EFES

My Dear Mr. Lednik!

How wonderful to get your kind note. I envy you for many reasons; first, you live in the most beautiful country in Europe; lush, green valleys, the Alps, fantastic lakes, and the most important - wonderful, supportive people who cherish openness, freedom and the chance to be the best - with the highest quality of life.

As Vice-Chairman of the Board and R.I.S.E.S. spokesman, it is an honor to help you advance share equity and ownership in Slovenia. My colleagues in Minnesota share with me an enthusiasm for creating a share equity culture in Slovenia for like-minded aspirants. One thing I must share with you: Many have talked and talked and talked about the mechanics and the logistics of ESOPS and the like; noone has ever discussed the confluence of crossing the intellect with the heart and the soul. If there is "an invisible hand"....there must too be "an invisible heart". We in Minnesota plan to include this heretofore missing, yet vital, ingredient.

I remember a few years ago (perhaps three) the United Nations with France and Austria sponsored in Bled a conference on the spirituality of economic development. I thought it would be appropriate - when I called your UN ambassador then in New York - that it would be nice to have a follow-up conference in Bled. The Slovenian UN ambassador - who was on vacation at the time - couldn't respond to me directly; however, the people who I spoke with at your UN mission were extremely sympathetic.

Even though I am now teaching at King Fahad University of Petroleum and Minerals here in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia, I would be delighted to help you grow in any way I can. I even harbor a fantasy of one day visiting Slovenia to see for myself what, no doubt, is the best-kept secret in Europe.

Have a very peaceful Sunday. Fraternal Regards,

Bill Bishop

>From: Bo¾o Lednik

>Reply-To: efes@cog.kent.edu

>To:

>Subject: EFES: Re: a RISES contribution to the European Commission on Employee Ownership

>Date: Sun, 28 Oct 2001 10:24:26 +0100

> Dear Bill!

> I can't help to express my pleasure and respect when I read your letter addressed to Marc.

> Transition country like Slovenia, is restoring its economy and putting it on the track and in line with EU . But more we adopt the common rules more discrepancies that are immanent to the new system we built in.

> Our association DEZAP ( Employee shareholders ) is promoting, supporting and spreading the employee share ownership in Slovenia and therefore are your experience and your endeavour to make more people "capitalists" encouraging and valuable for us too. I hope you will stay in touch with EFES and that we shall hear from you more.

> Kind regards!

> Bozo Lednik,DEZAP, Slovenia

> ----- Original Message -----

> From: william bishop

> To: EFES@cog.kent.edu

> Cc: Hamud.Mohamoud@mayo.edu

> Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2001 2:54 PM

> Subject: EFES: a RISES contribution to the European Commission on Employee Ownership

> Dear Mr. Mathieu;

> My name is Bill Bishop, and I have been a friend and supporter of ESOPS since my friendship with Louis Kelso in the middle 60's.

> I notice that you are the Secretary-General of the European Federation of Employee Shareownership in Brussels, and that you have launched an appeal for a "wide consultation" on Employee Ownership in the European Union. This will result, as we all hope, in an "action plan" for the European Social Agenda launched at the Lisbon Summit last year by the Council of Ministers.

> With a few Rochester Minnesota City leaders, I have been able to suggest an action plan relevant to Minnesota - and the rest of the United States. A few months ago, we created R.I.S.E.S. - The Rochester International Share Equity Society with the hope that we can do a small part to close the widening gap between those who own no assets - and those who own many. We plan to do this by teaching a unique curriculum to the working poor who have, at the moment, nothing but their labor to sustain themselves and their families. After 2 months of learning about the power of capital in wealth creation, we plan to help our participants organize themselves into investment clubs. In addition, we hope to offer them IDA's which, in the United States are Individual Development Accounts, a tripartite Government effort to help assetless citizens own significant assets.

> We are not in the consultation business; I have been consulting as an activist, for 35 years, and am the former founder and Director of the Pennsylvania Capital Ownership Council in 1987, the nation's first. Governor Bob Casey signed our legislation permitting $4 million dollars of state money to be used for feasability studies for workers to consider buying - via ESOP - their companies. I have known, and worked with, David Binns, Corey Rosen and Norman Kurland, all of whom whose work I support.

> RISES is a way for the working poor to have access to the information they need to become asset owners and, hopefully, prospering Capitalists We are not exclusive - in the sense that ESOPS are the only way to go. There are Co-ops and other variations on the theme. The issue is - as Louis Kelso put it - "The only problem with Capitalism is that it doesn't create enough Capitalists". We intend to work with the best and the brightest. We are negotiating with CITIGROUP and MERRIL-LYNCH for partnership and support, and we would be happy to widen our arms, as well as open our hearts, to like-minded people in the European Union.

> Should you be interested in our approach, our work and our action plan, please let me know.

> I am teaching at King Fahad University of Petroleum and Minerals in Saudi Arabia, but I am connected to the RISES Board members in Rochester. This message is being sent to the Board Chairman, Mr. M. Hamud of the Mayo Clinic.

> Please let me know where to go from here.

> Sincerely,

> Bill Bishop

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Re: EFES: Re: a RISES contribution to the European Commission on EmployeeOwnership