The Altruistic Gene - Revisited:: About Actions, Events and Impacts

By S.T. Evensen

This book replaces a fiction (2005) in the Altruistic Gene trilogy and covers what really happened to an industrial family in 2005–2018. It signals faith in the power of collaboration to attain social impact by effective altruism, a. o. setting new standards benefiting others. The book offers perspectives on business, institutional, as well as societal development.
It also relates historic values of peripheral isles and coastal areas in Northern Europe, namely, gender parity and the right to resist by freedom of speech in a direct democracy protected by common law. Telling about the actuality of these values, that is the purpose and rationale of the book.

Part 1 of the book follows the elders of the family from 2005 until 2011. The elders foresaw structural changes, as well as crises of trust caused by elite circulation/collusion and fragmentation of decision-making benefiting special interests. They chose to carry through a transition of power to their children whom had become stepparents of two nephews—victims of their biological parents’ high and deadly profiles. A primary objective of the transition was to protect the family and reduce its profile in the media and markets by divesting holdings in traditional industries. The elders wanted the stepparents to prepare the next generation for an early transition of power, and they involved the family’s confidants as mentors. They also financed a task force for security and intelligence with a hidden agenda.

Part 2 and 3 of the book follow the endeavors of the next generation during 2012–2018. The family’s values made the next generation take on responsibilities with a strong sense of duty. The two adopted sons sought innovation and experiences in both the south and north of Europe, where they were faced with the causes and later repercussions of economic crises in 2007–2009. The collusion resulted in crises of trust and debt. Their findings on deliberative, transparent pluralism: Good governance requires agility, enterprise, and ethics, as well as collaboration, fair play, and predictability.

They pursued ideas benefiting the atomist (the individual without influence alone) by impartiality, coresponsibility, empowerment, and collaboration. They saw the need to reinvent activities of trustees/fiduciaries and facilitate effective basic infrastructure, benefiting also small- and midsized enterprises (SMEs) without names in the markets and media. Therefore, they decided to promote and participate in a social enterprise for impact investing, organized as an innovative collaborative value network (CVN). A CVN can reach into the real economies of maritime regions where needs of owners/enterprisers and investors are similar everywhere.

The book draws a circle with an unexpected end: one of the adopted sons encounters a young woman with a surprise connection to the death of his biological parents. An early transition starts, and a CVN approach for impact investing is set in motion. New ways are commenced, e.g., efforts to stop favoring of special interests, as well as to draft a pact on altruism* against obscurantism.

Telling about these endeavors ends the author’s book series** on pluralism, ethics, and enterprise.

*The draft pact on altruism is not important, but the idea of such a draft is, when spread in growing circles.
**This book and Nordic Model Analyses (2016) invite readers to participate in an anthology for building alternative visions of Nordic and similar societal models by combining pluralism, ethics, enterprise, and welfare, as well as gender parity, secularity, diversity, and ecumenism.

Cf. www.bankier.co

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 14, 2018
• ISBN: 9781984566560

S.T. Evensen

S.T.Evensen (Sverre) has been- and still is a student of resource management and transport geography in order to understand what is sustainable or possible to improve. His systemic thinking on shipping integration has become tools for holistic Regional Transport Analyses (RIMTA) – to simulate alternative regional strategies for effective Basic Infrastructure and environmental qualities. RIMTA can also be applied to Strategic Total Defense and related Critical Infrastructure. Today there are bleak realities to be improved by taking stances on so-called “gatekeepers” and “makers & breakers” serving special interests. Very few politicians have the courage to contradict influential, short-sighted special interests. For example: To decide on transfer of transport from land to sea regionally and between regions. That would be a major improvement – also for the Ports. But many Port Authorities of the World today serve special interests and their own management. Shipping integration and improvement of environmental qualities by RIMTA – that is a Vision of those, who see the real economies (= enterprises, households, municipalities) and the urgent need of so-called “Green Pricing” to stimulate and/or tax future use of resources and technical standards with respect to their environmental impacts - the so-called “foot prints”. Sverre was one of few who blew the whistle on collusion by cross-selling strategies, which resulted from deregulation of the financial industry since 1987 in Europe and Asia – and since 1999 in the USA. He wrote a trilogy on our shared endeavors for real financial reform a. o. by separating the roles of markets. It was started in 1993 and published in 2005. Now we are “revisited” – to reflect on actions, events and impacts – and to follow the action learning by the new generation of the Bec-Helm family, who benefit from parallel transfer of experiences – as to the objective of their mentors: To prepare a transition by choice - or by necessity – before 2025. The Endowment for Ethics & Enterprise (EEE) promotes initiatives like those of Sverre – e.g. a virtual Institute for the Real Economy (I-RE) and a Social Enterprise for Impact Investing – organized as a Collaborative Value Network. He builds “Cases” based on R&D of the real economy and adjacent behavioral studies of ethics and enterprise by focusing on owners/enterprisers and investors.

Book preview

The Altruistic Gene

Revisited

About Actions, Events and Impacts

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Copyright © 2019 by S.T. Evensen.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2018913405

ISBN:      Hardcover      978-1-9845-6528-0

                Softcover        978-1-9845-6529-7

                eBook               978-1-9845-6656-0

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 12/12/2018

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A Norse Rudder Book on Pluralism, Ethics, and Enterprise

Published by Xlibris.com

© S. T. Evensen

The main Characters of The Altruistic Gene trilogy

They represent European Innovation and efforts for transparent pluralism, ethics, and enterprise. They are shielded by pseudonyms as they also were in the trilogy, Voyage for Continuity: The Altruistic Gene (1993–2005). The third book was a fiction, while this book, The Altruistic Gene Revisited, tells what really happened (2005–2018). The main characters are the following:

Nora Helm and her husband, Olav de Hogefleur Bec (Ole)

Their perspectives are based on directorships in a Northern European Triangle:

Amsterdam/Rotterdam/Antwerp/Brussels/Paris/Lyon/Geneva;

Berlin/Hamburg/Aachen/Cologne/Dusseldorf/Frankfurt/Munich/Zürich;

London/Manchester/Dublin/Edinburgh/the Southwest Corridor of Scandinavia (SWC).

