Figure C7d. Example: father and daughter in time narrative

This is not a fictitious dialogue between a father and daughter which could have never take place. It is a hypothetical story in time, spaced in ten year‑long intervals, as the daughter grows up and matures and her father is getting older. The purpose of this Dialogue in Time is to remind us that for the target group of the SPC Concept, communities in developing countries, the 30-year time span covered here is a time of generational change. This 30 year time span is also a perspective required for looking at the issue of 30 year loans proposed for financing community development projects in developing countries.

Stage 1

Daughter is 10 and Father is 40

“How that time passed by, first a baby and now a girl I can talk about things that go beyond our daily, household chat and interactions,” I told Jana and continued: “Let’s agree, that we will keep this dialogue going. Please, consider my proposal: You will tell me what interests you and I will answer that. You will then continue asking me questions and even interrupt my answers.” Jana instantly concludes: “That way we’ll set up the framework of our dialogue and consider that exchange to be substantial.” I just added: “Excuse me, I would rather ask: What you mean by ‘framework of our dialogue’?” That’s simple, she said: “We will agree on what we’ll talk about and just start. That’s how we do it in school. When anyone among us starts moving from the subject the teacher reacts right away.” “OK ”, I said, “just one more question before we start. When you say ‘substantial dialogue’, how you understand it?” “That’s simple,” she says again: “For example, at school we learned about dogs. Someone in the classroom went ‘Rrrrrr, arf, arf!’ The teacher found out who did it and in the end she sent Johnny out. Then she told us that there is a time for funny things and the time for a substantial talk. The fact that a dog is barking is something we all already knew. She reminded us that it wouldn’t bring nothing new, so we didn’t need to talk about it. Focus on what we don’t know yet and what we would like to know.” “Well then, Jana, I see that we can start,” I said.

Common Understanding

“Do adults have a common topic where they understand each other despite speaking different languages?” Jana asked. “So that you understand me,” she continues: “When I was five and had my doll, I believed that I can have an understanding with anyone, anywhere. Now I know that it is more complicated.” “I understand you, Jana, well when you say ‘Let’s talk about Common Understanding,” I replied. “Yes”, Jana said and I continued: “There are many things where we can find a common understanding. For example, when we would talk about health, jobs, and education or when people are facing a danger (floods, earthquake, wars, terrorism). But those are things where in essence all of us see things the same way.”

What All of Us Do

I further added: “All humans need to use a rest room. The process has been the same for many millennia, regardless of what particular diet people have at any historical period or what cultural practices accompanied serving of food. Yet to have an access to a rest room which meets contemporary public health standards is a topic worthy a whole another debate.” Jana was listening and then said: “When someone sees a doll, he realized that it is just a toy, but when one sees a crowd of people it is clear to him that sooner or later they have to do the same thing: Find a restroom.” “Good observation,” I said, “common understanding can be found where people don’t need words in order to realize what the issue is.”

How to Understand the Process

“Dad, what is process?” Jana asked. “Jana, the principle is simple. A living creature is carrying its process within itself; it has it from the Creator. When it is hungry, it is looking for food and eats it. Food gives it energy it needs for staying alive. What food it doesn’t need or can’t use is then discharged as a waste. Thus also every human being has within herself built such key process. At the input side there are big choices: A donut from a supermarket or a cake from your mom? The automatic, pre‑programmed process then starts in stomach. It gives us energy and invigorates our living functions. We can move around, talk, love each other. But each such process has its waste output but without any stimulation from marketers and advertising.” “I understand that, but why is it the ‘key’ process,” Jana asked. “Because it gives to all of us life,” I said as it become clear that she is getting the idea what the process is.

Climate Change

Despite of that, I still added: “In the nature, all kinds of plants, fish, amphibians, birds, mammals, etc. carry their key processes within themselves. They are born with them and die with them. Humans are part of that community and over the time gained a status of an observer of changes in the nature. For example, they started to map out how many species live on the Earth. Today we know that over the past 500 years the full three fourth of them disappeared. Humans have caused a great share of that as they moved away from harmony among key processes of all living creatures and toward Industrial Revolution. That places humans outside of natural processes. Impacts of the related changes we call climate change.”

Knowledge

“That’s selfish behavior from humans. Why we let that happen?” Jana wondered as she obviously became nervous but, I continued: “There are two things we are talking about. Wastes from key processes in all creatures in the nature and loses in diversity of species in the nature. I try to explain how those two aspects relate to each other. When a lion gets an antelope, it eats and all what it leaves the nature knows and is able to “clean up.” But humans now need factories, packaging, advertising, supermarkets, etc. in order to eat. But the nature is not able to “clean up” all those waste from factories and many of their products and byproducts.” “That’s why it is a duty of humans to help the nature and give a space to other species as well,” Jana added.

What to Do with It?

I was glad that Jana not only listens to me but that she also participates and I continued: “Jana, you are right. When people learn to take care about their wastes they will also help the nature. The world is large and diverse and people have various cultural roots. We can see it well even on such simple thing as a restroom and its development over time. From carefree American Indians, successful attempts by Roman Empire, lack of success in Crusade castles, all the way to the modern, sophisticated restrooms. Expanding cities have huge problems with human wastes and many rivers are dumping grounds for wastes which are then carried to seas and oceans. You are right, it is not just about restrooms but also about all waste. From factories, supermarkets, transportation system, etc. To help the nature means to know what to do with all those waste.”

Authority

“Where to take it?” Jana was repeating to herself and continued: “In school, I hear words as climate change, warming of the Earth, population growth. One of my friends read somewhere that in 30 years there will be in the ocean more plastic bottles than fish. So what are the threats? Where to put the waste or to lower the volume of waste?” “Again, good questions,” I told her as I was searching for the right words how to continue. Thus I said: “The one who produces waste must pay for the cleanup.” “Yes, sure, but it wouldn’t likely work so well,” Jana countered and continued: “You might convince me, but who would convince other people?”

People Have a God

“Aah,” I replied and continued: “Perhaps we’ll arrive to some conclusion. Yes, children have a Mom and Dad, and while people on the Earth have no common Mom or Dad, they have God. He is the authority which gives us – in the realm of the Universe, our planet and its nature – the hope for life and for surviving catastrophes which might come up. He teaches us humility, cooperation, living together in peace and in harmony with nature around us. That it is something in our power. Something we can do individually or in cooperation with others. And what people can’t manage themselves, when their power is not enough to influence things, they have to leave it in God’s hands.”

Limits of Knowledge

“It’s for sure that humans can’t manage movement of meteorites, explosions of volcanoes, or biological changes in the nature. In those areas we have to believe and not lose hope. But in those areas which human brain can reach it is necessary that people work on getting better and thus deserving the chance to survive given by God. It is not easy to understand that. The urge to pile up a lot of possession, to have a property and fight for ruling over all that makes us, people, stand outside of the nature. It is like kind of a viral disease. It takes on a form of an infrastructure people demand for themselves, but not always really need and in the end clearly have no use for. Such “infrastructure” then turns into another waste. Do you know what infrastructure is?” I asked in the end.

Infrastructure

Jana thought for a while and answered: “I don’t know exactly, but I have heard that word before in relation to water and electric power.”, “Excellent,” I replied and with an eagerness typical for me I continued with further presentation: “Water lines and electric power lines are technical infrastructure. Roads and bridges are transportation infrastructure, and schools, hospitals and such are social services infrastructure. Jana,” I asked, “does a fox or a stork need to build an infrastructure?” Jana quickly replied: “Most likely not. They build a den or a nest from sticks and leaves and finds their food in the nature.” “Yes,” I said yet asked again: “Now think if the nature needs an infrastructure.” “I don’t know,” Jana said, shrugging her shoulders.

The Nature

“It does need one,” I declared and continued in presentation: “Surface of the Earth, clouds, rain, rivers and mountains, fertile soil and all forms of life in it are environment which lives as one large unit and undergoing changes for many millennia. Our planet and the nature on it are co‑creators of the environment (an infrastructure) of life on the Earth. Not just for humans, I emphasized and continued: “Fox builds a den for hibernation and stork a nest for her offsprings and they do that when they need it for their lives, using materials they find around and in the place they choose. Everything is free of charge, according to laws of the nature. Both of them build something they temporarily need. They don’t manufacture anything and use materials as they are found in the nature.”

