LIFE JOURNEY
LAURENCE
BRAHM
Laurence Brahm (born March 31, 1961) in New York City, had his formative years in Seattle, New York, Connecticut, and later lived in Hawaii.
In 1981 he was among the first wave of American exchange students to come to China following establishment of China-USA relations in 1981, making a career in Asia with permanent residence in Beijing and Hong Kong.
He divides his time between Beijing, Hong Kong, Kathmandu, Thimphu, and remote areas of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. He speaks Mandarin, Cantonese and Tibetan. He has had a diverse carrer path beginning as a lawyer in Hong Kong and spanning fields of goverment advisor to socialist countries under economic transformation; crisis mediator and negotiator; social entrepreneur; NGO and environmental activist; author, columnist, explorer and documentary film director. He is currently offering his decades of experience in exploration and discovery of Himalayan Wisdom Traditions through his teaching programs as life coach.
EDUCATION:
Juris Doctor, University of Hawaii School of Law (1987);
Masters in Law, University of Hong Kong Faculty of Law (1989);
Masters in Asian Politics, University of Hawaii Center for Asian and Pacific Studies (1987);
Chinese University of Hong Kong, Studies in Political Science (1981-1982);
Nankai University, Tianjin, Mandarin Language Studies (1981);
Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science, Duke University (1982).
CIVIL SOCIETY:
Founder, Chair, Himalayan Consensus Institute (2005-2019) NGO dedicated to action for ethnic diversity and cultural sustainable development, that pioneered the Himalayan Consensus paradigm for economic development. The concept of Himalayan Consensus evolved from his work in Lhasa establishing one of the earliest social enterprises, later evolving this concept with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammed Yunus. The Himalayan Consensus emerged as a fresh economic paradigm based on three principles: protecting ethnic diversity, through sustainable businesses requiring restructuring of financial systems, while prioritizing environmental protection. Moreover, the concept stressed how conflict and terrorism arise when people are ethnically and economically marginalized. From 2014 the Himalayan Consensus Summit convened in Kathmandu, Nepal, under UNDP bringing together environmentalists, social entrepreneurs, and regional policy makers in seeking pragmatic solutions. The emphasis was on finding a common interest among the nations of the region (China, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan) who share the Himalayan mountain range and in turn depend on the water resources from its snow caps (thus the "Third Pole"). Protecting the glaciers through protection of environment, renewable energy solutions, and protection of ethnic groups whose own belief system protects mountains and rivers. The Himalayan Consensus Summit ended in its final conference in 2019.
2007-2008 were formative years of the Himalayan Consensus converging ideas and experiences across the region. Laurence with Nobel Peace Laureate Muhammad Yunus, Bhutan Prime Minister Jigme Thinley, and Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Himalayan Consensus Summit convened from 2014-2019 in Kathmandu. India’s former Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao was a major guiding force in its evolution together with AI technology thought leader Dr Jeanne Lim and chair of Nepal Economic Forum Sujeev Shakya
Muhammad Yunus as “banker to the poor” continued to be an inspiration and outspoken advocate of the principles for which Himalayan Consensus stood
Speech at the United Nations on Himalayan Consensus
Founding Member, African Consensus Movement, a civil society network in Africa that drafted the African Consensus Declaration adopted by the African Commission for Human and People’s Rights in Gambia on 28 April 2011. The African Consensus drew from the Himalayan Consensus concept. In 2011, Laurence was invited to Senegal as part of the World Social forum where he joined forces with West African rapper Didier Awadi and human rights activist Alioune Tine convening the drafting committee for an African Consensus Declaration. The movement spread and he later worked in Tanzania in an effort to bring together different NGO organizations across the continent. The African Consensus movement was vocal at 2011 United Nations Climate Change Conference Cop 17 in Durban, South Africa, convening side events with representatives from India, China and Brazil in an effort to create a global consensus on using renewable energy as a new economic and technology driver. These efforts spawned the concept of Ecological Civilization. Two years later Laurence led the drafting work for "Ecological Civilization," China's national environmental policy to promote renewable energy in displacing fossil fuel reliance.
Member of the United Nations Theme Group on Poverty and Inequality (2009), NGO Representative at Rio+20 (2012);100 Opinion Leaders Advising Rio+20 (2011). His communication skills together with background as lawyer, economist and financial reform advisor to governments, has allowed him to mediate complex situations often working between meeting heads of state in formal dialogue and joining with activists in the street.
