Invitation to Interim Meeting in Washington

ETHICS and THE NEW ECONOMY
A round table conference between business professionals
Washington DC, April 28-29, 2000

Why ethics and the new economy? There are macro-economic trends in which the impact of financial crises or prosperity is influencing the whole economy and the daily life of many people. On a micro-economic scale, decisions in companies are strongly driven by the requirement for strong financial performance and market capitalization. It seems that these forces are accelerated by the information technology revolution. Sound business ethics principles are critical in this process.

Program: It is a two-day meeting during which there are two invited speakers and during which we will have four sessions. The sessions are dedicated to four different but related topics, some more macro-economic, some more personal. We plan to attract between 15 and 30 participants. Depending on the number of participants, we may decide to separate out in parallel sessions, so that each discussion has a maximum of 15 people in order to stimulate interactivity. Although the exchange of ideas and experiences is essential, the discussion should aim at practical results and be action driven. Participants are professionals from business and industry with some five to ten years work experience.

Location and timing: The meeting is held in Washington DC on April 28 and 29. This is the weekend after Easter, which provides the advantage that it may make it easier to free oneself in order to attend the conference. It also facilitates combining the conference with a holiday. Washington is home to the White House, IMF, and Worldbank, among others. Washington is very pretty and popular this time of spring. When staying longer, Baltimore and New York are reasonably close.

What you will get out of it? Experience has it, that Junior Round Table conferences are a combination of discussing things of interest beyond your daily work and at the same time making new friends. Participants have similar ambitions and interests, yet come from all over the world. The networking part is of importance and consequently attention is paid to the “social” part of the program.

What you will put into it. Foremost you bring yourself. We expect you to bring in experience, good spirits, but also to be an active participant to the discussion. We plan to achieve practical goals and follow-up actions. A conference fee of 50$ is asked. This covers the costs for the conference, but excludes all other costs such as lodging, travel, and meals.

This conference is organized by the Junior Round Table (JRT). The JRT is an informal network of young professionals with various backgrounds and occupations. Members come from all over the world, are active in economic or business life, and have some five to ten years of work experience. The JRT sets itself the goal of inspiring its members through the exchange of ideas, beliefs, and experiences between its members. Its purposes include: improving the understanding and collaboration between individuals of various backgrounds and nationalities, broadening the perspective on economic and social issues in small and large businesses, asserting the need for effective business principles and evaluating their practical application, and encouraging the members both as individuals and working as a team to take initiatives going beyond their day to day employment. The JRT network currently consists of sixty people in twenty-two countries.