Martin attended the first meeting of Asian-based members of the Global Irish Network at Expo Shanghai; the network was announced at the Global Irish Economic Forum at Farmleigh and prior meetings were held in Britain, France, Germany and the UAE.

At that meeting, Martin has announced funding of €135,000 towards a new Farmleigh Fellowship Programme, which provides 25 Irish participants the opportunity to work in Asia for four months, and to participate in a joint MSc degree in Asian Business Management from UCC and Nanyang Business School in Singapore.   The project was developed by a number of Singapore-based businesspeople who were present at the Global Irish Economic Forum, and was a response to the focus placed at that meeting on the need for Irish businesses to increase their access to Asian markets  It will begin in October 2010.  An overseas graduate placement programme, a separate initiative, is also being planned.

Martin also announced funding under the Emigrant Support Programme for several Asian-based organisations:

• Ireland-Japan Chamber of Commerce (c. €12,000), which is dedicated to fostering business links between Ireland and Japan
• the Irish Network China (c. €1,100), a Beijing-based organisation fostering cultural, social, and business links between Ireland and China
• Le Chéile, Shanghai (c. €5,597), a social and educational group for Irish emigrants and the Irish diaspora in China, founded 2008.

See the press release on the Department of Foreign Affairs website.

While the Forum has in the past few months occasionally been criticised in the media as a talking shop, it’s clear the government is trying to demonstrate the impact of the event on its economic strategy. The report include specific projects in the areas of diaspora engagement,  economic policy, culture, innovation, tourism, greentech, international financial services, and agriculture and food. Among the ideas on diaspora engagement are:

• Global Irish Network – This network of 300 people in 37 countries was launched and held its first meeting on 4 February. The network is intended to serve as a resource for the Government in promoting Ireland’s economic, cultural and tourism messages in key markets.
• Regional “Farmleighs” – Meetings in a number of countries with visiting members will take place in 2010.
• Supporting business and technology networks – The Government has funded the Irish Technology Leadership Group in Silicon Valley with $251,000; Craig Barrett has been appointed the new chair of the ITLG. An Irish Innovation Centre is due to open in California “in the first quarter of 2010″.
• Farmleigh Overseas Graduate Programme – The Government is working to establish a programme to facilitate up to 500 graduate placesments abroad; the initial focus will be in Asia.
• Youth Forum for the Global Irish – The DFA is working with the Ireland Funds to convene a Forum in June 2010 for 100 younger members of the global Irish community.
• Gateway Ireland – John McColgan of Riverdance is moving this private-sector initiative forward, aimed at creating “a new high-quality Irish portal website”.
• Diaspora Bond – The Government is examining the feasiblity of extending the National Solidarity Bond, announced in Budget 2010, to non-Irish residents.
• Local Diaspora Strategies – Each Irish embassy is producing a strategy aimed at supporting and enhancing engagement with the local Irish community.

There are more proposals under the aforementioned other subheadings.  Some of the ideas that are under development include:

As someone who’s been studying Ireland’s engagement with its diaspora for years, it’s clear to me that we’ve entered a new era in our relationship with the Irish abroad.

Some of these ideas might be a hard sell (diaspora bonds, anyone?), but even more important than the new initiatives are the enhanced desire for engagement by the Irish government.  Recent years have seen extraordinary changes and an increasingly sophisticated relationship developing between Ireland and our diaspora. Part of this has been influenced by changing trends in global diaspora strategies, much of it by Ireland’s peculiar circumstances. It will be exciting to see how this relationship grows, and particularly how the Irish diaspora will respond to this increasing outreach.

See the entire report at the GlobalIrishForum website.

Related pages on GlobalIrish.ie:

• NY to get Irish Arts Center with €2.3 million grant
• Work starts on Global Irish Economic Forum idea
• Tweets from Global Irish Economic Forum
• Global Irish Economic Forum: a report
• Global Economic Forum East – China turns to its diaspora
• Global Irish Economic Forum: The speeches
• Global Irish Economic Forum: thoughts from participants
• Global Irish Economic Forum: first thoughts
• Count me out, says O’Leary
• 180 to attend Global Economic Forum
• Global Irish Economic Forum to focus on growth, relationship

• Would diaspora bonds work for Ireland’s finances?

The press release from the Department of Foreign Affairs said:

The Minister said one of the main themes to emerge from the attendees at the Global Irish Economic Forum was the importance of Irish Culture to the image of this country abroad and in particular in the USA. He noted that this was also an important conclusion of the Strategic Review of Ireland US Relations, published by the Taoiseach last March. Minister Martin said he was extremely impressed by the arguments made at Farmleigh by members of the business and cultural sectors alike.

