Doi Tung Welcomes Distinguished Guests from Japan (28 Feb 11)
On January 18th, Doi Tung Development Project (DTDP) welcomed the KDI (Knowledge Dynamics Initiative) group from Japan organized by Fuji Xerox (Japan) consisting of 12 executive managers from Japanese companies including 2 young social entrepreneurs. This year, KDI along with Professor Ikijuro Nonaka Professor Emeritus at Hitotsubashi University have launched "Phronimos Leader Program" based upon Nonaka's recent leadership concept that applied Aristotle's phronesis, or practical wisdom concept to a new approach of business management.
Prof. Nonaka is recognized in Wall Street Journal ranking as one of the top 20 of the most influential business thinkers. Professor Nonaka has visited DoiTung on several occasions and has been impressed with how DTDP has empowered the people and turn them from the poorest of the poor into self sufficient citizens. Also DTDP is among if not the first to operate the social enterprises in the year 1988 in partnership with the Crown Property, The Mitsui Company ( Thailand), the Sumitomo and Mitsui Bank and a few other private sectors.
The participants visited several social enterprises- coffee and macadamia from farm to consumer products. They have seen handcrafted work done by women –from grandmother to grand children- a sustainable work near home. They have an opportunity to interview the local leaders, hill tribes and ethnic groups who once relied on opium growing and drug trafficking but now live legitimate lives side by side in harmony. When the people have enough to live comfortably, the reforested areas flourish and the ecology returns.
The group has also visited one of the 8 schools in the Project area under DTDP education development program at Baan Kha Yeng where child -centered approach is used to educate the next generation, empower them and prepare them for the future of this project.
Naoki Ogiwara, Senior Consultant for Knowledge Dynamics Initiative (KDI), Fuji Xerox expresses his feeling later “ …We are deeply impressed and moved by the genuine project, with the great leaders and many distributed leadership. Every participants was impressed by the philosophy, activities, local people's leadership... all the aspects of the project. I was personally truly moved when the local lady talked about her idea on the leadership. She proved how well your philosophy has been distributed to the local people, who will eventually lead the project.”
Gallery of photos: Professor Ikijuro Nonaka and visitors from the Japanese business sector visit Doi Tung Development Project in Chiang Rai on January 18, 2011.
