2 days ago, some place in Tokyo, many people had gathered for a seminar of BOP business frontier of Japanese company. Mr. Shintani had gathered almost over 60 people to Tokyo meeting place and finally a staff from KAO cosmetic company had a lecture there.
Unfortunately, I couldn't attend the meeting as for my private staff to do, but these enthusiasm had started since last year. Many will come from enterprises, but most of the audience has no projects to BOP but intend to do something in the near future within his/her company or outside.
This meeting group is called "SUS-KEN" (stand for sustainable Kenkyukai, meaning self-research association for sustainability) and it started some Old boys and girls from training course in FASID, focusing on development method with enterprises' CSR direction.
FASID OB/OG had started this meeting since several years ago and they continuously discussed human development. Most of the members are somehow engaged in development in developing or emerging countries,  but recent new comers are more away from development or aid to the poor. They are more likely to stay in the developed countries and to do something contribution to the developing country's social issues to be solved.
I had a lecture there in Oct, after coming back from Helsinki of Base of the pyramid conference, and there we had over 40 audience from all over related fields. It was fascinating meeting place with people having a strong will and ideas and I could get close to some very important people who had an initiative in Japanese BOP dialogues.
From overseas, FTSE's SRI manager had came and talked about enterprises' CSR last year. If you have a chance to come to Tokyo and will have time for connecting people with BOP ideas, please contact me and I will take you to SUS ken if possible.

It's hard to understand, for the first moment, that governmental organization got inspired and have much interest in BOP project developing for the poor. But, the move is shown in the ministry of Foreign Affairs, JICA, JETRO, and also the ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

Most of them focus on how Japanese companies got into the depth of emerging coutnries and with those activities, how the governmantal organization contribute to enterprises and international reputation at the same time. This idea is all embeded in the movements built by USAID and UNDP, DFID etc.

How can it be appropriate to engage in BOP projects by national/governmenatal organization, especially which usually act as trade and industry protection. I can understand easily with the idea of aid agency searching for new type of Public-Private partnerships, but how will it be protective to the poor when BOP project is built with the aim of trade and industry spreading.

I don't deny or criticize this move but just doubt that it might be very tough road for the ministries and the poor at the same time. Hope that they don't get in rush, and will take a long history of dialogues in the end.

Since last month, I had been engaged in the social/ autonomous projects among Japanese investers, which is very exciting, maybe the most exciting movement in individual social investers in Japan right now, and I'm going to contribute my self to this movement with Kono-san, who is full of energy and charming warmness.
The first call for investment was for Cambodian agricultural self help group, which had a SURI method on rice making with very empowering soft service for rural areas.
My contribution will be based on website publishing and making networks between global BOP idea having people.

I'm not actually familiar with invester's customs and their activities, but we focus on "dialogue with the invested". I will make a website with communication tools for the inevesters and the invested, which will be the next criteria making process for social investment.

Please contact me, if you have any interest in "Social Investement for Cambodia".

When I think of starting this blog, I thought the things I can do for BOP innovation is not only developing the onsite projects, but also delivering many ideas which is totally brand-new and innovative, at the same time, very significant for low-income population.

Most of the people have no idea, what kind of ideas will be useful in the next generation, next market, next dynamic-changing world.
Most of the people would like to know attractive and innovative ideas which makes many people happier and wealthy.
Most of the people have no access to such a ideas and that is the reason why people get hopeless for poverty prevailing and unease of this world.

But I think we can change with small ideas.
If everyone wish to have small ideas, innovative and brings good social impact to the porr, the world gonna change a lot. Small changes, big difference.

That's why I said "IDEA NEEDS NO BORDER"
for the rich or not, for the poor or not, it doesn't matter at all.
The world will be cloud-based constructed and many polars all over the world will bring you much value if you can collaborate them together creatively.

Shino