Member Himalaya-Third Pole Circle (an environmental panel established by Iceland President Olafur Ragnar Grimsso and Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay) (2015)
COP 21-CMP11 UN Climate Change Paris (2015) Plenary Session SIde Event ‘China’s Climate Change Global Game Changer’
International Affairs Advisor to Jill Stein, Presidential Candidate of the Green Party of USA (2014-2015);This later led him to work with America's Green Party, serving as foreign policy advisor to presidential candidate Jill Stein, bringing her to the Paris Cop to dialogue with China's climate negotiators
East-West Center Visiting Fellow (2012), Ten Individuals Contributing to China’s Opening and Reforms [only foreigner] (2008), UNDP Award for Bio-Diversity and Cultural Protection in China presented by Jane Goodall at Phoenix Television and TJTV ceremony in Beijing.
Chief Economist, New Earth Institute (2014-2016);
As an influencer he is frequently invited by think tanks, conferences and media to share thoughts and experiences on a range of topics from geopolitical events to economic development and climate crisis. He's a Senior International Fellow at the China and Globalization , and Vice Chairman overseeing International Cultural Communication for the Hong Kong Association for External Friendship
Commenting on China US relations at CCG Innovation forum 2024
Asia Economic Forum, Seoul, Korea 2009
Bloomberg on Climate Issues 2009
Chatham House London with BBC Senior International Editor John Simpson
BBC Radio, London
GOVERNMENT ADVISORY:
Lead Government Advisor, Ministry of Environmental Protection, People's Republic of China (2013-2015) (blueprinting China's green growth policy and "ecological civilization" paradigm) receiving the Friendship Award in 2019 (China's highest honor given to foreign citizens) for his work on China's environmental policy. He has also served as advisor to the State Council Office on Economic System Reforms for transition of state-owned enterprises to corporate structures as part of former Premier Zhu Rongji's policy of transitioning China's economic model away from centralized state planning toward market reforms leading to a "managed market economy."
With China’s Premier Li Keqiang discussing environmental policy 2016
With China’s Premier Zhu Rongji discussing economic reforms 2001
With China’s Vice President Li Yuanchao discussing China’s Belt and Road policy 2014
With China’s Vice President Wang Qishan when he was leading state owned enterprise reform at State Council Office for Reform of Economic Systems (2001).
-Advisor to Bhutan’s Environmental Commission (2014);
-Advisor to Tibet Autonomous Region (2003 -2004),
-Advisor State Council Office on Reforms of Economic Systems on State-owned Enterprise Reforms in China (1997-1998),
-Advisor to China State Council News and Information Office on Media Reforms (1998-2005),
-Advisor to Office of Prime Minister of Mongolia (1997) (SOE enterprise reform),
-Advisor to the State Bank of Vietnam (1991-1995) (drafting of security and lending policy legislation, stock market regulatory rules, first SOE privatization of Legamex, opened first foreign exchange trading center),
-Advisor to Central Bank of Laos (1990-1992) (responsible for drafting financial reform blueprint and draft legislation for implementation
-Cambodia Central Bank (1991) (training workshop on banking reforms for central bankers).
Laurence Brahm has been a long-serving member of the Foreign Experts Bureau advising China's leadership on international issues and economic reform policy. As a participant in the formulation of China's policies for state owned enterprise reform, transition from planning to market, drafting of Ecological Civilization as a national environmental policy, he has often been. invited to meet with visiting heads of state to offer insights and briefings from an inside perspective on China's transformation,
Laurence Brahm with President Bill Clinton
Laurence Brahm with Bob Hawke Prime Minister of Australia
Laurence Brahm with Michael Moore Prime Minister of Australia
Given his extensive experience with cross cultural negotiations, he has often been invited to serve as mediator on sensitive international relations. He resuscitated negotiations between China and the Dalai Lama three times after three consecutive breakdowns in talks in 2005 and 2008, was a liaison when Nepal’s Maoist rebels negotiated entry into Nepalese politics as a legitimate elected party ending a decade long insurgency in 2007, pre-negotiated direct flights between Beijing and Taipei as a confidence measure for Chinese Spring Festival 2005, liaison between Palestine and Israel in 2013.
In pursing the principles of Himalayan and African Consensus, he joined the Occupy Wall Street as activist in drafting an American Consensus Declaration. (2011). He participated in many global movements calling for community and ethnic diversity safeguards and environmental protection. His 2009 book "The Anti-Globalization Breakfast Club: Manifestation for a Peaceful Revolution" published by John Wiley, predicted much of the dislocation, social stratification, and decoupling that we are witnessing today.
Predicting revival of localization over globalization in 2009
Speaking at the Duwamish Native American tribal headquarters in Seattle during Green Party campaign in 2015
UNFCC COP 17 Durban South Africa
St Pauls Cathedral London, Environmental Conference 2015
With Jay Naidoo & Lucie Page at Ireland
In Moscow with Egyptian activist Samir Amin
In Saint Petersburg with Russian activist Boris Kagarlitsky
With Reverend Jesse Jackson at Occupy Wall Street
Calling for a New American Consensus built on community empowerment at Occupy Wall Street 2011