Category Archives: Resource Based Economy

Terry Weaver 10:19 a.m. ET April 7, 2017

Terry Weaver is the founder and owner of Delta Resource Group, a business coaching and advisory practice. He is an active promoter of Technology Entrepreneurship, and has served on Technology advisory boards of Kansas State University, Furman University, University of South Carolina Upstate, Greenville County Schools and the United Way of Greenville County. He is a Charter member of the InnoVision Advisory Board. Terry is an Electrical Engineering graduate of Kansas State University, a Professional Engineer, and a member of the Engineering Hall of Fame at Kansas State University.(Photo: Tom Weaver)

Another 20-Year Overnight Success Story

I was ecstatic to see Greenville listed as a "Next in Tech?" player in a USA Today article on "Tech Job Migration". Who in the 1990s would have imagined the Textile Capital of the World transforming itself into a broadly based technology center?

Lots of people, actually.In the words of Robert Jarvik, inventor of the artificial heart, "Leaders are visionaries with a poorly developed sense of fear, and no concept of the odds against them.They make the impossible happen."

Capital Insights.InnoVision Awards.Innoventure. GSA Technology Council (GSATC) and Tech After 5. Upstate Carolina Angel Network (UCAN). NEXT. Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CUICAR). Greenville Tech's Center for Manufacturing Innovation.The Iron Yard.My apologies to those I've missed. Each of these organizations was the vision of one or more Greenville leaders, intent on making the impossible happen.

It's that poorly developed sense of fear of Greenville's technology leaders and the advocacy groups they spawned that brought us to this crossroads.And the impossible is within reach.

How do we move from the potential of "Next in Tech?" (with a question mark) to a nationally recognized technology hub?

Maintain and improve quality of life and public image:We must not only attract, but also retain the best and brightest technology talent and entrepreneurs. These people can live and work anywhere.They are drawn by arts and entertainment, a low cost of living, work-life balance and branding such as, "Yeah, that Greenville". ..

They are repelled by intolerance and exclusion of any type.We must stand for tolerance and fight prejudice in our laws, companies and churches. North Carolina has recently learned (we can hope) the high cost of intolerance.

Upgrade and expand the pool of technology talent:We must address the elephant in the room. Our university and technical college admissions officers readily identify one of their top challenges as incoming students who are underprepared for the demands of higher education, particularly in the basics,reading, math and science.It's not that our K-12 education system hasn't been working at this problem;it has,and progress has been made.We need to cut in the afterburners and get a lot better a lot faster at preparing more of our high school graduates for the rigors of higher education.

Tech career awareness:Many students make unconscious career-limiting choices before or during middle school.Convinced that science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) courses are "hard,"they de-select themselves from an educational track that would make them part of Greenville's technology future.We must redouble our efforts to make both students and parents aware of the upward mobility of technology-based careers, and promote STEM education in our grade schools, middle schools and high schools.

Support and promote non-University career paths:Greenville Tech's Center for Manufacturing Innovation is a great start.We need to expand our capacity and attract more students into skill-based technology jobs that may or may not require a college degree.High-tech manufacturing is part of our technology base, and has thousands of currently open jobs for which companiesdon't see enough adequately prepared applicants.The Iron Yard recognized this vacuum and has been hugely successful with a for-profit educational offering to ready students for high-demand and high-paying software development jobs.

Grow investable companies:Oddly, I rarely hear of a tech company limited by lack of capital.Rather, I hear of investors actively seeking high-growth "investable" technology companies, a need Capital Insights set out to solve 25 years ago and remains unsatisfied.

We as leaders of Greenville's future need to continue to ignore fear and make the impossible happen,the multi-decade transition from a low-wage labor-based branch manufacturing economy to a nationally-recognized knowledge economy.Failure is not an option.

Terry Weaver is the founder and owner of Delta Resource Group, a business coaching and advisory practice. He is an active promoter of Technology Entrepreneurship, and has served on the technology advisory boards of Kansas State University, Furman University, University of South Carolina Upstate, Greenville County Schools and the United Way of Greenville County. He is a charter member of the InnoVision Advisory Board. An electrical engineering graduate of Kansas State University, he is a member of his alma mater's Engineering Hall of Fame.

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COMMENTARY: Making Greenville's - Greenville News

The Appalachian Regional Commission helps to create jobs and improve economic fortunes of distressed counties in West Virginia and Kentucky.

Chad Trador is a coal miner who has benefited from ARC-funded programs. Trador, who voted for Trump, said Trump's cuts to the ARC were wrongheaded and would hurt many people who are already mired in poverty. (Photo by Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

This post originally appeared at Yes! Magazine.

Last week, President Trump proposed eliminating 19 federal agencies, including some high-visibility cultural icons like the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the National Endowment for the Arts. But among the smaller agencies he suggests getting rid of are the economic lifelines for three regions of the country struggling with high levels of poverty and unemployment.

The Appalachian Regional Commission, centering on the coalfields of West Virginia and Kentucky, currently has a budget of $119 million. The Delta Regional Authority, which includes counties on both sides of the Mississippi River from southern Illinois to Louisiana, has a budget of $45 million. The Northern Border Regional Commission, which supports counties along the Canadian border from Maine to New York, has a budget of $7 million.

One of the fundamental ideas behind these regional commissions is that some economic issues, which affect multiple states, are too big for one state government to take on but too localized for traditional federal policy to be effective. A regional commission provides a partnership between the federal government and all the affected states.