Nature and Humans

Jana listened and I continued: “With people, things look differently. Since the time humans left their caves and started to build settlements, villages and cities, the problem of collisions between their infrastructure and infrastructure of the nature started. You certainly sense that the water or electric power in your apartment must come there somehow. Water comes from waterworks, electricity from electric power station. Waterworks need water wells, water from a river, lake and power stations need a fuel (coal or oil or uranium) or solar panels and batteries. People need transportation (cars) and social services (hospitals, schools) infrastructure and they need housing infrastructure for housing and they need money in order to live and survive in their communities.”

Global Problem

“Over the last 200 years, since the onset of coal, and over the last 100 years of chemical and nuclear applications, impacts of changes in human‑built infrastructure on human population and nature are so significant that people started to study them professionally. They started to address and solve these humankind problems.” “Am I also the ‘humankind’?,” Jana asked. Then she gave it to me: “You said before that all of us and societies we belong to are in part to blame for worsening environment. Now, all of a sudden, you say ‘humankind’. What is it? Does it mean all people, everywhere? How they know that they have a problem? How they can talk about it when they even don’t know about it?”

Communication about Something

I was glad that Jana asked and I happily answered her: “You are right that it is sometime difficult to come to understanding at home, not to mention in the whole world. Problems of communication were dealt with in China some 4,000 years ago, when they were looking for cornerstones of life in their society. Greek philosopher, Aristotle, proclaimed four fundamental elements of life: water, air, fire, and soil. I believe that he had done so also because he liked substantial dialogue. He was not happy when he heard his colleagues, philosophers, as well as other people around him talking about serious matters (such as life) without identifying and giving name to the basic components. Or, in other way, without mutual understanding what they are actually referring to.”

The Wise Ones around Us

“Dad, a while ago you mentioned elements of life, ‘water, air, fire, soil’. How that relates to a communication among people who even don’t know each other?” Jana asked again. “Jana, those gentlemen from China (Confucius) and Greece (Aristotle) never met, yet their wisdom has the same value. Generations come and go but the wisdom of personalities of the humankind remains.” “Finally!” Jana shrieked and started to tell what she heard at school: “One is not able to get to know the humankind, but one can get to know personalities. Our teacher told us about Aristotle. She also talked about Aesop and his fables. But tell me what the relation is between elements of life and understanding among people?”

Elementary Components

I was pleased that Jana is active and continued: “OK, Jana, we will try it one more time. When someone talks just to entertain you, she doesn’t need to talk about anything. What’s important to her that she is fun to be with. Then, when someone tries to tell you something and you still don’t know what it is all about, such interaction is again about nothing. Despite all that, wise people looked for those elementary components of life so that they are ready for the moments and situations when it is necessary to arrive to understanding. For example, when there is a water shortage, it represents a serious problem. If we want to identify the structure of a problem and find an access to water, we need to carry on dialogues of substance.”

Dialogues of Substance

“A substantial (structured) dialogue draws debaters in, creates in them a sense of belonging and strengthens their self‑confidence to become active participants and partners even outside of the given dialogue. For centuries, the basic elements of life helped people identify the chaos as well as the order in life around them. Connection between elements of life with questions (what, how, where, who, when, why) and their observation in contradictions (flood – draught, breeze – hurricane, heat – fire, forest – field) allowed humans to understand processes in nature and relationships between people. Factual dialogues about basic elements of life open for people roads to understanding of the purpose and the goals of their life.”

And What about the Money?

“Jana, we didn’t still talk about money. What do you think about money?” I asked and Jana replied: “That it is good feeling to have some on me. That if I don’t have any, I ask you or Mom, so I buy that ice cream I want. Dad, who and why invented money?” That question caught me bit off guard and, therefore, I very much simplified my answer: “Money has been used by people since they stopped to trade among themselves “a piece of this for piece of that”, a barter exchange. Money allow trading its certain value for value of something else. Thus a coin, the most traditional form of money, representing specific value, expands and make trade much easier and more likely.”

Jana as a Banker

“Dad, I don’t understand that much,” she said and I tried to explain her what I mean, therefore I replied: “Well, then we’ll play a game. Imagine, that you are a banker. In the bank (your piggy bank) you have $5. You lend your customers (Mom, me, your brother) $ 1 each and for one week and the remaining $ 2 you keep in your piggy bank. You don’t ask your customers for anything else. No interests, only that they return the money. You just lent $ 3 and obligated your customers to return it in 7 days. After a week you look into your bank and find out that you have there again $5. The income into the bank, $3, is in order. Financially speaking, it means that the income (I) equals the outlay (O). We can record it mathematically as O = I or, in more detail: (3 + 2) = (2+3).”

Lessons Learned

“After a month, you repeat the same financial operation, you lend out $ 3 to your customers. And after one week you open your bank and find out that there are only $4. What happened? Who didn’t return me $1? You become bit nervous. Do you know where you have made a mistake?” I asked and Jana quickly replied: “Yes, I know, I know for sure. I gave them $ 1 into their hands but when they went back they didn’t go through my hands. If I would have checked the income coming into the bank I would have right away know that it is the brother who plays a trick on me. I would then go after him. It is clear. Nothing and no one can cheat the mathematics, i.e. that 5 = 5. But when one doesn’t checks how money moves, one lose it.” “Oh no,” it was me – for change – who exclaimed. My little girl gave the name to what financial experts (in analyses, controls, audits) are dealing daily with and are not that good in.

Logics and Mathematics

I was glad that Jana got again engaged. I praised her and at the same time opened bit the door for our future dialog. I said: “Jana, the thing you identified is polarity of relationship among two disciplines, mathematics and finance or, more precisely, cash flows. Money is not just the numbers and mathematics is neither the psychology nor sociology. Therefore, you have to have your money or money you manage for others, as they flow around you, not only counted but also under control all the times. Only then you can keep it from running away and – eventually – multiply it. You will find out yourself what it means to have the money under control and understand its value.”

It’s Time to Conclude the Dialogue

It became clear to me that the time to conclude our “factual dialogue” has arrived and not to spoil its pleasant atmosphere. Thus I said: “Jana, we will not make any conclusion or summary of what we have been talking about. We simply talked with each other, said what we wanted to say and managed to say in given time. After all, we will again return to our factual and structured dialogue. Both of us will be ten years older. You will see how quickly it will pass. Jana, thanks a lot for your patience that you were able to keep up with me. You are my good and smart girl. I love you.”

Stage 2

Daughter is 20 and Father 50

“Jana, do you remember when, ten years ago, we outlined what a ‘factual dialogue’ is?”I asked Jana one day, but she was already twenty. To my pleasant surprise Jana replied: “Yes, Dad, sure. And it made sense. Every time, when I deal with something of importance to me, I am telling myself: ‘Keep focus on the topic, be factual. I like to laugh, love making jokes, but I don’t like idle dawdle. When someone puts me in these kinds of situations, I leave and rather do my reading instead.” “I see that you are still yourself, that you also got something from me,” I reacted and continued with “How you like your college major? “Actually, a lot,” Jana said without any hesitation. “I made a good choice,” and added: ”When we together found ‘System Engineering’ at the Institute of Technology, the decision has been made. While I like history, love living in the present and from time to time think what the future might hold… the filter and the prism I tend to use when looking at things around me, at the past, presence, and future are (classical) philosophy, math, and the logic. This way I am telling that only to you because such view of life still too many people do not share and at times see such frank view as something rather eccentric. I often really wonder how some people, at times even my peers, don’t understand such straightforward approach. It is a great deficiency which makes education of young people more difficult. Even adults seem not to see changes in life in a broader context.” “Jana, I appreciate your honesty. Please, start,” I said.