Theodore de Hoguefleur Bec-Helm (Teo), student of political science and law

and Carl Sevenson Bec-Helm, student of oceanography and other life sciences

They are the next-generation sons of Ole’s cousins, André de Hoguefleur and Thor Bec Sevenson, and their wives, Christine, born Marchand, and Patricia (Pat), born Parr. After their parents’` death, Carl and Teo were adopted by Nora and Ole, and they share the family name Bec-Helm.

Heddy Helm, the mother of Nora, and her husband, Hugo Bec,

respectively, Ole’s stepmother and stepfather

They live at Nortun in the Outer Oslo Fjord of Norway.

Charles F. de Melville of Jersey, Nora’s father

A former merchant banker and activist of transparent, deliberative pluralism, where roles of markets and roles of authorities are kept separate in order for political adversaries to respect each other. In 2005, he started to unload his holdings to pursue activities headed by Alain Barfleur (see below).

Maitre Caran, a trusted friend and confidant of the family and a widower

He is monitoring Bec-Helm-Melville family’s interests managed by Anita Franchi.

Anita Franchi, manager of the Bec-Helm family’s interests,

and her husband, Alain Barfleur, head of a Task Force for Security and Intelligence (S&I)

Maitre Caran, Anita Franchi, and Alain Barfleur are among the closest mentors of Carl and Teo. Ole and his cousins used to sail with Alain Barfleur and his team, Willem of Friesland in Holland and Max of Hamburg in Germany. Later, Niels of Jutland in Denmark became a trusted team member. Alain and his team acquired a research vessel / sail yacht with the family as a silent, majority owner.

Anthony B. Palmer—the brother of Diane B. Palmer (deceased)—joins the family.

The Pen Name, S. T. Evensen—the bard of the Bec-Helm-Melville family

A confidant was needed in the role of a bard to tell the story of this enterprising European family. The task coincided with the escalation of elite circulation, fragmentation of decision-making benefiting special interests and corporatism by lax deregulation policies and open borders, along with a boom of unregulated social media, resulting in fake news and cross-border cybercrimes. In the foreword and the prologue, the bard sheds light on collusion versus impartiality.

The main characters share—and recognize in others—an altruistic spirit.

Contents

Above: The main Characters of this Book.

Dedication to the Blue Planet and the Altruistic Spirit.

The Purpose and Rationale of this Book.

On the Front Page Symbol: The Norse Rudder.

Storyboard of The Altruistic Gene trilogy.

About the Author. Foreword on Pluralism, Ethics,

and Enterprise.

Prologue with a Self-Audit.

Part 1: The elders’ transition of power to Nora Helm and Ole Bec for them to prepare the next generation

The transition was based on European realities as seen by the elders. They offer comments on economic history, events, and impacts as well as effective altruism benefiting the atomist. Nora and Ole were living in Northern Europe during 2005–2011. They watched crises emerge and take hold.

Chapter:

1. A June 2006 Gathering of the Bec-Helm-Melville Family at Nortun in Outer Oslo Fjord of Norway to Decide on Transition and a New Direction

Nora and Ole were asked to prepare for a new transition of power to Carl and Teo, at the latest in 2025. The elders addressed a Mind Map for Ownership Dynamics and the family’s stance on the selfish gene by corporatism and obscurantism by orthodoxies versus effective altruism and enlightenment by secularity, gender parity, diversity, and ecumenism to set new standards.

2. Spring Gathering 2007 at Pommier on Jersey. Charles told his guests about the Normand flag and an adjacent history of islands and coastal areas for refuge and/or strategic positioning. However, the topic for the gathering was the Economic Crises in their making

Afterward, there was whistle-blowing directed to the financial industry in Hamburg. Remember the Lex Column December 13, 2001. It blew the whistle on consequences of securitization and insurance of debt in financial markets. By 2007, capitalism with other people’s money was in bankruptcy. An Attachment tells stories on Norse / Anglo-Normand isles and Norse culture in their context.

3. Spring Sessions 2008 (Chez Maitre Caran) and late Autumn 2009 (Chez Barfleurs) in Normandy

Charles’s deliberated macroeconomics versus holistic resource management with systemic perspective.

Actual events and phenomena 2008–2009:

• The Financial Crisis emerging September 15, 2008: It started a fixing of the financial industry at the cost of taxpayers. That was an arrogant abuse of the atomist;

• The UN Copenhagen Meeting on Climate Change 2009: Comprehensive Fair Play Green Pricing by the leading climate scientist of NASA versus scheming for corporate trade-in and reductions of CO2 emissions by an influential quick-fix macroeconomist;

• Fear caused by the flu pandemic in 2009.

4. Season Holidays at Nortun 2010/2011

The elders said to remember family history to learn about and from character and/or talent. Death can be a breath away and can cause fatal grief. Further transition, which followed, had specific objectives, for example, the continuity of the family’s estate management and Nortun as a refuge to rewrite history.