So how do these agencies improve the lives of their regions people? Whats at stake if Trumps budget cuts succeed?

Peter Hille has been building projects in eastern Kentucky with funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission for 27 years. Hes currently the executive director of the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development, which is using an ARC grant to help laid-off coal workers transition to jobs in energy efficiency. He spoke to us about his experiences working with ARC.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

James Trimarco: How did you first hear about the Appalachian Regional Commission?

Peter Hille: In 1990, I took a job at Berea College, with the Brushy Fork Institute, and Brushy Fork was created to do leadership and community development in Appalachia. The Appalachian Regional Commission was one of our early supporters. I was at Brushy Fork for 22 years and was executive director there.

A lot of the funding we had was for a program called the Flex-E-Grant program, which was specifically for whats called distressed counties places that fall into the bottom 10 percent of counties, nationwide, in terms of per capita income, percentage of families below the poverty level, and the three-year average unemployment rate.

Trimarco: What did Brushy Fork do to help those people?

You can only do economic development if it is supported by all the layers underneath it you need leadership development, organization development and community development first.

Hille: The idea with the Flex-E-Grants was to get small amounts of federal funding right down to the grass roots in communities. And those people did all kinds of innovative stuff with that money everything from park cleanups to walking trails to improving some local facilities, exercise programs, projects with kids. We were always learning that they knew much more than we did about what was important and possible in their communities.

Trimarco: How does that kind of program create jobs?

Hille: You can only do economic development if it is supported by all the layers underneath it you need leadership development, organization development and community development first. So when you ask, Does this create jobs? its yes and no. It doesnt create jobs explicitly, but its an essential precondition to creating jobs.

Eventually, though, youve got to create jobs. You can only do so many park cleanups, beautifications, signs, brochures about the community. If theres not any jobs, people are going to go away.

Trimarco: Five years ago, you transitioned from Brushy Fork doing economic development work at the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development. Whats that been like?

Hille: Its been tough. Eastern Kentucky suffers from deep economic distress that is the result of a mono-economy and a resource extraction economy. Economists talk about how resource extraction economies tend to not build durable wealth and assets in a region but actually create poverty because you are literally extracting the value. And they tend to starve out other economic initiatives that would create a more diverse, sustainable and resilient economy.

We describe our work at MACED as helping to shape the just transition to a new economy for post-coal Appalachia. That means respecting the contribution that regions like this have made to building the economy we have today. We owe a debt to help these regions, so we should approach the economic transition in a way that helps to level the playing field. Thats why the investments that were seeing right now from the federal government are so critical. They are based in that understanding of just transition.

Economists talk about how resource extraction economies tend to not build durable wealth and assets in a region but actually create poverty because you are literally extracting the value. And they tend to starve out other economic initiatives that would create a more diverse, sustainable and resilient economy.

In 2015, MACED was fortunate to get just over $2 million for projects that include a series of 12 internships for displaced coal industry workers to be retrained as energy auditors and energy efficiency retrofit installers. But its in two phases: The first phase builds a market so that these workers can find jobs once theyre trained.

Trimarco: How do you do something like that?

Hille: We have a residential energy efficiency program called How$mart Kentucky. In that program, we partner with six rural electric cooperatives and we send trained staff to go to a house, literally put a blower-door on the front door which is a big fan that they attach to the front door of the house. The fan sucks on the house, and they use it to determine what the degree of air leakage is in the house. Then the homeowner can pay for energy efficiency upgrades in payments that appear on their power bill.

We also do energy efficiency audits for businesses. We did a lighting retrofit for a commercial warehouse a couple years ago where theyre now saving a couple hundred thousand dollars a year. And its going to pay for itself in two years. They just got a hundred thousand dollars a year in gravy to their bottom line.

Trimarco: What do you think the consequences of cutting or eliminating the ARCs budget would look like?

Hille: Its the only federal agency that is really paying attention to Appalachia.

Rep. Hal Rogers represents the 5thDistrict of Kentucky, which is the eastern portion deep in the Appalachian Mountains the coalfields of Kentucky. Rogers, a conservative Republican, said these cuts are draconian, careless and counterproductive. Sen. Mitch McConnell, just within the last few days, also made a statement to the effect that ARC would not be cut.

Trimarco: Whats it like to work with the Appalachian Regional Commission?

Hille: Most federal grants are a pretty cut-and-dried process. Thats not the way it works with ARC. You can call somebody up and have a conversation about what youre thinking. This $2 million grant that we got from ARC last year, it started with a whole series of conversations. To have that kind of collaborative approach is rare. Its special.

Trimarco: The Appalachian Regional Commission was created in 1965 under President Lyndon Johnson. Has it been threatened before?

Hille: When Ronald Reagan was president, he was also trying to zero out the ARC. So theres been this history of presidents trying to zero out the commission, and powerful forces in Congress keeping it in the federal budget. And thats included voices on both sides of the aisle.

Trimarco: Are people you know doing advocacy to protect the ARC?

Hille: A friend and colleague of mine runs a housing organization deep in the coalfields. And he put up a post on Facebook, just after the White House budget proposal came out, and he led off with I voted for President Trump. Then he proceeded to enumerate all the programs they use for their housing work that are slated to be cut. And it just went on and on and on.

So I think youre seeing people making these kinds of statements to one another. Thats in many ways as important a form of advocacy as what theyre saying to their elected officials.

