Eight years ago my father challenged me to write a book that would offer insights to Americans engaged in international development around the world. Not a book about strategic techniques to build your initiative more quickly but a book that looked at the human side of international development – the frustrations and joys, the fears and the vulnerability that are all part of the work. He had recently retired from a career in international development and knew both my interest in the field and my love for research.
Maybe he could see where we were heading. Today Americans are questioning our roles around the world, striving to truly decolonize. And we are more frequently asking, as SOCAP participants will explore during the 2022 conference, how do we radically collaborate?
After interviewing 90 Majority World and American leaders to learn from their experiences and their often opposing perspectives, my publisher will release Strong Together: Building Partnerships across Cultures in an Age of Distrust in January 2023.
This book is a How-To guide, but it’s more importantly a Why guide. Why do citizens of the Majority World often frown upon scaling? Why do Americans value innovation while many from the Majority World value restoration more highly? Why do Americans often choose to work independently while Majority World leaders see the value of proximity and partnership?
Over the next six months, I will post insights that I gained from my research for this book. I’m excited to see the release date approaching because in a world of division, the findings point to hopeful ways for us to better work and live together.
Originally posted by the author at LinkedIn (here) and posted here by the author’s permission