Acumen Fellows 2011: Good Society Readings in the Field

A Culture of Peace, Democracy, and Human Rights

About the Author.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aung_San_Suu_Kyi
Aung San Suu Kyi was born 19 June 1945) is a Burmese opposition politician and was General Secretary of the National League for Democracy. In the 1990 general election, Aung San Suu Kyi was elected Prime Minister,[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] as leader of the winning National League for Democracy party, which won 59% of the vote and 394 of 492 seats. She had, however, already been detained under house arrest before the elections. She has remained under house arrest in Myanmar for almost 14 out of the past 20 years.[8]
Aung San Suu Kyi was the recipient of the Rafto Prize and the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in 1990 and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. In 1992 she was awarded the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding by the Government of India.
Aung San Suu Kyi is the third child and only daughter of Aung San, considered to be father of modern-day Burma. She is frequently called Daw Aung San Suu Kyi; Daw is not part of her name, but is an honorific similar to madam for older, revered women, literally meaning "aunt".[9] She is often referred to as "Daw Suu" by the Burmese, and as "Ms. Suu Kyi" or "Mrs. Suu Kyi" by the foreign media although she has no surname.

Overview.
(Wendy) Aung San Suu Kyi argues that true development of human beings requires not only economic growth, but also empowerment and inner fulfillment. She says that developing countries do not have to follow the path, or experience the same stages of development, as developed countries. She proposes that in order to reach this type of development via a different path, beyond economic growth, we must establish societies which put human worth ABOVE power and liberation ABOVE control.

(Wendy) She discusses the relationships between culture, development, human rights, and democracy, exploring the inherent tensions in these relationships. She makes the case for democracy because it promotes both freedom and security, yet she says that democracy will take as many forms as the nations that adopt it (uniquely different based on the needs of their culture, economics, and social systems). He argues that empowerment must play a role in order to incorporate the value systems of those without access to power and those far removed from power. She also redefines the term minority as those with poor access to power.

Questions.
(Wendy) How do we change the game (so that development can look different)? (Can game theory help?) How do we practically establish societies which put human worth ABOVE power and liberation ABOVE control.
- Who are the game changers?
- What kind of rules must be set up for the wins to be changed to human worth and liberation?
- How do we change/inspire a different mentality in government, consumers, businesses, middle-class neighborhoods, slums?

Field Reflections.
- TBD

Next Reading TBD.

About the Author:

Overview:

Comments:

Acumen Fellows 2011

Pages

Good Society Readings in the Field

S.E. Blogs

2012 Acumen Fellows

2011 Acumen Fellows

Book List

Friends' Blogs

	Bryan Farris Bryan Farris will work in Lahore, Pakistan with Ansaar Management Company, which is a housing development and management company that provides an integrated approach to affordable, quality housing. Bryan is from the United States and is a management consultant for Bain & Company. He received his B.S. in Industrial Engineering & Operations Research from the University of California at Berkeley.
	Mario Ferro Mario Ferro will work in Bihar, India with Husk Power Systems, which uses innovative biomass technology to convert abundant rice husks into energy that provides power to Indian villages. Mario is from Italy and works with NGOs in the post-earthquake relief effort in Haiti. He is a former management consultant with experience in the internationalization of Italian SMEs in China and received an M.S. in Development Management from the London School of Economics.
	Chikako Fujita Chikako Fujita will work in Mumbai, India with 1298 Ambulances, which focuses on providing affordable emergency medical response services. Chikako is from Japan and worked for SANYO on the company’s environmental initiatives. She also started an NGO’s rural electrification and development initiative in India. She earned an MEM from the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies.
	Shane Heywood Shane Heywood will work in Kitale, Kenya with Western Seed, which develops and distributes high-quality hybrid seeds in East Africa. Shane is from Jamaica, and he has a background in the consumer goods industry as well as microfinance experience in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Shane received a joint degree in Business Administration and International Relations from the University of Western Ontario and an M.A. in Development Studies from the London School of Economics.
	Khuram Hussain Khuram Hussain will work in Nairobi, Kenya with Ecotact, which improves the urban landscape for low-income communities through environmentally responsible sanitation and housing. Khuram is from Pakistan, is a consultant at TechnoServe, and formerly worked for Endeavor and JP Morgan. He earned an MBA from the Haas School of Business at University of California at Berkeley.
	Elizabeth Maina Elizabeth Maina will work in Nairobi, Kenya, with Global Easy Water Products, which provides affordable drip irrigation for small-scale farmers. Elizabeth is from Kenya and is a consultant for different companies in systems and process improvement. She has a BSc. in Information Systems and Technology from the United States International University in Kenya.
	Bavidra Mohan Bavidra Mohan will work in Shenzhen, China with D.Light Design, a company that makes low-cost solar lights that provide cleaner, safer, and cheaper lighting to families living at the bottom of the pyramid. Bavidra is from Sri Lanka/Canada and works as a corporate social responsibility consultant at Ethos JWT. Bavidra received an Honours Degree in Sociology from Queen's University, and an MA in Marketing from Kingston University.
	Wendy Wallace Wendy Wallace will work in Hyderabad, India with LifeSpring, which is a network of Maternity and Child Healthcare hospitals that provide vital reproductive and pediatric healthcare. Wendy is from the United States, currently works in consulting, and previously served as a field agent in Nairobi, Kenya with Renew Strategies. She has an MPP from Harvard University and a B.S. in Engineering Sciences and Astronautical Engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy.
	Benje Williams Benje Williams will work in Lahore, Pakistan with a company that provides access to drinking water for low-income, urban customers, and produces bottled water for middle-income customers. Benje is from the United States, is a management consultant for social enterprises and Fortune 500 corporations, and supported start-up SMEs in Nairobi. Benje holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of California at Berkeley.
	Brenda Williams Brenda Williams will work in Andhra Pradesh, India with WaterHealth International, which incorporates technology and social marketing to increase access to safe, affordable water. Brenda is from the United States, is the president and CEO of GlobaLink Consulting, Inc., a private consulting company specializing in business development, microfinance and organizational management services. She earned an M.S. in Organizational Management from the School for International Training in Brattleboro, VT.