Announcing the grant from the Emigrant Support Programme managed by the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Minister said:

“The allocation of such significant funding is a clear demonstration of the Government’s strong commitment to the building of the new Irish Arts Centre in New York. This funding is a response to the extraordinary gesture of the City of New York in making a site, valued at $12 million available for the project, along with a further $8 million in capital funding.

The construction of the New York Irish Arts Centre is identified as a priority in the revised Programme for Government and I would like to pay tribute to Minister Martin Cullen for his longstanding support and commitment to the project.

The new Centre will project a dynamic image of Ireland and Irish America across the US; it will facilitate extensive Irish-related cultural, business and community programmes; will showcase quality contemporary Irish theatre and art; and will also provide an invaluable resource for the Irish emigrant community in the US�.

The Minister paid warm tribute to New York City Mayor Bloomberg and Speaker Christine Quinn for their exceptional support for the initiative. He also thanked Gabriel Byrne for his support for the Arts Centre and for his longstanding work in promoting Irish culture throughout the US.

Minister Martin said that this major initiative demonstrates how seriously the Government views the outcome of the Farmleigh Forum:

“Everybody at Farmleigh said that the success of the Conference could only be judged by the quality of the follow up. Today I have begun to demonstrate that despite the difficult budgetary situation, we are determined to continue investing in our unique resource- the Irish Diaspora and its cultural heritage.

This is just the beginning and I will be making further announcements in the New Year.

Other ideas which are being actively progressed include: a new Global Irish Network; the establishment of an Irish innovation centre in Silicon Valley; the Gateway Ireland portal, which would serve as a key online focus for promoting Ireland abroad and engaging with our global community; expanded educational exchange and scholarship programmes to increase engagement with younger generations; and a new Farmleigh Overseas Graduate Programme. I am aware that a number of other Departments are also taking forward initiatives suggested at Farmleigh. I am similarly encouraged by the fact that significant work has already been undertaken by participants themselves on a number of projects that are more suitably advanced by the private sector. These will have the support of the Government.�

He pointed out that at its meeting on 13 October, the Government considered a comprehensive report prepared by the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Irish Management Institute. The full report contains a detailed list of the main themes and specific proposals to emerge and is available on (www.dfa.ie and www.globalirishforum.ie).

The Government has also established a new inter-Departmental Committee, chaired by the Secretary General of the Department of Taoiseach, to consider the proposals and monitor progress across Departments. The Committee has already begun its work and will report to Government in the New Year.

The Minister emphasised that the Government is absolutely committed to engagement with the Irish Diaspora across all regions and all sectors:

“Through the Emigrant Support Programme, we will continue to offer support to all sections of our Diaspora. In addition to the increased economic element to our work arising from the recent Forum, I am determined to ensure that we continue to attach a high priority to meeting the needs of the most vulnerable members of the Irish abroad.�

The idea behind the university is to leverage one of Ireland’s greatest advantages – our cultural heritage – into a driver for economic development.

The Irish Times listed those invited to participate:

They include musicians Bono and U2, Enya, The Corrs and Van Morrison; Hollywood actors Daniel Day-Lewis, Colin Farrell and Liam Neeson; film directors Neil Jordan and Jim Sheridan; and writers Brian Friel, Roddy Doyle and Sebastian Barry.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin has also been asked to participate in the project. Among the business figures invited to submit ideas are telecoms and media entrepreneur Denis O’Brien, former Intel chief executive Craig Barrett, and Gary McGann, chief executive of packaging group Smurfit Kappa.

It looks as if the closed-door policy of the Global Irish Economic Forum will continue, as these high-profile participants are being invited to discuss the project on a private website.

We eagerly await news of the other projects to follow. The only other one that I am aware the government says it is enacting is a network for high-level professionals among the Irish abroad, but no doubt there will be more.

Related websites:

• Irish Times.com: Desmond invites stars to help start global cultural university
• Global Irish Forum website

China is the latest country that it will turn to its diaspora for assistance with economic strategy and global networking.  The first World Chinese Economic Forum will be held in Malaysia on November 16 and 17, themed “Building Business Linkages, Charting New Frontiers”.

It is aimed at leaders in government, professional bodies, educational institutions and think tanks, as well as entrepreneurs, professionals and investors from  around the globe, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, the US, UK, France, Switzerland, Pakistan and China.

Among the organisers are the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute, a non-profit independent think tank in Malaysia focusing on international business partnerships, leadership, strategic thinking, and public policy studies.