More:

Trump's Budget Cuts Will End an Economic Lifeline - BillMoyers.com

Netarts, Oregon Lush forest, distant waterfalls, and outstanding vistas are all part of this trek to the end of Cape Lookout. This FREE hike is hosted by the Friends of Netarts Bay WEBS and is part of the Explore Nature series of hikes, walks, paddles and outdoor adventures. Explore Nature partners include volunteer community and non-profit organizations, offering meaningful nature-based experiences highlight the unique beauty of Tillamook County and the work being done to preserve and conserve the areas natural resources and natural resource-based economy.

This moderate to difficult 5 mile journey takes you to the Cape Lookout headland, which extends more than a mile out into the ocean. Towering over 800 feet above sea level, the cape offers sweeping views of Sandlake watershed, seasonal glimpses of migrating whales, and confirms the amazing beauty of Tillamook County.

Although this hike has a stunning backdrop, the trail itself can be muddy and slick. Also, expect to navigate over stair stepping tree roots. Portions of the trail parallel the cliffs edge and do not have guard rails.

Friends of Netarts Bay WEBS is a non-profit organization dedicated to sustaining the Netarts Bay area through education and stewardship. Find out more at http://www.netartsbaytoday.org.

Event Information: Registration is required for this event. There is a single port-a-potty at the trailhead. There are no other bathrooms or drinking water facilities on this hike. Please bring water and snacks. Weather on the Oregon Coast is unpredictable. Please be prepared and bring appropriate gear and clothing.

Date & Time: Hike is scheduled for April 15, 2017 at 1pm.

Difficulty: Moderate to difficult 5 mile roundtrip hike. Trail can be muddy, slick, and will include navigating over stair stepping tree roots. Portions of the trail parallel the cliffs edge and do not have guard rails.

Location: Cape Lookout Trailhead located 2.5 miles south of the Cape Lookout State Park campground and day use area.

Cost: FREE! Tax-deductible donations to Friends of Netarts Bay WEBS are encouraged but not required.

Registration: Required and available at EventBrite.com

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HIKE NETARTS CAPE LOOKOUT - North Coast Citizen

More and more companies and nonprofits have a chief sustainability officer and are beginning to incorporate sustainability concerns into routine management. The world is slowly starting the transition from todays economy based on fossil fuels, destruction of ecosystems, and the one time use and disposal of finite resources, to an economy based on renewable resources and the least possible damage of natural systems by human activities. I believe that we can develop a sustainable economy and generate sufficient wealth to end poverty and maintain the type of lifestyle many of us enjoy today. I am counting on our values, human ingenuity and technology to accomplish this goal. But to deliver on our potential, we must develop the organizational capacity to make our vision a reality. Dreams, vision and policy are necessary, but not sufficient, to achieve sustainability. To achieve sustainability we must define, measure, staff, and learn the new organizational behaviors that preserve rather than destroy our natural world.

The organizational capacity we must develop will not be built by government fiat, nor will it be built quickly. But over time, with the hard work and brain power of many we can transform the old-fashioned, industrial-style organizations of yesterday into the agile, fast learning, sustainable organizations of tomorrow. These organizations will pay close attention to what we have come to call the physical dimensions of sustainability: the careful use of energy, water and other material resources; the construction of green buildings and sustainable physical settings for work; the reduction and reuse of waste streams; and the reduction of the environmental impacts of an organizations production processes and outputs. Our goal is to maximize our use of renewable resources, recycle resources as much as possible, and minimize our impact on our planetto grow our economy while preserving the planet.

This requires a change in the nature of consumption but also a change in the definition of competent management. A competent manager must be able to read financial statements, and understand finance, human resources, strategy, information, technology and marketing, as well as understand and manage their organizations physical sustainability. Last week I had the pleasure of moderating a discussion of the key elements of sustainability management with a panel of sustainability professionals who all graduated from masters programs built and managed as partnerships between the Earth Institute and Columbias School of International and Public Affairs and School of Professional Studies. I started and direct these programs: the Master of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy and the Master of Science in Sustainability Management. Together, they have together graduated over 1,000 sustainability professionals. The panelists included:

We had a thoughtful discussion of sustainable supply chains, recycling, green building, and concern for ecological and climate impacts. We also explored the kind of internal governance structures that help sustainability take root in contemporary organizations. We examined the ways in which sustainability is being factored into corporate finance. We discussed energy efficiency and renewable energy and learned how organizations communicate their sustainability practices to investors, customers, funders and stakeholders.

Many discussions of sustainability focus on macro issues of goals, policies and strategy, but our discussion focused on the nitty gritty of day to day work that takes sustainability management from talk to action. From the classroom and text book, these concepts need to be translated into standard operating procedures and organizational routines. If we are to build a sustainable economy it will take hundreds of millions of small steps by many, many dedicated change agents. No matter what happens in Americas national capital, this work is going on every day in communities all over this country and all over the world.

The reason this work continues in the face of a backwards-facing federal government was discussed by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg in a superb New York Times column this past week. According to the mayor:

The movement toward sustainability is driven by ideals and self-interest. It is a powerful combination. My graduates and Mayor Bloomberg represent the future and the reality of the evolving world economy. That reality is being shaped everyday as companies, cities, communities and individuals decide on how to shape their work and lives. Its an unstoppable force.