Human Behavior

Jana thought for a moment and then started: “I like it in the college and I have just one year left before graduation. I got what the two words, ‘System’ and ‘Engineering’ mean and what synergy they represent in ‘System Engineering’. There are so many systems around us and each of them are part of some system (political, natural, and technical) and they belong to some system (knowingly or unknowingly). All this is influenced by education or simply by influence of an environment in which one grew up or in which one finds himself right now. Every one among us is one among the current seven billions of human beings and everyone has his individual behavior. The challenge is how to navigate and orient oneself in the labyrinth of human behavior.”

Who We Are

“I like simplicity and clarity. I accepted your view of general characteristics of people linked to skills that those people are either blessed with or absorbed by, the way as the life goes: Someone is Homo Politicus (HP), someone Homo Humanus (HH) and someone is Homo Technicus (HT). Why not? This is something generally clear and it doesn’t insult anyone across the cultural spectrum of entire humankind and it is a good foundation for additional structured dialogues. The different situation is with human character on the spectrum of good and evil. That can be very tricky and no kind of labeling seems to work.”

Homo Sapiens

Jana was silent for a moment and then said: “Dad, listen to this thought: Anthropologists observe and evaluate phases of human development over millions of years. Million years ago our predecessors was Homo Habilis, then Homo Erectus, and about 100,000 years ago came Homo Sapiens. We are Homo Sapiens Sapiens. After 2050, there will be over 10 billion individual Homo Sapiens Sapiens. When we accept what the term ‘Sapiens’ means, i.e. “wise man” then all of us might say: Wow! So many wise people and since we are Sapiens Sapiens it might mean “wise to the second power.” How will people and the whole nature deal with that?”

Homo Diabolus

“Jana, this is an interesting thought,” I reacted and Jana continued: “ From your point of view your model of HP, HH, HT has its continuation. Referring to work of anthropologists, sociologists and even psychologists it would be logical to seek the opposite to Homo Sapiens. Excuse me, I will talk for you: There is only one God, you said and He knows that the heaven and the hell are the limits for every individual and that each individual faces temptations to look behind the edge of this limitation, learn from it and open his eyes. And that’s how the opposite to Homo Sapiens came to being: Homo Diabolus (HD). These opposites are outlining human behavior over the time passing by.”

The Weight of Time

“Yes,” I said and continued: “if anthropologists work in timeframe of millions of years, the polarity of HS and HD is topical over the time span of at least three generations (about 100 years). The advantage of the model with HP, HH, HT, HS and HD can be written as a matrix and relations among them can be seen as a system. Links among them can be organized in the way that they are easily understood and open to discussion. The objective is to open a discussion about limits. Limits apply not only in technology or politics but even nature knows them. Then those limits that humans don’t know or might never be aware off are something God knows about.”

Matrix of Human Behavior

“Limits in human knowledge are something people should know or at least try to learn about. When a person falls ill and a physician treats him, she does it using the knowledge of her era. With human behavior in a society the situation is similar. When a society is sick, it is necessary to treat it. I like the comparison of human illness with viruses. We can then see psychopaths in society as types of viruses and more accurately measure the coefficients of intelligence and emotions. It is a way to better understanding of the meaning of artificial intelligence for the further development of man.”

Brain and Computers

Jana smiled and said: “I like that idea. It is in agreement what they teach in our university. I just have an addition to that: As humans started to walk upright, the volume of their skull and thus the capacity of their brain grew. We can say that size of their ‘computing unit’ expanded. Today, in globalized world, we notice a paradox as output of these ‘computing units’ is dropping faster when more people have the opportunity to participate in mutual communication. The cause is that the communication network is not developing. The result is that now almost perfect ‘computing units’ have a problem with communication and they are unable to assure understanding between themselves.”

ICT and Humans

“Dad, please, I will continue,” Jana reacted when I tried to interrupted her and continued: “I think that thoughts about the matrix of human behavior will help to figure out why communication abilities of people in globalized world are dropping despite the fact that ‘computing units’ are getting an extraordinary technical support. The risk that human communication network will collapse before it manages to develop into the required, stable environment is growing. Current decentralization (individualism) of ‘computing units’ is counter‑productive. Despite that a desire for understanding among people is as old as are (documented) attempts in text communication. Things change; it’s not a return to centralization. There are distributed systems in the game, a solution where „computer units“ will be interconnected (all network participants as separate entities). An example is a discrete, decentralized data block „blockchain“ protected against unauthorized interference.”

Internet

“Fortunately, now we have Internet and text communication has no restrictions. So many possibilities and alternatives of access exist that a weight of an individual is losing on importance and communication is giving to the prevailing opinion streams. The one who has better communication technology also determines the main direction of communication. New phenomena, the IoT (Internet of Things), have a great future. But it was a different story before Internet. Again, I point out the basic elements of life and to that related text communication. Daddy, ICT is developing very fast. I don’t know how a technology like blockchain can affects the whole human society. IoT vision is fascinating,” Jana ended her presentation and I was proud of her and, therefore, I said: “Jana, thank you for an entry into the ICT world. Nonetheless, allow me to return one more time into past.”

Pay Attention to Roots

I wanted Jana to understand me well and therefore I started: “The content of a text can have a different origin or “roots”. I will mention some examples, again from ancient China (4,000 years ago) and Europe (just 2,000 years ago). Origins of Chinese communication come mostly from a coincidence (events running in time parallel). The phenomena under scrutiny is perceived as a snapshot of a moment, right now and right here, describing the phenomena in detail but not explaining it. In Europe honored causality (knowing all what caused the phenomena) is left without any attention.”

Impacts

“The phenomena described this way in Chinese thinking looks more like an interplay of chances not as an explained chain of causalities. European roots are in careful sorting out, classifications, and judgments, about causes of the phenomena. Different roots of communication have their impacts on communication of our contemporaries. Thus the question is if people of different cultures can understand each other. We can see many different views on phenomena around us and many different roots of communication among us. If the populists take advantage of virtual views of the same thinks and diversity of communication roots we will return back to what has been known as “Confusion of Tongues”.

E‑Communication

“Jana, how does your generation perceive the Internet?” I asked. “That’s a difficult question as speaking for a whole generation makes little sense,” Jana replied and continued: “Then it is not just text but also multi‑media communication. Internet now provides sending of news, files, pictures, images, videos, discussion portals and telephone calls, videoconferences, etc. Trends in development point to fast transfer and to global communication environment. The goal of the Internet is to be as close as possible to a “private dialogue, eyes to eyes”. In “instant connection” technologies one can find almost everything what one might expect from text communication technologies (for example, via Clouds or Fog Computing)”

Artificial Intelligence

“Fortunately, artificial intelligence is entering the world. It is independent of humans and their emotions,” Jana said and explained: “I think that there is not a danger that artificial intelligence will lead to people being controlled by machines, that machine will enslave us. I rather think that artificial intelligence given to machines will became an arbiter and eventually even a judge of human malevolence, perfidy, and deceit. Why I think that? Mathematics and artificial intelligence belong together. I can recall words of my professor: “Mathematics teaches people to think and to ask if something is true but also why it is true. It is up to every one of us how we connect our “computing unit“ into intellectualization of values of us, humans on the Earth.”

Intellectualization

“Jana, you say ‘intellectualization of human values.’ What you mean by that?” I asked after a while. “Well, first I will try to explain intellectualization and then its application. To me, intellectualization is a kind of therapy of a “computing unit” trough receptors. It above all strengthening the mind and doesn’t prevent emotions and instinct. In this case a receptor is not a mechanical or biological component, it is a long‑term influence of communication (negotiations, benchmarking) and cooperation (seeking of consensus about shared opportunities, advantages, and responsibilities). With help from artificial intelligence people have a better chance to understand their behavior and value of a God to themselves.”

Sad Outcomes

“Dad, excuse me: Did I talked for too long?” Jana suddenly turned to me. “Not really,” I said and added: “It’s true that the role of information technologies shouldn’t be overestimated. I remember the time when the public sector dealt with problems of revenues and expenses from state budget. The management (politicians) had big problems with the budget so they invited IT specialists. No one among them really understood processes that “were ill.” From public resources they bought computers, expanded capacity of data storage and modernized data transfer networks. Only subsequently they found out that usefulness, efficiency and economy of operation of state budget didn’t improve and uncertainty about future actually increased.”

