Views on Internationalization and Strategic Planning

Recently I applied for a teaching position for International Business English here in Colombia. I was given one hour to write an essay. The following is what I wrote with practically no editing. I feel it adequately captures what I see going on, and the opportunity that lies ahead of us.

Internationalization and Strategic Planning
Internationalization has shown to have both positive and negative impacts. Under the past model (which is currently most people's understanding of current affairs), dominated by corporate interests is not not sustainable. However, at the same time the systems of communication and distribution can be utilized to support the rapidly emerging system that supports international cooperation and collaboration on a more "grass-roots" level.

One only look at the last fifty years of the results of the old paradigm of internationalization to see that it is not viable or sustainable. Numerous cases could be cited of both human and natural environment exploitation. Two glaring cases are China and the conditions of human rights and the second is the rainforests in Brazil.

There is a shift occurring that is not visible to the masses because the mainstream media is controlled by corporate interests. This shift, or total paradigm restructuring, is occurring as the old financial and controlling interests are crumbling in the U.S. (including the Federal Reserve Bank) which has been by far the main proponent of internationalization under the corporate model. What will replace these systems are one that are based upon the support and development of nations, places and people with integrity and recognition of individual and community sovereignty.

The interesting thing that can be seen as one steps back and looks at the larger context, with a systems thinking view, is that these interests that have caused all of these "problems" have done all of the hard work of organizing the channels of distribution and communications. One case in point is Rupert Murdock the Australian media mogul who has brought together at least 25,000 news and media outlets (including TV, radio, newspaper and Internet).

Interestingly enough, Wallace D. Wattles predicted this shift to occur in his book "The Science of Getting Rich" that was written one hundred years ago. This is the book that inspired the international phenomena movie and book "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne.

It is very apparent that the rapidly passing away model of producing and shipping products vast distances is exorbitantly wasteful. And these systems have the most blatant examples of human and environmental exploitation (e.g. food production in California and maquiladoras on the U.S. / Mexico border).

The shift that is occurring and is rapidly expanding is founded upon at least three important principles a) sustainability of economic and social structures, but most importantly the natural environment, b) the phenomena is not blatantly apparent but is what is called "grass-roots" in nature, pockets of people's are coming together in collaboration to essentially, take their lives back, and c) it is apparent that the character of these emerging communities and cooperative efforts are based upon regional models that support revitalization at several scales, and empowerment of people.

Strategic planning, in my view based upon "systems thinking", is an important perspective and approach to bring about these changes with the least amount of systemic disruption. Of course the "powers that were" (I have changed the term "powers that be", because there is incredible power in the words we use), the existing political and financial interests, want us to believe that everything is collapsing. The solutions, in their view, are the ones that they say that they have. But one only needs to look at the performance of these interests, in any country, or the entire world to know they have no solutions.

As it turns out all of the solutions are already with us. Different individuals (and small groups) have shown us that as people get together in the interests of serving people, and to make life more fulfilling that changes can occur - sometimes on a grand scale. (Ghandi, Lincoln, Mother Theresa). I personally interviewed Norman Borlaug who is credited for saving 1 billion people's lives. His simple belief, "people deserve to eat." The Number 1 contributor to his success "young minds".

If we simply follow the guidance of these great teachers, including Jesus, Buddha, and Lao Tsu, we will see! The way is quite apparent that we cannot blindly blaze forward with the past "development models". And our ship captains, essentially self appointed, are crashing the metaphorical boat on the shores of destruction. These "captains" are essentially the dominating financial interests that have had one hundred years at the helm.

The time has arrived for the people's of the world to come together with one heart and know that we have the true power, we always have. What is that power? It's Love! The tools are scattered on the ground at our feet (creativity, cooperation, technology, innovation, Internet, etc.). We need only pick them up and start working together to create the world we all have in our dreams. Of course we need to quit paying attention to the "horror movie" being shown in the mass media. And know that the power system, based upon fear, is absolutely insubstantial compared to the real power - Love!