As a political scientist, Ive always been fascinated by the forces that shape the public policy agenda and political competition. Politics, society, the physical world, culture and economics interact and influence each other. Social preferences create an irrefutable reality. Feminism, civil rights, gay rights, globalism, the move toward wellness, sustainability, individual freedom and expression are grassroots, social phenomena. They will persist and find voice. The web, smartphones, security cameras, satellite communication and drones assure that whatever happens can be observed, and despite the rhetoric, news cant be faked. Powerful images and stories go viral and if they are not real, they are typically exposed. Climate change, toxics, marine debris, invasive species, destroyed mountains and landscapes can all be observed and cant be denied. They create a reality that policy and politics either acknowledges or is consumed by. Some environmental policy and regulation may no longer be needed, but most is needed and changing technology brings about new threats requiring new rules. We live on a more crowded and resource stressed planet. Deep down, everyone knows that that, even if they choose to pretend its a hoax or fabrication. They all know that hill they used to hike on is now a strip mall, and the ride that once took 15 minutes now takes 45 due to traffic. Reality, not ideology, fuels the drive for sustainability.

More:

Transforming Organizations with Sustainability Management - Huffington Post

Iran is a bright and shining light for other countries to follow, like Venezuela, Brazil, North Korea even Europe, those in Europe who are tired of the Washington dictate, but so far havent dared taking the actions needed to gain back their national sovereignty.

Peter Koenig is an economist and geopolitical analyst. He is also a former World Bank staff and worked extensively around the world in the fields of environment and water resources.In an exclusive interview with Khamenei.ir, Mr. Koenig answers questions on Iran economy of resistance, its economic progress, US sanctions against Iran and more. The following is the full text of the interview:

Q: How do you think the United States uses economic leverage to harm Iran?

PK:The only way Washington can sanction anyone in the world, including Iran, is through the fraudulent US dollar monetary system, which has been designed totally privately and for the benefit of the Zionist banking cabal. The Federal Reserve Act in itself a fraud, prepared by a few Wall Street bankers and presented under false pretenses to the then President Woodrow Wilson. When President Wilson signed it in December 1913, the Act converted into the Federal Reserve Bank, acting as the US Central Bank, a totally privately owned institution.

Mr. Wilson has been quoted as saying (1919): I am a most unhappy man. I have unwittingly ruined my country. A great industrial nation is now controlled by its system of credit. We are no longer a government by free opinion, no longer a government by conviction and the vote of the majority, but a government by the opinion and duress of a small group of dominant men.

Ever since the dollar has wreaked havoc around the world, especially as it became de facto the worlds reserve currency. Once the IMF by orders of the US Treasury abandoned the gold standard in 1971, countries around the world converted large portions of their reserves into dollar denominated securities, amounting to more than 90% some 20 years ago.

Today this proportion has diminished drastically, hovering between 50% and 60% and sliding further, especially since the Chinese Yuan was admitted officially into the IMFs basket of now five reserve currencies US$, British Pound, Euro, Japanese Yen and the Chinese Yuan which make up the Special Drawing Rights (SDR), a virtual currency, often also used as reserve currency.

The two Breton Woods international financial institutions, the World Bank and the IMF, created by impulse of the United States in 1944, just after WWII, under the Charter of the United Nations to give them more legitimacy, are indeed also just instruments of Washington to manipulate the US dollar bound economies (which includes also the Euro). Their neoliberal structural adjustment type operations, for which they have invented different euphemisms to disguise the misery that structural adjustments have created and continue to create in poor but resource rich countries, are sanctions or a type of blackmail privatize your public services and natural resources or perish under debt.

An important part of Resistance Economy is, therefore, for a country to detach herself from these two institutions, as well as gradually but steadily also from the dollar based western economy. Look East. Thats where the future is. Iran is already doing this, by adhering to the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization). There is a strong axis of economic development forming Russia-China-Iran promoting the OBOR One Belt-One Road, also called the new Silk Road a massive economic development program, initiated a few years ago by Chinas President XI Jinping. This project purports to link Vladivostok with Lisbon and Shanghai with Hamburg and everything in between, with transportation networks, industrial and agricultural development, as well as universities and research institutes for scientific new developments.

The West is pass by auto-destruction, through greed-driven wars and conflicts and constant terror acts, lies and deceptions.

Q: Ayatollah Khamenei insists on enriching the capacity of domestic production as one of the principles ofeconomy of resistance. Whats your take on that?

PK: The Ayatollah is 100% right. Domestic production (local production for local markets), not only reduces dependence on imports and foreign (dollar-based) currencies, but it is also one of the fastest way of building local capacity, in production, technology and research. Domestic production uses (mostly) local capital, and adds value inside Iran; it helps accelerating distributive power of GDP which is a key factor of bringing more equality into society. A more balanced society is also a more productive society, as it enjoys increased well-being for all. It is an upwards spiral.

China until the mid-eighties had a Resistance Economy the goal of becoming self-sufficient, in nutrition, health care and education before opening the borders to foreign investors. A couple of years ago, after the west imposed its totally illegal and criminal sanctions on Russia, Mr. Putin said this was the best thing that could have happened to Russia. It forced Russia to become again self-sufficient in agriculture and industrial production, self-sufficiency Russia lost after the western bankster vultures under the Washington Consensus raided Russia immediately after the Fall of the Berlin Wall. In 2015 Russia was the worlds largest exporter of wheat. Today, Russias industrial manufacturing arsenal is one of the worlds most modern, efficient and driven by cutting-edge technology, largely developed by Russian universities and research institutes. This is Resistance Economy at its best.

Q: The Islamic establishment seeks all-out progress, independence from global hegemonic powers, full growth of talents, ridding the country of social maladies and [realizing] national dignity and security and might.The quote highlights Ayatollah Khameneis definition of development and progress; comparing it with development theories, whats novel in this definition in your idea?

