Road to Aracuai

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We drove to Aracuai, a very arid rural town with about 30,000 people, where CPCD has an education and water purification project (remember the water theme - it will arise again - we might take for granted that we have water...let alone that we can actually drink our water), about 500 KM from another slightly larger much less arid and pleasant town, Curvelo (70,000 people), which is where CPCD has another office/project (the parents of our project host Flavia have a home there. You already viewed a partial outcome of the trip to Aracuai (Stan was quite ill for about 24 hours, no hospital though, more like violent food/water poisoning we think, but we're not doctors). Here's a few pics on the road to Aracuai (pronounced in English as Ahr-a-su-I).

What's Didier doing in the middle of the road? Of course he's taking a picture, don't we all do this in the middle of a highway? Not many cars, mostly trucks - don't be alarmed, he's taking a pic of a boa vista. Maybe he'll post this pic for you?

Speaking of dangerous roads, we needed to stop then drive around this overturned semi-tractor trailer rig that was loaded top heavy with charcoal made from the local eucalyptus tree farms (anyone for an investment opportunity? Millions of hectares are planted here). This happens more often than not - we saw an overturned car a few days ago. Thankfully, the driver was fine and standing behind the rig out of the pic.

We needed to slow again to avoid the horse drawn carts, and of course stare at the fire burning on the left side of the road. There's little garbage collection in the rural areas so we understand that most people burn the waste, and the grass, and the trees...but it does tend to prevent massive forest fires as ground fuel is consumed in small burns.

Then the road turned to dirt - over 100 KM of narrow dirt, gravel, holes and choking dust.

Did we mention dust? This is the view from the car after that blue truck passed us at 60KM per hour...

We made it - this is the welcoming sign outside of the town Aracuai - notice the lack of any green grass or even green weeds. The area is very dry in winter. Most plants are desert like w/spines, waxy leaves, or cacti. More to come....

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Special for Daniela .... Stan in a very bad way !

.... the guy in this picture is in fact Stan, your Partner. After spending 3 days in Araçuai, Stan became deathly sick (in fact, he was almost dead) after drinking bad water ... and the funny story behind that is that he was fully informed "never drink bad water" ... but you know, PwC Partners are always impulsive, and I know what I am taking about !

Poor Stan ... it was even worse for him because he "decided" to be sick during our trip - 4 hours drive and then 1 our flight - could you imagine ... ?

But don't worry, now he gets better, the proof is that yesterday, he rode his bike !

Take care.

Didier

Ulysses

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So, you might ask, what is Ithaca - the geography or Greek history buffs will know that Ithaca is a Greek island and the home of Ulysses. As you can imagine, this journey by the Greek hero is a metaphore for our experience in this project in Brazil, although we didn't fight wars, enlist the help of Greek gods, or deceive our fellow man. Here's a little more history.....

Ulysses, by Leif Ellingson
Ulysses, the Latin equivalent of the Greek Odysseus, was the king of Ithaca, a Greek island. He was married to Penelope and they had a son named Telemachus. He was one of the Greek leaders in the Trojan War. The Greeks fought the Trojans for ten years, but Ulysses came up with a plan to burn down Troy and save Helen, the wife of Melanos, the Spartan king. He had the Greek army build a wooden horse that he and nineteen other soldiers could fit in. All of the Greek warships left the shores of Troy and left the horse behind. The Trojans thought that it was a gift from the Greeks, so the people of Troy brought it through the gates of the city. Late that night, Ulysses and the nineteen soldiers snuck out of the wooden horse and let the newly arrived Greek army through the gates. The Greeks burned down Troy and saved Helen, but Ulysses still had a long journey ahead of him.

