Action without ethos is aimless.

7 Principles for 7 Actions

TBCG’s 7 areas of action are underpinned by a fluid set of 7 principles which we are committed to upholding. 

Not On Our Watch

The best solutions are a consequence of being inclusive which in turn is fostered through respect. We will not tolerate situations in which a person’s dignity is compromised in any way. This goes for the people we work with and the people we work for.

Sleeves Rolled Up

Do, or do not, there is no try. Well ok, there’s lots of trying but the gist of Yoda’s salient words underpin our third principle. Close to a hundred years of collective experience in some of the toughest political, geographic and intellectual environments has taught us some very practical lessons about how to get things done. Sometimes the answer is not in what’s said but what isn’t.

Men

Said with great affection, seeing we are largely old white men, we will always seek a diversity of voices and representation on behalf of the interests of the people and communities we work with. 

Fear

Marie Curie noted that nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.

Our fourth principle acknowledges the frontier nature of the work we must undertake and the disruption required to do so. We will remain steadfast in our ambition to address wicked problems and support those that choose to work with us.

The Anti-Gekko Principle

When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men in a society, over the course of time they create for themselves a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it. (Frederic Bastiat)  

Capitalism sits at a crossroads. We are committed to helping rewire the relationship between capital and the political economy of growth and progress in a way that prioritizes human and planetary health.

Turning On The Tap

Civilisations most enduring intervention has been to re-direct flows of water to support life. To do so required the establishment of sophisticated human and technical infrastructure. As with water, today’s flows of finance need to be redirected to not only support life but in many situations re-balance it.

We are committed to working with global finance, local government and communities and business to turn on the finance tap and direct flow to where it’s most needed.

You / Us – Partners

Coming together is a beginning; Keeping together is progress; Working together is success. Sometimes the things muttered by old white men still hold water. Henry Ford knew a thing or two about achieving impact. It is not in the solution per se but in the human infrastructure that led to it.