“A Few Words from a Businessman on a Mission”

I bet you were horrified like me to watch those images of the World Trade Centers tumbling down on September 11th.

Probably you too were mystified why someone we’ve never met would hate us and our way of life so much.

I set out to discover why so many seem to hate America. Know what I found out?

The US of A (not just our government but you and me too!) has been losing the battle for the “hearts and minds” of

those in Africa & elsewhere to people like Osama Bin Laden. For example, while visiting southern Sudan several

years ago, I found out that Bin Laden never “hid” while training those who later carried out the 9/11 attacks.

Instead, he lived very openly & became well-liked by creating jobs, launching various business enterprises &

feeding people through his honey bee operation.

Sometime later I discovered that the USA was so out of favor we couldn’t directly distribute our food aid but needed

to use “neutral” countries like Norway to distribute those big bags of beans and rice that are stamped “Gift From Your

Friends In the United States of America”. We both know that American foreign policy is often self-serving but I’m not here

to blame the US Government or whichever President or party is in power. Frankly, its you and I who have dropped the ball.

When did we stop caring for others?

When did we turn over that job to the government?

Throughout our history, ordinary people did extraordinary things to make a difference in the lives of hurting people.

No matter how tough the economy, this is NO TIME to stop! Think for a minute…

Imagine a world with NO media!

NO Radio!

NO Television!

NO Newspapers!

NO Internet!

NO Telephone!

Daily we are bombarded with media from every direction but think about how isolated (and bored) we would be if it all

suddenly went away! That’s what I’ve found on my first trip to Africa in 1996. Oh sure, some countries had a bit of

governmental-controlled radio and/or television but often that was simply spewing out slanted versions of local and world events.

I’m a broadcaster and businessman having owned US radio and television stations since the 1980s. After the sale of my

television station in the mid-90s my lawyer dragged me to Ghana, a lovely country in west Africa with 20 million of the sweetest

people you’ll ever meet. In my travels I was introduced to some wonderful people including many pastors and their families

who were working themselves to death trying to help the poor and less fortunate.

Sadly, at the same time they were helping others, these good Samaritans were stressing how they would feed their own kids.

I learned that many African children often go a day or two with no food at all. I remembered how my Mom would always scold

me if I left stuff on my plate growing up in Minnesota in the 50s. She’s say a hungry kid in Africa needed food! Now I was seeing

those starving kids up close.

ITS JUST NOT FAIR!

That kids have to go to bed hungry

That girls must drop out of school so school fees can be paid for their brothers

That babies die from malaria and diarrhea because their folks don’t have $3 for medicine

I went back home and told my family we HAD to do SOMETHING! So, we began using profits from our US businesses to

fund small African businesses. With donations of as little as $300 we funded micro enterprises such as:

Bread-making by buying a lady an oven

Fabric creation by purchasing chemicals

Ground nut paste by buying peanuts

Taxi hiring by trading for a used car

Sewing by helping launch a fashion design school for women

But even with those small successes, I wanted to do more. Somehow I wanted make a difference on a larger scale.

About that same time the Ghana government began permitting private ownership of radio & TV so I purchased a license.

Armed with a lot of zeal but very little knowledge of the Ashanti culture, I built and launched Spirit 88.3 FM in Kumasi, Ghana

in June 2000. Sure, I’ve made many, many mistakes along the way but almost daily I hear of some young person who is

now able to feed their extended families because of the skills I taught them. Maybe you’re reading this because, like me,

you’ve enjoyed some success in business but frankly, finding that success really is NOT all its cracked up to be.

Since 1996, my life’s emphasis has changed. I'm no longer content just to be “successful”, I want to be “significant” by

impacting many people in a positive way. Will I change the world? In the movie Schindler’s List near the end, the Jews he

rescued present Oscar with a gold ring made from the fillings of their teeth. Inside the ring was etched the old proverb

, “… he who saves one life saves the whole world…” Schindler begins to cry as he looks around thinking of the additional

people he could have helped by selling his car and other possessions.

In Jerusalem, my daughter and I visited Oscar Schindler’s grave. Like in the movie, the marble top of the crypt is full of

small stones left by those who passed by to pay their respects. For me, it was a moving experience for in spite of his many

weaknesses as a human being, that man had become “significant” to many and an example to millions.

OK, I’ve rambled a bunch, but somehow you’re still reading so maybe my thoughts are hitting “home” in your life.

Wanna make a difference?

Wanna battle for “hearts and minds” in places where Osama is loved even more than Obama?

Start by getting involved in one of our Special Projects!

Better yet, travel to Africa and help me erect it in some small village!

Enthusiastically,

Dan Peters

Reaching 14 Million People

and Counting!