Ulysses and his men set sail for Ithaca. After a few weeks of sailing, Ulysses and his men ran out of food. They landed on an island, to look for food and water. They found a whole cave full of food, but they soon found out that the food belonged to a one-eyed giant called a cyclops. Ulysses and his men tricked the cyclops and escaped with the food. Unfortunately for Ulysses, the cyclops was a son of Neptune, the God of the Sea.
Once again, Ulysses' men ran out of food, so they landed on another island. The sailors divided into two groups, Ulysses and some of the crew stayed with the ship, while the others went to look for food. The next morning, one of the "food-searchers" came running bck to the boat. The sailor told Ulysses of a sorceress named Circe who had turned the other crew members into hogs. At once, Ulysses ran with the sailor to Circe's palace, but on the way, Mercury came with a gift from one of the gods. It was a magical flower that would act a shield on Ulysses from Circe's magic. Ulysses met with Circe. Circe tried to use her magic on him, but it didn't work, so she gave in and turned the back into humans. Plus, she warned Ulysses of the dangers to come. With lots of food, Ulysses and his men left the island.

Thanks to Circe, Ulysses overcame the next dangers. He overcame the dooming song of the Sirens by plugging the ears of he and his crew. The sailors came upon the six-headed monster called Scylla. Though all of his crew were eaten by Scylla, Ulysses escaped, only to be washed ashore by a storm where a princess found him and took him to her father. The king gave Ulysses his fastest ship to use to sail home with. When, Ulysses reached Ithaca, he deceived the men that wanted to marry his wife, and killed them. Ulysses finally reclaimed his throne.

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The Ulysses Journey to Ithaca

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We've been out of the CPCD office for a while in Curvelo, then much more rural Aracuai. We have many pics and stories to post, but haven't been able to either access the internet, have not had time, or have forgot our cameras with friends (Stan forgot his with the mother of Marco, the husband of Flavia our CPCD host...long story).

Read this wonderful poem named Ithaca from a Greek author (Constantine P. Cavafy) that we shared together back in Mexico. We were thinking of the journey when out in the field here in Brazil. Happy reading.


Ithaca

When you set out on your journey to Ithaca,pray that the road is long,full of adventure, full of knowledge. The Lestrygonians and the Cyclops,the angry Poseidon -- do not fear them: You will never find such as these on your path, if your thoughts remain lofty, if a fine emotion touches your spirit and your body. The Lestrygonians and the Cyclops, the fierce Poseidon you will never encounter, if you do not carry them within your soul, if your soul does not set them up before you. Pray that the road is long. That the summer mornings are many, when, with such pleasure, with such joy you will enter ports seen for the first time; stop at Phoenician markets, and purchase fine merchandise, mother-of-pearl and coral, amber and ebony, and sensual perfumes of all kinds, as many sensual perfumes as you can; visit many Egyptian cities, to learn and learn from scholars. Always keep Ithaca in your mind. To arrive there is your ultimate goal. But do not hurry the voyage at all. It is better to let it last for many years; and to anchor at the island when you are old, rich with all you have gained on the way, not expecting that Ithaca will offer you riches. Ithaca has given you the beautiful voyage. Without her you would have never set out on the road. She has nothing more to give you. And if you find her poor, Ithaca has not deceived you. Wise as you have become, with so much experience, you must already have understood what Ithaca mean.

From Constantine P. Cavafy (1911)

It's all about diversity !

Thusday 16 July, we went to the CPCD cooperative (refer below) to spend couple of hours working not as "PwC consultant" but as real workers, it was quite different from our usual life !

Here, Stan (my US peer partner) is currently cutting out a piece of metal in order to build something ... in fact, we did not know what exactly it was, but he did it. Special note for Stan wife and family => do be worried aboud Stan ... he is very well, no accident !

I decided to go to the "kitchen workshop" and to be honest, a had a lot of fun to learn how to peel off limes. The cookers were very patient and nice ... because, I should admit, I was not as efficient as they are. Anyway, I contibuted ... !!

History of Brazil

Ouro Preto was the Portugese capital of Brazil in Minas Gerais (means something like general mine) before the 1800's mainly due to the gold and other minerals. So what do you do on the weekend if you are hanging out in Belo Horizonte, which is about a 2 hour drive away? Of course, you drive to Ouro Preto. What do you do in Ouro Preto?