Backdrops on Part 1:

I. Obscurantism vs. Enlightenment; Elite Circulation and Collusion vs. Pluralism; Consensus vs. Compromise; Corporatism vs. Good Governance;

II. Commemoration of Diane B. Palmer;

III. Commemoration of deceased, young members of the Bec-Hoguefleur-Sevenson families;

IV. Nordic nations should contribute to and participate in Regional Maritime Learning Centers. Situational Reports 2005–2011 from Alain Barfleur’s Task Force for Security and Intelligence (S&I).

Part 2: Theodore (Teo) de Hoguefleur Bec-Helm 2012–2018

An introduction: Lives in Southern Europe are caught in the middle of austerity measures by EU politicians assisted by macroeconomists at ECB and IMF versus finding New Ways by Altruism, Collaboration, Institutional Development, Nudging, as well as innovation by E-Cube analysis.

5. Teo met Carl for a vacation at Nortun to discuss their future as brothers and partners

Teo decided on his graduate studies based on interests, which he shared with his brother. Teo followed the Latin World, which is torn apart by migration and social dumping. Much needed positive development syndromes surface as alternatives, sometimes as a distant fata morgana. But there is also tangible, viable innovation based on E-Cube analysis. But any vision can be broken by elite circulation and fragmentation of decision-making to benefit special interests.

Backdrops on Chapter 5:

• Multipurpose Power Pack (MPP)—flat packed energy solution(s) based on E-Cube analysis;

• A brief on PlanBleue.org—an organization with a Vision, which will not be broken.

6. Continued efforts by Teo in Southern Europe followed by sessions of mentoring during the Summer of 2014 at Nortun and in the Spring of 2015 Chez Barfleurs in Normandy

Teo’s focus: Transparent, deliberative pluralism to stimulate good governance, enterprise, and financial innovation versus growing corporatism and elite circulation. The Power of Collaboration intrigued Teo and Carl—for example, an innovative Social Enterprise for Impact Investing organized as a Collaborative Value Network (CVN) also recommended by their parents and mentors.

Backdrops on Chapter 6:

• Real financial innovation can be achieved by trustees/fiduciaries acting as single-role wedges to separate the other roles of financial markets and bridging functions for capital partners assembled and organized by a Collaborative Value Network (CVN);

• Collaborative Value Network (CVN) for impact investing in basic infrastructure activities and to tackle Hydro Challenges. Alliances can choose coopetition to achieve real innovation with social impact by backing a shared disruptive entrant;

• Enterpriser Marts for broadcasting initiatives, needs, etc.

7. An invitation to the Home of Diane B. Palmer (deceased), extended by her brother, Anthony, before Brexit and the US Election in 2016

Teo was concerned about lack of reforms resulting in a growing GAP between the Financial and the Real Economy. He requested the scaling-up of a virtual Institute for the Real Economy (I-RE). Cf. Chapter 10 of Part 3 on a second visit to Anthony Palmer after Brexit and the US Election.

Backdrops on Chapter 7:

• A virtual Institute for the Real Economy for Talents’ Action Learning and parallel transfer of experience by seniors of academia and the public and private sector;

• Europe’s Climate Paradigm in the perspective of the UN Climate Accord 2015.

8. A fatal encounter …

Can she accept his circumstances, and vice versa? Will her family enforce compliance with religion, ideology, and culture? What can they do to adjust and build bridges?

Backdrops on Chapter 8:

• The Institute for Islamic Culture (IIC) in Paris, France. An Addendum June 2018 on Islam;

• Efforts for gender parity by Muslims;

• An Overview of Islamic Schools and Branches;

• An Excerpt of The Cairo Declaration 1990 on Human Rights in Islam (CDHRI).

Part 3: Carl Sevenson Bec-Helm 2012–2018

An introduction: Challenges and divides of Northern Europe are growing. One overriding issue is emerging in the High North: Saving the Seas/the Ocean and the Climate can help save Civilization.

Chapter 9: Water of the Ocean makes Gaia the Blue Planet—it is both an Illusion and an Omen signifying needed Change for Sustainable Development of the so-called Blue Economy

Survival strategies for a vulnerable High North should reach out to Regional Maritime Learning Centers Worldwide. Carl made presentations on the above subject during the Summer of 2012 at Nortun as well as during a visit to the High North in the Summer of 2013. The topics were as follows:

• The intrinsic Hope of the Arctic Council to maintain Peace and protect the High North

• The rise of the so-called Nordic and similar Societal Models and their fall caused by gullibility as well as corporate collusion and abuse resulting in economic disparities and other inequalities

• Building Vision for Nordic and similar Societal Models by Positive Development Syndromes

Carl and Teo discussed policies for our Commons and shared Basic Infrastructure as well as Blue Ocean Strategy on how to create uncontested Market Space and make Competition irrelevant. They also applied Nudging and Comparative Analyses of Institutional Development. Cf. Coase.org.

Backdrops on Chapter 9 are excerpts of communications from the following:

A) Blue Ocean Strategy

B) EU Blue Growth Strategies

C) PEMSA.org

D) Blue-economy.org

An Addendum on Friends of the Ocean

10. New European and International Realities, 2016–2018

Carl and Teo joined their parents and Sverre for a visit to Anthony Palmer, the brother of Diane. The visit took place after the British Referendum to stay (i.e., remain) or leave (i.e., Brexit) the EU. They discussed Brexit and the aftermath of the US Presidential Election in 2016 as well as international relations on trade and climate. See further details in the Backdrops on the Chapter.

