The not so Grassroots of the Global Shapers Community (Part 5)

• Rob McLean
• Originally published at DailyRasp.com
• September 23, 2020, 4:23 pm

In my earlier articles of this series looking into the Global Shapers Community (GSC) in highlighting characteristics and elements that members bring into the Community. This is Part 5 in the series. If you want to catch up, start with Part 1 here, otherwise, read on.

In Part 5 I’ll take a tour through the claim to grassroots attempting to suss out academic and professional experience of several Hub members. The cumulative total of that experience is what gets each person accepted into the GS—well, that and the immutable characteristics of race and gender. All Hubs are mandated by Geneva to reflect the local community. At any rate, looking at these factors will, in my view, help get a handle on the validity of the claim of being a “grassroots” network.

Of the 430-odd Hubs worldwide, this article will look at just one: London, UK. Several hours of researching, compiling data from publically available sources and making connections to outside groups; employers, professional organizations, nonprofits, etc.

The whole point of the exercise is to show the power of a Hub—this isn’t your kids 4-H chapter—and how Hubs seek to shape local and global narratives. Combined these things tell us a lot about the philosophy, values, focus, and direction the global shaping as it were, is trending.

Referring to the list below you’ll see a range of organizations which vary widely in their main focus. What is not found in my research is anything to do with trades; carpentry, mechanics or similar. (One can’t help but come away with the impression these people never risk getting grime under the nails.)

• Brookings Institute
• British Youth Council
• British Council Org.
• Cambridge
• Durham
• European Commission
• International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
• Local Govt. Assoc. (UK)
• London School of Economics
• LSE Council
• National Social Center for High Impact Philanthropy
• Newcastle
• Operation Moonshot
• Oxbridge
• Oxford

Reading again the list above it is quite clear we’re not looking at small town chambers of commerce. Keep in mind the table is not a full accounting for what is an impressive reach for just only a few of the members currently listed in the Hub.

What did my digging uncover? Well, there is biotech, AI, finance, health, science, and government. There is education and youth, along with STEM. Oh, and Al Gore is here too. No surprise that among the GSC climate crisis advocacy is a priority. (I’ll write about the Climate Reality Project aspect connections in an upcoming article.)

The types of business relationships found consist of financial, health, education, tech, AI, robotics, facial recognition, environment, chemistry, media, and government. In addition, there is active engagement with activism the previously mentioned Climate Reality Project and Extinction Rebellion. Recall the Friday climate protests, teachers dragging kids into the street. Well, there are connections to GS members activating those campaigns.

Here is a map created to show at least some of the relationships and connections:

Professionally, members bring top-level education and professional experience into the Hub along with a track record of networking. There is also a lot of “founding” of youth focused nonprofits. Seems everyone is founding a nonprofit. Generally, and not exclusive of this Hub, majority of the nonprofits I’ve looked into are presented as education-centered focusing on youth, women and girls and “underrepresented voices.”

Within all of this, there are not infrequent references to STEM, but in context of how women and girls are underrepresented. A wrong, which must be righted, they declare! The oft repeated words: sustainability; diversity; values; inclusion are scattered throughout corporate and nonprofit messaging thrown-up for public consumption.
Nevertheless, beneath it lay the heart of the real collective beast, the single agenda unto which all else must bow: the Fourth Industrial Revolution. After all Klaus Schwab is boss.

Without fail, one consistency is commitment to advancing the full slate of global goals of the United Nations Sustainable Development agenda. Therefore, the GSC claim to being grassroots is fakenews.

Part 6 in the works!

Tags: globalism; technocracy; activism; democracy

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