Not specifically in the order of these pics - you meet new people at the local music festival, like this French guy (in the middle with the Brazilian flag as a scarf, but we can't recall his name) who is studying in Brazil.

You also tour the city - here Didier and I are standing on the terrace at the old council chambers above the square where the body of one of the first revolutionaries (a dentist nicknamed the "teethpuller") was hanged and drawn/quartered by the Portugese ruling elite for plotting a rebellion. Someone snitched... Perhaps if the Portugese had taken the Ulysses journey, they might still rule (or should we say lead) Brazil. There's something to say about leading by tyranny versus leading with an open mind and open heart, doing the right thing, and inspiring others (like the locals as well as the former slaves).

This is another vista of the hilly Ouro Preto. You might notice a few other churches in the pic.

One of the 12 or so baroque (mis-spelled?) style churches built by the slaves of wealthy families in Ouro Preto, who competed with one another for the "best" church. Each wealthy family used their own church within the town, had their own priest, and buried their dead within the church.

Who are these guys and what are they doing at a Brazilian restaurant in Ouro Preto?

The music festival, playing some Brazilian music.

Bye...

MEN AT WORK ...

After to much work for a too long time .... Stan really diserved a nice nap in Flavia's mummy sofa. I strongly believe that Stan was "reconciling", "drawing" in dreams and practicing "diversity". Now, he fully understands and assimilates what diversity means .... and I can confirm for those who doubt that he became an expert ... who will see in Poland !

Please enjoy and see you soon.

Circle in Curvelo

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This post shows a few pictures from Curvelo again (July 8, 2008) and focuses upon the CPCD idea of cooperation and collaborative behavior among educators (not teachers) and the participants, which occurs in some circumstances using a circle of chairs at the same level so everyone can see each other (pictured below). The communication model is named by CPCD as a "Circle Pedagogy" for each person to feel equally part of the team, and to share ideas and thoughts equally in a two way or multi-directional exchange. The educators (the older members of the circle) listen and learn from the students, just as the students listen and learn from the educators. The commentary is encouraged to be focused on opportunities, and not on problems. The glass is half full, not half empty. Additionally, with people each sitting at the same level, each visible to each other, without a desk or computer (or bberry) offering distractions, the meeting can be short, interactive, and focused. In the business case, the idea is to remove the implicit barrier between people within an organization, open the communication flow, and demonstrate this openness by looking people in the eye, focusing our attention and sitting in a circle - not on a stage or at separate desks with one person directing instructions and orders to the group.


This photo shows Didier, Stan and Flavia sitting with members of the dedo de gente cooperative in Curvelo in the circle discussing opportunities, issues, and comparing the USA, Switzerland and Brazil to each other.

Members of the cooperative listening to us trying to speak Portuguese, and Flavia translate...

The circle w/the cooperative's iron and steel workshop in the background.

More of the circle (it's large as you can see) with about 40 cooperative members and educators attending.

More sections of the circle.

The interesting point from the Ulysses perspective is that one of the learning tools introduced in the Mexico foundations program was named "Check-in". Each morning in Mexico, the Ulysses teams (22 partners) and the Ulysses coordinators/instructors/executive coaches would gather in a circle. We would have a moment of silence to reflect, relax, assess our thoughts or feelings. Then we'd open the dialog to share with others ideas and comments regarding the program, or any other thoughts. Essentially, we'd check-in with each other. Our CPCD host here in Brazil has been doing this for years...with students and the members of the cooperative. In fact, the management meetings of the cooperative occur in this manner every day. Food for thought.

More later..................

