Country/Region: Ghana, West Africa
Goal: To build a social enterprise focused on bringing investment and creating jobs in the West African agribusiness sector
Status: On-going

Accra, Ghana
August 20th, 2008

This summer, I worked with the Solidity Trade team on a project aimed at developing a product inherent to the African landscape — Ghanaian unrefined shea butter. Unrefined shea butter is a useful product that has several applications in cooking, hair, and skin care. By investing in this product we wanted to address the lack of availability in capital for African farmers and the difficulty to access international markets in a profitable way.

The company’s business model and mission serves a dual purpose:

• Creating jobs in poor areas to alleviate poverty
• Lifting up the economic barriers to give access to international markets

To learn more about our organization, please visit the official website: www.soliditytrade.com

Country/Region: Chincha and El Carmen, Peru
Status: Completed

This year I had the fortunate opportunity of attending Verano Negro – a yearly festival celebrated in the cities of Chincha and El Carmen. The festival combines an array of Afro-Peruvian traditions: cuisine, music, culture, poetry, dances, and cultural art. Check out some the videos below to watch some of the festivities:

Una celebración de la cultura Afro-Peruana en las ciudades de Chincha y El Carmen, Perú

Country/Region: New Delhi, India
Goal: An investigation into the importance of spirituality within organizations and the impact on our individual lives, drawing from the wisdom in one of the world’s most diverse and complex societies; India.
Status: Completed

International Conference on Integrating Spirituality and Organizational Leadership
A conference bringing a multinational congregation of attendees with representation from academia, government, corporate, NGO, and media organizations. The opening speech was delivered by Sri Swami Dayananda Saraswati, one of the great masters of interfaith relations who also addressed the UN Millennium Peace Summit. You can read more about him here.

Topics of significant interest:

• The role of major religions in economic development
• Integrating human values and economic development
• Business as a spiritual practice
• Psychological and spiritual implicatins of work
• Rehabilitating the self
• Challenging the dominance of western management models: reflections from the wisdom and traditions of Asia
• Eupsychian management
• Sustainable development and its ties to the spirituality dimension

Important Lessons and Afterthoughts:
“Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has warned that malnutrition rates for children in his country remain among the highest in the world. In a strongly-worded letter sent to state chief ministers, Singh said that a massive program to improve health and nutrition had failed. The letter said that the program had been ‘poorly implemented.’ A UN report in May said that half of the world’s under-nourished children live in South Asia, with most in India… Economists say that India’s economy has grown at over 8% over the past three years and is expected to expand close to 9% in the fiscal year ending March 2007. But despite the new-found prosperity of the few, close to 300m Indians still live on less than $1 (44 rupees) a day.” – BBC News, 16 January 2007.

Today, I have witnessed poverty in its most desperate form, simultaneously clashing with the forces of rapid economic development. I can’t help but ponder the sere conditions of our continent and how we’ve come to this point. Here in India’s capital I lay in a caliginous room, distraught but hopeful, that a significant middle-class above the starving millions will create the necessary momentum for change. During the matutinal hours of the day, I expend dolorous moments in silence, contemplating my own humanity and the true importance of my life pursuits…

The conference in question served as an opportune springboard into this self-learning exercise. The majority of discussion was centered on “The Psychology of Being”, more simply rephrased as the fundamental elements that make us human. Sri Swami animated the discourse by explaining the “Economics of Shiva”, or the economics of creation and destruction and the principle of “Dharma”, i.e. righteousness. Within that context, we plunged into the structure of society, our work places, our organizations, and the significance of individuals in the collective human family. It is said that there is no way of escaping the influence of the collective. Some refuse to succumb to it and attempt to influence others. Many are drawn to objects of desire, amass wealth and gain the world, but lose themselves (their sense of humanness) in the process.

“If you have much, give of your wealth; if you have little, give of your heart” – Arabian Proverb

It’s a shame that most organizations are created around a philosophy that ignores humanness and denies respect and dignity of the individual. As a result, the contemporary praxis has been to earn enough money to create a life outside of the organization. One the most offensive misnomers ever created is the term “human resources” or “HR.” Humans are not resources, they are humans. When we allow humans to be viewed as resources, we allow ourselves to justify their exploitation.

