In a recent lecture series on defining “authentic manhood” and a man’s role in society today, the following four factors were discussed as critical in our modern world:

1.  Reject Passivity – Get Involved in any issue or cause you feel strongly about;

2.  Accept Responsibility – If no one else will do it, then you must take responsibility and act;

3.  Live Courageously – Nothing ventured – nothing gained;

4.  Invest your time and resources for the future – Think about other, future generations and being a wise steward with the talents, resources and time we have on this Earth.

In reviewing these characteristics, it seems that the macho image of the male role model is being replaced by a kinder, more socially-minded modern day man – the social entrepreneur.  Take the following excerpt from an article written on Dr. Mohammed Yunus:

 

Below is taken from http://www.bankingonthepoor.blogspot.com

Dr. Muhammad Yunus kicked-off the Commonwealth Club’s series of talks on social entrepreneurship today in a speech at the Fairmont Hotel. The event doubled as a book signing for his new work, “Building Social Business—The New Kind of Capitalism that Serves Humanity’s Most Pressing Needs.” Dr. Yunus and Grameen Bank, the institution he founded in 1976 to provide credit to poor women in Bangladesh, were co-recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for their work in developing microfinance.

In his speech Dr. Yunus traced the evolution of his thinking from the founding of Grameen Bank to his present passion for promoting social businesses that serve the poor. In 1974, while teaching economics in Chittagong University, he observed first hand the effects of a devastating famine on the poor of Bangladesh. He realized the elegant economic theories he had studied were next to useless for these people.

Venturing outside the gates of the university he began to learn of the underlying problems afflicting the poor, locking them in a cycle of poverty. Principally, he realized their lack of access to reasonable credit kept them in the clutches of the money lenders. With the equivalent of a mere $27 he was able to break this cycle of exploitation for 42 women. If he could do so much for so little Dr. Yunus wondered why banks shouldn’t be able to do much more for the poor?

Unable to convince the established banks that the poor were indeed “credit worthy” and would not only pay back their loans but also use them to lift themselves and their families out of extreme poverty, he founded Grameen Bank. Today the bank has over 8 million clients, 97% of whom are women, 2,600 branches and over 20,000 employees. The bank lends more that $100 million per month and experiences a 98% repayment rate on its loans. “Compare this performance to that of the big banks during the current economic crisis and tell me who is credit worthy,” Dr. Yunus said.

Lack of credit was not the only problem he uncovered. Lack of sanitation, health care, access to information, education, nutrition were among the many issues Dr. Yunus saw affecting the poor. “When I see a problem I create a business to address it” he stated. But the form of the businesses he creates is different from the normal for-profit companies. Social enterprises are enterprises either owned by the poor or have been funded by social entrepreneurs willing to forgo a monetary return on their investments.

As discussed in his new book, social business have dual “bottom lines” one social and the other economic. They operate as for-profit businesses to ensure their sustainability, but forego an economic return in order to achieve a social impact. He cited Grameen’s collaboration with the French company Danone to produce a special yogurt product for malnourished children in Bangladesh as an example of such a social business.

And now Dr. Yunus brings his poverty fighting philosophy to the United States. Since January of 2008, Grameen America has opened three branches in New York and one in Omaha, Nebraska, to serve the needs of poor entrepreneurs. Employing the same group lending methodology pioneered by Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, Grameen America has already lent to more than 3,000 low income small business owners in the United States with the same 98% repayment record. He announced that Grameen America will open a branch in San Francisco this summer.

The poor did not create the conditions that trap them in a cycle of poverty, nor are they to blame for the many crises, financial, environmental and social that threaten the world today. That is the fault of systems predicated on economic theories that view humankind as motivated purely by profit and self interest. There is, according to Dr. Yunus, another side to human nature, a selfless side that rushes to help when disaster strikes. Build businesses that appeal to the selfless side of human nature and he believes we will find solutions to the problems that keep more than 2 billion people in extreme poverty.”

