Monthly Archives: August 2026

Will You Dare to Overcome with Kindness?

28 Aug, 2026

For the first time, Dare to Overcome comes to London, convening global leaders to advance peace and human flourishing.

Will You Dare to Overcome with Kindness?

12 to 16 October 2026 | London

Dare to Overcome London 2026 is a week of leadership, ideas and action bringing together global leaders from business, investment, government, academia and civil society.

The week will explore how organisations can become more human as they become more technologically powerful, with a particular focus on human dignity, responsible leadership and the Economics of Kindness.

More details below.

At a Glance

When: 12th – 16th October 2026
Where: London, UK
Who: Business, investment, government, academic, civil society and faith leaders
Theme: The Economics of Kindness
Signature event: Dare to Overcome Gala Awards Dinner at Mansion House
Ways to participate: Gala tickets and tables, individual events, invitation-only leadership gatherings, and sponsorship opportunities

The Economics of Kindness

Artificial intelligence is reshaping work, leadership and business. As technology becomes more powerful, the qualities that distinguish great organisations become increasingly human.

Trust, judgement, purpose, courage, belonging, ethical leadership and human dignity are becoming strategic assets in their own right.

The Economics of Kindness begins with a simple conviction: organisations flourish when they build trust, respect human dignity and cultivate the uniquely human capabilities that technology cannot replace.

Building on successful gatherings in Rio de Janeiro, Seoul, Tokyo, New Delhi and Washington, DC, Dare to Overcome London will bring this growing international convening to the UK for the first time.

⭐ Signature Event: Dare to Overcome Gala Awards Dinner

Mansion House | City of London | Black Tie

The Dare to Overcome Gala Awards Dinner is the flagship event of the week, bringing together senior executives, investors, Board Chairs, policymakers, academics and civil society leaders from around the world.

This founding gathering of an annual international convening focused on advancing human dignity in the workplace and marketplace is contributing to the wider journey towards the United Kingdom’s G20 Presidency in 2027.

Why Is There a Cashew Tree Named Captain America in Mozambique?

15 Aug, 2026

At Tzu Chi’s Mecuzi Farm in Mozambique, food production, skills training and resilient infrastructure are helping communities build solutions that can last.

Planting Hope, Practically

By Brian Grim

After a packed day that included joining Tzu Chi representatives as they opened a medical clinic, visited schools the foundation helped reconstruct, and saw models of resilient and affordable homes they built, how did I end up in a field planting cashew trees?

And why is one of them called Captain America?

The answer is found at Tzu Chi’s Mecuzi Farm, a roughly 200-hectare agricultural project in the interior of Sofala Province. Cultivated by local volunteers, the farm produces a variety of crops, including rice, cashews and medicinal plants. The produce helps supply local hospitals, schools and vulnerable families in the region.

The foundation’s longer-term goal is to develop the farm into a large-scale commercial venture that can help support its other charitable work in Mozambique. But the project is about more than growing food. It is also about creating skills, opportunities and greater self-reliance.

That is what I was learning throughout my visit to Mozambique with the Tzu Chi Foundation. The story was not about me, of course, but about the practical ways Tzu Chi is helping communities address the challenges within their reach.

Pictured above, I am with Tzu Chi volunteers and the Mecuzi Farm team after planting “Captain America,” a cashew tree they named during my visit and later recognized as my 19th grandchild.

Before I could plant the sapling, the farm staff showed me the best technique. They explained how to position the young tree and prepare the soil so it would have the best chance to grow.

Farm staff help the author learn the best technique for planting a cashew sapling at Mecuzi Farm.

It was a simple moment, but it reflected the larger purpose of the project. Sustainable progress depends on participation, local knowledge and the sharing of practical skills. It is not simply about bringing resources from outside. It is about helping people develop solutions they can continue to manage themselves.

After the planting experience, the farm staff held a farmers’ market for the visiting delegation. They displayed produce from the farm and prepared food for us to enjoy, offering a tangible reminder of what the project is already producing.

Following the planting experience, Mecuzi Farm staff held a farmers’ market featuring produce from the farm for the visiting delegation.

The farm was one part of a wider program. During the visit, I also saw a medical clinic that Tzu Chi had turned over to the local government, one of 23 schools the foundation helped reconstruct after a cyclone, models of resilient and affordable homes, and a vocational school where I was invited to hand out awards.

In a nation with so many challenges, it was wonderful to see so many reasons for hope in the faces of people who are working toward solutions within their reach, rather than relying only on charity.