Engineering

“That’s a good example of missing engineering. I am glad that I can again mention our university,” Jana reacted and started with her presentation: “Engineering is a broadly discussed and pretty much live topic. Engineering is not found just in machine industry or housing construction. It is in educational systems, in technology (production of food, delivery of water and electric power). Engineering and its logical processes give people jobs, long‑term sustainability. Engineers implement results of work of science and technology; they bring up new technologies and build foundations of artificial intelligence.”

Professionalism

Jana continued with her presentation: “For example, social and economic development (SED) and disaster risk reduction (DRR) are not only about financing, the role of banks and politicians, about “pouring money” into SED and DRR projects. They are, above all, about engineering, about quality projects. Dad, just asking: Would you know how one can tell a good project?” “I would rather give up,” I said. “It is simple,” she said: “When is the project finished on time, within the original budget and during the entire construction – all the way to turning it over – engineers didn’t need lawyers.” “Jana, you for sure read that somewhere, you didn’t come up with that on your own”, I replied and Jana confirmed that: “You know, I did. It is about evaluation of one large transportation project in Northern Europe.”

Engineer

“Jana, you again outdid yourself,” I commended Jana and continued: “It’s nice that you are not saying what the university is like but what it taught you. I appreciate that. It reminds me of an example that I heard off when I was at a university some 30 years ago. A story from the times when the principle of personal effort was completely honored. It is a story of a coal baron and an engineer. A coal baron bought a land and coal under it. He invited an engineer to the property and said: In three months I want to know the price of the coal mined here and if it will be competitive. He shook engineer’s hand and left. Engineer knew that he got a fantastic assignment that he can’t refuse. He understood what the coal baron wants.”

Circumstances

“He was lucky. He attended a good university which prepared him well. He knew that he will need to integrate many disciplines and skills (at that time without computers, mobile phones, or internet). He knew what he knows and where to ask and whom to get involved in the project. In the end, he succeeded and the coal baron paid for his work well. The old timer who remembered the situation was telling us about it intentionally. He was aware of deterioration in integrity of engineering work, in schools, at companies and in preparation and implementation of projects. That environment put us – at that time young engineers – in a position of half‑baked experts, people who don’t even know about system engineering,” I was telling Jana while recalling my early years.

Governance

Jana responded: “Dad, you can find plenty of strange examples in other professions, for example, in governance. In public sector it is these days common that a politician, thanks to mastered assertiveness becomes popular and after elections he became – immediately and without any training – a ruler (a prime minister or a president). It is a problem in many countries and it is dealt with in different ways. With general education, expert support, tough competition. Those who rule over large capital in the world are not in any better situation. Concentration of their wealth grows faster than the adaptation ability of their team – which manages their property - required by new circumstances. Time proven governance by owners and managers of their property is failing.”

Owner and Custodian

“What you mean by that?” I asked. Jana caught up her breath and asked me to continue myself. “OK,” I said and went ahead with presentation: “Today we should be saying owners and custodians in public and private sectors and ask what they have in common and how they differ. If they want to succeed they must understand the nature of processes that they manage. And if they don’t have these skills or talents they are unstable and that is good news for their competitors. Owners (of political mandate or company’s property) must have their custodians (bureaucrats or managers) on their side, otherwise custodians turn into competitors (either active or potential). That’s what they have in common. And in what they differ? For sure in variety of objectives, although – financially speaking – both sides have just two kinds of duties.”

Control and Mission

“Jana, now I wonder what you will add.” “OK,” said Jana: “The first duty is to check on financial flows passing through the ‘piggy bank’. Do you remember my role of a ‘banker’ when I was ten? The second duty is not to cheat and steal money but invest them money purposefully and efficiently. This is a precondition necessary for success of any owner and her custodians. None of them can follow his personal gains in having free access to financial flows while he is in managerial or custodian role. Those who direct these financial flows to their personal illegal benefits will be uncovered and prosecuted and judged. With support of artificial intelligence this can be done faster than today. Simply, “smart contract” technologies don’t allow it.”

Decentralization

“That’s true,” I agreed and continued: “Artificial intelligence will neither enslave people nor will it take jobs from them. On a contrary, it will allow them to be able to take a deeper look what priorities and hierarchy of things around them are. Rules of the world must first absorbed the role of decentralization in increasing globalization and only then set up flexible (by reason managed) regulation and opening of a space for ‘artificial intelligence’. This is a task for the science and power centers. This is a challenge for leaders themselves to acquire the skills that make it easier to them to use and sustain thus activated tools under control during never ending turbulent changes in human society.”

Reason

“Dad, does it, according to you, matter if in the decentralization process it is the personality of the ruler in the public sector (state, province, office) or the personality of the owner of a private company. If you think so, please explain it,” Jana interrupted me and I gladly answered her: “Well, for example like this: defending human rights or defending the company’s profit without a sense is not possible in a long‑term. The one who does not use reason himself gives a chance to the competition to be defeated… Jana, what ‘using a reason’ means to you? As you know, the reason is used by both HS and HD (the result of reason can be both good and evil).” “Dad, you‘re testing me, right? I have already told you what kind of filter I use for such situations.”

Screening Filters for Life

Then Jana continued: “Philosophy guides me to the right path. Math helps me with a proof that such path is the right one. Then logics gives me assurance that I am indeed on the right path. Those paths lead to ethical behavior (toward nature and people alike).” “That sounds good,” I said and asked: “Jana, what’s your understanding of regulation where the subject is access to money or where the issues are related to freedom of people?” “Dad that is not an easy question. But briefly: freedom is where equal conditions in access to money exist (conditions set up according to financial flow rules adopted by the society) and freedom of citizens is where one can use her money as she pleases, but within the framework of the law adopted and respected by the society.”

How the Time Passed by Quickly

“Jana, you did a good job. You shifted the fundamental problem of system engineering to lawyers. But you are right. Societies are people and their legal system. That is a good observation also useful for your future work. I am glad that besides the public and the private sectors people talk about societies and common property of people and nature in places where people live and work. Jana, I wish you that you successfully complete your university and find a work that you enjoy. See how fast those ten years went by. I already look forward our next talk. You‘re still my little girl, I love you very much.”

Stage 3

Daughter is 30 and Father 60

“Jana, I see a beautiful, mature woman, with ‘sports body and mind’ and I am looking forward our ‘dialogue of substance’. How you like it at work” “Dad, concerning that dialogue of substance: You never give up on that, right?””I will not,” I said: “Please, you start.” “OK,” she said. “What I do? I conduct dialogues of substance with my colleagues at work and clients, always on a specific topic with the objective at first carefully analyze the subject of common task. To do so from various views, gather arguments and prepare for situations where I have to make decisions. I am project manager and the goal of our company is to bring into operation the first SPC Utility (its revolving fund and other instruments). I am glad that I can work on something you started. Now we have new technologies for planning, communication, and financial control available. We support free trade of goods, jobs, and services. In the current ICT environment it is possible to develop competitiveness and trust of our clients with democratic vote for purposeful and efficient projects (using tendering, mentoring, evaluations, audits). Our university supports teaching financial engineering and enterprise architecture. Dad, do you know, what is the most effective measure for a long‑term establishment of internal financial control in companies and organizations? In real life, it is a direct knowledge support to acquisition and franchising projects for local micro, small and medium size enterprises (MSME). Provinces are accepting healthy effect of WEMAF drivers and they realize that SPC Utility is helping them to keep money at home, that it helps maintaining social peace in a community.” “Jana, that was a nice introduction, please start.”

Society

Jana started with a definition: “Society is a group of individuals that is characterized by their shared interests in a given territory (where they live), in organizations where they jointly manage their lives (public sector), in enterprises where individuals or various groups pursue their business interests (private sector). What is society usually missing? An integrator, the capability to orient itself in its own matters. What is in these days, from the system engineering standpoint, missing is an enterprise architect and financial engineer (creators and protectors of life in a society)“ and with some exaggeration she added: “What is not missing are lawyers, sociologists, and psychologists.”