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Rural Curvelo, Brazil

We were out of the CPCD office in the countryside the last few days in Curvelo, about a 3 hour drive from Belo Horizonte (BH) on both paved and rough dirt roads. CPCD has an office and consults on the operation of a cooperative located in Curvelo named dedo de gente (literally fingers of the people). CPCD helped create the cooperative, which is an arts and crafts institution that employs the students from the CPCD community education programs and community center. The students run the cooperative, vote, and have a say in the day to day operations, and share any end of year surplus. They have fabrication facilities and retail stores (see the pics below) in Curvelo and Aracuai, Minas Gerais (a Brazilian state - "MG"). Sales of the cooperative in 2007 were about R$425,000, which is about USD 265,000 - impressive for a group of kids who grew up in and were educated mostly by CPCD (and the official local school system). By visiting the 2 development projects in Curvelo and Aracuai, we will experience first hand the results and progress made by CPCD and the cooperative over the years. We can of course offer encouragement, a comparison and contrast to life in two other counties (the USA and Switzerland), and share thoughts about opportunities for the dedo de gente cooperative. We'd call this a "functional analysis" in transfer pricing lingo (as some 0f you might appreciate). If we can share ideas and help increase the visibility of both CPCD and dedo de gente (specifically requested by us), we will have succeeded.


Below are pics from the trip...enjoy.
















Paper boxes made at the boxing facility of the cooperative for a customer





















A pizza box cut and printed by the teenagers at the box fabrication facility of the cooperative. They have a silkscreen facility that enables printing. Bia is one of their clients.












The woodworking shop of the cooperative - located in an old slaughterhouse from the 1920's.






















A table in the process of manufacture at the wood working shop of the cooperative. The teenagers make surprising high quality pieces out of . All is for sale and they ship to the USA...



See www.dedodegente.com.br




























































Didier, or is that Forrest Gump?, at the woodworking shop with a couple of the teenage craftsmen from the cooperative. Notice that due to the climate, there are no glass windows - but rather wooden slats.














































Drying thatch to make brooms behind the barbed wire(see the brooms - the finished product in the background, they look like bushes in this pic).











































This is the kitchen in the Curvelo CPCD children's center. The food is grown in the garden of the children's center. And, the children help in the garden to learn how to till the soil, plant, and harvest the fruits and vegatables. These plates were prepared with food from the garden, picked by the kids during the morning. Students also help in the kitchen and learn how to prepare food, cook, and clean.




























Boiling over a charcoal fire select wild herbs from the local fields and woods in a sugar solution (lots of raw sugar cane grows in Brazil) for treating flu like symptoms. The fire/furnace is made from a discarded oil can filled with concrete. The charcoal is scrap wood from the steel coaking facility down the road.






































The kids in a smaller town named Estiva, near Curvelo, who made this wagon from a discarded plastic beer crate.









































The teenagers at iron working shop at the cooperative. They sell the artwork in the retail shop.





















Teenagers at the cooperative preparing a type of squash picked from the CPCD garden for canning - and sale thru the cooperative.


































Teenagers in another fabrication shop at the cooperative making paper mache bird houses. The goal is sustainability and efficiency - the scrap paper is sourced from the box making facility at the cooperative.




































The teenagers specializing in sewing, knitting, and quilt making preparing table placemats for sale at the cooperative.



























Lunch at the CPCD facility, prepared by the kids, from food from the garden. Flavia, our awesome CPCD host, is the woman in the red shirt at the right. The teenage boys work in the cooperative (when not in formal school) making the various items described above.





















That's all for now - we have many more pictures, but this should give you a flavor of the Curvelo experience and the operations of CPCD and the cooperative.

Wish you enough

We read this story while in the foundations program - it touched us regarding having enough, but not too much. We wish you enough. Read on....

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Recently I overheard a mother and daughter in their last moments together at the airport. They had announced the departure. Standing near the security gate, they hugged and the mother said, "I love you and I wish you enough".

The daughter replied, "Mom, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Mom".

They kissed and the daughter left. The mother walked over to the window where I was seated. Standing there I could see she wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on her privacy but she welcomed me in by asking, "Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?”.

"Yes, I have," I replied. "Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever good-bye?”.

"I am old and she lives so far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is - the next trip back will be for my funeral," she said.

"When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say, 'I wish you enough'. May I ask what that means? ".

She began to smile. "That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone". She paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail and she smiled even more. "When we said, 'I wish you enough', we wanted the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them". Then turning toward me, she shared the following as if she were reciting it from memory.

