Business Stripped Bare (36 page)

He said: 'If you wish to experience peace – provide peace for another. If you wish to know that you are safe, cause others to know that they are safe. If you wish to understand seemingly incomprehensible things, help another better understand. If you wish to heal your sadness or anger, seek to heal the sadness or anger of another. Those others are watching for you now. They are looking to you for guidance, for help, for courage, for strength, for understanding and for assurance at this hour. Most of all, they are looking for your love.'

There was nothing the Dalai Lama said that day that could possibly have incited the Chinese authorities. He simply asserted that the gap between rich and poor was morally wrong.

I had been with Madiba at his home the previous afternoon, and I asked him why he had never met the Dalai Lama. He frowned and told me it had been too political. The South Africans didn't want to upset China over their activities in Tibet. But I thought it would be good to get these two wonderful elders together – and that political expediency should not bar them from meeting.

'You're no longer president, Madiba,' I said. 'He can visit you as a private individual. He's staying only a few blocks away from here.'

Mandela smiled and looked across at Zelda le Grange, his assistant and adviser. I could tell that he was persuaded. Later the next day, Zelda invited me to join them for the get-together I had suggested – but I found myself declining this extraordinary invitation. I felt it should be a special occasion between two inspirational people, and that no one else should be present. That night, after the meeting, we got the following message from Wendee, who works for the Dalai Lama: 'On behalf of the entire delegation, thank you for setting up what may be the first and last meeting of these two giant spirits . . . The meeting lasted an hour in deep discussion.'

There are many things in my life that have given me satisfaction. But the union of two iconic figures in Johannesburg will be a moment I will cherish for as long as I live. And that meeting began to strengthen the idea Peter Gabriel and I had had: to bring together a group of wise global elders . . .

Necker Island, January 2004

Dear Madiba,

An idea – yes, I'm sorry – another idea. Out of the most wonderful day – the 46664 concert [in November 2003 – a declaration of war on Aids in South Africa] – Peter Gabriel and I were inspired to write to you.

As well you know, in an African village there are elders who the rest of the village look up to. We believe that the Global Village needs to equally tap into our elders. You told us then that it had been easier for you to gain the trust of the generals negotiating in Rwanda, as they said talking to you was like talking to a father. We would like to set up a small body of the most respected 'Elders' in the world and as you are accepted as the most respected person of all today, we would ask that you become the father figure to this organisation and the first Elder.

Einstein once said: 'How I wish that somewhere existed an island for those who are wise and of goodwill.' I said it would be wonderful if the Elders could meet somewhere like my own Necker Island two or three times a year to discuss how they could help tackle the pressing issues of the world.

We would suggest that the Elders are initially chosen by yourself, and then in the future chosen by the world community, giving them added legitimacy on the world stage. None of them would be current politicians. The Council of Elders would comprise 12 men and women. Four of these could stand down every three years. The new four could be voted in from a shortlist selected by the Elders through channels like the Internet, television, post and email. They would represent a broad spectrum of the world's people.

Peter and I said that the first worldwide vote would encourage people to think globally, to feel part of events and engage with a world beyond their borders, culture and religion. As the United Nations represents the governments of the world, the Elders would represent the hopes, aspirations, fears and dreams of the people.

The Elders would have at their disposal a 'Growing Tree' – an army of people worldwide who have retired, or who have the time, who are willing to give their time and expertise to help tackle the problems of the world. Whether setting up an Open University for Africa or India, tackling conflicts, diseases or poverty. They would also help mentoring programmes. They would be a huge educational resource.

The aim from the start was for the Elders to be a group of global advisers and not to instruct people to do things. They were to be individuals, and not simply representatives of a country or state. They were to be beyond party politics and free to speak what they saw as the truth.

I appreciate that you would have difficulty finding much time yourself but it would give enormous credibility to the future of the Elders if you were to give it your blessing and be its founding father.

I would pledge myself to find the time and resources to help organise it behind the scenes and to make sure it becomes a force for good in the world and hopefully continues for many years to come.

Kind regards,

Richard

Nelson Mandela loved the idea. It appealed to his entrepreneurial instincts. He agreed to become its founding Elder, along with his wife Graca, and they issued invitations to the eleven people in the world he felt had the greatest moral authority.

I'll never forget walking out of Madiba's home with Jean Oelwang after he and Graca had made the final selection of Elders. I had a wonderful feeling that this was the start of one of the most hopeful and inspiring ventures in my life. I also felt so blessed to be able to spend time with two true global leaders. Graca and Madiba share the extraordinary ability to lead with humility, honesty and an unfailing focus on those whose voices are not yet being heard. Madiba frequently reminds us that if something is not going to make a difference at village level, then we shouldn't be doing it.

With Virgin Unite's support, we then went on a journey of creation, reaching out to people all over the world to shape initiative and build support. We had two glorious weeks during which Archbishop Tutu and ex-President Carter helped Peter and me to host a range of different groups on Necker – from scientists, to philosophers, to entrepreneurs, to front-line leaders. As with the development of any business idea, there were moments when we thought: what are we doing?, and then that magnificent moment when it all clicked into place and we knew that this was going to be something that really could make a huge difference in the world. We also wove in some fun – impossible not to do with the cheeky archbishop there to keep us all on our toes. One of my fondest memories from this time is of Peter and me teaching him to swim in the beautiful waters surrounding Necker.

