Since 1973, the Atlantic Council has been a hotbed of Trilateral Commission members and initiatives. Founded by David Rockefeller and Zbigniew Brzezinski, the Commission resuscitated historic Technocracy and fed it to the United Nations as Sustainable Development. Today, both are steeped in UN initiatives and its Sustainable Development Goals. ⁃ TN Editor
The Atlantic Council and Rockefeller Foundation announced the launch of the Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center, which seeks to enhance the resilience of 1 billion people worldwide by 2030. It is the successor of 100 Resilient Cities (100RC), the Rockefeller Foundation’s former resilience effort that is to be disbanded, effective July 31.
In addition to a $30 million grant from the Rockefeller Foundation, the new resiliency center received a $25 million gift from business leader and philanthropist Adrienne Arsht. At a press conference at the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC, Arsht said the new center is part of her aim of “improving the state of the world in measurable ways.”
“To me, resilience is a way of thinking. It’s how you behave and how you see the world,” she said, adding that she hopes the initiative will become “a global center for resilient solutions for people, systems and institutions.”
The center’s director, former Bank of America executive Kathy Baughman McLeod, said the new initiative will be focused on “100% implementation,” while 100RC was more focused on planning and building. She said it would look to use evidence-based solutions and best practices that can be copied at scale, and help encourage the partnerships and financial backing such plans require.
That work will also include areas like public policy, finance, insurance and technology. “People are suffering, economies are being set back. We intend to do something about it,” Baughman McLeod said.
The news came on the day that the city of Washington, DC unveiled its first resiliency strategy, built in partnership with 100RC with an emphasis on fostering inclusive growth, fighting climate change and transforming technology. In a speech, Mayor Muriel Bowser said DC is already strong, diverse and vibrant and is the “envy of many cities around the globe,” but must do more.
“For our growth and prosperity to continue, however, we must ensure that we are prepared for the unexpected and be resilient in the face of change and ongoing challenges,” she said.