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.
I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.

She then began to cry and walked away.


I WISH YOU ENOUGH
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Responsible Leadership

In case the Nova Schin beer cans posted earlier seem like too much fun, here's some serious information about the Ulysses leadership development program, a Corporate Citizenship Award PwC won from "Global HR News" in 2007, and an outline of the Responsible Leadership framework we've worked to develop in the Foundations Program.

go to this site for more details , the award, and good information about Ulysses:

www.pwc.com/ulysses

Above is a picture of the Responsible Leadership framework we've focused upon since starting the Ulysses program. Words and pictures are not enough to describe the concept, and the impact, but we'll give it a try here. Essentially for us, responsible leadership within the context of PricewaterhouseCoopers involves many stakeholders with ourselves on a multi-dimensional platform involving interactions of 1) the firm as our brand defining agent, 2) clients who see us as trusted advisors, 3) our local country team who see us as authentic contributors, and 4) our Partner-peers who are co-owners and co-entrepreneurs (see the picture above). Within this interactive platform, we have our families, the community, the market and environment which influence, educate, and empower us to inspire others to reach their full potential. If we as responsible leaders can maintain an open mind, an open heart and open will, we will observe, reflect, decide and act in a responsible and sustainable manner. How do we do this? We pay attention. We listen to others. We reconcile differences and accept the needs of others to identify opportunities instead of problems. We ultimately "do the right thing" - and continue down the lifelong path of responsible leadership.

As you can imagine, we've been working on this concept and language for a number of weeks and are living the concept now in Brazil.

What does this mean for PwC as the firm? This citation is off of our website. "...the values and behaviours of our people has been shaped by our long heritage as independent auditors serving the investing public. As a result, we understand that our organizational mission is inseparable from our larger obligations beyond the imperatives of profit-making. Today, as the world’s largest professional services organisation, we strive to demonstrate responsible leadership by protecting and promoting the interests of our clients, their shareholders and stakeholders, and the communities in which we operate. We also provide a broad range of services to help clients nurture more responsible leadership within their own organizations."

Regarding sustainability (however you define this term), shareholders expect companies to generate profits. But, they also want your company to make a positive contribution to society while minimising any negative effect it might have on the environment. This approach to business—balancing economic interests against social and environmental concerns—is commonly referred to as sustainability. Over the past decade, sustainability has moved from the fringes of the business world to the top of shareholders' agenda. The concept of sustainability has gained traction among corporate employees, regulators, and customers, too. Consequently, any miscalculation or misjudgement of matters related to sustainability can have serious repercussions on how the world judges your company and values its shares. For corporate management, finding the right balance among competing economic, social, and environmental goals is the essence of "responsible leadership." In practice, responsible leadership means integrating ethical considerations into company decision-making, and managing on the basis of personal integrity and widely-held organisational values. Responsible leaders manage for the common good and gain authority and legitimacy in direct proportion to their success in serving others.

Is that kind of leadership readily achievable? Clearly, a perfect balance of all competing interests is difficult to achieve and managers are bound to make missteps in the attempt. Nevertheless, most stakeholders are adamantly in favour of companies dealing with sustainability issues in an honest and open fashion. So, as a first step toward demonstrating responsible leadership, companies must establish trust between themselves and their various stakeholder communities. Sometimes, the process of establishing trust can be painstakingly slow. But it starts by understanding stakeholders' concerns and acknowledging their legitimacy. Only after you've mapped the spectrum of stakeholder issues can you start to prioritise them and develop suitable responses and outreach programs. " From http://www.pwc.com/extweb/challenges.nsf/docid/58e92287890b5314852570980064acc2

How does this benefit Didier and Stan?

Ulysses Participants develop deeper awareness of themselves as individuals and leaders. They learn that values-based relationships are at the heart of responsible leadership. They explore their responsibilities as a leader and articulate an ambition that inspires and motivates others, practiced in a location suitable for reflection and time to think. We also understand that leadership is a lifelong journey (like the 10 year journey of Ulysses on the way back home from the Trojan war), not a destination.