The sessions look dynamic and practical, exploring entrepreneurship, sustainable development, financing, real estate, and regional and global development. One talk is entitled “China and ASEAN (Association of Southeasat Asian Nations) – Partnering for an Asian Century”.

Among the more interesting diaspora-related panels:

• “Leveraging on the World Chinese Muslim Network – building a new silk route from The Middle East to China”. Focusing on the tens of millions of Chinese Muslims in China, throughout Southeast Asia and elsewhere.
• “The Chinese Diaspora Worldwide – Entrepreneurship and corporate social responsibility: Key challenges ahead”. Examining the role of the Chinese diaspora in the economic development of other nations and ways to channel that energy for maximum social benefit.
• “Global Chinese Entrepreneurship – the rise of young Taipans”. Focusing on the younger entrepreneurs, both Chinese-born and from the second generation.

With so many emerging efforts to engage the diasporas of various nations around the world, it’s good that Ireland has been upping its game in this respect. Our huge diaspora gives us a head start in engaging with our citizens abroad, and we have numerous local, regional and industry-based networks aimed at assisting the Irish at home and abroad in maximising their business efforts – but it’s clear that we are not alone in our ability to galvanise a global force of entrepreneurs and investors for our national economic benefit. And with the size of the global Chinese community estimated at between 30 and 120 million, a strong network will have a powerful impact.

Unlike the Global Irish Economic Forum, which was overly restricted in being limited to only 180 participants, this one is open to anyone willing to part with the $800 registration fee.  Perhaps some of our global Irish entrepreneurs with Chinese and Asian links might be interested in attending – and with the Chinese and Irish diasporas being two of the world’s largest, joint networking could mean profound mutual benefits around the globe and at home.

Download the World Chinese Economic Forum brochure.

Ireland goes global for help in crisis

By Noreen Bowden (for Irish Emigrant)

The Irish government opened a new chapter in its relationship with the Diaspora this weekend, as it gathered 180 leading figures from the worlds of business, technology, philanthropy, and culture and asked them for help in solving the current economic crisis. The Global Irish Economic Forum, hosted by Taoiseach Brian Cowen and Minister for Foreign Affairs Michael Martin, took place on Friday and Saturday at Farmleigh House in the Phoenix Park. It consisted of a series of keynote speeches and panel discussions aimed at coming up with concrete solutions for economic growth. Among the proposals that emerged were a website for the diaspora, a university of performing arts, and enhanced educational travel programmes for young people.

Minister Martin said that he believed the event had achieved what it had set out to do, which was twofold: to identify “a range of ideas to help address the economic challenges that confront usâ€?; and also to take “an important step toward establishing a new, more dynamic relationship between Ireland and its diaspora.” He also announced his intention to form “a new global Irish network made up of those in attendance and other highly influential members of our global community”.

The forum, organised by the Department of Foreign Affairs, was the brainchild of economist David McWilliams, whose last book had focused on his belief that the talents of the Irish abroad could be harnessed to play a key role in Ireland’s future. McWilliams said that he planned for the conference to produce five coherent proposals to the government for economic development. While most of those assembled were successful businessmen (only about 20 women were among those invited), it was culture that, somewhat surprisingly, emerged as Ireland’s proposed economic weapon.

Digicel chief executive Denis O’Brien told the closing session of the forum that Ireland’s culture was what the nation could use to connect with its diaspora of 70 million people. “Culture is everything”, O’Brien said, “the fact that we have such a strong culture as a country really gives us one of the big advantages of any nation in the world.”

International Investment and Underwriting chair Dermot Desmond, echoing O’Brien’s comments about the richness of Irish literature, drama and music, asked, “How can we monetise our culture?” The answer, he said, was to build “the greatest university in the world for the performing arts”.

There were several other ideas revealed in the course of the closing session. One was a website that would showcase Irish culture and arts to the world, while serving as a connecting point to the diaspora. Another was enhanced educational travel opportunities for young people, modeled after the Birthright Israel programmes, aimed at strengthening Irish identity and connections through structured trips to Ireland. The idea of selling bonds to the diaspora was also introduced; the bonds, inspired by a popular Israeli programme, would be used to finance diaspora-related projects. While several participants spoke of Israel’s approach to its diaspora as a model, Minister Martin seemed hesitant to agree, saying that there were reasons specific to Israel’s situation that made its solutions work for them. “We’re not in the Israeli space”, he said.

Several speakers spoke of a need to “up our game”, to ratchet up the level of outreach and activities for the Irish abroad.  As American Ireland Fund philanthropist Loretta Brennan Glucksman commented, “We have to get to the next level, which is the business level, and capitalise on what we have already”.

