What was the PEACE Centre Research & Solution Modelling Process?
In another article I wrote of the personal epic in growing into discovery and building of this network infrastructure. Throughout the fifteen years - from the time I first took a 'new age' idealist transpersonal and spiritual conscious, wellbeing model out into the world - I devoted much time to investigating and case-study in various countries and trans-national models around the world.
Unique (at the time) to my research was the change leadership 'whole of life' spiral - event triggers common to all humanity; coupled with diverse genres and disciplines where specialists have gained and produced success in sustainable development, conflict and reconciliation, survival skills, agriculture, trade and governance. I inspected elements of international global governance, IGO, NGO and local trade.
Success models I found particularly inspiring that mirrored my findings in sustainable agriculture and rural trade produce with Lake Toba region, were the Grameen Bank model of micro-finance, and various women's development funding initiatives.
In 1998 I developed much time to Thailand, Burma, Laos and upper reaches of South East Asia. I viewed the success and failure of funded projects and 'grass roots' charities. In trade and rural the concept of a Unique Village craft and product model seemed most feasible. Yet the various NGO and government funded capabilities, and educational proponents who supported the sustainable development unique or specialized model all reported the same difficulty. After approximately 2 years of implementation, and after the withdrawal and exit of funding from a robust healthy scheme - the project would collapse unless more aid funding was injected. There were numerous reasons for this, I will discuss in other case model papers. At the crux of the problem - beyond the usual issues of 'change adaptation and adoption' that occur in cultural assimilation of externally driven and resourced projects - the incumbent 'village' or project was left high and dry with sustainable commerce and regeneration of their new well being and education. This issue resulted in projects which in effect were created as 'oasis' in a desert of third world economies and impacts. There were limited trade opportunities and these projects had little ideas or schemes to self market or to look at trade exchange. The new internal wealth also posed an issue, costs and production from these projects were higher - due to quality and fair labor.
To this end I began to research product design, marketing services and international trade models. There was little network in the profit sector by private enterprise. Unless at grass roots level, where individual business operators and SME often funded 'cause' while supporting their own trade ventures. This appeared a robust option, yet the SME sector in first world was rapidly diminishing and in danger of extinction due to globalization and Multi National expansion - i.e. chain stores and branded retail concepts that spawn one product range internationally. The Body Shop model offered community aid in Africa in the same manner as the SMEs. In the NGO sector, the most robust support available was coming from Community Aid Abroad. Fair Trade was increasing in commodities and produce areas, but there was little in artesan and cultural activity - the backbone of community everywhere. I developed a fair trade artesan product marketing solution and submitted it to OXFAM in 1998.
In rural trade research models I was very inspired to come across the sustinable research and eco-tourist ventures of Malaysian Agricultural Research Development Institute, MARDI and visited the agricultural research projects, Cameron Highlands as well as eco-tourism ventures. In 2004 'One Voice One Product' was introduced into Thailand by the government. I was particularly inspired by the work and alignment of mission by Morihiko Hiramatsu, former Governor of Oita Prefecture Japan and President of International Exchange Promotion Committee. In 1979 Hiramatsu was an advocate of implementing rural economy and revitalization of economic structure that diverges capitalist economic drivers - into citizen social values.
MORE TO COME.