How does this benefit you?

We enhance the quality of our relationships based on shared values, understanding and collaboration. We increase our level of cultural awareness and our ability to reconcile differences to identify opportunities, not problems. We also just met 20 other partners from all over the world (Brazil, Cyprus, Mexico, Malaysia, South Africa, UK, UAE, Netherlands, Germany, Australia, Switzerland, USA, Korea, Sweden, New Zealand, Italy, Hong Kong, France and Canada) which builds upon our already strong network of leaders across national and cultural boundaries. We also help create a group of more open minded partners who are committed to sustainable and responsible business practices and who are a force for positive change.

What about PwC as a firm?

Leadership pipeline – Develop a pool of talent who can responsibly lead the firm into the future.
Branding – Create a sustainable brand in which PricewaterhouseCoopers is differentiated by the quality of our relationships with our people, our clients and the community.
Model for leadership – Develop a model of responsible leadership that can be applied consistently across the firm.
Stakeholder relationships – Build quality trust-based relationships with a wide range of stakeholders in communities and markets around the world.

OK, as you can see we had good internet access today and time to create. Enough for now, more in the next post.

Nova Schin - juste pour Gilles

je pense très sincèrement que le Brésil est un pays pour toi .... ils savent faire des party et boivent énormément de bière, de plus, le climat est idéal (27 degrés) et il fait toujours beau, malgré le fait qu'actuellement, ce soit l'hiver. Mais de toute évidence, nous n'avons pas les mêmes hivers .... je suis certain qu'ici, tu serais au paradis.

Alors à très bientôt et ne travail pas trop.

10a Feijoada do Escobar

Voici quelques mots pour nos amis suisses et nos amis américains qui parlent le français. Samedi 5 juillet, nous avons eu la chance de pouvoir assister à une fête typiquement brézilienne que l'on appelle communément "Feijoada".

La feijoada est un plat brésilien très populaire, à base de haricots noirs, de riz et de viande de porc. La viande salée et la viande séchée, ainsi que les diverses parties du porc (queue, oreilles, peau, pattes, os...) sont cuits ensemble. Les haricots noirs sont cuits à part. Puis le tout est mélangé dans un grand bouillon avec des herbes afin qu'un échange de saveurs s'effectue. La viande et les haricots sont ensuite séparés (ou non) à nouveau avant d'être servis.

Le riz blanc, les haricots et la viande sont servis séparément et mélangés dans l'assiette. Le plat est accompagné d'oranges coupées en tranches et de farofa (farine de manioc mise à revenir dans un peu d'huile de palme avec du bacon coupé en petits dés et/ou oignons émincés, dés de tomates et des herbes à volonté ).

La caipirinha, cocktail à base de cahaça, de citron vert et de sucre de canne, est servie pendant le repas. C'est exceptionnel ...!!!

Meeting at CPCD in BH

Didier and Stan (from PwC) and Flavia (from CPCD) are now in Belo Horizonte at the CPCD offices discussing the sustainable development platform. We're gathering facts, asking questions, and as you might imagine, enjoying the experience as well. You in the TP crowd would appreciate the "functional analysis" approach at work. The work is designed to obtain a SWOT analysis of the CPCD operations. Some of the broad issues identified are platform multiplication in other regions, succession planning, fundraising, impact measurement (via some as yet undefined index of potential for development), etc. It's early days and we're just scratching the surface.

CPCD designed a wholistic, platform approach to a complete education where both instructors and students collectively agree in a circle (i.e., a check-in) the learning goals/tools, then throughout the day, work to achieve the agreed goals. The education might occur at any time (educators travel and carry materiasl with them in a shoulder bag) anywhere, in a school, or more likely out in the field, or at home, or under a mango tree (there are many mango trees here in Minas Gerais). The younger students develop skills math, language, personal hygiene, while older students learn about dispute resolution, alternatives to work in sugar cane fields, and develop skills in the cooperatives that sell the hand crafts, art, and sculptures.