Predictions on the European Union... by my fave technocrat these days.

In recent days, a very good friend of mine --and probably the most brilliant technocrat I've met in these days, even though he doesn't recognize his own abilities on this field -- shared with me some thoughts about Greece and its broken relationship with the Eurozone. And I have to admit that his predictions on the chaotic situation in Greece and the replication that other EU countries will suffer were right.

He told me that if Greece defaults or comes out of the Eurozone or the EU, the rest of the South will have to follow. And that is just happening. The Greek PM resignation a few days ago, and now, the resignation of the Italian PM proves the reasoning behind that theory. Certainly, the EU has been using Greece as a shield for the last 2 years to buy time and put the right structure in place to protect the rest of the south... but they've been too slow and they have totally exhausted the Greeks. He claims that no developed country, including Germany, US, France, UK, would do this to their own people. 

Second, he argues that the big issue here is whether Germany will choose to integrate further or not. He affirms that the european south is weaker than the north and that Germans have been enjoying this differential in the last couple of decades and used it to rebuild their economy after the fall of the Berlin Wall. And so did the French. In fact, many of you maybe don't know that most of the Greek debt is with French and German banks. And the reason is simple: they borrowed money to Greece so they could in turn contract big German and French companies to build all the big infrastructure leading to the Olympics. The new athens airport, thousands of kilometers of roads, new telephony systems, submarines, and the list goes on and on. These all were built by big German and French contractors involved in consortia with some Greek stakeholders in the nineties. 

Even worst, these German and French companies that have accused the Greek procurement system of being plagued with corruption, waste and abuse, were the ones using corruption to do business, and --yes-- they took advantage of this. Don't believe this? Check out one of the biggest FCPA's corruption scandal, starring Siemens, and involving billions of dollars on bribes. And let's not forget that Greece is arguably still owed $95 billion by Germany, who had stripped Greece's central bank assets in WWII. And the case is still open. 

So, this is just politics, he says. The media buzz is just for public consumption. For this technocrat, this is the same old story of balance of power, interweaved with short-term political play and long-term national strategies. 

The positive side it's the opportunity for rebalancing power.. and the whole world is in that state. Typically, the solution that will emerge will be the solution that suits the strongest and best-prepared best, he argues. Here, I would disagree with my favorite technocrat. I know we can do better, and it's up to the courageous people in each of our countries to demand policies that favor regional integration, without prejudicing domestic wealth and growth. 

And in his honor, I will wear today my large change-the-world smile, so we keep the hope and the fight :D

My dream is to empower people... What is Yours?

My dream is to begin where everything starts, in the individuals. To fully understand, and help others understand, that our institutions, organizations and systems are a reflection of us, and if we want to change them we have to start with ourselves. I want people to understand they have the ability to change their lives, their destiny, and their environments... That all the good we want to see in the world will happen when we personally decide to do good all the time, to all the people.

I want people to know they are the ones who decide how things are done, and to unlock that potential... to participate in all those decisions that impact their lives, yes, because people matter. Because any system we create should always be oriented to fulfill people's needs, ALL people's need, not only a 20% or the world population. Because a system that is only built by and for the few shows enormous lack of creativity and responsibility, and all of those who do not feel taken into account, represented and with possibility to engage in that system have the duty to create a new one that is better for them.

I dream that people can work for themselves and help their local communities at the time..  that local knowledge, culture and traditions converge to comprehend specific challenges, while global approaches contribute for the planning of the projects that will overcome these challenges, at a speed of light velocity.. that we don't need to see more people dying in hospitals and suffering all over the world to understand it is time to implement all these 1 zillion dollars ideas!

I want to work with people that know their dreams are bigger than their minds and personal capacities, but that are not afraid, because they also know we count on each other. I want to work with people that put their talents and passions to the service of those who have been deprived of everything... with people carrying a big heart, and willing to embrace the difficult task of giving back to the bottom billion the ability to dream.

And I dream that these bottom billion people, because of people like us, will have their heads in the sky and their feet on the ground, knowing that the lack of roads means nothing, because it's up to them to build their own paths and leave their traces... and we will help them do that.
 
I have many other dreams... a world where justice is replaced by peace..  a world of abundance, where my ideas and successes are the foundations for others to build their own... where innovation breaks traditional thinking and status quo in the developing world... but when it comes to think we can actually leapfrog transportation systems in undeveloped countries using the Matternet, NOW, that blows my mind!  I tell you that if we can do that, we can do anything.