That may be one of the most important lessons from Tzu Chi’s work in Mozambique. Compassion is essential, especially in times of crisis. But lasting change also requires investment in people, local leadership, practical skills and systems that can serve communities over time.

Well done, Fundação de Caridade Tzu Chi Moçambique.

As for Captain America, I am looking forward to coming back to see how much the tree has grown and to count how many great-grandchildren eventually blossom from my 19th grandchild.

Tzu Chi Foundation was established in Taiwan more than six decades ago and now works in communities around the world. Its approach is guided by the principle of “Da Ai,” which the organization translates as “great love.” The idea is not limited to compassion as an emotion. It is presented as a commitment to turn compassion into action.

The organization’s work in Mozambique will be among the subjects discussed at Dare to Overcome London, taking place from 12 to 16 October 2026. Po-wen Yen, Tzu Chi Foundation’s chief executive, will share lessons from the foundation’s experience in humanitarian work and community development.

Yen moved from a senior career in Taiwan’s semiconductor industry into humanitarian work, bringing his business and management experience to the foundation’s response to poverty, disasters and other social challenges.

Tzu Chi’s work raises a broader question for charities: should success be measured only by what an organization delivers, or also by what communities are able to do for themselves afterwards?

What Tzu Chi’s Work in Mozambique Can Teach the Charity Sector

15 Aug, 2026

In Mozambique, Tzu Chi Foundation volunteers are helping families turn local challenges into practical opportunities. Their work offers a different way of thinking about charity, one that focuses not only on providing support, but also on building confidence, skills and self-reliance.

By Brian Grim

At the age of 80, Amelia cares for eight members of her family. Her elderly mother, two daughters, a daughter-in-law and three grandsons all live together in a one-room tin hut in rural Mozambique. The family also cooks outdoors and has few dependable ways to earn an income.

Like many people in her community, Amelia has faced poverty with limited resources and little outside support. When local volunteers from the Tzu Chi Foundation began working with her and her family, they did not simply offer short-term assistance. They encouraged the family to consider what they could do together to improve their situation.

In the photograph above, Amelia shares her experience with family members and visitors. The moment reflects how her personal journey has become part of a wider conversation about resilience, dignity and community-led solutions.

The photograph below shows Amelia leading a weekly spiritual values lesson for community members. The sessions bring together people from different religious backgrounds who are united by practical principles, including love of neighbor, compassion and responsibility toward the wider community.

Amelia leads a weekly spiritual values lesson for community members in Mozambique. People from different religious backgrounds take part, putting principles such as love of neighbor, compassion and self-reliance into practical action.

The gatherings are not presented as an effort to replace one faith with another. Instead, participants draw on shared ethical values and apply them through service, cooperation and support for their neighbors. In this setting, spiritual reflection is connected to everyday action.

One opportunity was found in materials that other people had thrown away. Amelia and her family began collecting plastic and metal for recycling, creating a small source of income from resources that were readily available in their community.

The work has not removed all of the family’s difficulties. It has, however, given them a practical way to contribute to their own livelihood. Amelia has also become a volunteer, helping other families identify opportunities and find ways to support one another.

Her experience reflects an important principle in Tzu Chi’s approach to humanitarian work. Charity is not only about responding to immediate needs. It can also help people develop the confidence, skills and relationships needed to address those needs themselves.

This may offer a useful lesson for the wider charity sector. In communities facing long-term poverty, outside organizations cannot solve every problem by bringing in money, materials or expertise. Sustainable progress often depends on working alongside local people, recognizing their knowledge and supporting solutions that fit their circumstances.

Tzu Chi’s work in Mozambique extends beyond household livelihoods. In areas where poorly built homes are repeatedly damaged or destroyed by severe storms, the foundation has worked with local experts to develop more resilient housing designs using locally available materials.

The purpose is not simply to rebuild after each disaster. It is to reduce the damage caused by the next one. This is the same practical philosophy seen in Amelia’s story: understand the challenge, make use of available resources and develop a solution that can be sustained locally.

The foundation’s community work is also connected to its spiritual practice. Volunteers meet weekly to reflect on values, study the teachings associated with the organization’s founder, Master Cheng Yen, and organize activities to serve their neighbors. The participants come from different religious backgrounds, but their involvement is grounded in shared commitments to compassion, service and human dignity.

For these volunteers, spiritual commitment is expressed through practical action. Love of neighbor means offering help, sharing knowledge and contributing to the wellbeing of the community. Self-reliance does not mean facing hardship alone. It means building the skills, relationships and confidence needed for families and communities to shape their own futures.