Innovation

“I agree. But what does the target group think about that?” I asked: “Isn’t ‘family’ or ‘entrepreneur’ just too broad definition?” “Dad, I also thought that, before we got first experience with WEMAF drivers. What is important is a clearly set forth goal. Then people themselves seek paths how to get to the goal and demand for “creators” of life in a society is created (how to prepare for intended changes, how to set things up and maintain them over time). The fact that money is needed for that is something investors and even speculators know about as new opportunities always invigorate thieves. All of them are preparing instruments for being successful. To minimize chaos and implement order into financial flows is a task of financial engineer.”

Legal Environment

“This is a parallel to water flows. One can direct them sideway, one can steal from them. But without in advance adopted framework of (legal and specific technical) rules it doesn’t work.” “Yes,” Jana said, “without rule of law it doesn’t work. One can’t start solving a task as the system as one must take out its mainframe structure first. Get to know it, return it back into the system and only then learn about the system as the whole. Step by step, in multidisciplinary cooperation, in one, common and properly structured legal environment. But such legal environment must be open to changes which are being brought up by advances in human knowledge. An example might be a wonderful progress in healthcare.”

Minimization of Loses

“But it is not easy,” Jana continued: “While we are being reminded about life in families and organizational and legal conditions for business, as they have been for millennia time proven and as novels, movies and even expert studies remind us of them… evidence for that is obtained indirectly as some kinds of fossil artifacts or random findings. Fortunately, we find more of credible data in genetic makeup than in memory of individuals (for example, in growth of life expectancy). Therefore I think that cooperation between developed and developing countries (implementation of best practices) should take place in two steps: At first as an organized group activity, and only after that, at new quality level, on individual basis, in decentralized way.”

Financial Environment

“Jana, that’s true, it was always a two‑step process. For example, during colonial era, the first step were Christian missions and getting to know each other and only after that individual trade activities started to develop. Today, everything is more visible, everything is accelerated by media and telecommunication. Illegal trade activities can be more easily uncovered and traditional thieves no longer have that many opportunities. But the situation at financial markets is different. Illegal trade and speculation in world of finance flourishes so much that it even overshadows human labor in building value. Nonetheless, even today we find family dynasties; tribes or religious communities which try to regulate or even punish excessive or unjustified profit.”

Financing

“Dad, I spoke about two steps only because I wanted to emphasize that trade within WEMAF is a necessary pre‑condition for global environment so that free trade, as it developed over the history can continue. To boost trade with speculation, expansion of number of consumers (for example by immigration) or inflating buying power (by expansion of credits or giving money away) is a route to hell. There is a hope that in history we find projects which were able to solve societal (financial) crises with work, employing people and maintaining their ability to work, live in the way they remained loyal to the society in which they happened to found themselves.”

Investments in Harmony with Nature

“Benjamin Graham wrote: ‘Investment operation is such operation which – after a thorough analysis – promises safety of investment and reasonable profit. Operations which don’t meet these conditions are speculation’.” “Jana, this is a definition of social peace, maintenance of long‑term investments and reasonable profit. In that context I like to remind us of three analyses connected with nature (common sense in practice). The first one is from American Indians before Columbus (synergy in growing basic foodstuff: corn, beans, and pumpkins). Second one is from China (analysis of extent of agricultural activities and short‑term and long‑term yields).Then the third example is from ancient Greece (analysis of yields from olive groves in the spectrum of three generations).”

Speculation and Investments

“In history of families and entrepreneurs (i.e. our SPC target groups), investments look simpler than one might think if using the current and complicated financial analysis. But the current market economy would collapse without speculation playing its role as all economic activity is based on achieving profit. Speculation thus contributes to price stabilization and optimization. How you see that as far as – especially long‑term - investments is concerned,” I asked Jana. “The good question and an unambiguous answer,” said Jana and continued: “Without a well‑prepared project you either lose money or a competitor will take away from you such investment. You have to pay with elbow grease; you can’t rely only on speculation. Preparation is a decisive factor.”

ICT and Fintech

“An investment is an outlay aimed at future yields. It is an assignment to fulfill commitments including monitoring liquidity of financial flows all the way to the final financial settlement.” “Jana, by this you just reminded me of the origins of Fintech. ICT opened the market with innovations in banking services; they discovered new opportunities in payment systems. Today we find Fintech in preparation and implementation of project cycle including monitoring of parameters (following objectives of the project) and indicators (profitability of the project). Financial engineers support communication among teams involved in projects and benchmarking is a common part of project documentation.”

Project Portfolio

“Dad, our company stands on competitive itemized budgets. They determine financial and time commitments and quality control and project risk management are tied to them. I remember well what you were telling me that in the past it was exactly the opposite. Budgets were routinely exceeded, deadlines were pushed back and judicial litigations had no end. Today, that wouldn’t be possible. We are not only responsible for individual projects but also for the entire project portfolio. Strategy and business plan call for coordination of my team with investors as well as with end users of the portfolio. Today it looks like something obvious and common sense but I understand that it has been a long and not easy path of getting where we are now.”

Revolving Credit Fund

“I am glad,” Jana said, “that the requirement to keep money at home became part of activities investors do. Investments into WEMAF infrastructure were the first right step. It helped competitiveness of local entrepreneurs by opening market environment. I remember that you were telling me about first experiences with revolving credit funds. Even at that time it was not just about technical issues. It was obviously necessary to generate demand, especially among the population in provinces. The path through public hearings and anchoring of conclusions obtained from them into documents such as Citizen’s Charter was clearly the right one. Who else besides the local people should have demanded this financial service?”

Task

“Our task was to propose and put into operation SPC Utility. Participating parties (including local and central government) understood the assignment and we (our company) were thus able to get into preparation of the required documentation. We defended the output of our work before the public and we were conducting personal negotiations. That helped us to obtain a clear structure as what we have to do. We built a strong team (Task Force) which was responsible for preparation and implementation of the SPC Utility project, including hiring people. After we gained support of the locals, everything went smoothly. Fortunately, our company is not getting into projects in clusters (large projects tied to a particular location outside of a given province).”

Universities

“The issue of human resources was a separate task. We were working with local universities. They are interconnected with global educational system (100% over internet) and what pleased me was their readiness to adopt training in the field of “Enterprise Architect” and “Financial Engineering”. We are still seeking ways how to get into subconscious mind of middle schools and the public. In cooperation with local government we found financial sources for independent educational system. It is a combination of marketing (advertising) and personal contacts (work done by Information Center). Communication is in local language and English.“

Capitalization

“Jana, that’s wonderful! Program of support of human resources became an example of public private partnership. To pay attention to human resources is not the subject of interest just for the company (our SPC Utility) but also the province (the entire public and private sectors and NGOs). SPC Utility focuses on generation of profit but in the way that payments for services offered by WEMAF are capitalized (substantial share of profit is reinvested) via other projects in the province. It teaches citizens to be private investors in the SPC Utility and to work with local banks.”

Urbanism

“Ok, dad, but this is a standard role of a utility company and local infrastructure, as it exists around the world. It’s true that SPC Utility offers something like “returning to the roots of capitalism” and in an environment where those good old roots might well catch up. Where people live in a fog of prosperity and a dream of four‑day workweek and monopolies strengthen protectionism, SPC Utility might have a problem. On other hand, where labor, performance and quality are still connected to individual effort, its chances are quite good. Especially urban areas and countryside in developing countries need new approach to urbanization and the WEMAF drivers of local infrastructure represent a great opportunity.”

Architecture

“Jana, free market activities of local population create quality of life. Global trade calls on all cultural groups to cooperate in friendship and in hostility, following human relationships that we didn’t know yet. Especially the developing countries need to find new approach to urbanism (including renewal of infrastructure after wars or natural disasters). For whole millennia people built houses and their roofs to protect them from rain, wind, and sun. When solar panels appeared on market an impulse for new architecture arrived. “Solar panels on roofs, lent out or owned, with the capacity to generate electric power on one’s own.”

