GILPP...And We're Off

I am in Geneva, Switzerland and the Geneva Instiute of Leadership and Public Policy is underway. There are delegates from around 30 countries (USA, UK, Ethiopia, Nepal, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Ecuador, South Africa, etc).

Here are my take-always from day one...

Why Geneva? Tom Bloomer (Dean of the University of these Nations) shares about Geneva's historic linkage to transformation:

1) John Calvin...his efforts in the Reformation, yes, but also those things that grew out of his teachings' focus on the value and dignity of the individual: decentralization of political power and origins of modern democracy, support of universal access to education, focus on initiatives of individuals for economic development.

2) Henry Dunant...founding of the International Red Cross

3) Conntections to home of League of Nations, European headquarters of the United Nations, Geneva Convention on Human Rights, and other international gatherings often focused on humanitarian causes

4) home of numerous humanitarian outreach organizations and efforts

Transformational Leadership Development--Mike Shea (Director of GHNI's Leadership Development) 

Leaders need to ask the following of themselves:

1) Who am I? Are you self-serving or are you servicing? Is your focus on the people (customer, citizens, etc.) or yourself? Do you lead because of your position/title through commands or through the influence of the relationships that you've developed? When evaluating success do you legitimately analyze/evaluate yourself as the leader or do you solely evaluate "them"?

2) Who are you? Am I responsive or resistant to the people around me? Racial bias? Gender bias? Economic bias? Do you build within your people a spirit of dependence on you as the leader or do you develop their capacity/talents for success?

3) Who are we? Works with others to help bring the positive change. Work creatively to solve problems.

Role of Rule of Lawn Nation Building: Jerry Regier (Resource Director & Policy Ambassador for Water4)

1) definition: "nomacracy"...nomas (law) + kratos (power or rule). "Principle whereby all members of a society--including those in government--are considered equally subject to public ally disclosed codes and processes" ~Oxford

-Aristotle (350), "Law should govern"

-Samuel Rutherford (1644) Lex Rex "the law is king" vs. Rex Lex "kind is the law"

-John Adams (1776), a government of laws not of men

Rule OF Law is different than Rule BY Law

2) How is Rule of Law demonstrated in a country?

--through its constitution

--through its institutions

--through its leadership

3) Benefits of Rule of Law?

stability, safety, continuity, peaceful pursuit, economic development

The rule of law creates an enabling environment for human dignity, freedom, and opportunities to flourish.

More details on these and other topics will be addressed over the next several days.