even green-peace is beginning to change their opinion about it * until now nuclear power very wasteful -- it is possible to recycle and enrich uranium. we have enough uranium for about 100 years. if enriched, for about 1000. * waste: now - 1 gigawat fission reactor - 12 steel barrels per year. for the entire earth we would need 10000 such reactors. it takes 5-10 years, 1 billion USD to build one. ideal - break uranium down to Iron 56 --- not radioactive, no waste (needs research!). * nuclear security - big issue (chernobyl - preventable human mistake) more general short term proposals: from passive awareness to positive action (individuals, communities, businesses, politicians) individuals * better insulation * changing modes of transport, fly less * more efficient lighting and heating systems * recycle * minimise waste * conscious consumer's attitude (organic, fair trade...) * consumer push on business * ... business and regulators * CMC: conservation - mitigation - conversion * lowering agricultural subsidies and growing cash crops * encouraging manufacturers to design greener solutions * adapting existing and designing new forms of transport * insurance policies against weather derivatives * changing standards and regulations (often don't allow for green solutions) * decoupling power consumption from economic growth * address global warming and poverty simultaneously * green pathways out of poverty. social, economic and spiritual u-turn: * conservation of natural resources * regulation of bad investment in good solutions * from rich to poor, from problem to solution * makes people equal again * large green voter base (community health benefits across the board) from reduce, reuse, recycle (environmentalist) to: * reengineer: policy, built environment * reinvest/reinvent - relationships business/govt (subsidies, tax, zoning) * retrain - workforce, technology... designers and developers * visualisation and design of new 'green' products and services * creating a new mindset - not about 'don't do' but about 'do' * get the 'early adopters on the side (designers, architects, engineers...) - educating developers * working on biomimetic and biophilic design * "whole system design" * getting consumers on the side: ferrary look with a green engine; the feelgood factor * influencing behaviour change (making green living positive and aspirational, rather than finger-wagging. people have to see there are others (idols, role models, the mr nobody like me) taking the initiative - people will act, but not alone ('if you will, i will). * example: minergie houses in switzerland, sustainable buildings in india, israel and iceland off oil (environmental + social) ---- how far is it possible to go within the current paradigm, how much we can stretch it, is it enough? * need for a more fundamental change in life and life-style - addressing issues holistically * need to attract grass-roots ngos, designers, eco-activists and arts collectives * moving from communist views to open understanding of society * consulting groups most effective to get things from accademia to realworld situations * how to reshape economics if necessary * think and do tank * science of well-being * architectural approaches - how much critical mass reuqired to make a city carbon free? examples: * smarttransportation.org (vancouver public taxi) * takingitglobal.org * report 'resources from the future' (1951 - pentagon?) -- not able to manage resources of the world based on what was there then * carbon offset options (frequent flyers in buying tickets, ups and fedex - optional deliveries) * book - beyond short termism * green-collar workers (environmental issues for dealing with poverty Existing YGL initiatives BRANDING AND CAMPAIGN * ygl campaign - passionate, motivated, optimistic and solution driven. not so much about profit, but about well-being; changing things more fundamentally, targeting ideas and beliefs; legitimately the next generation, since they;re young. required to have a sequel to the gore movie called details * framework around the question - why is it good for me -- ie environmental issues as a business proposition -- economic - public health - environmental issues * umbrella campaign; creating awareness, outline business opportunities and the dangers of being a laggard; working with the wef for the framework of economic and regulatory systems C20 (or 21, 22...) - c20 initiative - 20 of the largest cities as examples of 'green city' ) * globalcool * media, communication and analytics - getting celebrities to promote green lifestyle (embargoed until end of june) * indexing good sustainable business practices * summit in iceland, october 2006 --> powerful groups to unite in the cause (never before did these groups agree on a single issue!: * shareholder activists * philantropists * investors and VCs (CERES - carbon disclosure project) * religious groups (agglomerated religions own 7% of earth + large investments. 