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: 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: Vietnam
Status: Completed

SUMMER 2004

My reflection glimmers off Hoan Kiem Lake as people look at me more confused than surprised. Foreign nationals here are few and far between, some to exploit, some to learn, and some to help. The environment feels entirely familiar to my previous travels, yet different because the culture here is proud and well-defined, with its distinct identity. Speaking the basics of this tonal language, my knowledge is just enough for survival and polite encounters. An old lady smiles as I purchase a kilo of lychee with my brother beside me, and a man curiously ponders as I eat a plate of bun cha gio in the alley. My purpose here is much less educational than it is experimentally developmental. With a 20 percent unemployment rate, the talk of money is nothing new. Behind the picturesque backdrop of pagodas, lakes, and palm trees lies another tragic tale of economic slavery. Prostitution, narcotics, child labor, and weapons of mass propaganda attest to the ravages of struggle much like any other developing nation. The country was once war torn, but the people are not heart torn. People here prosper, progress, and think of a future that is brighter than yesterday’s. With my eyes open and my frustrations focused, I walk into the sunset and wait for the next ‘xe om’ to offer me a ride back to my domain. But this is just a pretext with a conclusion to be determined; therefore tonight, Hanoi doesn’t sleep.