Archive for February, 2008

Miscellaneous

Becoming a Change Agent – Is there a “How to do” for it?

This post was written by Luis Felipe Bismarchi. He’s a SABF Delegate at Universidade São Paulo in Brazil

Felipe BismarchiThis is the main topic of 2008 SABF and I find it very interesting because I believe it will tease us to find answers for this question: “What can I do to make things different?”

Well, I have some ideas I’d like to share with you and then discuss – something I love doing.

At first I believe there are 2 ways to change things, one through the legitimate ways – such as the governments, the unions and all kinds of legal associations – and another is to fight against the actual structure and then build a different one.

I don’t believe you have to choose just one, I personally have ideas that sometimes are revolutionary sometimes reformist, what I find very important though is to do something when something is bothering you.

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Current Affairs

Do you get along with entrepreneurship?

SABF Board

No questions asked, the entrepreneur is an agent of change that may influence in almost every aspect of a country or region. However, they need a favourable environment that provides them with the necessary security for them to develop correctly. As an example, we may mention the cases of Italy and Japan, two current powers that, defeated in the Second World War, were able to reconstruct in a few years time, partly due to the entrepreneurs who made the reactivation of the economy possible hand in hand with the development of both countries. But this was only possible thanks to the support of the State which was precisely trying to generate an entrepreneurial culture.

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Events

International Essay Competition 2008

SABF Board Member

What can you do to shape the City of your Dreams?

In this opportunity we want to invite you to participate in a event organised by the World Bank, the Cities Alliance and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs which is after your practical ideas. On its 5th edition it will try to find solutions to shape our actual cities into the cities of our dreams.

Essays can be submitted online in English, French, Spanish, Arabic or Portuguese. The essay must answer to the three questions raised: What are the biggest opportunities and challenges for people living in your city?; What needs to be done to transform your city into the city of your dreams?; What could be your role, working together with your peers, in shaping the city of your dreams?. Creativity and the use of thoughtful and concrete proposals will be considered.

You can submit your essay until March 23, 2008 entering to the website www.essaycompetition.org. The competition is open for students and non-students alike, aged 18-25. Students enrolled in Ph.D. courses are not eligible to participate.

Awards will be given on June during the ABCDE Conference in Cape Town, South Africa. The winner will receive 5000 USD and the other finalists 100U SD. The World Bank will cover travel and accommodation expenses for the finalists.

For further information, please visit their website: www.essaycompetition.org.