PK: This statement shows a clear determination to seek independence from the western destructive banking and monetary system, as well as from the neoliberal export and international commerce oriented economy. What drives western economies is globalization which is aiming at making developing and / or resources rich countries dependent on the Washington banking hegemon and its mostly European vassals. It aims at a unipolar world, a One World Order or New World Order (NWO) which would gradually eliminate the variety of the worlds cultures, replacing them by the Zionist-Anglo-Saxon non-culture. Ever since the Washington Consensus (1989) was defined and decided by the three key purveyors of the US-dollar hegemony, the FED (again, totally privately owned, dominated by the Rothschild, Rockefeller et all banking clan), individual countries sovereignty is being rapidly eroded, by imposed monetary policies, indebtedness, WTO imposed trade rules and other Consensus lies and deception about faster growth. WTO was in fact the third of the Bretons Woods Organizations which failed to be approved at the BW Conference, but emerged later as the foster child of the US and the European Union.

Globalization is not equal to internationalism. An internationalist seeks harmony, social justice and equality worldwide and not hegemony, segregation and oppression of the poor and destitute.

According to Jean Ziegler, one of Europes last true internationalists, a socialist, a member of the UN Human Rights Council Advisory Committee in Geneva, WWIII against developing countries has started long ago. It has killed 54 million people in 2016 through wars and other armed conflicts, famine every 5 second a child dies from malnutrition contaminated drinking water, lack of hygiene, epidemics that, according to WHO, have been overcome since decades all of which contribute to increased child mortality and all of which would be avoidable, but is largely the result of greed driven globalization. Globalization is a killer. And the world is slowly but surely waking up to this fact.

Q: Considering the long lasting economic sanctions on Iran mostly imposed by US can we say Iran is in an economic deadlock? Or the time of unilateral economic sanctions has come to an end?

PK: Iran is NOT in an economic deadlock. Iran is taking all the necessary and precautionary steps to circumvent US and western vassals imposed criminal sanctions. As I said at the beginning, they can only prevail as long as a country follows the dictate of the western monetary system. Iran is well on her way to get out of that fraudulent system, by association with China and Russia and the SCO countries, plus India and Pakistan. These countries, already largely de-dollarized, have about half of the worlds population and control more than one third of the worlds GDP. Thats a great perspective for independence.

The process is not instantaneous, does not happen overnight but will still take some time. Because the empire is trying hard to delay the process of its disintegration. It is time and again threatening with war or blackmailing countries into continuing following the dollar hegemony. Washington also uses proxies to subdue and aggress nations, i.e. Saudi Arabia to murder women and children in Yemen, and to support and finance ISIS in Syria and the Zionist regime, those who call the shots in the US Congress, the only Middle Eastern nuclear power, they may still pose a real threat for Iran. But Iran is prepared and has strong allies Russia and China, and Netanyahu knows it.

The process of breaking loose from the west, requires perseverance. But with steadfast political will, exit from this decaying system is possible. Iran is well on her way to a new, peaceful and constructive economic system. And best of all, Iran is a bright and shining light for other countries to follow, like Venezuela, Brazil, North Korea even Europe, those in Europe who are tired of the Washington dictate, but so far havent dared taking the actions needed to gain back their national sovereignty. Thats Key. Being aware of what national sovereignty means is a vital part of Resistance Economy.

Peter Koenig is an economist and geopolitical analyst. He is also a former World Bank staff and worked extensively around the world in the fields of environment and water resources. He lectures at universities in the US, Europe and South America. He writes regularly for Global Research, ICH, RT, Sputnik, PressTV, The 4th Media (China), TeleSUR, The Vineyard of The Saker Blog, and other internet sites. He is the author of Implosion An Economic Thriller about War, Environmental Destruction and Corporate Greed fiction based on facts and on 30 years of World Bank experience around the globe. He is also a co-author of The World Order and Revolution! Essays from the Resistance.

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Iran And Her Economy of Resistance - Center for Research on Globalization

A new, long-term economic diversification initiative kicks into gear this month.

Bearing the acronym ENDOW (Economically Needed Diversity Options for Wyoming), the goal is the development of an economic diversification strategy for the state in order to build a sustainable and diversified, value-added economy by 2038.

It is admittedly difficult to get excited about yet another study on how to diversify Wyomings natural-resource-based economy.

It seems to me, however, that one advantage of the new effort over past initiatives is the emphasis on a 20-year program if it can be sustained.

The Wyoming Legislature historically has had a bad case of attention deficit disorder when it comes to economic diversity.

That is why previous studies have been started in panic only to be abandoned once the drills start drilling again and the money starts pouring in.

A second wise move is the emphasis on workforce development.

Of the $2.5 million appropriated for the initiative, $1.5 million is dedicated to workforce development and training.

The ENDOW programs 15-member board will devise four-year action plans.

Regardless of what the board ultimately recommends, there is no way any state program will find enough businesses or industries that will produce the same revenue as the extractive industries have contributed in Wyoming.

So the state and the new board must look at all the practical alternatives and their needs and reduce their revenue expectations accordingly.

As a former economic development official once observed wryly, Toyota never came.

The Bloomberg article published in December last year received a lot of attention in economic development circles. It identified Wyoming as the possibly most economically troubled state in the country, even worse than the Rust Belt states.

