Message From the Director

Approaches to Alliance Building During an Economic Downturn

Everyday we are bombarded by reports of big business revising earnings down, cutting budgets and staff. And it is not just the United States affected by this downturn. Across the globe, economies are absorbing the shockwaves from what U.S. President Barack Obama has characterized as "not your ordinary, run-of-the-mill recession." To be sure, these are tough times for all of us and the future remains uncertain.

Now more than ever partnerships that share risks and rewards offer an anchor in the storm. At the Global Development Alliance (GDA), we've taken the pulse of private sector partners around the globe to get a feel for how businesses are reacting to the downturn. Again and again, we hear that most businesses are reassessing their investment portfolio and scaling back on the investments that don't make good business sense. What they are holding onto, however, are the investments in emerging markets that speak to their core business interests and needs. In essence, companies are still thinking about their long-term growth strategies and how to gain entry into new markets even during times of distress.

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