A Backdrop on Chapter 10:

Edited remarks on International and European Developments 2016–2018:

A new Era will start if the USA reduces its Global Hegemony and requires UN Reform & Empowerment, Fair Trade Relations as well as a G8’s responsibility for World Climate and Peace along with China.

11. Impact Investing, Enterpriser Marts and Talents’ Action Learning in Coastal Networks of Maritime Regions, where needs of owners/enterprisers and investors are similar everywhere

Carl and Teo compared notes, and they built Cases together. While doing so, they contributed to enterprise by promoting initiatives and participating in Impact Investing. Other contributors were Endowment for Ethics & Enterprise (EEE) and the Creditas-Initiative + Bankier.co. Carl, Teo, and Sverre built a Case on the Power of Collaboration in order to diffuse two ideas:

1. Alliances can choose Coopetition to achieve real Innovation, that is, with Social Impact.

2. A Social Enterprise for Impact Investing organized as a Collaborative Value Network (CVN).

A Backdrop on Chapter 11:

The Case on the Power of Collaboration followed by its Attachments, some Overviews, and

I. Questions to the Case;

II. A Social Enterprise for Impact Investing organized as a CVN;

III. A Synopsis of the CVN approach;

IV. A Letter of Intent (LoI) directed to wanted Alliances and other Stakeholders;

V. Measuring and reporting Value of Intangible Investments.

12. A young woman makes her entrée and changes the future

A Backdrop on Chapter 12: Here, there, and everywhere. An Abstract on Quantum Technologies and Devices. Source: The Economist: Technology Quarterly | March 11, 2017. Here, there, and everywhere.

A Backdrop on both Parts 2 and 3:

Situational Reports 2012–2018 from Alain Barfleur’s Task Force for Security & Intelligence (S&I).

An Epilogue re:

Scaling Up of the CVN Approach on meetings in Oslo, London, Paris, and Normandy;

Why Transition to the Next Generation, Carl and Teo, was started;

New Ways initiated by Atomists to stop favoring and to draft a Pact on Altruism.

Author’s reflections while editing the book before submitting the manuscript to the publishers.

A Backdrop on drafting a Pact on Altruism* against Obscurantism**

* Willingness to do things that bring advantages to others, even if it results in disadvantage for yourself.

** Opposition to the spread of knowledge, for example, a policy of withholding knowledge from the general public.

An Abridged Bibliography: Books and other references offering insight and inspiration.

Some of them are followed by brief information on their authors and/or special endeavors.

Postscripts: On Financial Policy and Real Financial Innovation with Social Impact

The Postscripts offer historic, systemic, and resource-based perspective on combined business and open-ownership models for assembling many, spreading their risk to build capacity and to facilitate access to equity capital / restructuring in the real economies of regions, e.g., an impartial Collaborative Value Network (CVN) and an adjacent Protection Club. There, Capital Partners of the CVN has a right, but not an obligation, to participate in the Protection Club. Its Crux is as follows:

Assist someone today, who in turn may help others in the future.

1. A Bottom-Up Approach for Allocation of Resources and Taxation

A brief excerpt of the textbook Nordic Model Analyses (2016).

2. Real Financial Reform with Social Impact benefits also Small and Midsize Enterprises (SMEs) without Names in markets and media.

3. On trustee/fiduciary activities related to Land banking in a Coastal Area—to achieve a viable Blue-Green Structure for Environmental Villages with Green Bridges between the Hills and the Sea, to cover and conceal through traffic, and to make access to trains/metro/buses as well as green areas for playing and green axis for biking/walking.

4. Fintech, Blockchain, Digital Central Bank Money, Blockbonds and Smart Contracts

5. On a CVN Approach for Impact Investing benefiting the Real Economies of Maritime Regions and their Hinterlands:

I. Bankier.co’s participation in HBS.edu New Venture Competition (NVC) 2017: A Social Enterprise for Impact Investing organized as a Collaborative Value Network (CVN) with Competitive Edge, where there may be Collusion, a related email to Carl and Teo

II. Applications of CVNs for Impact Investing by Social Enterprise(s)

III. Other information on the launch and scaling up a Collaborative Value Network (CVN)

IV. MiFID II as EU’s framework for licensed Investment Services—supplemented by Social Enterprise for Impact Investing operating at Arm’s length to licensed financial activities?

V. An ESA Complaint since 1999 on illegal favoring of the financial industry’s incumbents and related communication by emails to ESA in Brussels

VI. Program for a Summit on the Power of Collaboration

VII. On EU Infringement Proceedings against member states that have failed to fulfill a Treaty obligation

To the Blue Planet

Driven in harmony by the Sun, Gravity, and Water

It has a lake on a mountain from which a river runs

To a land where a tree marks house and yard

A bay is near for a boat to meet the Ocean

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A grayscale version of a picture on the site of Bankier.co: Check course—set best direction

To the Altruistic Spirit of the Bec-Helm-Melville family

The purpose and rationale of this book reflect the family’s values.

Cf. the family’s assertions to the bard mentioned overleaf.

The family asserted early on to the bard that life is fragile, if there is no secularity, gender parity, ecumenism, and diversity.

The worst of harm is done to the Planet and continuity of life by those who are not held responsible for consequences of their destructive deeds.

Transparent, deliberative pluralism is under siege by special interests / NGOs. Politics, finance, and social media are conducting game plays of scenarios …

Special interests reach consensus by fragmentation of decision-making and harm the fine fabric of real economies in regions and communities.

The insiders of elite circulation condone collusion and network corruption.

Abuse of the atomist must stop, and favoring must be deemed illegal.

So far, corporatism has won for the short-term benefits of the inmates.

Only effective altruism can counter such stealthy, destructive networking.