Financial Discipline

“It is a strong synergetic impulse. Today it is difficult to estimate in which direction the housing architecture might move. How individuals (both owners and tenants) in buildings where they work or live and at the same time produce electricity, will react. It is more obvious issue for people who use their real estate for enterprising as they need to protect their property (such as solar panels) against thieves. It is also clear issue for government and broader legal environment as how to address financial security and financial discipline locally. The SPC Utility will set up standards for internal financial control and internal audits for WEMAF drivers and it will – though them – influence quality of financial literacy of people in the province.”

Development and Survival

“In SED and DRR projects, financial literacy is a precondition for success. How successful those projects are depends on a long‑term stability of revenue flow from services provided and growing profits of a utility company in given location. Our utility creates and reinvests profit exclusively within the province. We are able to do that while Fintech technologies are helping us (in regional development) and in implementation of the current ICT.“ ”Jana, those are neat results, but let’s one more time return to details. Of course, at strategic level. Tendering, impacts of contracts (for example franchises for the MSME network), monitoring of implementation and evaluation of projects are also tasks done by the SPC Utility. Let’s spend on them a bit more time.”

Tendering Process

“Allow me some reflection. I have been always telling myself that the way the tendering process is done is a mirror image of the stage the democracy is. Anywhere in the world. It is about rules of the game where everyone who is taking part should be a winner. As it is in sports. You sign up for half‑marathon, but you have honestly made it all the way to the finishing line. That is a well understood criteria. Demanding task calls for well‑prepared participants. The first one gets a great glory, the last one very little. It is up to race organizers to manage the event according to in‑advance known rules. I am very glad when I hear this from you that your company perceives injustices in public tenders as a burden which can be removed.”

Contracts

“Surely, it can be done,” Jana praised herself. “Responsibility for public resources should be resting with an investor (for example, a mayor) and not with a supplier (say a waterworks utility). With project portfolio, corruption has very little chance. Everything is prepared in project preparation stage, down to the necessary details. What’s deciding factor is usefulness and efficiency of the portfolio. I know that in the past the legal requirements for public contracts – perhaps unintentionally – protected corruption with provisions that the lowest bid always wins. Then corruption continue via ‘soft’ contracts with suppliers (with changes in deliveries, prices, deadlines). An ongoing control was missing and high enough, effective sanctions.”

Monitoring

“Jana, what is – to you, today – the Fintech?” “Good question. It is a synergy of ICT application (for example, IoT via Clouds) and financial engineering (especially internal financial control and audit). Today, Fintech supports not just payment interface but also monitoring of purposefulness, efficiency of investment.” ”Jana, when I listen to you, I realize that our pioneering work in implementation of monitoring into public finance was not in vain. You confirm to me that knowing the processes and being able to have the skills required by application of new tools are the way to go, they are the lighthouse to watch for, regardless if it is in public, private or non‑profit sector.”

Evaluation of Results

“What’s important are the results. That’s where the set forth parameters and indicators in output of the evaluated project play their role. The objective is not just data collection. I recall a meeting in Africa where a bureaucrat in a local government opened a cabinet and said: ‘See, sir, all the studies, aging data and unsupported information.’ We don’t want that anymore. We need well‑prepared projects. He was right. Jana, how you evaluate results of your projects?” “We have nothing else available than what that bureaucrat had in that cabinet. The difference is that the set‑forth parameters and enumerated indicators are in distributed network (the database) for permanent benchmarking of our competitiveness.”

It’s Time for Conclusion

“Jana, it’s so nice that you‘re doing well. Please tell me your opinion on art, in general.” “Dad, again a good question, there is no need to talk only about job. The arts generalize, offer abstraction, and inspire. It is a paradox that when times are not good, quality of artistic production increases. When the situation is too comfortable, arts are getting dumber. An example: when there is an unrest, jokes are popping up, beautiful music is created, excellent books and movies. In tranquil times it seems to be the other way.” “Is it a reality or the future,” I asked? “For sure it is reality, and what I would add for future? Closer link between arts and the value hidden in human ‘databases’. It’s terrible when you realize how many books, new movies and new multimedia carrier exist and how broad range of arts are available in music, painting, sculptures, and how little of joy this wealth actually brings to humankind, mainly in the current confusion of the globalization. What I mean by that? Let’s start doing something.” “What about starting with a humorous performance of bureaucrats from Africa and EU experts,” I added something that came out of my experience. ”For example, to introduce a comedy ‘How to revive dead feasibility studies into profitable projects’. Right at a Gala Show at the European Parliament. We all need more fun, more jokes, and more shared joy among people in this world. Thank you for the nice time with you. You still have the right spark in your eyes. See you in ten years.”

Stage 4

Daughter is 40 and Father is 70

“As the target group for the SPC Concept I selected households and entrepreneurs. They are simply all those people, down there, at local level, anywhere. Every one of us has a father and mother and every family – in order to live - these days needs money. Adults either work as employees or as entrepreneurs. But the household whose members are happy and prosper must share some sense for activities and enterprising. Household is not a business, it is a family, but without entrepreneurial skills it wouldn’t be able to survive. Thus the core of the target group are people who are able to see what the priorities in life are and act accordingly… I am a Grandpa now, there are more of us in the family and I see that I have made good choices. Jana, that is about it as an introduction for our last dialogue. Please, you start.”

“How it goes at work, in life, in today global world? Perhaps you want to have our fourth dialogue of substance focused on ‘Interesting Life’”, Jana suggested. “Surely, it is a pretty neat topic. I just want to recall the wisdom of Greek philosopher, Plato: ‘Happy is the one who was at older age given the chance to pursue wisdom and right judgment’,”I quoted the classic. “That’s nice, Dad, but I have something for you, something which should cheer you up. It arrived yesterday.” Jana gave me a letter from the Governor of the province in which he writes to the Prime Minister about successful start of the SPC Utility operation. “Jana, that’s a very pleasant read.”

“Dad, I have a request for you. Several things happened and before the end of this week I need to send an article for the African Union Summit concerning SED and DRR projects under the provincial self‑governance. Please, prepare for me just main outlines, thank you in advance. One more thing: They called me from the newspapers that they would very much like to get a text, maximum 200 words, about SPC Concept and SPC Unity network in developing countries. That is a topic exactly fitting you.” “Jana, I promise that I will do that.”

A thought

“OK, Dad. What do you think about this: times when water, energy, soil, and air were free for are irrevocably the past. Humans are taking from nature what they want and on top of that mine from Earth all what they need. It is remarkable how humans appropriated all that and without any cost. Who arrived earlier and took over sources of water, energy, land, and still using them without paying money for that to the real owner; both the Earth and the Nature. Simply said: human are taking, taking, taking, and they have to use money with each other still more and more. When money is in short supply, there is no problem to print more of it. The result is that human population is growing and growing, white with understands the extraordinariness of own existence less and less.”

Predator

“Jana, what I am left with is just to join you. Debt that the humankind has toward the nature grows and nature around us suffers. Humankind – in its role of self‑appointed ruler of a predator - disturbs nature’s order. From Earth it pumps up fossil waste of the nature (above all coal and oil) and converts it into other waste (chemical or nuclear) in volumes that nature doesn’t know how to handle. We are not doing well even in nearby universe. The chaos of thousands of satellites, rockets and the desire to grab new resources, to be first and not pay for taking over new resources, all that has only one solution: one day it will all fall back on our heads.”

Truculence

“Large cities are growing, we build still new airports, ports, roads, new factories for technologies of the 4th generation. We don’t like to change what we are accustomed to do. For example, the Age of Coal. It is already apparent that humankind no longer needs to rely on coal to such great degree. But despite that efforts to decrease its share in climate change are not successful. Risks of catastrophes are growing and humankind doesn’t have the vision about its own future. Missions offered by leaders of countries are not clear and contemporary efforts to direct human behavior on the Earth we all share lack the necessary authority. People don’t understand humility toward God and don’t see how their own tools are separating them from the Nature.”