This is an old story. Wyoming was often described as the Appalachia of the West in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

The Bloomberg article said Wyomings economy has lagged because it is built around the energy extraction industry and because we dont have enough people. Wyoming has no large metropolitan areas.

The article also pointed out how many Colorado residents commute to work in Cheyenne.

Randy Bruns, director of Cheyenne LEADS, is the premier economic development guru in the state.

He mentioned the Bloomberg article and its reference to Cheyenne and Wyoming in an interview a week ago on Wyoming Public Television.

Bruns said Cheyenne has done well in supporting economic development for the last 30 years.

So he was rather astonished at the results of a survey his group conducted in conjunction with Laramie County Community College about 18 months ago.

It showed 20 percent of the people employed in Cheyenne commuted from their homes in Weld and Larimer Counties in Colorado.

There are a number of Cheyenne residents who work in Colorado. But the numbers dont equate.

The Colorado people work here but dont spend money here or have any investment in the community.

So were creating the jobs, but were filling them from surrounding counties, Bruns said.

The problem? Inadequate workforce.

Bruns said earlier that the city lost a couple of companies because it couldnt produce the workers with the type of skills necessary.

Today, even warehouse workers must have computer skills, he said.

The challenge is to have a discussion about our workforce and why do people want to be here or why they dont and what can we do about it and do we want to do anything about it, Bruns said.

That is a good starting place for the ENDOW council.

Incidentally, the Bloomberg article referred to Wyoming residents as Wyomans.

The word was created by the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

In a 2011, Scalia was the only dissenter in a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in favor of Wyoming in a water rights spat with Montana.

In his dissent, Scalia referred to Wyoming residents as Wyomans. He inserted an asterisk next to the word and explained in a footnote:

The dictionary-approved term is Wyomingite, which is also the name of a type of lava, see Websters New International Dictionary 2961 (2d ed. 1957). I believe the people of Wyoming deserve better.

Wyomans never did catch on. Wyoming residents remain Wyomingites, lava or no.

Read more:

Barron: State's workforce key to development - Casper Star-Tribune Online

CPHR has called for aggressive innovation from industry professionals after a new study warned of the potential risks to Canada if employers fail to grow and adapt.

The economic growth of any country relies on an efficient and productive workforce, said Anthony Ariganello, CEO of CPHR Canada. This is determined by the number and the quality of jobs and the available talent pool to meet those needs.

Released yesterday, the study Canada 150: The Role of Human Resources in Canadas Prosperity strongly suggested Canada must step up its commitments to innovation and technology if it wants to remain competitive.

If we cant attract and retain a workforce of innovators into key industry sectors, we risk falling back into a primarily resource-based economy, while others are innovating and staking their ground, merging physical, biologic and digital technologies, said Ariganello.

CPHR also lamented Canadas current performance in the area claiming it has been described as dismal, based on deteriorating domestic trends as well as international perspectives.

A dynamic strategic policy response is urgently required for enabling Canada to assume leadership in this very critical element of the economy, the organization said in a statement.

It also highlighted the governments responsibility saying it can facilitate growth of labour productivity with appropriate policy instruments such as incentives for investing in capital equipment, innovation and research.

However, Ariganello said the private sector must also come to terms with the HR implications.

According to the PwC 2017 Annual CEO survey, most CEOs believe technology will completely reshape or disrupt their businesses over the next five years. But at the same time, Canadian business leaders dont view the hiring of people with innovation skills as a top priority, he said. If we dont create real opportunities for top talent, we can rest assured they will go where the opportunities are.

The upcoming HR Leaders Summit West features a session on sparking innovation in the new workforce envirnment, lead by industry head Cecile Alper-Leroux. As the VP of human capital management and innocation and Ultimate Software,Alper-Leroux will discuss new workforce dynamics, the impact they are having in the workplace, and some creative ways to foster innovation in the face of these major changes.

More information on the Vancouver event - which is due to take place in May - can be found online.

Original post:

CPHR calls for aggressive innovation - HRM Canada

This years federal budget included a boost to Northern Ontario with an additional $25 million over the next five years for the regions economic development driver.

The enhanced funding for FedNor was part of the national spending plan, which was unveiled by the Liberal government last week.

Thunder Bay-Superior North MP Patty Hajdu sees the new funding commitment as having the potential to transform and change the focus of FedNor.

(FedNor has) been sort of playing jack-of-all-trades for far too many years. Its been called on for everything from economic development to small and remote community infrastructure needs, Hajdu said after a Thursday morning news conference at Confederation College where she and fellow Liberal MP Don Rusnak (Thunder Bay-Rainy River) presented details of the budget.

What I want to see is FedNor really focus its energies on driving that economic change, making sure that innovation, small business and those kinds of projects have the support they need.

Last year the FedNor budget was $31 million, much less than half its previous annual high of $76 million a decade ago.

Hajdu spent a significant amount of her time speaking to the assembled audience talking about how the budget will encourage skills development and innovation, which she said FedNor can play a role in creating.

She noted there is an emerging bio-tech sector cluster in Thunder Bay that makes her really optimistic.

Diversification is really how were all going to survive here in the North. Weve relied for a long time on resource extraction, Hajdu said.

Its still going to be a large portion of our bread and butter but the more diverse our communities get, the more we are resilient. When the economy falters based on resource extraction, then we will have other options.

Hajdu pointed to a commitment of $2 billion over 11 years for rural and northern infrastructure as an initiative that can take further pressure off FedNor.