Altruists want the objectivity of independent, cross-professional analyses.

Instead, special interests fragment and cause inequality, collusion, and abuse.

Altruists challenge all politicians, academia, and professions who know better.

Their efforts for fair-play reforms and proactive measures are much needed …

Everyone can help save the Seas/Ocean as well as Climate and Civilization,

if Fair Play Green Pricing is implemented to nudge in a sustainable direction.

Transparent, deliberative pluralism and common law are not to be misused.

Primes of all creeds must be held responsible for the deeds of followers …

But pluralism is vulnerable when undermined by immigration out of control, promoted by unreal, futuristic ideas of multiculturalism and universal rights.

Then transparent, deliberative pluralism will be hushed by tolerance to those who are taught NOT to tolerate the ways and lives of their democratic hosts.

Growing, parallel societies in cities, regions, and nations are very real threats.

Citizens’ as well as newcomers’ alienation are threats to national continuity.

Global Good Governance by proactivity, ethics, and enterprise can be viable

if and when the United Nations (UN) is reformed and empowered to harmonize.

Why? Because UN members share the Commons of all Life—the Atmosphere, the Climate, and the Ocean—driven in harmony by the Sun, Gravity, and Water.

Below you, the reader, find examples of the next generation’s action learning and parallel transfer of experience to them by the elders, parents, and mentors.

Earlier publications/books written by the pen name S. T. Evensen—a Google Book Search Partner

• 1981: The Textbook Economic Co-Responsibility: A Borderline in Politics. Bedriftsokonomisk Forlag / Cappelen Damm, Oslo, member of the Bonnier Publishing. The book was intended to stimulate an Association for Shareholder Activism and signaled the need of Enterpriser Movements in an era of growing Corporatism

• 1993–2005: The Trilogy Voyage for Continuity—The Altruistic Gene: Tales of Democratic Values against Grips of Power. Philadelphia/Xlibris.com

• 2006: The Text Book Director from the Outside: Good Governance inspired by Democratic Values. Philadelphia/Xlibris.com

• 2010: Repositioning of single-role investment/merchant services and trustees/fiduciaries in financial markets. A Master of Management Paper at BI no. In English, it is based on the Case method, and in Norwegian, it is based on a survey of the needs of enterprisers/owners and investors without Names in financial markets

• 2016: Nordic Model Analyses: Stances on Syndromes vs. Scenarios. Xlibris.com.

• The above textbook on methodology is planned to be followed by an Anthology on building Vision for Nordic and similar Societal Models based on positive development syndromes

Storyboard of The Altruistic Gene trilogy

• Book 1: Choosers—happening during a few weeks in Normandy, Paris, Jersey, London after deregulation of financial markets resulting in corporate collusion.

• Book 2: Challengers—setting up an alternative to collusion by multirole players (2005) followed by a first try of Book 3—Continuity—a fiction.

• Book 3: The Altruistic Gene Revisited (2018). It replaces the above story on Continuity and tells what really happened.

Book 1: Choosers—taking a stance on collusion in financial markets

We meet a young tycoon, Ole Bec, who confronts corporate powers by describing lack of real innovation with social impact, and he is punished financially. Thereafter we meet him, depressed. His love has left him. At the same time, his activities are attacked by a multirole financial player.

The scene is Manoir Bec Hoguefleur in Normandy from which the Bec Group is operated. It is close to a Pilothouse (Phare Hoguefleur). There, the family’s former auditor warns him about the attack in its making assisted by moles. Ole contacts his cousins, André de Hoguefleur and Thor Bec Sevenson. André replaces him, while Ole and Thor go to Jersey on Andre’s sail yacht to plan a defense. There, Ole meets with an old family friend, Charles F. de Melville, an influential banquier / merchant banker who organizes a defense team. The team on the sail yacht represents another type of support headed by Alain Barfleur, an ex-marine with electronic surveillance experience. The liaison between the two teams is Christine Marchand, the girlfriend of André and the PA of Charles F. de Melville. Thor meets Patricia, his future wife. At the Bec Group, André and Maitre Caran build a third defense team assisted by an owner of a local media group. Ole is also visited by a fourth defense team, namely, his father, Hugo; his stepmother, Heddy; and his younger stepsister, Nora. They come from Nortun in the South of Norway. However, they leave him before the battle starts.

Ole is well prepared when the attacks unfold. Most of the Bec Activities are saved under the auspices of his cousin, André, and Maitre Caran as a result of Ole’s sacrifices. The villains are caught red-handed and exposed.

In other words, Book 1 of the trilogy, Choosers, explains how to avoid an unfriendly corporate attack. One must be prepared and willing to make (possibly substantial) sacrifices, like Ole did.

A few weeks later, Ole is invited to Charles on Jersey for a Summing Up. Their meeting becomes a revelation of great significance, namely, that Nora is the daughter of Charles. That fact will also be revealed to Nora by Heddy. Soon after, Charles invites all involved to his place in Jersey. Then Nora and Ole can express their mutual feelings, that is, relive their relationship, not as siblings but as lovers.