“The problem of every human being is the acceptability of the self” – Sri Swami

The mind is not strong enough to control the heart and soul, and spirituality without religion can exist. Education is the manifestation of the perfection inherent to man, thus let us draw from Indian and Gandhian philosophies of self-learning:

• Self-governance – govern yourself before governing others, In a person’s capability to conform to Dharma (righteousness) one becomes incapable of going against the dharma, in other words, one comes to understand the value of values.
• Self-ownership – We blame everything, the world, the past, countries, ethnic groups, others, etc. The moment you begin addressing your own problems, you become spiritual. Wake up to reach the limit of your reasoning power. To understand truth one must understand untruth.
• Self-realization – Living creatures possess varying degrees of manifested consciousness. Just as naturally as a cow knows what it needs to do to survive, humans are able to internalize their purpose of being as the freedom of choice, the ability to sense guilt, right and wrong, hate and love, resentment and compassion, etc., and are able to reach the mental apex of inner consciousness through self-realization.
• Self-actualization – Actualization results in leading action. Becoming a leader took the redefinition what it means to be leader within yourself; one that can reshuffle ideas with openness, fearless of change, open to continual learning. Leaders learn to follow first; they are not self-appointed or demand society to make him/her a leader. Leaders resonate with spirituality and are in tune with everything that can teach them –> i.e. humility. When everybody’s interest becomes your interest, you become a leader, a eupsychian.

Ultimately, these four principles of self-learning to achieve self-acceptability embody the manifesto of being a successful person in relation to one’s self. Happiness lies in the self and the self of others. Everyone is divine and tries to be divine. Perfection is living in harmony with imperfection. Love and spirituality are equivalent to gravity; they are invisible yet omnipresent, holding mass and the masses together.

Country/Region: Seoul, Korea
Status: Completed

The Global HR Forum 2007 “Global Talent, Global Properity!”
October 23 to 25, 2007

This premier three-day event was held under the central theme of “HR Solutions for the Next Generation,” an opening venue for the exchange of in-depth information and discussions on future HR strategies and visions. The conference brought together global leaders from the public and private sector who are committed to upgrading the quality of human resources and generating sustainable growth for the global economy.

Of particular highlight, participants were able to gain a deeper understanding of different cultures of the East and West to build a wide-reaching network for the development and utilization of global talents. In a Keynote Address the former president of the United States, Bill Clinton, spoke of his humanitarian work and the William J. Clinton Foundation in its efforts to promote and address international causes, such as treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS and global warming.

A few notable sessions included:

• The “Korea, the Middle-East and Africa-International HR Meeting” session held by various ministers hailing from Sudan, Egypt, Dubai, and Tunisia addressed the stereotypes associated with Middle-Eastern and African labor and how to remain competitive in a global context by shifting countries from oil-based economies to knowledge-based economies.
• The “Globalization, Foreign Workers, and the Impact on Homogenous Countries” session discussed how Korea has maintained its identity as a homogenous country for a very long time. However, with the aging population and the reluctant young population to take up jobs in 3D (Dirty, Dangerous, Difficult) sectors, in addition to the immigration pressure created by the wage difference in comparison to Korea’s surrounding developing countries led to Korea’s “foreign workers program” started in 1991. In 2007, Korea is launching the “permanent residence program” for semi-skilled workers to fill the increasing shortage of labour. Meanwhile, international marriages between Koreans and foreigners are the phenomenon of the decade which have shocked Koreans whose founding myth has been primordial and homogeneous. Now the population of foreign origin in Korea is reaching 1 million and there is much talk about discrimination, migrant rights, and the development of a multicultural and multi-racial society.

Country/Region: Mongolia
Goal: To explore the influence of Hip-Hop culture in Mongolia, and within that context to understand the essence of a people and their way of life.
Status: Completed

(…following-up my previous project post)
Mongolia…the name rings familiar but little is spoken of its deep culture and history shaped by the powerful dynamics of an extreme climate, nomadic tribal heritage, and the vision of Genghis Khan. Here, just beyond the hills, reside an ancient people who live intimately, and in full harmony with Mother Nature. I found a culture marked by the deepest of warmth and hospitality, despite an unforgiving winter climate. Mongolian, the official language, is a member of the Ural-Altaic family of languages that is surprisingly unique in pronunciation and intonation. Lacking the linguistic ability to effectively communicate in this region, I was fortunate enough to have found the proper medium to penetrate the soul of this legendary country.

