THE PEACEMAKER FOUNDATION and its LIFETIME PEACEMAKER FELLOWS NETWORK focuses the resources of the global business community on the goals of peaceful economic development and the promotion of international understanding and education. To accomplish our goals, we bring WORLD LEADERS and GLOBAL BUSINESS LEADERS  together in one-on-one, lifetime working relationships for economic development and mutual assistance.

 

However, the vast potential of economic and political power held by Global Business Leaders has not always served the international business community in a positive way. Indeed, Lester Thurow, Peacemaker Foundation advisor, professor and former Dean of MIT's Sloan School of Management, in his bestseller, The Future of Capitalism, concludes that this new power itself has resulted in a substantial gap of confidence and trust that must be bridged for there to be meaningful cooperation between the business and political spheres. In explanation of this “negative” goodwill phenomenon, Jessica T. Mathews, Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, noted that whereas the fear in the 1970's was that multinationals would become an arm of the government, the concern now is that "they are disconnecting from their home countries' national interests, moving jobs, evading taxes, and eroding economic sovereignty in the process."

Economic self interest in the form of business “risk reduction” may be the ultimate driving force for business leaders to become players in the global conflict resolution system, because, as the Carnegie commission noted, even though international business has been criticized for “insensitivity” to matters of human rights, democracy and conflict resolution, the business community is beginning to recognize the business necessity of preventing violent conflict. Since many businesses are in fact truly global, business necessity will require activism since “violence and unstable circumstances will inevitably affect their interests,” according to the Carnegie study.   The United States and other G-8 governments are also prodding the business community to become an active peacemaker. In a unanimous mid-1997 communiqué, the G-8 officially endorsed the role that economic development led by the global business community could play in the development of democratic principles worldwide.  And our State Department recently called for U.S. business investment programs to play a salutary role in the Middle East peace process.
 

The Foundation's centerpiece strategy will be the annual awarding of the designation of  "Peacemaker Fellow" to an elite group of preeminent global business leaders/entrepreneurs and the matching of each distinguished Fellow with a requesting developing country leader (no lower than cabinet rank) in a short-term, close access working relationship (the "Visiting Peacemaker Fellowship"); and the continuing consultation and assistance network available to World Leaders through those Fellows who volunteer to continue their active participation through our "Lifetime Peacemaker Fellows Network."
 
 

1. THE ANNUAL CONVENING SESSION AND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.

  Annually, a small group of preeminent global business leaders and entrepreneurs [from diverse disciplines such as banking and financial markets; agricultural and food production, processing and distribution; tourism and entertainment; transportation; telecommunications; manufacturing; technical education and job training; and other areas to be determined] are selected by the Foundation to receive the honorary designation of "Peacemaker Fellow." These business leaders are typically top level executives transitioning in situations such as mergers, buyouts, sabbaticals and upcoming retirement, who have signaled their willingness to donate their time and energies and (when accompanied by corporate participation) the good will of their companies, in a short-term assignment designed to assist in bringing the developing countries into the global economic mainstream through ethical economic development.

The Fellows and their Visiting Fellowship "hosts" are tapped and introduced by a World Leader at the conclusion of the Foundation's Annual Convening Session and International Conference on Developing Countries, a showcase event involving World Leaders; Global Business Leaders; NGO'S, diplomats; and leaders from academia, scientific, humanitarian and religious organizations. The Conference will focus world attention on ethical economic development, risk reduction and peacekeeping issues from a global business perspective.

We propose that the first Convening Session be held in conjunction with and as a prelude to the upcoming United Nations Conference on Trade and Development  (UNCTAD) Conference to be held in Thailand in March of 2000. This private two-day orientation, held in cooperation with preeminent think tanks such as Brookings Institute, Rand Institute, and Center For Strategic International Studies (CSIS), would be open by invitation only to the newly selected Peacemaker Fellows, World Leaders, and supporting business leaders and partner organizations.
 

2.  THE VISITING PEACEMAKER FELLOWSHIP.

  Upon their induction, the newly installed Fellows begin their "Visiting Peacemaker Fellowship," a one year, close access assignment, working alongside a requesting world leader or cabinet rank official (normally of a developing country), through a series of several intensive working visits in country.  The immediate goals of the Visiting Peacemaker Fellowships are: (1) the intensive education of the Fellows in the overall development and civil society needs in the developing countries; (2) assistance in the application of entrepreneurial/management skills and technology to the developing countries through the hands-on presence of proven business leader and entrepreneurs working directly with developing country leaders and citizen groups, NGOs and educational institutions; and (3) the beginning of one-on-one relationships of trust leading to global understanding and cooperation between World Leaders and Global Business Leaders.
 