Book 2: Challengers—setting up an alternative to collusion by multirole financial players (2005)

Nora is exposed to an abuse by a fake doctor/scientist. It makes her infertile. Good news follows from Ole’s cousins, André and Thor. Their marriages have resulted in a new generation of the family Hoguefleur-Bec-Sevenson, and they challenge Nora and Ole to be parents-in-reserve. Using the pen name S. T. Evensen, Sverre from Norway has already entered the life of Ole. Thereafter, Diane from England enters the life of Nora, Ole, and Sverre. Diane is a professional outside director. She is fascinated by a Single-Role Invest-Banc Initiative (IBI) meant to reposition single-role investment/merchant services after deregulation of financial markets in 1987, which is likely to result in crises. Diane, Nora, and Ole collaborate with Sverre. They whistle blow on collusion by multirole financial players, and they try to prepare a scaling-up of IBI supported by Charles. But then there is an attack by a corporate raider on Charles’s old-fashioned merchant bank. Charles fights back, assisted by a task force. Sverre discovers the raider’s possible link to the fake doctor and life sciences astray.

Cf. events described in book 2 of the trilogy—Challengers—on much-needed financial reform.

The raider is fended off. But Diane dies in what is construed as a car accident. Later, a warning to the family for starting investigations into the death of Diane goes wrong. Ole’s cousins and their wives are killed on a vacation outside Europe. Their sons are elsewhere and avoid death.

Afterward, Nora and Ole adopt Carl and Teo.

Charles is convinced that the deaths are no accidents but are results of Diane’s prying into affairs of obscurantists and Christine’s demands for gender parity, secularity, ecumenism, and diversity—causes supported also by Charles. Nora, Ole, Charles, and confidants decide not to give in.

Book 3: The Altruistic Gene Revisited (2018)

First we follow actions, events, and impacts from 2005 to 2011, especially before and during the economic crises of 2007–2009, which are expected by Charles, Nora, Ole, and Sverre. Charles has divested most of his holdings and reinvests in safe, undervalued (at the time) basic infrastructure activities. The first sequence starts in 2006 when the elders of the family decide on a transition to Nora and Ole. They are asked to prepare a transition to the new generation, Carl and Teo, before 2025, assisted by the confidants of the family, Maitre Caran, Anita Franchi, Alain Barfleur, as well as Sverre of Oslo, Norway, who represents the Bankier.co initiative and who serves as the bard of the family.

A Task Force for Security and Intelligence (S&I) is set up by Alain Barfleur and his team on R/V Missus. She is fit for oceanographic studies. This is a perfect cover for intelligence on perpetrators and backers of murders—Diane first and then the cousins and their wives. Brief Situational Reports from the S&I on systematic efforts follow each year. S&I uncovers dangerous players of cybercrimes, trafficking, etc.

Then we follow Teo and Carl from 2012 to 2018. In their preparations to take over, they go in different directions but compare notes whenever they meet. We follow some of these meetings between them and family confidants serving as their mentors. Teo goes South during and after graduate studies of law and political science. Carl goes North during and after graduate studies of oceanography and life sciences. They decide on a joint venture: A Social Enterprise for Impact Investing organized as a Collaborative Value Network (CVN).*

The Single-Role Invest-Banc Initiative (IBI) has been in mothballs caused by illegal favoring of financial incumbents, and it is still headed by Sverre. Carl and Teo decide to work with Sverre, who simplifies IBI and launches the Bankier.co website on a CVN Approach for Impact Investing.

Sverre participates in HBS.edu’s New Venture Competition (NVC) 2017. After the competition, he is contacted by a global industrial firm interested in scaling up a CVN for Impact Investing focusing on underserved SMEs, hereunder family-owned firms, in maritime regions. Sverre presents what to do, why, and how to accomplish a Social Enterprise for Impact Investing organized as a Collaborative Value Network (CVN)* with a reach into the real economies of regions, especially in maritime regions where needs of owners/ enterprisers and investors are similar everywhere.

A CVN can result in a wider reach than the financial economy by participation of many who share ownership and other interests based on economic coresponsibility and empowerment to create and secure values according to the CVN’s Raison d’Être / Value Proposition.

Carl, Teo, and Sverre decide to write a Case on the Power of Collaboration and present it to potential alliance profiles and academia. A Consortium of Alliances may choose Coopetition to invest in an entrant for impact investing in order to achieve real financial innovation with social impact, that is, benefiting also SMEs in the real economies of regions.

Regional Summits on the Power of Collaboration—followed by recruiting and training Regional Network Partners (RNPs)—can help scale up a CVN Approach for Impact Investing as well as help assemble future Capital Partners.

Carl, Teo, and Sverre assert that a Collaborative Value Network (CVN)* for Impact Investing is much needed as an alternative to predatory General Partners’ Venture Capital (VC) and Private Equity (PE) funds of the financial economy.

A Case* on the Power of Collaboration sheds light on an uncontested market space,** namely, the needs of SMEs without names in financial markets and how a CVN approach for Impact Investing can make competition irrelevant.**

Remember: If the equity capital is in place, then other financing is always much easier to attain.

* Chapter 11 has a Case on the Power of Collaboration, and the Postscripts offer perspectives.

** Cf. INSEAD Blue Ocean Strategy Institute and links to the books: www.blueoceanstrategy.com.

About The Author

S. T. Evensen (Sverre) has been and still is a proponent of good governance by innovation, strategy, and sustainable resource management. He wants to understand what is possible to improve. He takes stances on syndromes versus scenarios in order to break with inequality, collusion, and abuse.

Today, there are bleak realities to be improved by taking stances on the so-called gatekeepers and makers and breakers serving special interests. Very few politicians have the courage to contradict influential, shortsighted special interests of the financial economy. Eligible political candidates make negative pledges to the whips of parties, a practice that is undermining democracy.

Politicians, civil servants, academia, independent analysts, and members of the professions should focus on the real economy—bottom up—to implement Green Pricing for improved resource management to strengthen enterprise in general and to support real financial innovation with social impact. Anything else is a great disappointment. It tells us about elite circulation and fragmentation of decision-making, which result in a wide corporate grip on our lives.