The true sound of Hip-Hop has resonated in the farthest corners of this earth; here too, local dialects are employing the sound of freedom to break microphones in half. The tribes of Mongolia are slowly transforming themselves into tribes of city dwellers. Urbanization is very much alive, like any other developing nation. The proud, independent people of Mongolia are adjusting to a new urban way of living. However, behind a picturesque, traditionally shamanistic landscape lies the history of men with a political agenda – a long awaited promise never delivered. I sought to understand their struggle via the masses gathering, chanting, and surrounding a group of MCs that embarked on a voyage to renew a promise to their people….

Respect and One Love to all my Mongolian brethren and sisthren out there, this is a dedication to moments we lived. Let us comprehend the tears of Ulaan Baatar City:

Country/Region: Mainland China
Goal: To understand the meaning of Hip-Hop in a Chinese cultural context
Status: Completed

Hip-Hop, at its roots, was and is the heartbeat of a new generation – the generation that grew from racism, poverty, classism, and many other “isms.” Hip-Hop culture gave the underprivileged a voice, a vehicle through which life in the slums can be articulated to a widespread audience. In many ways it also served as a salvation that diverted teens away from gang life and encouraged them to become socially conscious. The energy of rap music is derived from the struggles of the African-American community against oppression, redlining, poverty, drugs and crime in America. Even the fashion trend of baggy clothes has been traced to circumstances of poverty. Destitute parents could afford only one set of clothes for their children, so kids roamed the ghettos sporting extra-large outfits until they grew into their clothes.

The key messenger in Hip-Hop is the MC; a multi-culturalist, a microphone coordinator, and a master of ceremonies that drives the essence of people through the knowledge of words and definitions. An MC is a versatile poet, a storyteller, an elder who carries the knowledge of wordplay to manipulate emotions in his/her audience.

Unfortunately Hip-Hop has a fierce enemy. Commercial pop media corrupts the youth and elders of Hip-Hop. Under the repulsive theory that Rap music ought to be “gangster /thuggish” in nature, poetic scripts of Hip-Hop originators are manipulated and homogenized to satisfy corporate interests. The hypnotic sound waves of the innocent poet are turned into advertisements for alcohol, sex, smoking, weapons, violence, and material goods. It is a capitalistic epidemic under which the artist (MC) is tricked into believing that a check is more important than the trust of his people, and that corporate vanity is worth more that the soul and heart of the culture. The knowledge of self is lost. Consequently the soul of Hip-Hop vanishes, the artist is lost, the people stop moving, and the true inspiration is not heard, seen, nor felt.

In China, Hip-Hop has emerged under this same umbrella of commercialism. But below the surface lurks a greater truth to this cross-cultural convergence, so I set out to explore its significance. In a tongue foreign to my own, I sought to bring Hip-Hop to the highest level, through friendships, dialogue, awareness and television media. Simultaneously, I had to ask myself, what could hip-hop really mean to a culturally homogeneous society like China? What original foundations of hip-hop still exist? What’s been lost? And what does it mean for some of the messengers (MCs)?

The results of this investigation were stunning. As I roamed the far corners of this vast country, with Beijing at the epicenter of my travels, Hip-Hop, for certain sectors of this society had also become part of a new generation. Unlike America, it did not grow out of oppression, poverty or racism per say, but as a way for the youth to express themselves in a society that’s been long-silenced by a communist past. For many of them, growing up in an environment strongly overshadowed by a devastative Cultural Revolution has brought about an energetic drive that molds perfectly into orthodox Hip-Hop philosophy. Here too, poets speak words of wisdom on the topics they understand most. Through their verbiage I found that same feeling that brought me back to the days of when Hip-Hop meant love…in its most pure form. And though the majority of listeners may never know the true essence of Hip-Hop, the microphone serves them just as well on the path to enlightenment and self-discovery. Respect due to the minority of brethren that have resisted the forces of self-corruption and remain strong in the battle for righteousness, and again, to those from the Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou undergrounds that communicate in verses. One Love, Always.

A Dedication – Click the following pictures to enlarge:

Listen, the Sound of China: