This is my last day in NY. In few hours i will take my flight back to the peaceful and quiet old europe. It has been an exciting and challenging trip. On one side, I failed as networker. I wasn’t able to get into neither the Clinton Global Initiative annual Conference nor UN General Assembly. Even Obama couldn’t meet me! On the other hand, I have collected so many funding opportunities and potential partnerships for reaserch, knowledge sharing and field projects as I have ever been able to in just one trip.
The States are huge and this is a time of change. The country is going through a both financial and economic crisis culminating with a presidential election perceived by everybody as a turning point. The country is ready to wake up from the nightmare of Sept 11 and following war on terror to rediscover its vocation to lead the world. Someone might not like to be led but nobody else seems to raise to the challenge. Europe is still to selfish and divided while the emerging countries such as China struggle developing their own global vision. The UN and the other multilateral bodies keep quite stuck in their incapcity to reform.
At the same time, I found a country still lagging behind in a haze of blatant ignorance. They have discovered China because its economy grows faster and pays for the excesses of Americans, but ignores Europe indeed. Except for some academics and immigrants, Americans don’t have a clue about Europe and the opportunities it offers. The Transatlantic partnership is an old toy for militaries and a playfield of financial elites. Our sector is almost completely disconnected except for the international NGOs. In October Coordination Sud – the French platform of INGOs – has organised the first confernce for INGOs from all other the world in partnertship with Interaction – the American platform – and Concord. See http://www.europe-solidairesponsable.org/spip.php?page=sommaire&id_rubrique=2
People on the shores of the Atlantic are far and different but there is a raising interest in a the new global dimension of our life. Sam Worthington, CEO of Interaction, told me indivdual donations have raised from 2 to 7 billion dollars from 2000 to 2007. A growing number of Americans want to be good neighbours and global citizens. Do Europeans share the same feeling and put money on their mouth? Our fellow citizens are good at preaching to the world but not give up a centimeter of their privilegies. Eg, the reform of agricultural subsidizes is still being postponed.
Americans and Europeans are like far cousins. It’s time to reunite the family and pool skills. An American enterprenurial spirit combined with a European social model might be the perfect recipe for a new world economy.
I will do my part connecting American and European third sector leaders. This means a lot of travelling back and forward from the States, attending conferences, parties and networking ferociously for a new transatlantic partnership. I know it’s tough but someone must do it!