I, for one, am interested in living a courageous and socially-minded life, dedicated to helping others and the poor in Africa and elsewhere around the world.  To many, it may be an unwise or futile exercise.  To me, I would rather be planting organic Moringa trees in Africa to help fight malnutrition or creating micro enterprise opportunities for those in need or using my time, talents and resources to help others in our World.  This may invoke criticism from the narrow-minded, but guess what – social entrepreneurship is here to stay.  You can stick your head in the sand of passivity and inaction, or you can live a courageous life helping others and making our Earth a better place.

Besides, all those socially-minded MBAs graduating from prestigious universities such as Harvard, Columbia, Cambridge with degrees specializing in Social Entrepreneurship and others around the world cannot be wrong – see http://www.good.is/post/are-mbas-ditching-investment-banking-for-social-entrepreneurship/

 

Call today for guidance in setting up a “B Corporation” or social benefit corporation, the L3C, or a charity or private foundation at (202) 262-7780.

George Clooney on Sudan and Crisis in Africa

 

Call it a publicity stunt (similar to Kony 2012) – but George Clooney put his life and reputation  on the line to help those in need in Africa.  Because of his activism more people know about the humanitarian crisis in Sudan today than they did yesterday, because of George Clooney’s arrest during a protest outside the country’s embassy in Washington.

George Clooney arrested Photo: REUTERS

Like George Clooney, I have dedicated my life to those in need in Africa.  My belief comes from my dedication to the service of God and to my beliefs from the Bible which tells us to care for the orphans, the widows and the needy.  So, like George Clooney, I, Brian Ray Dinning, will work to help as many people in need in Africa as I can – even if this means the loss of reputation, the loss of liberty or imprisonment by an injustice system or people or the loss of my life.  

Because some things are more than a belief.  Our great Nation and its Founding Fathers believed this to be true.  Nelson Mandela, the great freedom fighter from South Africa, believed this as well.  The care of the poor, the widows and orphans of Africa is a fight worth fighting for.  The life of a child is precious – whether in the US, Europe, Africa or elsewhere around our Earth.  Hats off to George Clooney and his father for their convictions and sacrifice.  I only hope and pray that I can help the needy children and people in Africa with the talents, gifts and abilities that God has given me and I hope that others join with us in making our World a better place for all.

B. Ray Dinning

Passing unanimously in the Virginia House of Delegates is the new “social venture” vehicle called the “B Corporation” or “Benefit Corporation” which is a vehicle designed to promote the social ventures that I and others have been promoting in Africa and elsewhere around the world.  With the structure of a corporation and some unique characteristics of tax exempt charitable organizations, this is the wave of the future with six States adopting similar legislation and up to 18 other states with laws in the works.

Interestingly, this movement stems back to a lot of original work by nonprofit guru, Michael I. Sanders.  In helping him with research on “Partnerships and Joint Ventures Involving Tax Exempt Organizations (Wiley & Sons 1994), I learned the foundational work on social ventures which has culminated in the need for structures like Virginia’s B Corporation.

Please read the exempt from the Squire Sanders law firm website below:

As of July 1, 2011, Virginia becomes one of the early adopters among states that will permit social entrepreneurs to legally create a new corporate form known as a “benefit corporation.” This new form of corporate entity is intended to permit social entrepreneurs to codify their missions in their corporate charters. This permits the board of directors and management of a benefit corporation to pursue and take societal benefits and social goals into account in exercising their fiduciary discretion instead of being required to act strictly in the best interest of shareholders, a change that eliminates concerns over liability for breach of fiduciary duty under existing corporate law.

Pursuing Public Benefit

The law is modeled on a similar statute enacted by Maryland in 2010, and similar proposals are pending in a number of other states. Virginia’s legislation improves upon Maryland’s statute and makes Virginia the preferred jurisdiction for social entrepreneurs. Virginia’s benefit corporation statute, which is codified as Sections 13.1-782 to -791 of the Virginia Stock Corporation Act, requires that the corporation’s purpose include pursuit of “general public benefit.” The legislation broadly defines “general public benefit” to mean “a material positive impact on society and the environment taken as a whole, as measured by a third-party standard, from the business and operations of a benefit corporation.” However, it also allows benefit corporations to pursue specific public good purposes, including any benefit that serves one or more public welfare, religious, charitable, scientific, literary or educational purposes, or another purpose or benefit beyond the strict interest of the shareholders of the benefit corporation, such as:

Providing low-income or underserved individuals or communities with beneficial products or services;
Promoting economic opportunity for individuals or communities beyond the creation of jobs in the normal course of business;
Preserving or improving the environment;
Improving human health;
Promoting the arts, sciences or advancement of knowledge; or
Increasing the flow of capital to entities with a public benefit purpose.

The statute allows entrepreneurs to commit their for-profit ventures to a specific public good, requires directors and officers to take specified public good interest into account in corporate decisions and actions, and requires them to report on contributions to that goal and submit to auditing of their impact. The statute includes remedial provisions for shareholders to take action against directors and officers who fail to consider the specific public benefit in their decision making and actions. Having official “benefit corporation” status allows entrepreneurs to consider stakeholders such as employees, communities or the environment in business decisions.

Eliminating Risk of Lawsuits and Reducing Costs

Under existing corporate law, company directors may face lawsuits for acting on social objectives if contrary to the financial interest of shareholders, but this statute eliminates that risk. Social entrepreneurs have often faced difficulty fitting their hybrid missions of making money and doing good into existing business entity forms. The variety of arrangements historically utilized (e.g., nonprofits controlling for-profits) can be costly to set up and operate, and often limit the ability to raise money from outside investors. By allowing for the adoption of the “benefit corporation” form of entity, Virginia has permitted its economic institutions – in this case the laws that govern corporations – to keep up with the growing interest in the social enterprise sector.

Many expect that the new legal designation will unlock new capital for social ventures from investors who want to park their money in mission-driven companies.

Enacting the Law

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R.) signed the bill on March 26, 2011 at the end of Virginia’s legislative session. The bill, sponsored by Democratic state delegate Jennifer McClellan, passed Virginia’s Senate unanimously and passed the House of Delegates by a vote of 97-0.

“Canada is in a strong mining and minerals market which provides it with significant opportunities in cross border transactions in the Mining Sector,” notes Consultant Ray Dinning of Canadian Tax Consulting and  Chairman of International Tax Partners.  Dinning is a tax attorney with 20 years of expertise in international mining transactions and he just completed a $104M metallurgical coal mine acquisition where he provided consulting, business planning, coordinated investment banking and assisted with transactional documentation.

“So many times, having a consultant on your team who can walk you through the intricacies of large law firms, large accounting firms, investment banks and the morass of international tax laws helps to close a transaction in less time and with less fees and far less headaches,” notes Dinning.

To discuss business planning, cross border transactions or tax issues, contact Dinning at canadiantaxconsulting@gmail.com or call him at (202) 262-7780.  With offices in the United States and Toronto, Canadian Tax Consulting can assist you in your company with its transactional needs.

For more information on the mining and minerals sectors in Canada, please click on the link below to read an Ernst & Young report.  Thank you.

TSX_top_100_miners

Tory’s Cross Border Transactions

Tory’s provides a compelling overview of Canada-US Cross Border Transactions.  Please click on the link above to view the article.

International Tax Partners is a consulting and advisory firm dedicated to providing strategic business planning, business advisory services, business plan drafting, transactional guidance, transactional documentation, M&A services, tax planning, tax minimization strategies and cross border transactional assistance.  With offices and personnel in both the US and Canada, we are positioned to assist you and your business advisory needs.

To schedule a consultation or to discuss your matter, please contact us at (202) 262-7780.  Thank you.

International Tax Partners has 20 years of experience in providing business planning, strategic consulting, mergers & acquisitions and international business structuring.  With experience in mining, energy, tax credits, business transactions and consulting on sustainability, food and water security and other matters, particularly assisting Canadian businesses in expanding into the US and to South Africa.

For information or assistance, call 202.262.7780 for information or assistance.

Coal Mining & Exploration in Africa

Coal, a fossil fuel is the largest source of energy for producing electricity, heat and various other energy types present on the earth’s surface. It is a complex mixture of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen together with small amounts of nitrogen and sulphur. Due to the increasing demand of coal and coal products, coal mining and exploration is on all time high. It still continues to be an important activity today. Coal mining is defined as economic excavation of coal from the earth’s crust. Mining companies from around the world are continuously involved in the process of coal mining throughout the year to meet the rising demand of coal. Through technological advancements and extensive research, these companies have found huge coal mines in various parts of the world. Leading coal mining countries include South Africa, Australia, China, Colombia, United States and Ukraine. However, coal mining exploration is considered as the most profitable economic activity in Africa owing to its geographical conditions and unmatched infrastructure.

Coal Mining in Africa
Africa is one of the largest producer of coal in the world. Coal mining companies have found large deposits of coal mines in various areas of Africa. However, of all the leading countries, South Africa tops the chart of having most number of coal mines in Africa. According to latest statistics, South Africa has 11% of world’s coal reserves and produces 6% of global production. Around 80% of the country’s primary energy needs are provided by coal. Various other countries in Africa continuously involved in the process of coal mining exploration in Africa include Mozambique, Kwazulu, Zambia and many such places. With the aid of technological advancements, Coal mining and exploration is emerging as a future potential source of energy both for Africa as well as for the world.

Coal Exploration in Africa

Coal exploration is a complex process of finding coal reserves around various places in the world. The technique requires intensive planning and extensive research done by experienced geologists, coal technologists, mining engineers and geotechnologists. The main aim is the exploration of coal mines for extracting thermal coal and coking coal for various industrial applications. Today, coal exploration in Africa is considered the most fruitful activity as it has been largely serving the economy of Africa. Coal exploration companies are eyeing various areas of Africa for discovering new coal reserves. Coal mines have been found in various parts of Africa including South Africa, Zambezie around Tete province, Mutarara province and various such regions of Africa.

(Taken from http://www.rachanaglobal.com)

US universities in Africa ‘land grab’
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011…rica-land-grab
Institutions including Harvard and Vanderbilt reportedly use hedge funds to buy land in deals that may force farmers out

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John Vidal and Claire Provost
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 8 June 2011 20.18 BST
Article history

Farmers work in thhe Sahara desert
US universities are reportedly using endowment funds to make deals that may force thousands from their land in Africa. Photograph: Boston Globe via Getty Images

Harvard and other major American universities are working through British hedge funds and European financial speculators to buy or lease vast areas of African farmland in deals, some of which may force many thousands of people off their land, according to a new study.

Researchers say foreign investors are profiting from “land grabs” that often fail to deliver the promised benefits of jobs and economic development, and can lead to environmental and social problems in the poorest countries in the world.

The new report on land acquisitions in seven African countries suggests that Harvard, Vanderbilt and many other US colleges with large endowment funds have invested heavily in African land in the past few years. Much of the money is said to be channelled through London-based Emergent asset management, which runs one of Africa’s largest land acquisition funds, run by former JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs currency dealers.

Researchers at the California-based Oakland Institute think that Emergent’s clients in the US may have invested up to $500m in some of the most fertile land in the expectation of making 25% returns.

Emergent said the deals were handled responsibly. “Yes, university endowment funds and pension funds are long-term investors,” a spokesman said. “We are investing in African agriculture and setting up businesses and employing people. We are doing it in a responsible way … The amounts are large. They can be hundreds of millions of dollars. This is not landgrabbing. We want to make the land more valuable. Being big makes an impact, economies of scale can be more productive.”

Chinese and Middle Eastern firms have previously been identified as “grabbing” large tracts of land in developing countries to grow cheap food for home populations, but western funds are behind many of the biggest deals, says the Oakland institute, an advocacy research group.

