Renowned investment banker and best-selling author Ketan Patel said the only salvation for ''greedy", "consumer" societies is a fundamental change in value systems.
We need to re-architect values and change consumerist mindsets, says author
LONDON: Renowned investment banker and best-selling author Ketan Patel said the only salvation for ''greedy", "consumer" societies is a fundamental change in value systems.
Delivering the keynote address at an inaugural event titled 'The 2007 Indus Insight' organised by the leading British charity Sewa International, Patel spoke of the need for charities like Sewa International to embrace an agenda that promotes a fundamental change in values.
"The rate of growth of our need to consume everything the world has can only lead to a deadly conflict for resources. All our measures of prosperity and progress demand that we keep consuming," said Patel, author of 'The Master Strategist'.
"Historically this was called "greed. Today we use words such as "consumer society". Science may make the breakthroughs that enable us to continue this pattern of behaviour by creating plenty. Only a fundamental change in values can really save us," he added.
Patel said that the presence of the world's richest, such as Gates and Buffett, willing to donate their billions to solve the world's most important issues combined with the breakthroughs in medicine, electronics and materials gave us the opportunity to make a historic shift in seemingly structural poverty.
"However, this will not happen unless we have master strategists to change minds and behaviours and re-architect our values," he told an audience of about 150 leaders of industry and prominent members of the British Indian community.
"The most lasting legacy of history's great strategic minds is to teach us how to strive for power so that our countries, businesses, communities and leaders can win. It has not taught us how to instil peace, prosperity and freedom," he said.
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