Already a student in Norway (1966) and in France (1971), Sverre proposed shipping integration to transfer transport from land to sea based on Regional Intermodal Transport Analyses (RIMTA) to simulate alternative strategies for holistic, effective regional basic infrastructure and environmental qualities. That would have resulted in major improvement also for the Hinterlands by modern Ports/Harbors and other effective multiuser transport terminals.

Systemic thinking on shipping integration and digitalization of logistics has become enhanced by RIMTA, which can be applied also to Strategic Total Defense by building Critical Infrastructure.

Shipping integration and improvement of environmental qualities by RIMTA are Visions for those who understand the importance of the real economy (enterprises, households, municipalities).

They want fair play by Green Pricing to stimulate and/or tax future use of resources and technical standards with respect to their environmental impacts, that is, the so-called footprints.

But influential macroeconomists with a distance to the real economy and Authorities of Ports and other Modes of Transport focus on and serve narrow special interests, just like political parties.

Sverre has always promoted shareholder activism in general. He founded a National Stock-Savers’ Association for economic co-responsibility to enhance capital formation also for Small and Midsize Enterprises (SMEs). He was one of few who blew the whistle on consequences of the financial industry’s deregulation since 1987 in Europe and Asia and since 1999 in the USA. Lax policies by regulators condoned collusion and cross-selling strategies by the financial industry’s incumbents.

Sverre wrote a trilogy on our shared endeavors for real financial reform with social impact by trying to separate the roles of markets. It was started in 1993 and published in 2005. Now we are revisited to reflect on actions, events, and impacts and to follow the action learning by the next generation of the Bec-Helm family, who benefits from parallel transfer of mentors’ experiences.

The Endowment for Ethics & Enterprise (EEE) promotes initiatives like those of Sverre, e.g., a virtual Institute for the Real Economy (I-RE), an independent Enterpriser Mart in each language zone, and a Social Enterprise for Impact Investing organized as a Collaborative Value Network (CVN).

Sverre builds Cases based on R&D of the real economy and behavior by focusing on the needs of owners/enterprisers and investors. His books tell about shared efforts for viable improvements.

The Bec-Helm family embraces Sverre’s endeavors and pays tribute to him by referring to a painting by Pushwagner (1983). It meets him in the morning as a reminder of Navigare necesse est.

Read: It is necessary to sail.

Nora and Ole

A Foreword Shedding Light on Pluralism, Ethics, and Enterprise

Stances on syndromes versus scenarios can break with inequality, collusion, and abuse:

1) A positive development syndrome is characterized by gender parity and fraternity as well as pluralism and freedom for the atomist. Cf. the French revolutionary ideals: Egalité, Fraternité et Liberté. Note: France has a Senate Committee mandated to prevent abuse of the atomist.

2) A scenario by a special interest can promote, moderate, or scare, which may result in a consensus, which in practice condones continued inequality, collusion, and abuse.

There was equality for the large majority of citizens in Nordic countries before the mid-1980s.

In other parts of Europe, there were major inequalities, including real class divisions without social mobility, with roots in feudality supported by religion.

The starting point for further Nordic institutional development was therefore good because of the following:

• The role of a politician was considered a task for a trusted person with an altruistic spirit who offers public service to the best of her/his ability.

• The sense of economic coresponsibility was strong among both directors and employees after WWII based on what was a predominantly shared community building.

• Class divisions were only practiced by groups with privileges (public authorities, farmers, and industries / trade unions with access to resources, e.g., energy, timber, land, fish).

Egalitarian Nordic societies with great hopes for the future were about to change dramatically due to coinciding developments such as the following:

• Population growth and higher education as well as technological and structural changes

• Insular professions’ rise to power and their fragmentation of decisions

• New riches—in the Case of Norway, due to oil and gas exploration and extraction*

* Since the mid-1980s, large revenues from extraction of oil and gas on the Norwegian continental shelf have resulted in increasing State ownership and management at home and abroad. A New-rich behavior has evolved with both politicians and public managers. The conclusions of Norway’s Power Probe 2004: Elite-circulation and special interests fragmenting decisions. A deluge of indulgencies financed by Norwegian riches are spent in relief and development internationally by NGOs supported by interlinked politicians. It is a goodness tyranny, which can be improved by fit and proper cross-professionals under strict UN auspices.

One profession—the macroeconomists—has ruled the Nordic Models directly and indirectly.

The macroeconomists** have been assisted by accountants and lawyers.*** These professions have contributed to societal changes resulting in corporatism with a number of attacks on the atomist (read: the individual without influence alone). These are examples:

• Financial and monetary policy has benefited large borrowers and investors in real estate and reduced the wealth of a large majority of small depositors with payroll and savings accounts in mutual banks, cooperatives, and building societies.

• Deregulation of the real estate market did not result in a real economic democracy but benefited developers and managers of properties as well as real estate agents.

• Other deregulation of networks, registers, energy, finance, payment systems, and other basic infrastructure accelerated consolidation and large-scale operations. A new class of corporate leaders rose to power in the role of the employers’ representatives.

• The GAP between the financial and the real economy is widening everywhere due to the authorities’ favoring of multirole financial groups, brokerage houses, and fund managers with a focus on Names in markets and media.

** Macroeconomists have been and are positioned to exploit the situation. In Norway, they do not distinguish between what can be spent on pensions and welfare (on the one hand) and what share of oil and gas revenues represents depletion (on the other hand). The latter funds must compensate use of nonrenewable resources, that is, finance R&D, new basic infrastructure, and viable transition to renewable resources and further develop the real economy by job creation and build technical and financial preparedness to repair damage to the environments. The BNP concept has errors/deficiencies, which result in skewed analyses of welfare and sustainability.

