Any progressive society sustains on the base of a strong shared identity. Which we lack, as Nishant mentioned as well. Its one of the reasons why Humans survived and neanderthals didnt, in spite of them being a stronger species. So China may not be so quality concious, but they may go ahead coz of a strong sense of shared identity. Just a thought.

ALso what was interesting is the concept of approximity as a part of culture. Social enterpreneurship in general, where sharing and making profit while working for society is not considered bad. This is probably is an ideal way to build a healthy society in general.

Wonderful family! I have had the opportunity to work with Jacob, and his enthusiasm is contagious.

Good to see you all, and esp looking forward to Nishants progress, his views are quite forthright and refreshing.

Being family as a key source for enterprises is something that should be highlighted more and more for cumulative motion.

It would be nice to see something like this in the Philippines. There are high quality products that come from here (largely unavailable to the people who actually make them here, I didn’t think anything of the Philippine projects labeled “export quality” when I was in Singapore, but seeing them here makes me realize how creepy it is. “Good enough for foreigners, too good for most of you.”), the country produces so many highly skilled people and there are still skilled artisans. But there is almost no sense of hope. I’ve encountered very few people who think the future could be different (I did talk to a seventeen-year-old that was hopeful about the Aquino election earlier this year, because were he not to be a good president, his family’s reputation would suffer. I’m skeptical.). It seems like the capable people who want a better future are working towards a better future for themselves and their families by getting work outside of the country.Around 10% of people born here work overseas, so their talents are helping the US, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and other countries, but not the Philippines (it can be argued that remittence money, which accounts for more than 10% of the GDP here, is actually inhibiting the country’s development). So— in identification with my neighbors, listening to this makes me feel very envious. Just as an American admires forward-thinking, I’m envious!

I hear such enthusiasm in the Matthew family and it warms me because I think they are on such a good path with Industree working to bridge rural and urban culture, especially to bring local craftspeople and artisans out of isolation, out of the past, to bring their products into urban market and urban consciousness, and, in turn grow an appreciation in urbanites for craftsmanship, love of materials, design, sophisticated design. This also, maybe even more so, reminds me of theMingei movement in Japan of about a century ago, influenced by the Englishmen Bernard Leach and William Morris ( The Arts and Crafts movement, a response to industrialization). Japan is, in a way, ahead, light years ahead on this score. The Matthews come a century later in India with social entrepreneurship, serious about taking on urgent global issues of conservation of our planet, promoting thoughtful consumerism, something our entrepreneurs here in the US with their multi-million dollar executive salaries and their politicians are having trouble with shamefully. The quest for money and power is so strong that it keeps us from focussing on very dire issues.

The question about how to get entrepreneurs, or potential entrepreneurs who go after and require millions to satisfy their personal needs, to embrace social responsibility I think is futile because it has to do entirely with how a person is educated, brought up, what our culture promotes, accepts and allows. We need to go back to a much higher tax rate for the upper levels of income.

That foreign students, like Nishant, still come here to our institutions of higher learning to meet each other, to inspire, to get inspired, and that some go back home to do good work is a good part of the American Empire.