The company that manages Harvard’s investment funds declined to comment. “It is Harvard management company policy not to discuss investments or investment strategy and therefore I cannot confirm the report,” said a spokesman. Vanderbilt also declined to comment.

Oakland said investors overstated the benefits of the deals for the communities involved. “Companies have been able to create complex layers of companies and subsidiaries to avert the gaze of weak regulatory authorities. Analysis of the contracts reveal that many of the deals will provide few jobs and will force many thousands of people off the land,” said Anuradha Mittal, Oakland’s director.

In Tanzania, the memorandum of understanding between the local government and US-based farm development corporation AgriSol Energy, which is working with Iowa University, stipulates that the two main locations – Katumba and Mishamo – for their project are refugee settlements holding as many as 162,000 people that will have to be closed before the $700m project can start. The refugees have been farming this land for 40 years.

In Ethiopia, a process of “villagisation” by the government is moving tens of thousands of people from traditional lands into new centres while big land deals are being struck with international companies.

The largest land deal in South Sudan, where as much as 9% of the land is said by Norwegian analysts to have been bought in the last few years, was negotiated between a Texas-based firm, Nile Trading and Development and a local co-operative run by absent chiefs. The 49-year lease of 400,000 hectares of central Equatoria for around $25,000 (£15,000) allows the company to exploit all natural resources including oil and timber. The company, headed by former US Ambassador Howard Eugene Douglas, says it intends to apply for UN-backed carbon credits that could provide it with millions of pounds a year in revenues.

In Mozambique, where up to 7m hectares of land is potentially available for investors, western hedge funds are said in the report to be working with South Africans businesses to buy vast tracts of forest and farmland for investors in Europe and the US. The contracts show the government will waive taxes for up to 25 years, but few jobs will be created.

“No one should believe that these investors are there to feed starving Africans, create jobs or improve food security,” said Obang Metho of Solidarity Movement for New Ethiopia. “These agreements – many of which could be in place for 99 years – do not mean progress for local people and will not lead to food in their stomachs. These deals lead only to dollars in the pockets of corrupt leaders and foreign investors.”

“The scale of the land deals being struck is shocking”, said Mittal. “The conversion of African small farms and forests into a natural-asset-based, high-return investment strategy can drive up food prices and increase the risks of climate change.

Research by the World Bank and others suggests that nearly 60m hectares – an area the size of France – has been bought or leased by foreign companies in Africa in the past three years.

“Most of these deals are characterised by a lack of transparency, despite the profound implications posed by the consolidation of control over global food markets and agricultural resources by financial firms,” says the report.

“We have seen cases of speculators taking over agricultural land while small farmers, viewed as squatters, are forcibly removed with no compensation,” said Frederic Mousseau, policy director at Oakland, said: “This is creating insecurity in the global food system that could be a much bigger threat to global security than terrorism. More than one billion people around the world are living with hunger. The majority of the world’s poor still depend on small farms for their livelihoods, and speculators are taking these away while promising progress that never happens.”

US universities in Africa ‘land grab’
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011…rica-land-grab
Institutions including Harvard and Vanderbilt reportedly use hedge funds to buy land in deals that may force farmers out

Share6491
Reddit
Buzz up

John Vidal and Claire Provost
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 8 June 2011 20.18 BST
Article history

Farmers work in thhe Sahara desert
US universities are reportedly using endowment funds to make deals that may force thousands from their land in Africa. Photograph: Boston Globe via Getty Images

Harvard and other major American universities are working through British hedge funds and European financial speculators to buy or lease vast areas of African farmland in deals, some of which may force many thousands of people off their land, according to a new study.

Researchers say foreign investors are profiting from “land grabs” that often fail to deliver the promised benefits of jobs and economic development, and can lead to environmental and social problems in the poorest countries in the world.