Tzu Chi’s work raises a broader question for charities: should success be measured only by what an organization delivers, or also by what communities are able to do for themselves afterwards?

Amelia’s story suggests that the most lasting form of assistance may be the kind that does not leave people permanently dependent on assistance. By helping her family recognize the value of discarded materials and the strength of working together, local volunteers helped turn a daily challenge into a source of income and service.

Her role as a teacher and volunteer adds another dimension to that story. She is not only applying these principles in her own life. She is helping others explore how compassion, cooperation and self-reliance can be practiced in their own families and neighborhoods.

That may be the wider lesson of Tzu Chi’s work in Mozambique. Effective charity is not only about giving people something. It is also about bringing people together across religious and social differences, helping them recognize shared values and supporting them as they build solutions for themselves.

From Mozambique to London: Business Leaders Changing Lives

5 Aug, 2026

ANNAPOLIS, Md. | August 2026 — What does leadership look like when human dignity is not simply a by-product of success, but one of its defining purposes?

To explore that question, Brian J. Grim, Ph.D., President of the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation and Global Chair of Dare to Overcome, will travel to Mozambique from 12–18 August to visit the work of two recipients of the King Husein Global Business & Interfaith Peace Award: Po-Wen Yen, CEO of the Tzu Chi Foundation and recipient of the 2026 Award, and Don Larson, a previous recipient whose innovative business model is transforming communities through sustainable enterprise.

Though their organisations are very different, both are tackling the same challenge: how leadership, enterprise and deeply held values can be translated into lasting opportunity, restored dignity and stronger communities.

Under Po-Wen Yen’s leadership, the Tzu Chi Foundation has strengthened governance, transparency, sustainability reporting and global engagement while continuing its humanitarian mission across 133 countries and regions. Rooted in Humanistic Buddhism, Tzu Chi combines professional management with compassionate service. Today it mobilises millions of volunteers and invests in education, healthcare, vocational training, environmental stewardship and community rebuilding.

If Tzu Chi demonstrates humanitarian leadership at global scale, Don Larson demonstrates how commercial enterprise itself can become an instrument of human dignity.

After a successful executive career in the global food industry, including senior leadership roles at Hershey, Larson chose to use his business expertise to combat poverty through enterprise. He built Sunshine Nuts, a competitive food-manufacturing business in Mozambique, designed not simply to produce cashews, but to create jobs, strengthen agricultural value chains, invest in farming communities and restore dignity through sustainable economic opportunity. Larson describes the mission simply as providing “jobs and dignity” through a successful company.

“I’m travelling to Mozambique because I want to see what purpose-driven leadership looks like in practice,” said Grim. “These are not abstract ideas. These are leaders creating jobs, restoring dignity, strengthening communities and changing lives. Seeing that work firsthand is invaluable.”

The visit comes at a time when organisations are investing heavily in artificial intelligence while also asking what kinds of leadership, judgement and human capability will become increasingly valuable. These two award recipients demonstrate that commercial excellence, moral conviction and long-term social impact reinforce rather than compete with one another.

While Grim will spend a week in Mozambique learning from these award-winning leaders in their own context, business leaders will not have to travel nearly so far to meet them.

Both Po-Wen Yen and Don Larson will participate in Dare to Overcome London: The Economics of Kindness, taking place 12–16 October 2026. The gathering will bring together leaders from business, finance, education, civil society and government to explore how enterprise can advance human dignity, freedom of religion or belief, cultural understanding, prosperity and peace. The programme will include the presentation of the 2026 King Husein Global Business & Interfaith Peace Awards, alongside dialogues on leadership, faith, business and human flourishing.

“The encouraging news is that you don’t have to travel to Mozambique to learn from these leaders,” Grim said. “In October, they’ll be in London sharing what they’ve learned about leadership, enterprise and the practical work of restoring dignity through business.”

Across very different cultures and organisational models, both leaders demonstrate the same enduring truth: business can be one of humanity’s most powerful tools for creating opportunity, restoring dignity and building peace.

“I’m looking forward to seeing that work in Mozambique,” Grim said, “and even more to introducing these remarkable leaders—and what they have to teach us—to audiences in London.”

About Dare to Overcome London: The Economics of Kindness

Dare to Overcome London: The Economics of Kindness will take place 12–16 October 2026, with events at the Palace of Westminster, Mansion House, the University of Cambridge, St Katharine Cree, and other leading venues across London.

