John Hope Bryant

Stop Complaining About Your Problems

This seemingly happy family (meaning, they get their joy from their inner being, and not their material possessions, which were not many) in a township in South Africa live on the equivalent of $2 a day.  I met this dignity rich family while touring Operation HOPE South Africa's work in the country.

The young lady in the middle, who is 19 and now attending a good school (which by the way, she and her family have to pay for out of their already thin pockets), is my hope for South Africa.  She is full of hope and as smart as can be.  All she desired was an opportunity, and she would do the rest.

The only time that she stopped and felt any sadness at all in our presence, is when she broke down and cried about the conditions of her township. How (from her perspective) elected officials care very little about addressing the concerns, and conditions that they find themselves in today.

Bryant Speaks at South African School on Financial Dignity and Hope for Their Futures

Today I was jazzed to spend time with a group of future business builders, future industrialists, future entrepreneurs and future leaders for modern South Africa, in Johanessburg. 

Sure, South Africa has problems and many challenges, but her true hope lies within these young people. And on this day, today, they showed me the best that they had and I was impressed.  Truth be told, young people in the states could learn a thing or two about being hopeful for one's future in the face of adversity, and no matter what one's circumstances, doing something about it.

This is the inspiring story of so many that I met today.  Many, who looked me in the eyes and with all sincerity made clear their commitment to rise to their own level of human potential. For South Africa, and for our world over.

Rich Food for the Soul ~ Images and Voices of Global Dignity Day, Brazil, 2013

 

Last year I traveled at the invitation of our Global Dignity Brazil Country Chair, Young Global Leader Ms. Christina Lopes, to participate in their Global Dignity Day celebrations in and for Brazil (more than 50 countries participated on October 17th, 2012 around the world).  I had no idea what I was in for, but when you witness the spirit of the energy of these young people, you cannot help but to be moved.  I actually was hesitant to watch this video, because I knew that I would be both sad, and inspired at the same time. I knew I might cry.  All were true, but ultimately, I was left with an immense feeling of hope for them, for Brazil, and for our world.

Brothers in Global Dignity, and Life

I am really excited to join my 'brothers from another mother," Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, Professor Pekka Himanen of Finland, and myself from the USA, this week at the Global Dignity Country Chair meeting in Oslo, Norway this week. Friends since 2004, when we met as Young Global Leaders (YGL's) through the World Economic Forum, we formed Global Dignity with strong YGL member support from around the world. Today we also benefit from Global Shapers around the globe, and have 36 Country Chairs presently.

Global Dignity has reached and empowered one million youth around the world, through Global Dignity curriculum and our annual Global Dignity Day (October 17th, 2013) program, since inception.

Brothers, partners and friends, working to make a difference in our world.



John Hope Bryant is a thought leader, founder, chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE and Bryant Group Companies, Inc. Magazine/CEO READ bestselling business author of LOVE LEADERSHIP: The New Way to Lead in a Fear-Based World (Jossey-Bass), the only African-American bestselling business author in America, and is chairman of the Subcommittee for the Under-Served and Community Empowerment for the U.S. President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability, for President Barack Obama. Mr. Bryant is the co-founder of the Gallup-HOPE Index, the only national research poll on youth financial dignity and youth economic energy in the U.S. He is also a co-founder of Global Dignity with HRH Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and Professor Pekka Himanen of Finland. Global Dignity is affiliated with the Forum of Young Global Leaders and the World Economic Forum. Mr. Bryant is a thought leader represented by the Bright Sight Group for public speaking. Mr. Bryant serves on the board of directors of Ares Commercial Real Estate Corporation (NYSE: ACRE), a specialty finance company that is managed by an affiliate of Ares Management LLC, a global alternative asset manager with approximately $59 billion in committed capital under management as of December 31, 2012.

Bryant Speaks at ISFiT 2013 Global Youth Conference, Trondheim, Norway

ISFiT 2013

Feb 13 2013 06:00 PM - Feb 13 2013 08:00 PM

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Studentersamfundet

Elgeseter Gate 1, 7030 Trondheim, Norway

 

ISFiT is arranged every other year, and each festival has a theme related to social and political topics with international relevance. The theme for ISFiT 2013 is global trade, and the festival is held from the 7th to the 17th of February, in the city of Trondheim, Norway. Here, over 450 students from all over the world gather to attend 17 different workshops and take part in the festivals culture program. ISFiT is a non-profit organization and is brought to life with the efforts of more than 400 student volunteers.

Social Entreprenuers on Social Challenges Panel

Humanity is facing many severe social problems. Governments and international organizations are not the only ones trying to come up with solutions. This plenary session features social entrepreneurs, individuals with innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, trying to tackle major social issues and offering new ideas for wide-scale change.

Social entrepreneurship is about believing that change can occur also at the lowest levels, and that there are great possibilities to make a change if we, the people, work together. This is not only about big ideas and utopian visions, but about the practical implementations necessary to reach those goals, which are not only aimed towards immediate and small-scale effects, but sweeping, long-term change.

Featured speakers:

James Fierro (CA), founder and CEO of Recipco, the Capacity Exchange, an alternative market and transaction mechanism that reduces organizations dependency on cash and credit. 

John Hope Bryant (US), an American financial and poverty eradication activist. He is the founder of operation HOPE and co-founder of Global Dignity. 

Celine d'Cruz (IN), coordinator of Slum Dwellers International, a network of community-based organizations of the urban poor that has developed successful mobilisation, advocacy and problem-solving strategies.

