DECEMBER News /

Dear YES Family

An amazing wave of global excitement is building as we move towards YES Kenya 2006, scheduled for September 13 – 16, 2006, in Nairobi.  This Summit will focus on Creating Markets…Unleashing Entrepreneurship.  We need all of your support to ensure the success of this Summit, and invite you to participate in what ever manner suits you…it is your event…nine months left!

One of the central pillars of the Kenya Agenda will be identifying markets at the Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP) learning from the BOP guru Prof. C K Prahalad.  The BOP consists of 4 billion people living on about $2 a day.  Prof. Prahalad argues forcefully that for more than 50 years donor agencies, multinational lending agencies, and civil society organizations have all done their best, but they have been unable to eradicate poverty.  Based on this, he states that, “If we stop thinking of the poor as victims, or as a burden, and start recognizing them as resilient and creative entrepreneurs, and value-conscious consumers, a whole new world of opportunity will open up.”  Instead of solving poverty only through philanthropy, which can disempower the poor, Prof. Prahalad proposes alleviating poverty through "inclusive capitalism" selling goods and services to the world's 4 billion poor, for mutual benefit.  His contention - market development at the BOP will create millions of new entrepreneurs at the grass roots level. 

Whether one agrees with this concept, or not, it is essential to build self-reliance and entrepreneurship at the BOP, and private sector engagement and strategies are necessary for building economic sustainability, while a focus on environmental sustainability is critical. 

We recognize that employment creation will require promoting widespread entrepreneurship, because there are just not enough jobs in the public and private sectors to absorb the large numbers of young people that are currently in the labor market, and the new entrants that are waiting to flood in.

In addition, the YES Kenya 2006 Agenda will focus on creating markets through building trade capacity, attracting Foreign Direct Investment, and livelihoods through Earth Restoration, and eco-entrepreneurship.  

The participation of youth is critical for the success of the Summit since the YES Campaign places youth at the center of the development paradigm.  The YES Kenya 2006 Summit will serve to organize and create a knowledge base designed to empower these young people with practical tools that will encourage networking and collaboration for youth employment. 

I invite your engaged and powerful participation in this global movement to promote youth employment…our youth deserve nothing less.

In Solidarity

Poonam Ahluwalia