Generations

“Various views and criteria or assessments exist. Over the past 6,000 years, there were generations of Indians, Chinese, Egyptians, Greeks, and Roman and now all of us are here – on Internet. They talk about Generation X, with the oldest one among them, born between the 1950 s and 1970 s. Generation Y follows after them, the Millennials, which is maturing already at the 21st century. Both generations experienced significant changes in technology, now especially due to internet. Then we have Generation Z, whom we call Digital Natives. Newly we recognize Generation Alpha which doesn’t perceive technologies as tools but as an environment into which they are fully integrated.”

Mobility

“Jana, what do you think about that?” “Well, first there were missions and missionaries, then deeper division of labor and tourism (the primary motivation was always trade). Global politics brought migrants and now we again have a threat of not well managed DRR projects (shortage of land, water, poverty, wars). How to respond to that? I think that as the life was going on over the past 6,000 years following the rhythm of family life (dad, mom, children), we can expect that the near future (say by 2050) it will not be much different (despite all new technologies). Therefore I believe in free movement of labor force with clearly defined legal regulation within the framework of international law. I believe that this will bring to people local jobs opportunities and naturally turns economic migrants onto tourists. Such problems of mankind are primarily in the hands of leaders (politicians), not in the hands of God.”

Economy

“That’s sounds great, but expand on that in some detail.” “OK, from standpoint of an economist,” Jana said. “Because economists see turbulence in human existence in faster pace. Nonetheless over the entire 50 years before the critical year 2008, wages (as share of GDP) didn’t grow (a case from US) and situation on the global labor market by 20050 is something that economist don’t dare to estimate. Despite of that, great opportunities exist for implementation of financial discipline in DRR projects. It is a path how to open free movement of work force and take advantage of cooperation between developed and developing countries. Then the regulation and financial discipline SED of the planet has a chance to manage even the mobility of people.”

Finance

“There is no free lunch. All those measures cost money,” I added and continued: “Developed countries are shortening workweek, developing countries need qualified workforce. Developed provinces are considering crypto‑currency (Bitcoin, Ethereum) and advanced ICT technologies (Blockchain, Cloud) and the other way around, in developing countries they have a problem with preparation of itemized budget of a project and work with a bank. The gap between the rich and the poor is widening not only in GDP per capita but also in approach to competitiveness. Therefore I am convinced that WEMAF is a good startfor achieving balance between takeoff of technologies and human behavior.”

Macro‑Politics

“Dad, I agree and it’s true that what scares me are not impacts of globalization but global views of current co‑existence among people and with nature. That huge diversity of views of fundamental principles of human happiness and huge problems of rulers of the world with ability to reach agreement and trust each other. I am stopping to understand macro‑economists and I see them as macro‑politicians who manipulate data and information (starting with GDP) in the way which ignores changing quantity and quality both of the humankind and technologies. I see macroeconomic as an imperfectly managed statistics that is not helping SED and DRR in developing countries.”

Micro‑Economy

“How to fix this problem?” I put forward this question and was ready to continue but Jana interrupted me: “Dad, I know what you want to say, but allow me to say this: I propose to send all macro‑economists to a deserted island and give them an opportunity to think and discuss about what they do. Only then return them back to their work and at the time when macro‑economics gains some strength. General and fuzzy information look nice in macroeconomic charts generated from incomplete input data and they confuse politicians and make the job of micro‑economists easier (for example with current data obtained through benchmarking).”

Tasks

“Jana, I know that you don’t mean that literarily, but there are, after all, more things in the game. Let me remind you of your filter: philosophy, mathematics, logic. This might be a good test for tasks supporting coordination of macro and micro policies within communities (for those that are seeking democracy as well as for others).” “Dad, yes. Tasks of SED and DRR have their priorities. For provinces with undeveloped infrastructure WAMAF drivers represent a priority. I see that in our work. Not coordinated interventions by politicians are harming preparation of project portfolio, budgets of individual projects as well as their management. On other hand, participation and local patriotism of engineers are helping us a lot.“

Priorities

“I will explain that with help of your HP, HT, HH model. HP (Politicus) is seeking political gains. HT (Technicus) seeks completion of the project. HH (Humanus) is concerned about usefulness of the project to people and nature. In a province where the basic elements for life are missing the priority must be project completion and achieving its usefulness. Only after that one can expect financial gains (public or private). But Jana you just reminded me of one privatization story in an area where basic elements were not missing but the priorities were in different order. The first one was a quick financial gain motivated by HP, promises of rosy future were given by HH and before the HT had a chance to look around he saw that privatization took place. All of three forgot that the HT must get space to revive micro‑economy and growth of professional productivity.”

Privatization

“To manipulate people by organized privatization is not smart,” Jana declared. “Public and private sector partnership, transformation of ownership are better ensured by sensibility toward the needs of global world and within it life of families and activities of entrepreneurs rather than meddling from bureaucrats or HPs. Thanks to WEMAF drivers both the developed and developing countries have the same motivation to meet on the path toward common goals. We support creation of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), their local networking and we are putting them in contact with large foreign corporations so that they can – together, via WEMAF infrastructure and SPC Utility services – arrive to partnership in programs SED of the province, participate on projects of DRR, arrive to local cooperation in trading in their province and assisting transparent solidarity and social peace in all segment of the Local Government responsibility and private initiatives.”

Behavioral Matrix

“Jana, how do you now, 30 years later, perceive human behavior?” “You mean in light of SED and DRR tasks,” Jana asked and continued: “It is a broad topic but I’ll try to answer that. One can’t omit politics where crowds are ”acting in a fog,” for example, world wars and today Middle East. Just the reason is not enough there. I differentiate behavior of the crowd and behavior of a man. Crowd is an element and a Man is to me a personality. Your matrix of human behavior allows for thinking about assumptions and motivation of individuals how to be more HS (Sapiens) and less HD (Diabolus). In the case of SED, what’s in the game is the good (reason) against evil (envy) and DRR projects responding to evil (damages, hurts) caused by elements. The question is: What to do with the elements?”

Wealth

“Nothing,” I said: “What’s effective with element (like an unknown illness) are the rules of predictability, prevention, readiness and defense. And that’s all.” ”If I understand you correctly, then every single person must equip himself with the ability to understand these rules,” Jana added and continued: “Economic development and social environment of a community are about human behavior, about democratic character of their positions and decentralization of their operations within the community. That’s where the wealth of the community is, as thanks to new technologies communities can grow anywhere in the world. SPC Utility we prepared is a proof that it can be done.”

Tension

“Production, services, trade without a tension are fading away, or, in another way, if you put into system too much of a reason, it becomes quickly obsolete and loses its competitiveness. This way I explain why we support the creation of SPC Utility and operation of MSME and responsibility of local people with participation of partners from local area and involvement of local banks. We do acquisitions, trying to regulate bankruptcies (not as a fateful tragedy but as a process of economic renewal). To local MSME we recommend entering global markets and they are already maturing to that level (they also get our advice and recommendation).”

Credibility

“Jana, you call that tension? You keep them in such caring environment.” “Yes, we have to. How could you let a child who didn’t learn how to read and write into a wide world and expect that he will succeed? I know, it is exaggeration, but intentional one. We teach them to read books on finance and write projects so that they can become competitive partners in global environment (now it is not just at international markets but also back at their home countries; foreign investors are everywhere, they run businesses and export their profits elsewhere). SED programs and DRR projects are tasks for local population and SPC Utility is guiding them toward independence. That’s why our province (the ones we help) has been getting a lucrative loan for 30 years, and we‘re doing the credentials.“

SED and DRR

“Jana, tell me one thing: Why you use the program SED and projects DRR acronyms (SED and DRR) – together?” “Well, Dad, you remember how we talked about lives of people in poor countries, about wars, drought, and trading with migrants by smugglers? Now is a prevailing opinion that it is better to help people where they are at home and this is what our company does. Globally, it is not possible to accelerate economic development and not care of social aspects. When those are neglected risks of hostilities among communities increase. Connecting ‘SED and DRR’ is about complexity of human life style, because we have also another challenges, not only the climate change.”