3.  THE LIFETIME PEACEMAKER FELLOWS NETWORK.

  The Visiting Peacemaker Fellowships provide the "front door" or build-up for an ongoing communications, consultation and mutual assistance network to be known as "Lifetime Peacemaker Fellows Network." The Lifetime Peacemaker Fellows are those Fellows who, after completing their one year Visiting Fellowships, voluntarily continue to make themselves available as a resource to World Leaders.  These Lifetime Fellows, by linking to World Leaders through the Foundation, will be able to counsel, aid and assist in matters of economic development, relief, and problem solving. Fellows will also remain networked for mutual assistance and information, and The Foundation will provide them with periodic briefings on development needs and opportunities, economic and political issues and other issues of global concern.

As the number of these Lifetime Peacemaker Fellows increases within the global business leadership community, the Foundation's facilitating relationship between World Leaders and Global Business Leaders will help establish the Peacemaker Foundation as a prominent and logical focal point for rallying the help of the international business community in the cause of peaceful development, global conflict resolution and peacemaking.
 

4.  THE PEACEMAKER GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT.

 The Foundation will also link World Leaders to those member companies who express a willingness to apply their resources and staff to development, relief and peacemaking initiatives through the Foundation. The Foundation's facilitating relationship will position us to assist all parties in selecting agreed upon development needs worthy of concerted business community exploration and/or participation.  The Peacemaker Global Development Project, a business-community funded, member driven, economic development and relief fund, will offer member companies the opportunity to engage their resources and staff in the study and completion of selected projects, working in cooperation with NGOs; scientific, education and religious leaders and institutions; and other established development and relief agencies.

The Foundation will assist requesting countries in making inventories of community development and infrastructure needs and human and natural resources and we will be available to assist national leaders and citizens groups in the drafting and implementation of "comprehensive plans" for national and regional economic development, including: (1) targeted corporate, facility and investment strategies; (2) planting, capitalizing and growing national and regional ventures; (3) coordinated export and domestic market development plans; (4) infrastructure and marketing plans for tourism development; (5) optimizing the natural business advantages of ethnic and other indigenous populations; and (6) training national personnel for ongoing efforts in these areas.
 

The Visiting Peacemaker Fellowships, the Lifetime Peacemaker Fellows Network and the Peacemaker Global Development Project will enable the global business community to establish leadership in worldwide conflict resolution and peacemaking efforts by: (1) providing a prominent, logical focal point for rallying and deploying the global business community's substantial economic and political resources in support of economic development, problem solving and global conflict resolution; (2) facilitating transfer and practical application of entrepreneurial and management skills by linking business to government and citizens groups, and through technical support for government agencies, indigenous groups and non-profit/NGOs in the developing countries; and (3) by aiding the global business community in working toward the creation of new markets, jobs with human dignity and the ethical employment of natural resources.
 
 

The following individuals have graciously given their time and advice to advance the development of the Peacemaker Foundation:

PRINCIPAL ADVISOR: HONORABLE RICHARD SCHUBERT.  Chairman, The Peter Drucker Foundation.  Chairman Emeritus, International Youth Foundation.  Advisor, Shimon Peres Foundation for Peace.  Founding President of President George Bush's Points of Light Foundation.  Formerly: President of the American Red Cross; President and Vice Chairman, Bethlehem Steel; U.S. Under Secretary of Labor.  Mr. Schubert will be actively engaged as principal consultant.

DR. CHARLES B. REED.  Chancellor, The California State University System, the largest system of senior higher education in the United States, with 23 campuses and an enrollment of 344,000 students.

DR.  ROBERT SEIPLE.  Senior Advisor to U.S. Secretary of State, Madeline Albright. Formerly, President, World Vision, one of the world's largest privately funded relief and development organizations, which in 1996 assisted more than 50 million people through 4,514 projects in 103 countries.  Leading expert on the role of private, non-governmental organizations ("NGOs") in the development process and in the shaping of policy.

PROFESSOR LESTER THUROW.  Renowned professor of economics and former dean, MIT's Sloan School of Management.  Pre-eminent expert on global business and economic issues.  Author of The Zero-Sum Society, New York Times bestseller, Head to Head and The Future of Capitalism.  Contributing editor, Newsweek.  Member of the editorial board, The New York Times.  Recognized throughout the world as a leading expert on global economic issues.

As the number of Lifetime Peacemaker Fellows increases within the top ranks of global business leadership, the Foundation’s facilitating relationship between World Leaders and Global Business Leaders will help establish the Peacemaker Foundation as a prominent and logical focal point for rallying the help of the international business community in the cause of peaceful development, global conflict resolution and peacemaking.