News and Cluster Activities
- Dr. Dorothy Marcic
From Senior Management Consulting to Successful Musical Underlining Women's Values
You may wonder what a musical and a management consultant have in common, when it comes to Dorothy Marcic (one of this year's EBBF Annual Conference keynoters) the link translates into "Respect: A Musical Journey of Women" a musical that has already been seen by over 600,000 people both in a number of US cities and in Australia.
It traces the women's movement through the lyrics of TOP 40 songs spanning a century, she commented in an interview "The show is about the emerging equality of women, at the beginning of the 20th century, the songs show women who are all pretty codependent." Then gradually songs offer a path up to today's independent status with songs such as "Hero" by Mariah Carey, "Independent Woman" by Destiny's Child, "A Woman's Worth" by Alicia Keys.
Dr. Marcic looks at "Respect: A Musical" as a means of communicating to many people one of her key religious beliefs - that women and men are equal in the sight of God.
Dr. Marcic, whose doctorate is in organizational behavior and communication made her a faculty member at Vanderbilt University before devoting herself full-time to the musical, has written 11 books, including "Managing with the Wisdom of Love" a bestseller that is also present amongst EBBF publications.
EBBF is most fortunate to be able to enjoy Dorothy at the Annual Conference this year and is very much looking forward to the future of her musical currently featured in Australia, New Zealand with future plans that include expansion to a number of other US cities including Minneapolis and Green Bay, then England and possibly Ireland.
Umbria Goes East and EBBF with it
In the elegant hall of Confindustria the Italian association of business leaders, sponsored by the Regional Government of Umbria, the event that took place focused on the role of Italy and Italy business has in its move towards the new Eastern European markets.
The EBBF representative given the task of taking to that Forum the ideas and values of EBBF was Sandra Luschi.
She highlighted the role of prejudices that often halt the virtuous partnership of East and West.
She spoke of cultural prejudices, that offer an unrealistic image of populations that are actually in the midst of radical and very fast changes.
She also mentioned economic and entrepreneurial prejudices that believe that business and entrepreneurship have no link with ethics.
Social and historic prejudices that assumes a growth in those countries that we believe should follow the western worlds' paradigm.
A very complete presentation that offered AIESEC the organisers of the event to underline the importance of their exchange programs, able like no other to show the evidence of mistaken prejudices and to assist the integration of a new layer of managers in emerging economies.
EBBF Italy goes on summer holidays
Submitted by Beppe Robiati
Summer time is here and also EBBF Italy is taking a break of a few months – all the planned activities with the universities have been fulfilled and completed, and ended with the closing of the academic year 2006-2007.
A special thank you is dedicated to all the people that made it possible to carry forward the over 50 presentations made this year: Enrico Giraudi, Lorenzo Solimene, Sandra Luschi, Saba Mazza, Naim Adib, Daniel Truran, Samira Ciotti and many other individuals with whom we shared the responsibilities and the joys of this last academic year.
We have had activities at universities, also through the Association on students of economy, Aiesec, in many universities, such as Rome, Palermo, Perugia, Naples, Torino, Trento, Reggio Emilia, Genoa and Bari, which particularly this year has been more intense by including two lectures each week in the months of May and June, and which has had extraordinary students who attended and followed with great interest the classes.
Here as follows is part of one of the many emails which a student wrote, and which testifies to how the current generation of students is so sensitive to the themes addressed by EBBF:
“Dearest Mr Robiati, my name is Jennifer Elizabeth Suma, one of the many students that attended the EBBF classes at the university of Bari. I hope you remember me. I surely will never forget the lessons of life and values you shared with us.
Before knowing you, I thought that when one becomes a manager, the heart would becomes insensitive, the vision narrow and the belief that with honesty you cannot survive in this society, stronger. But with the Ebbf seminars, all these has been dismissed, and my ideas transformed . Now, I look at the future of us youth with more trust and confidence.”
- Mr. Mahmud Samandari surrounded by representatives of the National Committee of AIESEC Ecuador.
EBBF in Ecuador
Mr. Mahmud Samandari, CEO of Teleholding in Ecuador is about to move to Switzerland but not before one more meeting with the national board of AIESEC Ecuador.
Mahmud has been the principal advisor to the AIESEC National Committee for the last ten years.
We wish Mahmud all the best in his new endeavours in Switzerland whilst his presence will be sorely missed as a key link with activities with AIESEC in Ecuador.
Open Letter to INSPIRE from two EBBF members living in Macedonia
Macedonia (situated in the middle of the Balkans) is a small country of 2.3 million inhabitants, much beautiful scenery, and many difficult problems.
It has two EBBF members, Kate (28) who is Macedonian, and Pippa (71), an English Baha'i pioneer.
We both live in Ohrid (SW corner) and are working together on the biggest problems - the twin evils of UNEMPLOYMENT and EMPLOYMENT!
UNEMPLOYMENT is 37%, and is worst for the young people. State unemployment benefit is 50 euros per month per family; the living costs for a family of 4 (just for food and drinks) are 150 euros per month.
EMPLOYMENT often means long hours, low/uncertain wages, no social and health insurance, no Saturdays and Sundays off and poor holidays.
We believe that the best way to tackle these problems would be to set up small socially responsible businesses, to show that the theories DO work in practice, and how to make them work (as well as providing a few decent jobs!) However, neither of us has business experience, so we are appealing for help to our fellow EBBF members who DO have such experience. Areas of interest providing business opportunities include: - agriculture, health, alternative energy, recycling, alternative tourism, IT industry. As Macedonia is small, news of successful ventures spreads rapidly, and small examples can have big impacts.
Government currently is trying to attract investors to the country so there are many benefits for all who decide to invest, but social responsibility is not mentioned anywhere, for further info see www.investinmacedonia.com.
We invite anyone who feels they might be able to help in this way to make an exploratory visit to us in Ohrid. We will find you somewhere to stay, Kate will introduce you to her network of concerned friends who know the local situation in the business sphere, and Pippa will tell you about the Baha'is here. And we will show you something of this beautiful and historic city, on the shore of a wonderful lake surrounded by mountains.
This is a perfect opportunity for EBBF members who are ready to accept the challenge of real life and serve as living example!
Help us transform Macedonia from one of the poorest countries in Europe (but with underestimated natural and human potential), into the first socially responsible country in Europe.
Yours hopefully, Kate and Pippa.
Further information: katerinagrozdan@gmail.com - pippa_cookson@yahoo.co.uk