That will really address some of the infrastructure deficits we see across Northwestern Ontario, Hajdu said, with things for fundamental things like water treatment plants, roofs on community centre, like pool liners in Manitouwadge, which dont seem like huge investments but are actually very critical to the safety and security of those communities. Communities need to feel like their basic needs are being taken care of and they cant attract new residents if they dont have those fundamentals.

Coun. Joe Virdiramo, chair of the citys intergovernmental affairs committee, said its too early to reach conclusions about whether this is a good budget for Thunder Bay.

We dont have the details. Really, when we have more info well certainly apply for whatever but it doesnt look very hopeful for us, Virdiramo said.

Were looking for some housing money, hopefully that will come.

Virdiramo also expressed concern about how effective the additional FedNor money will actually be across all of Northern Ontario.

See the full story on page A3 of the print and digital editions of The Chronicle-Journal.

The rest is here:

Budget could transform FedNor: MP - The Chronicle Journal

For African countries to move from a resource-based economy to a knowledge-based and innovation-driven one, there is the need to efficiently harness the power of technology, experts have said.

At the sixthedition of the Lecture Series and 10thAnniversary of the Verdant Zeal Group, held in Lagos, recently, experts noted that Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) needed to embrace the power of technology to help Africa develop exponentially.

Verdant Zeal Group Executive Vice Chairman Mr. Tunji Olugbodi cautioned that oil, which Nigerias economic mainstay, would dry up in the next 50 years. He, therefore, advised policy makers and governments to do the right thing by embracing technology and innovation.

The way to go is for Africa to gradually move from a resource-based economy to a knowledge-based and innovation-driven economy, Olugbodi said, noting that some African countries have embraced technology to drive economic development and growth.

According to him, this has helped to impact youths, as many of them have embraced the Internet, using it to share ideas, content and commercial opportunities seamlessly across the globe.

These giant strides have happened regardless of red tape bureaucracy that typifies governance across the continent, he added.

He said Internet penetration woud continue to grow, as Africa seeks to close the gap in Information and Communications Technology (ICT). Noting that Nigeria leads the continent, he projected that the country would be among the top 10 Internet users in the world by 2018.

Olugbodi, however, said: Amid these giant strides in technology, there still remains a large demography of young people, mostly women, who remain in rural and semi-urban areas, below the poverty line and seem unable to tap into this new economy.

Also, the guest lecturer and Founder, JC Capital (PTY), South Africa, Joel Chimhanda, said Africans should think as Africans and be aware that it cant compete globally without industrialisation. He regretted that over 90 per cent of Africans are not banked, even with the $25 billion that flow into Nigeria yearly as Diaspora fund.

He frowned on African governments for not encouraging ICT development on the continent, adding that Africa needs its own Silicon Valley.

According to Chimhanda, Nigeria can help change the African narrative for the better. He said with a population of about 200 million, Nigeria can lead the pack if she so wishes.

We have to come up with regulations that will spur innovation not just in Nigeria, but across the continent. Chimhanda admonished, pointing out that the continent is not growing from the manpower perspective because we do not have a well structured education system.

He called for all hands to be on deck to move the continent forward in terms of technological advancement rather than wait for the West to help determine the continents narrative or depend on aids.

The JC Capital founder regretted the colonial mentality in Africa that makes Africans believe that their problems can only be solved by a White man. In South Africa, about 20 Afrikaans control the economy; globally, only about eight countries control the world Gross Domestic Product (GDP), he said.

Chimhanda said sadly, in Africa, rather than creating African products that will solve Africas problems, her political leaders go cup-in-hand for aids, and in some instances, sell off the continents common patrimony for a few dollars.

According to him, African nations, spear-headed by Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya should tap into the opportunity provided by technology through some of the telecoms companies and the rich Africans who are trail blazers in different fields of the economy.

He also canvassed the need for a different education system in the country that will aggregate the interest of over 200 million people. He insisted that the educational system cannot bring the nation out of the woods, as 60 per cent of what is thought in the university is different from what the competitive work place is looking for.

To underscore the need for African economies to embrace technology, the Founder, Lifebank, Mrs. Temie Giwa-Tubosun, said her firm has deployed technology to assist help givers offer speedy and quality healthcare to the public.

Lifebank is a company that uses technology, big data and smart logistics to solve the problem of blood shortage in Nigeria. Giwa-Tubosun, who expressed regrets that Nigerians spend over a billion dollar yearly on health tourism in India, asked government to make the sector robust enough to drive quality health care through technology.

Co-Founder, Leads Africa, a digital media company which focuses on young professional African women, Ms Afua Osei, canvassed the need for women entrepreneurs to access finance, skills and technology.

Osei, who also worked with the former US First Lady, Mrs. Michelle Obama, said her organisation has enabled women to use social media to acquire skills and communicate across borders.

She called for the reduction of data prices, stressing that it is the only way this class of people can take advantage of payment platforms that will drive their businesses.

Original post:

How technology can propel Africa's growth, by experts - The Nation Newspaper

Johannesburg President Jacob Zumas Cabinet reshuffle, which saw Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan ousted late last night, has been met with resounding criticism.

Zuma sacked finance minister Pravin Gordhan in a cabinet reshuffle after days of speculation that has rocked the country's markets and currency, replacing him with home affairs head Malusi Gigaba.

A statement from the president's office just after midnight on Thursday said Zuma had also appointed Sfiso Buthelezi as Deputy Finance Minister replacing Mcebisi Jonas.

The CEO Initiative, which a body comprising several business leaders from companies such as Telkom, Standard Bank, Nedbank, Discovery and Investec, noted on Friday morning that the decision has has severe consequences for economy.

