Why mixing business and politics can be a powerful force for peace

BUSINESS managers did not equip themselves to be politicians except, perhaps, to be able to deal with the petty politics of everyday workplace living.

Their expertise is discovery of potential needs, production, marketing and selling, all at a good enough profit to make the investment and effort worthwhile. International trade has now become such an important part of every economy that cross-border negotiating has developed into a political as well as a commercial responsibility.

Business has always been involved in politics

Empires were built on trade as much as on land acquisition, conquest and slavery. Civilisation has been the discovery and adoption of other people’s ways of life and of assets and fruits of strangers’ countries.