28 January 1999

The GENI Initiative at the International Development Conference (IDC)

Dear GENI Friend,

Last week in Washington DC, we had the opportunity to share The GENI Initiative to world leaders involved in international development. I personally gave information to:

Enrique Iglesias, President, The InterAmerican Development Bank

Ismael Serageldin, VP Special Projects, The World Bank

Inga Kaul, Dir, Office of Development Studies, UN Development Program

Andrew Rice, Founder, Society for International Development

Jed Davis, Planning, Environment and External Affairs, Shell Int'l

James Gustave Speth, Administrator, UN Development program

plus many more students and experts from around the world.

These people are respected leaders in the work of increasing living standards globally.

The GENI exhibit was ideally located between exhibits from Habitat for Humanity and The UN Development Program. We were invited to speak at the panel session:Technological Innovation: Helping People Learn to Make the World Work for Everyone. Medard Gabel also spoke at this session and he hosted two World Game events for IDC participants.

Is it feasible to pay for a world where everyones needs' are met? In the World Game, we learn that only 28% of the annual world military expenditures could pay to: end hunger, stabilize population growth, prevent soil erosion, provide clean energy, retire developing nations debt, stop ozone depletion, prevent acid rain and climate change, provide safe water, eliminate illiteracy, stop deforestation, eliminate nuclear weapons, provide health care and AIDS control, remove land mines and provide refugee relief and shelter. (see chart)

I've enclosed the report on Ismael Serageldin's presentation (and some of the disputes that occur at these conferences). Your support enables us to show up! The GENI Initiative gets stronger with each new contact, each endorsement, every conversation. You allow us to show up and make this happen -- and I thank you.

In partnership for the planet,

Peter Meisen
President

Keywords : The GENI Initiative at the International Development Conference,infant mortality, safe water, eliminate illiteracy, stop deforestation, eliminate nuclear weapons, provide helath care, AIDS control, remove land mines, provide refugee relief and shelter, Ismael Serageldin, endorsement, Medard Gabel, UN Development, international development