The programme will feature the 2026 King Husein Global Business & Interfaith Peace Awards, the inaugural Economics of Kindness Award, and high-level conversations on purpose-driven enterprise, faith-conscious leadership, freedom of religion or belief, responsible artificial intelligence, social impact investment and human dignity.

About Brian J. Grim

Brian J. Grim, Ph.D., is President of the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation, Global Chair of Dare to Overcome, and Associate Director of Faith@Work UK. He is an internationally recognised expert on the relationship between religion, business, economics and human flourishing, and works with leaders across business, government and civil society on faith-friendly workplaces, human dignity, leadership and social impact.

Media Opportunities

Brian J. Grim is available for interviews before and after his Mozambique visit to discuss values-driven leadership, business as a force for human dignity, the role of faith in shaping ethical leadership, and the upcoming Dare to Overcome London: The Economics of Kindness gathering.

For media enquiries or further information, please contact DTO.

Brian Grim to Join New York Dialogue on Faith, AI and the Future of the Economy

5 Aug, 2026

ANNAPOLIS, Md., September 2026 — Brian J. Grim, Ph.D., President of the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation, will participate in a high-level dialogue in New York City on September 24, 2026, exploring how faith, moral traditions and responsible leadership can help shape the future of work, markets and economic power in the age of artificial intelligence.

The session comes amid growing reflection among faith, business and policy leaders following the publication of the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, which has prompted renewed discussion about technology, human dignity, economic life and the common good. Drawing on the work of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Faith in Action, the gathering will bring together business leaders, investors, policymakers and thinkers across economics, faith and moral philosophy.

Participants will examine how AI is reshaping work, markets and economic power; how moral and social traditions can inform the responsibilities of ownership and stewardship; and how leaders can advance human dignity, trust, inclusive value creation and long-term economic resilience.

“This conversation comes at a critical moment,” said Grim. “Artificial intelligence is changing how organisations operate, compete and create value. But the qualities that determine whether these technologies serve people well, including judgement, integrity, responsibility, trust and purpose, remain profoundly human. The question for leaders is not only what AI can do, but what kind of organisations and markets it is helping to create.”

Grim recently addressed this issue in his thought piece, “AI Has Two Cost Curves. Most Boards Are Managing Only One.” The article argues that many boards are increasingly attentive to the rising investment required to build technological capability, but pay less attention to the investment required to sustain and strengthen human capability. It highlights two governance risks: underestimating the long-term cost of AI at scale and undervaluing the product knowledge, customer understanding, relationships and judgement that employees bring to an organisation.

“AI can process information, recognise patterns and generate increasingly sophisticated outputs,” Grim said. “What it cannot do is accept responsibility for a difficult decision, build trust within a fractured team or create a shared sense of purpose. Those responsibilities remain stubbornly, and strategically, human.”

The New York gathering also anticipates the October release at Dare to Overcome London of Grim’s new Board White Paper, The Overlooked Source of Human Capability: Why Faith and Belief Matter in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. The paper develops the proposition that organisations increasingly depend upon human capabilities they did not create, and that boards should better understand where those capabilities are formed, renewed, strengthened or weakened.

The white paper argues that faith and belief should no longer be viewed only through the lenses of accommodation, compliance or employee inclusion. For many people, religious and belief traditions also help form and renew the human capabilities organisations increasingly need in an AI-enabled economy: judgement, integrity, responsibility, courage, trustworthiness, service, stewardship and purpose.

“Boards routinely oversee strategy, talent, culture, risk and technology,” Grim said. “Yet few ask where the human capability on which all of these depend actually comes from. As AI becomes more powerful, that question becomes more urgent.”

The September 24 dialogue will contribute to a growing global conversation about how faith, moral reasoning and responsible leadership can help ensure that technological innovation advances human dignity, long-term resilience and the common good.

About Brian J. Grim

Brian J. Grim, Ph.D., is President of the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation, Global Chair of Dare to Overcome, and Associate Director of Faith@Work UK. He is an internationally recognised expert on the relationship between religion, business, economics and human flourishing, and advises leaders across business, government and civil society on faith, workplace culture, leadership and social impact.

About the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation

The Religious Freedom & Business Foundation is a global nonprofit organisation that helps companies build workplaces where employees of all faiths and beliefs, including those with no religious affiliation, are respected and able to contribute fully. Through research, benchmarking, convening and practical resources, RFBF advances understanding of how faith-friendly workplaces strengthen organisational culture, trust, belonging and human flourishing.

For more information, visit Religious Freedom & Business Foundation.

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