United Nations 65th Ordinary Session opens in NYC on September 14, 2010

COMING TO AMERICA

The 65th Ordinary Session of the United Nations, over which Swiss politician Joseph Deiss will preside, opens Sep 14 with a prayer. General debate runs Sep 23-25 and Sep 27-30. Sustained economic growth and sustainable development top the preliminary agenda for the debate. A review of UN peacekeeping operations and of UN efficiency are also listed for debate. Other expected topics are Iran's refusal to halt uranium enrichment and Israel's May 31 raid on Gaza-bound aid boats.

The United Nations launched its World Economic and Social Survey 2010 in June. Called "Retooling Global Development," it notes that the 2008/9 global economic crisis exposed systematic failures in the workings of today's financial markets and major deficiencies at the core of economic policy-making. The survey emphasized on the need to have major reforms in global economic governance and new thinking about global economic development.

The United Nations has peacekeeping operations in Africa, the Americas, Asia/Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. The locations include Darfur in Sudan, Lebanon and Haiti. The outcome of debate about the budget is likely to determine the missions that will be scrapped, boosted or launched.

The Assembly also plans to assess how much progress has been made on resolutions passed at major United Nations conferences and summits in the economic and social fields. The exercise relates to the Assembly's planned review of the efficiency of the administrative and financial functioning of the United Nations. A new round of UN sanctions were imposed on Tehran on Jun 9. Security Council Resolution 1929 includes tougher financial controls and an expanded arms embargo. The United States and some of its allies accuse Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons. Iran denies the charge.

Israeli commandos stormed the six-ship Freedom Flotilla on May 31 in international waters off the coast of the Hamas-run Gaza Strip as it carried some 10,000 tons of aid and up to 700 human rights activists to the Palestinian enclave. Nine activists were killed and dozens were injured. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for an international probe into the raid.

Face the Book in Business

The MEGA World of Lil Mogul

by Lil Mogul & Jaime Tedford

We humans, it turns out, are social. Whether in the real world or on the interwebs, we like to connect, share and express ourselves. Detractors of the social networking phenomenon diminish it to a telescope and microphone for creeping, stalking, and peeping.

In my experience, it's just the opposite. It's a magnifying glass and megaphone putting me out there for discovery and exploration. Our profiles are a window into our lives, or at least a carefully crafted version of our lives. We have reversed the peepholes on our apartment doors, office windows and invited the world to see us in our natural habitat.

It's an idea one of my associates labeled "reverse voyeurism" and betting on it is the closest thing to a guarantee of social media success that I know. Here's a pass at trying to translate this observation into some actionable social media opportunities.

Facebook starts with a face
Reverse voyeurism is a sister of vanity and a cousin of exhibitionism. The very idea of a "face book" starts with a photo, matching just another face in the crowd with a real identity. If social networking were only about vanity and exhibitionism, then this match would be the end of the story.

Real, honest-to-goodness social networking at its core is about the subtle invitation for my friends to get to know me better. Like a well-poured drink, it's also a powerful social lubricant. Would I ever have been so presumptive as to place 40th birthday photos in an envelope to send to 200 of my closest friends? Not likely. Yet with click of a few buttons on my new HTC Sprint phone (I still do not know how to use it fully) and the through the magic that is my news feed, it's almost like you were invited to my birthday bash (no need to send a gift, I understand).

Yup, something deep in my DNA wants all my friends and family, extended or close, to know I turned 40, had great weekend, partied and don't look a day over 29. Facebook is the number one photo site in the world not because it's a better photo utility than companies dedicated to that pursuit, but because it makes it more OK to share photos. The context is casual. "Hey everyone, check these out ... or not, whatever."

Obvious marketing observation: Incorporate photos into your social media strategy. Nothing captures and extends the lifespan of a moment in time like a simple digital image. Be the company that extends live experiences with your brand to the social web.