*** Transaction-oriented accountants and lawyers. Their companies are growing. Like the financial industry, they focus on Names in markets and media that can generate repeat transactions and fees. The partners are among the so-called pay winners in the Nordic countries and internationally.

In short, public authorities and influential professions have contributed to institutional, structural, and corporate development, which has strengthened the managerial role through the power of a position (Latin: Empirium).

The economic power of large organizations is still growing, but digitalization, robotics, and adjacent standardization of services to all those without Names in markets and media will cause today’s organizations to be built down; some will even experience a Kodak Moment.

There has been a gathering of power in large organizations for employers and employees, which polarize party politics. Here we also find the macroeconomists at all sides of the table. Macroeconomists serve governing bodies, consultation bodies, lobbies of Names, etc.

The language of politicians is based on the terms of macroeconomics. Macroeconomists act as analysts, lobbyists, and model interpreters in the so-called computation committees and as arbitrators in polarized situations, making them positioned to fragment decision-making.

A few influential macroeconomists have ruled and still rules Central Banks, Ministries of Finance, FSAs, National Bureaus of Statistics, and Computation Committees on Settlement of Salaries and Wages. But they were surprised when the financial crisis of 2008 occurred despite many warnings.

Macroeconomists will still become surprised due to their professional insularity again and again since the financial crisis macroeconomists have continued to embrace the financial economy in order to steer according to their own criteria for the so-called financial stability and their historical data/statistics.

Assertion: Macroeconomists with a distance to and little insight in behavior and the real economy can cause considerable damages, for example, abuse of the atomist in the real economy.

The alternative is that macroeconomists participate in a cross-professional focus on the real economy by building it bottom up based on Green Pricing to avoid misuse of resources/pollution as well as fair play flat taxation rates to avoid tax planning and bubbles.

Why? Because Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), hereunder family-owned firms, account for more than 80 percent of GNP in developed nations and an even greater share of job creation.

Politics and policies that do not focus on the behavior of the atomist (i.e., the individual without influence alone) will weaken transparent, deliberative pluralism, which depends on proactivity, ethics, enterprise, and adjacent job creation. Assembly of strengths among the large majority of participants in the real economy is lacking, or it has been and still is inadequate, for example, in Norway, while Sweden and Germany have Enterpriser Movements, which are independent of party politics. Saving schemes in coownership by stocks should not be sources of capital for listed companies only as it is in Norway. Such negative trends have resulted in, for example, Norwegian corporatism with increasing inequalities, social dumping, consolidations, and abuse of the atomist. The phenomenon of corporate development manifests itself as increasing income disparities, abuse of power in all walks of life, e.g., sports, NGOs, and other voluntary organizations as well as in the practices of public authorities, which in turn weakens trust and will contribute to alienation.

Politicians’ and leaders’ judgment by due diligence and understanding of the role in question, as well as their humility and sense of responsibility, concern and depend on behavior/capacities, insight/competencies, and values/attitudes.

When the media detects abuse or corruption, then reactive analysis of politician and/or corporate leadership’s conduct/behavior is initiated. But the damages are already history, and tracks are often covered up by professionals for hire.

Prevention of bullying/abuse/assault/corruption is only in place if and when there are proactive governing bodies, fair-play reforms, and programs of proactive measures for all ages.

The abovementioned negative phenomena are not quick fixes—something that can be pushed under the carpet and which one must live with in multicultural societies with ever-increasing parallel communities/realities.

A holistic understanding of what pluralism, trust, and equality presupposes may be lacking especially in Nouveau-riche nations with growing disparities partly caused by migration and social dumping.

Politicians and leaders have different behavior/capacities/competencies/attitudes like everyone else. In their respective roles and positions, politicians/leaders take on tasks that they are presumably capable of performing. If they are correctly empowered to tackle their tasks, then they should be held accountable for carrying through according to goals and programs for viable improvements.

Assertions about what creates transparent and deliberative pluralism (read: real democracy): Democracies have arrived at a crossroad, where their politicians/leaders/voters must consider the following:

A. Proactivity by listening to and learning from whistle-blowers or reactivity without learning

B. Consensus or a model based on compromises

C. Overall control of critical and basic infrastructure (e.g., networks, public registers, finance/payment systems and social media) or impaired cybersecurity and abuse of the atomist

Re A and C:

A country without proactive governing bodies (e.g., Senate / elected Regional Assemblies and independent proactive commissions in all key areas) goes into the future backward(!). It will experience impairment of development and societal security. Its cyberprotection must reach cross-border under UN auspices because cybercrimes are international.

Re B:

A society that seeks the so-called consensus is based on elite circulation and game play by strong special interests. For example, Norway is today pervaded by consensus processes. Through hearings, special interests fragment decision-making in their own best interest. There are guilds backstage, which can control consultations and/or hearing institutes set up for planned consensus processes.

In a society based on proactive, transparent, and deliberative pluralism, their adversaries will have a reason to respect each other. Politicians and leaders will become inclined to collaborate re: community, institutional, and business development by finding compromises.

Respect among political adversaries is based on proactivity, transparency, deliberations, and pluralism, which can build trust based on qualities like the right competency for a job, impartiality, and the spirit of altruism.

Note: Nordic countries—especially Norway—lack trust building by proactive governing bodies to prepare decision-making on, for example, critical and basic infrastructure. That’s why things take time and have created ineffective patchworks based on fragmentation of decision-making