NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

The Conference ended this afternoon, and I just returned from a gala concert held in an old quarry about 30 minutes bus ride from here.? Quite a spectacular setting.? The Bolshoi Ballet Orchestra, two large singers, with a finale of Handel’s Water Music with fireworks.? Nice.

Being too tired at the moment to really report, I will simply provide the text of the remarks I delivered to the plenary today, having been chosen by the discussion group in which I participated to deliver the group’s report. I will admit that I was chosen mostly because I offered up the basic idea around which the group coalesced.? The discussion groups were one of the strongest features of the event, allowing some significant relationship-building with a variety of quite accomplished folks.?At least the remarks will give you some of the flavor of the event.? And you may guess that we found a way to justify the subject matter.?So at the risk of terrible immodesty, here goes:

It? is an honor to present the recommendations of Reflection groups 9 and 10.? A note: we of group 9 executed a lightening fast takeover of group 10.? The American-led ?coalition of the confused? conducted Operation Shock and Awe flawlessly, as an expression of our new policy of ?Muscular Reflection.??? Essential services were quickly restored, if only intermittently, at an impressive 80% of their pre-operation levels.? In Group 10’s defense, it was a depleted thinking force, however, consisting only, I recall, of? a few dazed French transplants, and a couple of Swedish pacifists.?

?

We hope these observations will be received as more ?cattle than hat,? but we did take our thinking caps seriously, addressing both What and How, as well as Who.? I would like to share with you very briefly the Who and What, leaving the How of session design to offline conversations with the Tallberg Secretariat. .?

?

First, who.? It was a widespread observation that the balance of voices here at Tallberg might usefully be recalibrated, with greater representation of the voices–and the wisdom — of women and the young, with deep listening and collaborative learning the desired outcomes.??

?

The What goes specifically to what can we do to keep alive the power of Tallberg, once we return to our respective lives and tasks. This was the highest priority of our group think. We have a specific proposal, namely that we seek to find a way to create a many technology-based marketplace of opportunities–an Ebay or Craigslist, if you will, to promote within a newly-extended Tallberg family, past, present, and future, the opportunities that support and extend the underlying humanistic values which we have explored this week and which we cherish wherever we stand.? ?

?

What opportunities?? Well, such things as volunteer programs, internships, real jobs, exchange programs, educational programs, learning journeys.? Opportunities which operate in all directions, not just from ?here to there — ?us? to ?them?, but in every conceivable direction, up, down, across.?

?

This is actually something we can do from our desks.? All it demands is sharing of the many such activities and needs already in place–although in truth we hope the new facility will also foster new programs, as well as build new community.? Based, as noted, on successful models, it is grounded, practical, and inexpensive.? It includes, but transcends, all boundaries of this diverse population–public, private, civil society, the academy.? It is particularly, but not exclusively directed to a rising generation of stakeholders, the very folks we hold in our imaginations as the beneficiaries of our work. ?Finally it engages some of the most basic ideas we have explored this week–and for the following powerful imagery I acknowledge a deep debt to Miroslav Radman whose words helped us to understand what might we might accomplish.

?

All learning, Miroslav noted, is an infectious process. ?Of the infecting viruses, some may be benign, others helpful, but some, both in the body and the body politic may prove harmful, even fatal.? To remain healthy, the immune systems of organisms must value variety, diversity, and even wastefulness.? By analogy, at the body politic level, this requires an abundance — there is no such thing as an oversupply — of ideas, of choices, of options, of adaptations.? Who knows which will be just the right adaptation to contribute to the survival of the individual, or the collective organism?? We need? and here again I emphasize the benefits for our ?principal stakeholders, the young — continuous access to new ideas and experiences.?? Variety is ?life insurance for survival.?? So what we propose can best be imagined as a dynamic variety-generating machine, designed to keep the body and spirit vital and healthy.? ?The learning we hope will return to Tallberg, in flesh and blood, as well as ideas, to contribute to, and take strength from, this Forum.? Around our group have already come several ideas about how to use such a platform, if created.

?

We feel we can take Tallberg home and do something important in its name and for its continued health–and also ?pay forward? in real and equitable ways, as partial compensation for the privilege we have enjoyed to be here.?

?

Finally, the notion is market-sensitive.? If there is demand, it will succeed; if not, it will be discarded, but it will have offered itself as one of many possible responses which might contribute to our evolutionary success, as we attempt to learn how on earth not just to live, but indeed, to thrive, together.

?

Thank you.

?

?

?

?