The new report on land acquisitions in seven African countries suggests that Harvard, Vanderbilt and many other US colleges with large endowment funds have invested heavily in African land in the past few years. Much of the money is said to be channelled through London-based Emergent asset management, which runs one of Africa’s largest land acquisition funds, run by former JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs currency dealers.

Researchers at the California-based Oakland Institute think that Emergent’s clients in the US may have invested up to $500m in some of the most fertile land in the expectation of making 25% returns.

Emergent said the deals were handled responsibly. “Yes, university endowment funds and pension funds are long-term investors,” a spokesman said. “We are investing in African agriculture and setting up businesses and employing people. We are doing it in a responsible way … The amounts are large. They can be hundreds of millions of dollars. This is not landgrabbing. We want to make the land more valuable. Being big makes an impact, economies of scale can be more productive.”

Chinese and Middle Eastern firms have previously been identified as “grabbing” large tracts of land in developing countries to grow cheap food for home populations, but western funds are behind many of the biggest deals, says the Oakland institute, an advocacy research group.

The company that manages Harvard’s investment funds declined to comment. “It is Harvard management company policy not to discuss investments or investment strategy and therefore I cannot confirm the report,” said a spokesman. Vanderbilt also declined to comment.

Oakland said investors overstated the benefits of the deals for the communities involved. “Companies have been able to create complex layers of companies and subsidiaries to avert the gaze of weak regulatory authorities. Analysis of the contracts reveal that many of the deals will provide few jobs and will force many thousands of people off the land,” said Anuradha Mittal, Oakland’s director.

In Tanzania, the memorandum of understanding between the local government and US-based farm development corporation AgriSol Energy, which is working with Iowa University, stipulates that the two main locations – Katumba and Mishamo – for their project are refugee settlements holding as many as 162,000 people that will have to be closed before the $700m project can start. The refugees have been farming this land for 40 years.

In Ethiopia, a process of “villagisation” by the government is moving tens of thousands of people from traditional lands into new centres while big land deals are being struck with international companies.

The largest land deal in South Sudan, where as much as 9% of the land is said by Norwegian analysts to have been bought in the last few years, was negotiated between a Texas-based firm, Nile Trading and Development and a local co-operative run by absent chiefs. The 49-year lease of 400,000 hectares of central Equatoria for around $25,000 (£15,000) allows the company to exploit all natural resources including oil and timber. The company, headed by former US Ambassador Howard Eugene Douglas, says it intends to apply for UN-backed carbon credits that could provide it with millions of pounds a year in revenues.

In Mozambique, where up to 7m hectares of land is potentially available for investors, western hedge funds are said in the report to be working with South Africans businesses to buy vast tracts of forest and farmland for investors in Europe and the US. The contracts show the government will waive taxes for up to 25 years, but few jobs will be created.

“No one should believe that these investors are there to feed starving Africans, create jobs or improve food security,” said Obang Metho of Solidarity Movement for New Ethiopia. “These agreements – many of which could be in place for 99 years – do not mean progress for local people and will not lead to food in their stomachs. These deals lead only to dollars in the pockets of corrupt leaders and foreign investors.”

“The scale of the land deals being struck is shocking”, said Mittal. “The conversion of African small farms and forests into a natural-asset-based, high-return investment strategy can drive up food prices and increase the risks of climate change.

Research by the World Bank and others suggests that nearly 60m hectares – an area the size of France – has been bought or leased by foreign companies in Africa in the past three years.

“Most of these deals are characterised by a lack of transparency, despite the profound implications posed by the consolidation of control over global food markets and agricultural resources by financial firms,” says the report.

“We have seen cases of speculators taking over agricultural land while small farmers, viewed as squatters, are forcibly removed with no compensation,” said Frederic Mousseau, policy director at Oakland, said: “This is creating insecurity in the global food system that could be a much bigger threat to global security than terrorism. More than one billion people around the world are living with hunger. The majority of the world’s poor still depend on small farms for their livelihoods, and speculators are taking these away while promising progress that never happens.”