I will never forget the speech Madiba gave to everyone when we first brought the initial group of Elders together at Ulusaba:

Let us call them Global Elders, not because of their age, but because of their individual and collective wisdom. This group derives its strength not from political, economic or military power, but from the independence and integrity of those who are here. They do not have careers to build, elections to win, constituencies to please. They can talk to anyone they please, and are free to follow paths they deem right, even if hugely unpopular. I know that as a group, you will support courage where there is fear, foster agreement where there is conflict and inspire hope where there is despair.

After this gathering the Elders decided they wanted to announce their existence to the world on Madiba's upcoming birthday on 18 July 2007. The team at Virgin Unite went into overdrive preparing for the launch and working with me to raise the funds we needed for the first few years – all in a little over five weeks! During this time, we had the opportunity to connect with an amazingly humble and sincere group of entrepreneurs and organisations who helped found the Elders. Their spirit in coming together behind this dream and the absence of any individual agendas truly captured the essence of the Elders. They have not only become partners in this initiative, but I'm also sure they will become lifelong friends.

As I write this, the other Elders are Madiba's wife, Graca Machel, a renowned advocate for women's and children's rights; the Anglican archbishop Desmond Tutu, who was a tireless campaigner against apartheid in South Africa; Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations from 1997 until 2006; Ela Bhatt, founder of India's Self-Employed Women's Association; Lakhdar Brahimi, the Algerian-born former ambassador who began life in his country's liberation struggle and then became a mediator in many Middle Eastern conflicts; Gro Harlem Brundtland, the former prime minister of Norway, who has made a significant impact on global society through her commission on the environment and sustainable development; the sociologist Fernando Cardoso, the former president of Brazil, who has fought hard for human rights in South America; Jimmy Carter, who brokered the historic Camp David peace accords when he was president of the US; Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland and a distinguished United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 1997 until 2002; Muhammad Yunus, the Bangladeshi economist and Nobel Peace Prize winner, and founder of the wonderful Grameen Bank; and Aung San Suu Kyi, a fearless and outspoken critic of the military junta which dominates her Burmese homeland.

The Elders are, in essence, a group of immensely influential world figures acting like entrepreneurs who use their moral courage, wisdom and independent leadership to help tackle huge intractible problems. The beauty of the Elders is that they are at a time in their careers where they have no other agenda but that of humanity.

Once, whole empires were operated out of small rooms by a handful of oligarchs. Those days are effectively over, thank goodness, and certainly it's not anyone's plan to give the Elders political power! But what we do hope and intend is that the Elders can bring their influence to bear on the world stage, quickly and responsively, providing the peoples of this planet with a voice and a conscience.

So over these few pages, as I explain to you how the Elders work, I hope to convince you that
entrepreneurism is not something you ever grow out of; nor is it something uniquely fitted just to sole traders, or small companies, or even to modular enterprises like the Virgin Group. Entrepreneurism is – if this doesn't sound too pompous – a universal business virtue
. I mean that it can be applied to problems, challenges and opportunities
regardless of scale
.

The Elders have been assembled in much the same way that a Virgin company is created. We have facilitated their organisation, and have provided them with the means to work together. We've made sure there is a motivated administrative team. And we are ensuring that the Elders' name and brand is protected. It is important that the group develops a recognised single identity, to sustain it through frequent changes of membership and a constantly evolving roster of activities.

Peter Gabriel and I felt it was essential that we stepped back from this – that the Elders had complete independence and that their articles of association enshrined that complete independence. The Elders are beholden to nobody – and that includes the founders and any of the people funding them.

The twelve Elders are people with tremendous personal integrity. They are generally all over sixty years of age, and beyond ego. Their mission statement says that the Elders' role is to work to resolve global issues and alleviate human suffering. It has taken a huge amount of work to get the mission statement and the structure properly sorted.

As mentioned, we've brought together a wonderful group of entrepreneurial founders whose generous contributions ensure that the first three years' operating costs of the Elders are paid for, so that they can go on missions to places like Darfur and Kenya. The Elders are not paid for their work. They are able to tap into some of the leading conflict and dispute-resolution professionals from around the globe. The international stature of the Elders means that if they call on someone for specialised help in a project, then they will get an immediate response. Professional mediators will be able to do the groundwork before the Elders go into any area.

I hope that in 100 years' time – if it is run correctly – the Elders' group will still be in existence, and that people who have excelled in their lives, be they politicians, diplomats, humanitarians or business figures, can be part of it. When these good and worthy people get into the last fifteen years of their active lives, then the Elders can ask them to join in tackling global problems.

Does this extraordinary-sounding organisation motivate you to create and facilitate something similar in your own industry? I do hope so. After all, the idea for the Elders came in the first place from my nigh on forty years of business experience and Peter's experience starting up global organisations such as Witness. Every industry has its revered figures, people that companies and entrepreneurs go to for advice and sound judgement. Many of the great and good in business are living longer these days, they're living healthier lives, and more often than not their appetite for business is unquenched. Imagine how much mentorship, sound advice and even practical assistance is out there, waiting to be tapped. Imagine if your industry were supported by a network of revered business figures like Sir Brian Pitman.