Those in attendance included luminaries in the fields of business, philanthropy, the arts, and academia, living in Ireland and around the world. Among the top business executives were retired Intel Chief Executive Craig Barrett; Dr Pearse Lyons, Alltech Inc, KY; Conrad Burke, Innovalight in CA; Fred Combe, Natus Pte Ltd, Singapore; John Hartnett, G24 Innovations, Wales; Kevin Melia, Vette Corporation, MA; and HSBC North America Chief Executive Brendan McDonagh.

Singer Bob Geldof, Riverdance producers Moya Doherty and John McColgan, and filmmaker Neil Jordan were among those representing the arts. Academics present included Fr Joe McShane, the president of New York’s Fordham University; Prof. Martina Newell-McGloughlin, Director, University of California System-wide Biotech Program; and Dr Louise Richardson of the University of St Andrews in Scotland. Several Irish politicians and the heads of many Irish state agencies also attended.

The geographic range was widespread; while many came from the US and Britain, the rest of the world was well-represented. Among those who came from less typical locales were PCS founder Liam O’Keeffe-Ayudhkij, who came from Thailand; Southern Cross publisher Guillermo MacLoughlin Breard, who attended from Argentina; and Malaysian-Irish Business Network founder Leslie Eu flew in from Malaysia.

One of the biggest challenges facing the organisers was surely determining the guest list. With a diaspora of 70 million people, how to choose fewer than 200 to invite? “I don’t believe there were many who would have refused an invitation”, said Avril Conroy, a BP executive living in Russia, “and there were probably a lot more who would have loved an invitation in the end. Maybe the solution is 1,000 of us sitting in a room. But people have to be willing to give and to take action.”

Most of the event was closed to the media, with only Taoiseach Brian Cowen’s keynote opening address and the concluding panel session open to reporters. The forum employed Chatham House Rules, which dictated that no statement from the closed sessions could be quoted; this may have ensured a frank exchange of ideas in the sessions but frustrated reporters who were eager for some hard stories to emerge. It is likely that the event will be more highly regarded abroad than it is within Ireland.

Feedback from participants suggested that former Intel Chief Executive Craig Barrett, a keynote speaker at the opening plenary, had presented a significant challenge to the government with harsh criticism on Ireland’s level of education and investment in research and development. Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism Martin Cullen had also reportedly been an impassioned speaker, defending the arts and culture sector against proposed cuts in the recent An Bord Snip report. Several attendees noted that the discussions did not steer away from critical assessments of Ireland’s situation.

Participants interviewed during the course of the two days were positive about the level of discussion. Labour leader Éamon Gilmore noted the amount of good will among attendees: “I think we’re getting a lot of friendly advice here today.”

And participants seemed cautiously optimistic that their advice would be listened to: “I assume that the Government – since they went to the trouble of bringing everyone here – they’ll take some good order of what they’re hearing,” said Dennis Swanson, President of Fox Television.

“I’m very realistic about it – we shouldn’t underestimate this: it is a tough crisis. But we have our health”, Avril Conroy said, laughing. She summed up her thoughts with the kind of sentiment that the Government was surely banking on as it organised the forum: “I’m positive, I love Ireland. I might have left, but I never went away”.

• Opening address by Taoiseach Brian Cowen
• Upcoming: Opening remarks by President Mary McAleese at Aras an Uachtarain
• Upcoming: Concluding remarks by Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheal Martin

Some of the speeches will be available on RTE’s special Global Irish Economic Forum webpage.

US ambassador Dan Rooney stressed his belief that the session was useful: “The ideas generated, and thoughts, can be used to help the public understand; when they see people from all over the world coming here, that’s a plus.” He spoke positively of Ireland’s chance for recovery: “You’ve got a good government, good people”. When asked whether Ireland’s close relationship with both America and Europe caused any tension, he said, “I think America is a great friend of Ireland and has been for years – almost before we were a country”, and indicated that Ireland’s position in the EU did not conflict with that friendship.

Labour party leader Eamon Gilmore noted that business leaders had come from all over the world in order to give their thoughts in terms of the economy, how Ireland can keep jobs and stimulate investment. “It has to be said, sometimes we have much more negative impression than people looking in from outside would have”.

He declined to discuss any individual ideas that had been discussed, citing the Chatham House rules in effect at the conference, but said that much of the conversation had focused on the importance of education, science and math, and investment in research and development, as well as communication infrastructure. He said, “The reason I accepted the invitation was that anything to do to keep jobs, stimulate investment, anything that can be done – we’ve got to do it.”

Gilmore noted there’s a lot of good will at Farmleigh: “I think we’re getting a lot of friendly advice here today”.

Thomas Corcoran of the Carlyle Group indicated his willingness to assist, and summed up the mood of the gathering as follows: “When days are dark it’s time to pull together.”

Guillermo MacLaughlin, editor of the Southern Cross in Argentina, described his invitation to the Farmleigh event as “an honour for me”, as there were only two people in attendance from South America. He believes that the Irish in Argentina help to “strengthen the network, along with Asia and Australia and other parts of the world”. He noted that culture is a good gateway to business: “When you have an admiration for and a connection with each other, it is easier to do business. You share something.”

Singer and philanthropist Bob Geldof spoke at length of the importance of assisting Africa, noting that Ireland is popular there and had a strong potential to influence the continent positively with aid. Of his participation in the conference he said, “If I can anyway help then I’m obliged to and I want to. Frankly, everyone is desperate.”

What are we missing out on? The plenary session was called, optimistically, “The global economy: positioning Ireland for the upturn”. It featured Tanaiste Mary Coughlan, Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan, HSBC CEO Brendan McDonagh, Retired Intel CEO Craig Barrett and Qantas CEO Alan Joyce on the panel. Next, attendees were divided among eleven breakout working groups to discuss economic topics undisclosed to the media.

• As for the opening speech, it was about what one would expect from Taoiseach Brian Cowen for such a gathering: congratulatory talk about the fact that this is the first such gathering of global business talent for the benefit of Ireland, a determination that this would be the start of an ongoing process, hope that this effort would ultimately result in the restoration of a prosperous Ireland.
• Among the more interesting aspects was the fact that article 2 of the Constitution is looming large in the Taoiseach’s mind. The pertinent quote, which became part of the constitution after the Irish people voted to change the document in 1999, is “the Irish nation cherishes its special affinity with people of Irish ancestry living abroad who share its cultural identity and heritage”. The Taoiseach cited the article in his opening remarks to media, noting its appropriateness as one of the culminations of the peace process after the role that the diaspora had played in it. “This weekend we give renewed impetus to this assertion”, he said in his speech that opened the conference. Considering how profound an event is constitutional change, and how little the implications of this change have been discussed over the last decade, it is worth watching to see if this remains part of the discussion.

• The Taoiseach also cited the “six million people on the island of Ireland”, yet the North looks a bit underrepresented here. The Chair of Invest NI is attending, but there are no Northern politicians here to match their counterparts from the Republic. One wonders if the Taoiseach’s words reflect any intention to move toward greater joint engagement on the issue of the Diaspora.
• The number of women is disappointing – looks like a little more than ten percent of those in attendance are women, yet statistics show that emigration has been fairly equally divided between men and women in recent decades.

This is Ireland reaching out to the US and UK with token representation from other regions. Over 80 per cent of delegates will be drawn from these countries and, of course, Ireland itself. At least 20 delegates will not have the inconvenience of getting on an aircraft to get to Dublin as they are already in the country.

This in itself would not look so ridiculous if there were not just four representatives from Australia. The ‘most Irish country in the world outside of Ireland’ will occupy about two per cent of the seats at this Global Irish Conference.

The newspaper notes that for the last decade Australia has been the number one destination for young Irish people, and “cities like Sydney, Melbourne and Perth represent the future of the diaspora as much as cities like Boston and Liverpool represent its past”.

It says the decision to invite such a small number of Australian representatives demonstrates “that Irish Australia is very much the poor relation in the eyes of the decision makers in Dublin”.

It cites economics and Australia’s strategic position as one reason that Australia should be better represented:

Consider Australia’s strategic economic position as a springboard into the key Asian markets and the fact that it is the only western economy to avoid recession during the current financial crisis. Ireland has plenty of friends in America. It needs friends in Asia.

The four Australian-based Irish that have been invited are Qantas CEO Alan Joyce and Optus CEO Paul O’Sullivan, Australia Ireland Fund chairman Charles Curran and Skilled Group founder Frank Hargrave. The newspaper reports that at least two others, former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating and author Thomas Kenneally, were invited but could not attend.

The newspaper’s take on the story does reflect some of the difficulties that such a gathering surely posed for the Irish government: when you have a diaspora of 70 million people and you want to gather only a couple hundred of them in one room, there will be many players who will feel left out.

Full story and related websites:

• Irish Echo: Australia misses out as Ireland focuses on closer diaspora
• Irish Echo: Just four from Oz at “Global” Irish Forum
• Herald Sun: When Irish minds are flying
• Global Irish Economic Forum official website