Enough about me, what do you think of me? Speaking of sharing little gems about me, the results of the last few Quizzes I've taken reveal I am; a "Audi" (What car-type ARE you?), a fashionista undercover (How fashion forward ARE you?) and Tennis (Golf or Tennis? The Game of choice). Honestly, it has baffled me for a long time why my friends, sophisticated and educated people, kept taking these personality quizzes.

It wasn't until I started considering the effects of reverse voyeurism that the answer came to me. We don't do it to learn more about ourselves; I already know I am a undercover fashionista that LOVES The Williams Sisters. We do it to provide one more puzzle piece to our friends. Hoping they continue to be interested in piecing together the 1,000-piece jigsaw that is me.

Oversimplified social strategy: Be the brand that asks me about me, but not so you can sell me more stuff. Do it so I can help my friends know me better. You'll get to know me better in the process, and eventually will sell me more stuff, I promise.

Duhh, Social Media Observation: I am what I'm a fan of. Give me a reason to add your brand to the mosaic that is me. Respect and recognize my permission to market to and through me. And how about a little something, you know, for the effort?

Ready, set, reverse your voyeursim
So is your brand ready to practice reverse voyeurism? As tentative as we all were putting our personal lives in that window, it's understandable the hesitation of many brands. Remember however that full transparency is a myth in person as it is in business. We still curate, put our best features forward, select the tidbits that we broadcast about ourselves.

Don't get all hung up on your own brand's transparency; you're not that interesting. Instead, keep asking how you're helping real humans be more transparent to other real humans who are their friends. When you turn the peephole around, I think you'll feel much less creepy, more like an invited guest and maybe even a friend.

Facebook.com - Rick Pelzer

Welcome to the MEGA World of Lil Mogul

Written by: Richard E. Pelzer II aka Lil Mogul

Who is Lil Mogul? I am your entrepreneur buddy, whose positive empowerment will assist you on living that entrepreneurial lifestyle. Making that decision to start your own business affects not only you but everyone currently in your life. Creating a strong support group and surrounding yourself with other likeminded business people is very necessary while taking the journey. Lil Mogul will share stories, introduce you to other business owners, friends and family members who are also on the road of creating personal wealth. We will explore together the globe view of the business world.

In the first chapter of business management 101 it states that one of the most valuable assets a company has is its good name. Within the past 10 years, a new entrepreneur has arisen. I call them, newbiepreneurs. With the rapid dissemination of information on the Internet, portable social networking and increased reliance on search engines, businesses wishing to stay viable and protect their reputation must actively monitor and react to conversations about their brand online. It’s a make or break-out phenomenon for success platform.

This same business method can be translated to one's personal brand. Who are you? For high-profile and high-net worth individuals, damaging and inaccurate misinformation on the Internet can destroy business credentials; wipe out lucrative contracts and compromise personal relationships. While a newbie can enter the marketplace with a “good idea” and a dream create an allusion of a multi-million dollar empire. In today’s troubled economic with increased media scrutiny of our business leaders and public figures, protecting one's reputation online is no longer a luxury, it's a necessity.

The Internet has caused not only a shift in the way information is delivered, but in how people seek it out and how it shapes our content consumption. Keep in mind that in April 2009 alone, there were more than 8.6 billion searches happening online according to Google the world’s number 1 search engine.

As businesses continue to navigate the challenging economic climate, where decisions have a broad reaching impact, it is no longer simply a "good idea" for company owners and business leaders to engage in online brand reputation management, it's a social responsibility. Social media is here to stay. In plain English, “learn it and learn it well!”
Moreover, if a tarnished reputation can negatively affect the bottom line in times of economic growth, it's even more of an imperative in times of crises to protect the good-name of our brand as well as the individuals so closely associated with it.

The phrase of the week…
Rich people see opportunities, Poor people see obstacles.
Rich people see potential, Poor people see potential loss. Rich people focus on rewards, Poor people focus on risks.

Rich people buy assets, things that will collect value.
Poor people buy expenses, things that will definitely go down in value.
Rich people collect land, Poor people collect bills.

So all my newbiepreneurs, where do you stand and pour the negative energy out?

Let mix it UP PEOPLE together!

Photo by DexStar G. The Peoples Photographer