 

The HUFFINGTON POST: Solving Poverty. WANTED: A New Revolution of 100 Million Youth in the Middle East

  John Hope Bryant

Bestselling business leadership author and philanthropic entrepreneur

The Middle East then and now. The choice is simply one of lighting candles, or cursing the darkness, but it is a choice that the leaders there must make. We cannot do it for them.

On September 12th, 2012, I had just returned from the Middle East region on the day prior to the devastating Libyan terrorist act of September 11th, 2012. I was visiting Saudi Arabia, and experiencing a very positive engagement with business and political leaders in the region, as we launched an aspect of our empowerment work there. I had been invited to speak before the Young President's Organization (YPO), even the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce. I met with the Minister of Labor for Saudi Arabia, who was but one of the leaders in the audience during my Chamber speech, fully engaged around a new vision and plan for the region's youth. It was obvious to me, these leaders had made a clear choice to "light a candle" towards the future.

Libya on the other hand, and thereafter other trouble spots throughout the Middle East region, unfortunately chose to turn backwards, simply cursing the darkness. At the end of the day, I choose to stay focused on that which I saw with my own eyes and experienced personally; substantive, new era leaders who have decided to light candles and build a society for all. Candles towards a brighter future. The respectful opening up of society. A view towards helping the average person to achieve their own level of aspirational success. Not a western version of aspirational success, but one of their own making. One that respected, and in fact embedded their deep and rich cultural beliefs.

I traveled to Saudi Arabia with a simple message -- in the MENA Region (Middle East and North Africa), according to the World Bank you have a population that will be 60% under the age of 25 by 2020, and in Saudi Arabia this is already the case.

Read and share the complete article here.

 

 

 

Presenting the Operation HOPE Business in a Box, Atlanta Pilot Program Competition

 

This short video says it all. It is the "magic" that we have been talking about. That I have been dreaming about, ever since I came up with the vision of and for HOPE Business In A Box this time last year on my my birthday.  My birthday is February 6th, 2013, and seeing this vision made real is the best birthday present that this "proud pappa" could have (smile).

Thank you to Mary Hagerty, president of the HOPE Youth Empowerment Group, the Atlanta team, led by Jay Bailey, Tara Dennis (youth agenda) and others there, along with everyone who helped to make this real.  

A special thank you to Ms. Natasha L. Foreman, MBA, dedicated HOPE Corps volunteer, small business owner and the HOPE Business In A Box coordinator in Atlanta, Georgia.  She worked tirelessly to see this through from concept to reality for these bright young kids (our leaders for the future) in Atlanta.  

Imagine If We Can Spread This Energy School To School Across America?

This photo just stopped me.  It almost requires no words at all.  To look at the emotions, the inspiration, the hope in the "everything" of these two young ladies at an inner-city school in Atlanta, says it all.

These two young ladies were readying themselves for their 2 minute "pitch" opportunity at our HOPE Business In A Box event at Jean Childs Young Middle School, in Atlanta, Georgia.  This pitch event was part of a HOPE Business In A Box pilot we conducted in Atlanta, Denver and Oakland public schools.

Stay tune for more to come.  This initiative has transformational potential.  Just look at these young ladies, to understand why.

HOPE Business In A Box is the premiere Operation HOPE intervention strategy that will drive changes in the Gallup-HOPE Index annual behavorial economic results for our nation's youth and future economic leaders.

Okay, let's go.

John Hope Bryant is a thought leader, founder, chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE and Bryant Group Companies, Inc. Magazine/CEO READ bestselling business author of LOVE LEADERSHIP: The New Way to Lead in a Fear-Based World (Jossey-Bass), the only African-American bestselling business author in America, and is chairman of the Subcommittee for the Under-Served and Community Empowerment for the U.S. President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability, for President Barack Obama.  Mr. Bryant is the co-founder of the Gallup-HOPE Index, the only national research poll on youth financial dignity and youth economic energy in the U.S. He is also a co-founder of Global Dignity with HRH Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and Professor Pekka Himanen of Finland. Global Dignity is affiliated with the Forum of Young Global Leaders and the World Economic Forum.  Mr. Bryant is a though leader represented by the Bright Sight Group for public speaking. Mr. Bryant serves on the board of directors of Ares Commercial Real Estate Corporation, an NYSE Euronext publicly traded company, and a division of $54 billion Ares Capital.

Gallup -HOPE Index 2012 Results Announced Today: U.S. Students' Entrepreneurial Aspirations Still Undeveloped

Children of business owners more entrepreneurially inclined

by Valerie J. Calderon and Shane Lopez

WASHINGTON D.C. -- Entrepreneurial aspirations among fifth- through 12^th-graders in the U.S. remained high and stable over the past year, according to the 2012 Gallup-HOPE Index. About four in 10 students (43%) say they plan to start their own business. Similarly, four in 10 students (42%) say they will invent something that changes the world.

Girls (46%) were slightly more likely to agree they plan to start their own business than boys (40%). Boys (45%) were slightly more likely than girls (40%) to say they will invent something that changes the world.

Read and download the complete report here at Gallup.

 

After We Inaugurate Our President, Welcome Our New Entrepreneurship Generation: Join Us for the Gallup-HOPE Index Forum, Washington, DC, 2013

For those interested in learning more about the Gallup-HOPE Index Forum, 2013, contact Jodi Brockington, deputy director of HOPE Forums.