In formulating the approach called "Integrative Improvement: Sustainable Development as if People and Their Physical, Social and Cultural Environments Mattered" over the last three decades I continually test its validity against the questions and comments people raise about various issues and practical difficulties they have with achieving sustainable development for all.
The questions and comments raised by our colleagues on 25 September are typical of the ones I have considered previously so I would like to offer a response to them. Here is an extract of the questions and comments:-
"Which are the specific actions that Social Entrepreneurs should implement to help our communities gain benefits from all the new processes."
"Let’s fill the bottom of the pyramid with relevant products and services."
"We have to facilitate and develop alliances between big enterprises and the excluded."
"I don’t see the distribution of wealth happening, and it is clear that the vertex will do business with the bottom…but how can the opposite situation take place? I don’t see the recognition of potential and real opportunities for the base to participate in the negotiation."
"We all have to get together and reflect."
"I am sure that if we unite, we will have enough strength to positively influence this process of change for society." "A good start would be to work with the language in which this statements are introduced." "How do we empower communities so this process does not end up in the traditional vicious cycle? What criteria should we use to not become the “Troy horses” that bring negative situations that seem to be good?"
"What enterprises can receive our help and based on what criteria?"
"What subjects should be considered so the poor can have better access?"
"How to make multinationals transfer resources to the poor and not the opposite?" "Which should be main interest in this midst?"
"How can we create income opportunities for the poorest?"
"The question then becomes in how do we take this strategy forward without loosing the basic purpose/meaning of our core mission/work?"
"For this reason, we need to think about why and how to implement the market-based approach, and how to create partnerships with the business sector so our solutions can help millions of people."
My response is to suggest everyone think about any successful relationships and interactions(personal or organisational) with which they have been involved. Would we all agree that we had a common basis for communication with others involved?
My experience has been that a common basis for communication is essential so training in tools to achieve this is the basis of the Integrative Improvement Institutes Project submitted for this competition.
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