Rulers

“To people it’s simply too much,” I said: “People need to improve communication and coordination of what they are working on, to learn how to take advantage of cooperation and coordination between projects. Rulers are usually rich people and custodians of their property rule over people. Custodians who were elected act in different way than those who were appointed. In the end, it is above all about power and financial influence. Jana, do you know why I am saying that? I think about rulers of this world if they are ready to get together, debate and adopt decisions about system projects, for example in the extent of the SPC Concept.”

Reason and Emotions

“Dad, they are not ready, but it is possible to get them ready. I see that in growing interest in results of our pilot projects.” “Jano, I am sure they will pay more attention as they will see in it opportunities for revival of international (these days already global) trade. It is a matter for reason to prepare together for changing world and dampening of emotions with legislation at the United Nations level. They must be win‑win projects. Currently idle financial resources (particularly in investment banks) can activate WEMAF drivers to improve development of SED and DRR programs in provinces. Developed countries can speed up their expansion of the market for products and services, and developing countries will acquire both capital and skills. Both sides will get opportinity to build a common partnership.”

Research and Education

Jana supported me “We succeeded in connecting technical and organizational outputs of research into standardized project and a whole set of directives which allow for founding and operating SPC Utility in various provinces which might be requesting them. Therefore, we are also focusing on marketing via internet and we are contacting universities, local governments, financial institutions around the world.” “Jana, recall your university and newly introduced majors Industrial Architect and Financial Engineer. New graduates with these majors are coming to your company and how are they doing?” “Dad, they do terrific job, they have independent tasks in MSMEs acquisitions in provinces and they are reviving the role of internal audit in companies.”

State and Provinces

“I am really happy how the internal financial control practices with Fintech support are taking place in provinces. They are making inroads everywhere: in joint projects between central government and local government, in cooperation between our projects and local NGOs and even in the private sector. For the private sector we set up in our company a separate unit. Its services are being used by departments in local government for initiation of the PPP projects. Those are our only services in consulting even when I recall that before the local and country‑wide elections we were asked to provide training about advantages and risks of the SPC Concept and benefits and costs related to the SPC Utility.”

Electricity

“There is a great interest in renewable sources of energy, mix use opportunities, but solar panels on roofs of buildings under construction or in planning stage are the most popular. It is thanks to good prices of solar panels, developments in batteries and cost of their installation and maintenance. Those are outlays that even the local investors can afford. Banks demand in maximum 15% financial participation. Confidence of banks in local investment grew and on other hand the reluctance of local population to use banking services diminished. It seems that both sides found a common ground and that it will remain that way. In parallel, we registered one more positive sign: the new law that require the rule ‘Polluter to Pay the Costs’; begins to be inplemented. I believe that its enforceability will grow over time.”

We will Conclude

“Jana, SED programs and DRR projects need not only mobile telephones for communication but also Fintech instruments for project portfolio tasks. But this economic intellectualization must be accompanied by social intellectualization. We didn’t talk about it much. No wonder, it is not our specialty. Nonetheless, since the very beginning of work on the SPC Concept we focused on ‘interesting life’ and its interpretation via the knowledge and technological progress of the humankind. According to both of us this is a good way go to address rulers of human communities so that they create similar concept for social intellectualization, explain and defended it. Jana, let’s hope that such cooperation will continue.”

Tasks for the Father

Outlines (thesis) of a presentation for the African Union Summit: “SED a DRR Projects in Self‑Governing Provinces of Developing Countries”

“Jana, please pay attention to these three items:”

1. The Path

“Jana, I am convinced that what is missing is a clearly understood path. Promises are not the goal and non‑systemic navigation is actually hiding the path. By the path I mean the ability of people to talk to each other about how to live and survive and how prepare interesting life for their children. The path is a communication channel that people will use to start to cooperate. It is not enough to know the path it is necessary to have it (not that much to own it but to know about it and be allowed to use it). The current and future technologies will be the conduit people in their country will proceed on and rules will guide them.“

2. Long‑Term Goals

“Rulers do not manage to get a grasp of long‑term goals. What’s missing is the orientation in the presence and no one dares to sketch them out more than 5 to 15 years into future and it is only because we evaluate influence of economic outcome more than social risks. We all know that family has its 30 year cycle: grandpa dies, son gets older and child becomes an independent individual. That’s how it goes, generation after generation, as far as we know, for 6,000 years.

Why give more attention to economic cycles than risks in lives of people? Economic cycle we try so desperately to measure, understand and regulate is just 200 years old invention (since beginning of the Industrial Revolution) and it has been always accompanied by social unrest, revolutions, and wars. Why hurry with economic development when social development runs in a different cycle? Yes, those are cycles such as family life cycle, generational cycle, lasting for millennia. They are looking at joy from life, happiness in love and from harmony with nature. Jana, please, can you find other examples that can be used to illustrate to attendees of the Summit the principle of long‑term goals?”

3. Short‑Term Goal

“If the rules get into situation when they don’t know the solutions – for example, how to stop an exodus of people from Africa to Europe – then it is apparent that they don’t have a path and that they are unable to set forth a long‑term goals. What is left for them is to set forth short‑term goals and operational tasks related to them. There are two extreme ways to how to proceed.

The most frequently used one is the ‘extinguish the fire’ approach. While it might stop or at least slow down the problem, the mess and losses in lives and property are enormous (examples are not only local war conflicts, impacts of climate change, but also today hidden hazards, for example the current estimate presents that about 100 million people aged 15 to 29, mostly from Africa, will not find work in 2030).

The second kind of approach is that the problems are subjected to negotiations. Compromises in economic area are usually sought while problems in social sphere are postponed into next elections cycle. It is not that bad approach but it is inconsistent. As we know from our experience, inconsistency has its cost, unresolved problems are coming back, etc.” “Jana, I know and I am sure that everyone knows that. Therefore, you have to come up with something new.“

“What about suggesting to the rulers they prepare their Summits with the use of modern technology? I do not mean a greater precision of sociological and demographic studies or big screen displays in their general meeting rooms, but I am thinking of a structure of the whole Summit, of its application regime. The most important is methodology of receiving and processing the conclusions of the negotiations and the processing of the tasks.” “Jana, today’s Summits are missing your attributes: philosophy (their experience) that helps them to find the right path, mathematics (their education) that helps them to clearly present the goal and prove that their choices (quantities and qualities) are correct and weighted. And the last attribute - logic (their reason) that gives them the opportunity to make sure they are really on the right path and to succeed in benchmarking of their behavior when defending the proposals before the public.”

“After all, you know that they need the tools focused on verification of the credibility of inputs, on knowing what the processes they are negotiating about will cost and on setting up priorities within a package of projects they gave a preliminary approval to. Please, focus on explaining what the pilot project’s role is in decision‑making they do and that they announce to the world. In hallways, outside of the main presentation, initiate structured dialogues about SPC Concepts and results of pilot application of the SPC Utility.”

This 30year timeframe is also a prospect for a new generation (e.g., water and food are needed every day when someone buys a car, for example, for the next ten years, but when we take care of our children, they need almost thirty to be fully in style on their feet). Many things are involved, especially access to finance for families and their children.

For example, it is worth considering the standard deployment of 30-year loans for children of families who take care of their upbringing and absolute independence, all in terms of conditions in the low-income areas of today's world. It is one of the other topics of narrative stories.

This approach allows us to see the UN SDGs in a different position. We can present the UN's Sustainable Development Goals as stories to any final beneficiaries, e.g., in low-income territories (provinces). Local people (final beneficiaries) can discuss such works locally, improve their content, and participate in the needed data structure development.

It is the fast and cheapest manner of generating actual data and the required data structures. It is about the accurate data collected in situ with specific contacts (addresses) in a real sociological and psychological environment.

Such gained data has a natural property of  being sustainable. According to Figure C7b, stories, narratives, activities and projects, and relevant reports and protocols create many opportunities for data creation, capture, operation, use, and storage.

Generally, we talk about data processes or distinguish the data size and growing characteristics (big and small data). The data processes start with creation and capture, followed by data engineering in actual operations.

Let's look at data science, engineering, and data project management differently in the way of hyperbole and humor. We choose the three steps of the Paradigm Chain in Figure C6d (assumption for a Shift, tasks that should be done, and the human behavior change, including adaptation to the gained results).