John Hope Bryant shares Operation HOPE best practices and Love Leadership
strategies to promote entrepreneurship and job development on
'The Road to Recovery’ before conference delegates

Paris, France – May 27, 2010 — Operation HOPE Founder, Chairman and CEO, entrepreneur and author of bestseller LOVE LEADERSHIP: The New Way to Lead in a Fear-Based World  John Hope Bryant, helped lead discussions around innovation in job creation and 21st century employment skills at the annual Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) Forum in Paris, France from May 26th to 28th. This year's delegates, which included Minister level government officials and business leaders, gathered to examine "The Road to Recovery: Innovations, Jobs and Clean Growth."

OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría, who opened the conference, noted "The OECD has a key role to play in shaping a new model of growth. The Forum offers a unique opportunity to debate the key issues on the international agenda, and to influence policy making. For us, it is invaluable to benefit from the insight and perspectives of representatives of trade unions, business, academia, civil society, media, government and other international organizations as we develop these important new strategies."

Bryant has played an active role in the global economic development community for many years and advocates financial literacy, economic empowerment, small business and entrepreneurship leading to an era of silver rights for the underserved.

"Integrating practical elements into traditional education needs to be a focus of OECD member countries if we are going to return to the levels of pre-crisis growth in the developed and developing world," said Bryant. "To stay competitive, we need to incorporate the next generation of financial literacy empowerment and innovative entrepreneurship instruction into traditional curriculum, and to help the workforce of today to be inspired to train for the emerging jobs of tomorrow. An aspirationally relevant worker that is willing and has the ability to adapt will become a future asset."

Rooted in the groundbreaking work of Operation HOPE, which has now served more than 1.2 million people with a foundation of 100 employees, 5,000 community, faith, government and private sector partners, and 10,000 HOPE Corps volunteers, Bryant also drew from his new bestselling business book, LOVE LEADERSHIP, to focus on matching skills to (job) opportunities, as well as the emergence of green technologies as a new model for growth in the 21st century. Discussions also surrounded the life-long learning process and helping individuals train or re-train for new jobs.

Moderated by Stéphanie Antoine, a prominent media personality from France 24, Bryant was joined during the conference-wide session by:

• Christine Evans-Klock, Chief, Skills and Employability Department, International Labour Organization
• José Mariano Gago, Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, Portugal
• Geoffrey I. Gallop, Professor and Director, Graduate School of Government, University of Sydney, Australia
• Bob Harris, Senior Consultant to the General-Secretary, Education International
• Barbara Ischinger, Director, Education, OECD

Bryant's participation included guest blogging online in the OECD Observer and follows his promotion of Global Dignity in the Forum of Young Global Leader and World Economic Forum's Annual Regional Meeting in Tanzania and builds on his presentation last year at the 2009 OECD Paris Forum. The entire session can be viewed on the  OECD website

The OECD was established in 1961 and includes 31 member countries. Their mission is to bring together the governments of countries committed to democracy and the market economy from around the world to support sustainable economic growth, boost employment, raise living standards, maintain financial stability, assist other countries' economic development and contribute to growth in world trade. The organization provides a setting where governments compare policy experiences, seek answers to common problems, identify good practice and coordinate domestic and international policies.


About Operation HOPE, Inc.
Founded in 1992, Operation HOPE is a Los Angeles-based global nonprofit and social investment organization providing financial literacy, credit counseling and management, computer training, lending services and inspiration to the economically disadvantaged. Operation HOPE has assumed the responsibility of piloting the Silver Rights Movement towards making free enterprise and capitalism relevant to all underserved communities. HOPE Global Initiatives is the international division of Operation HOPE dedicated to promote and advocate the benefits of economic empowerment as a tool for vastly improving the quality of life in developing countries, with a particular focus on developing countries on the African continent. The role has expanded to serve low-wealth communities throughout the world. For more about HOPE and its programs to empower the underserved, visit www.operationhope.org.

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