It says it is a setback to work done by government, labour and business to avoid a downgrade. South Africa late last year avoided being downgraded to junk when ratings agencies kept ratings stable. S&P and Fitch have SA a notch above junk, while Moodys is two levels above non-investment grade.

The Initiative, which had been working with Gordhan to achieve inclusive economic growth, says any progress towards this has now been potentially undermined, and the consequent lack of investor confidence in South Africa will hurt the poor the most.

Read also: Gigaba an unknown quantity - analysts

The CEO Initiative is gravely concerned and disappointed by the ill-timed and irrational dismissal of a trusted and well-respected Minister of Finance and Deputy Finance Minister. This decision, and the manner in which it was taken, is likely to cause severe damage to an economy that is in dire need of growth and jobs.

The rationale for the removal of other ministers in key departments at a time when the country is beginning to make progress on a number of fronts is also questionable, it says.

Important change

The Institute for Race Relations notes the most important change from the shuffle is that of Gigaba replacing Gordhan, and Buthelezi being appointed as the Deputy Minister of Finance.

While Gigaba is well known, Buthelezi is less so. Buthelezi is a 55 year old economist who previously worked as an advisor to Zuma. Buthelezi also spent almost ten years as a political prisoner on Robben Island and holds a BCom (hons) degree in economics.

IRR CEO Dr Frans Cronje says the long-expected shuffle does warrant caution by international investors. However, he notes, foreign and domestic investors should look to judge it by the policy positions it adopts and the actions it takes.

We expect a significant degree of hysterical reaction in the media and on social media over the next few days. A panicked response to the reshuffle will exacerbate its negative effects. Now is a time for cool heads and well informed and reasoned thinking on where South Africa is headed.

Economic worries

Peter Attard Montalto, Nomura analyst, adds the market will struggle to digest Gigaba. Someone who has been effective at home affairs but is clearly being put in a role to do a particular job by Zuma and viewed as loyal to Zuma. Similarly with Buthalezi.

MMI economist Sanisha Packirisamy adds Gordhan and Jonas removal will be a key concern to markets. In their previous capacity, they had played a crucial role in improving SAs fiscal position and had put in place measures to curb corruption. They had also opposed unaffordable projects, such as the procurement of a nuclear fleet deemed to be unnecessary according to the latest Integrated Resource Plan, based on more realistic domestic growth assumptions.

Packirisamy adds rand volatility is expected to remain high given the unpredictable moves in SAs political setting currently.

At its worst point, the rand sold off against the US dollar by over 6 percent relative to its firmest point the afternoon prior to the cabinet reshuffle, but it remains stronger than levels seen at the beginning of the year.

Cronje notes the new ministers, who will be sworn in at 6pm on Friday, come in at a time of very weak economic performance as debt levels have increased, the budget deficit remains under pressure, and the government's tax take as a proportion of gross domestic product is projected to reach a record level.

The government also knows that ratings agencies and investors are watching its next moves closely and it will be interesting to see how the government now responds to investor concerns.

Cronje adds the Institute expects Zuma's political enemies to launch a ferocious fight back over the next year. This is far from the end of infighting and uncertainty in the government and the ANC quite a number of years of instability may lie ahead.

Packirisamy notes rating agencies will be evaluating SA shortly, Moodys by April 7 and S&P on June 2. A downgrade to sub-investment grade status would likely have a negative effect on SAs near and longer-term economic outlook.

Read also: Rand in biggest slide since 2015

Packirisamy says seems obvious that the President has used this cabinet reshuffle to surround him with personal loyalists within cabinet, while getting rid of those that have been seen as opposing him previously. It remains to be seen how the African National Congress (ANC) as a party will respond to these moves.

Meanwhile, relatively unknown Forum 4 Service Delivery has rejected Zumas factional axing of ministers and deputy ministers, as well as Gigabas appointment. The National Freedom Party has called the move an early April Fools Day joke, and the Congress of South African Trade unions says the shuffle is a waste of time, money and state resources. Zuma has sold out this country very cheap and compromised quality with quantity, the federation notes.

The Save South Africa campaign has called on South Africans to protest outside National Treasury at 10am on Friday, and Kallie Kriel, CEO of AfriForum, says Gordhans sacing is a disgrace.The whole country is harmed and faces downgrading by grading agencies all to serve the interests of one man, Jacob Zuma.

Cabinet changes:

Department

Minister

Deputy Minister

Energy

Mmamoloko Nkhensani Kubayi

-

Transport

Joe Maswanganyi

-

Finance

Malusi Gigaba

Sifiso Buthelezi

Police

Fikile Mbalula

Mr Bongani Mkongi

Public Works

Nathi Nhleko

-

Sports and Recreation

Thembelani Nxesi

-

Tourism

Tokozile Xasa

Elizabeth Thabethe

Public Service and Administration

Faith Muthambi

Dipuo Letsatsi-Duba

Home Affairs

Prof Hlengiwe Mkhize

-

Communications

Ayanda Dlodlo

Thandi Mahambehlala

Public Enterprises

-

Ben Martins

Arts and Culture

-

Maggie Sotyu

Trade and Industry

-

Gratitude Magwanishe

Telecommunications and Postal Services

-

Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams

Small Business Development

-

Ms Nomathemba November

Source: MMI

BUSINESS REPORT ONLINE

Link:

Gordhan's ouster has severe economic consequences - Independent Online