11000 environmental projects since 1989!) * large pension funds (including academic retirement funds) * powerful investors representing cities * NGOs * people working on the cutting edge of all practices * scientific community (to work on lowering princeton wedges), sponsoring students and faculty * concordia institute for sustainability * cities are the best answer (in scandinavia national govts as well) * decision makers * bankers and other financial leaders * eco-artists and activitists (eco-fest in nairobi) * human rights network (hurinet) * media (newsweek will bring out a special issue on this) what people want to contribute: * foam - minimise our own ecological footprint (we still need about 2 planets); help concept and design for (a segment of) the umbrella awareness campaign; retreat/conference on sustainable media for designers, artists, engineers and architects; forestation and green city initiatives (seedballing); working locally in brussels and amsterdam for the C20 initiative - public actions, collaborating with neighbourhood committees, working with local govt...; * video journalist network (face of aids: http://www.faceofaids.com ), can help documenting 'best practices', working with dissemination agencies to distribute 'self-created content' and generate a massive online repository - documenting our processes, if needed for other people * awareness campaign for agriculture - developing a 'cool rose' needing less water, resistant to pests... organically grown... * developing the index and advising clients to become greener (+ offer solutions, help, mentoring and contacts) * attracting investors and fundraising * attracting role models (famous people, but also your next door neighbour people) to get to groups of people who don't care about the environment * need to mobilise small businesses * localising / situating marketing campaign * combining arts and music (cd with music by african artists to promote the cause) * delhi - now all public transport - natural gas -- had to happen through law enforcement - it needed a communication strategy to all levels of society - to communicate how lives can change * lobbying groups to target policy and public services * distributed power station in london * if you visualise things well, it's easy to get both individual consumers and policy people * RED group - looking at domestic energy - co-creating public services for the 21st ct * forestation (trees in SA cut in ghettos - link between poverty and greening (greenhouse project in johanessburg /earthlife africa) summary concrete actions ygl environmental tf beginning 2006 * awareness promotion campaign (targeting businesses first, then governments and communities) * C20 - 20 major cities carbon-free - public events, large scale actions, policy decisions, media campaigns * index for businesses (how to change to help minimise climate change_) * fundraising for sustainable development * support for r&d in alternative energy * summit in iceland connecting with different task forces: * education: access to schools world-wide for workshops, information sessions, lessons... * health: connecting environmental thinking with food, diet, exercise and individual well-being ==== other sessions followed ==== on conflict and cooperation * distinction: people who preach fear / people who preach trust * ultimate cooperation - world government? * for diversity, not for tolerance (i don't want to be tolerated!) * media - conflict sells better than cooperation * the west should learn more about islam, and about how much of our civilisation is built on / depends on islam * terrorists -> victims/rejection of globalisation, not a clash of civilisations keeping promises: every time you promise something, record and publish it! -- it's a small world online communities: * ability to self-publish, reach, search and expand (sales, raising kids) * leveraging social connections * portable reputations * they enable the 'fringe' - no top down management * seeming self-organisation -- social filtering and tagging * mash-up of work and play * MMORPGS driving business models and environments * SAP knowledge network * challenges: disruption, no maps, different styles, approaches and languages (the 'lawyer salad') infosys: 'knowledge networks - p2p network. employees get points for contributing open source communities: amplifiers for people and their desires * from online back to the physical communities: 'fab-labs' (bridging the fabrication and instrumentation divide) - using the computer as a tool and as a material. machines to make machines. -- bottom-up aid, bottom-up technology (book: 'fab' by neil gershenfield) leaky technology - impossible to keep undisclosed (pentagon -- how do we classify it / / it's too late, we better find ways to make friends) business brainstorming challenges: * cultural clash (japanese business does not respect other cultures. US business very goal oriented) * hiring good people * stagnation/innovation * for profit/non profit * language issues + decision making: * asian - consensus building; US - cut through decisions * vision is not a problem, execution is (need to build execution aspects into mission statements * team-building: with personal trainers ('cracking'), social events, outdoor activities ---- attention economy - everyone overloaded by information. solutions to relax: * walk before email * think before pressing enter * don't Cc if not necessary * never send an email angry * no closet emailing on vacation * write letters by hand sometimes * if all fails - therapy! we're all in search of balance; more focus on self + well being (yoga, nail polish !!!!???, civic action, charity....) closing remarks * always refocus on individual behaviours and emotions * think up menaingful metrics and indexing (bringing the individual up to scale) * govern on the side of problem solvers * review products with carbon signatures * leveraging the ygl network (online, locally) - creating a ygl voice * ideas and products designed and distributed globally, not just for the benefit of the west * we should change the position from which we ask questions - from the individual -> network -> institution * the role of the leader is to ask questions * 'economists are left brain philosophers' * young local leaders * mentoring new ygls / old global leaders * getting fellow ygls out of danger * top level executive education, ygl fellowships for students * from poverty reduction to wealth creation * leading by example - making a difference * balance between action and thoughtful leadership