And if people like you begin to join in, then maybe our chances for success will increase to 2% or 3%, and so on. And maybe if a real project gets funded on the ground, like an industrial zone, etc. then our chances for success will increase even more.

One thing we have going for us is that people the world over need hope like air to breathe. We?re either heading toward peace or toward war. The choice is ours, and everything we know and love hangs in the balance. If enough people push in the right direction, there is every reason to believe that Selling a Vision of Hope can make all the difference in the world.

The answer is, according to the noted economist Jeffrey Sachs in his book The End of Poverty, approximately .2 of 1%. That?s not very much, is it? If I were to ask you, "How much would this expenditure have to increase to eliminate world hunger and disease?" - what would you say? You would probably guess that it would take a huge amount of money. The actual answer is .5 of 1%. Incredibly, if the West increases its investment in poor countries by ? of one percent of its income, we will come close to eliminating world hunger and disease.

So the investment needed to revitalize Middle Eastern economies is substantial, but is realistically possible for the West to do. Also, as a Vision of Hope begins to take root in the Middle East, it will be possible for the West to reduce military and security expenditures. The West may also be able to open up new markets for its goods and services in such areas as Africa and the Middle East, as new and vibrant economies begin to grow there.

This process, which is already happening in China, India, and Russia, is indispensable for the ultimate success of globalization. It could also be argued that Western investment in underdeveloped areas will not only lead to peace, but could lead to a resurgence of vitality and moral purpose in the West. Helping others is a good prescription for helping ourselves.

Warren Buffett just purchased a company in Israel for 4 billion dollars. The owner of the company, Stef Wertheimer, wants to organize a consortium of investors to invest in Arab countries. Even the Saudis may choose to invest in a Vision of Hope if they become convinced that this is the best way to stabilize the region and to protect themselves from the onslaught of ideological extremism.

We can raise funds to finance projects which resonate with hope using public sources: the World Bank, the UN, the EU, individual countries, etc. and using private sources as well: domestic companies, foreign companies, individuals, charities, foundations, etc.

The West can use such investment to open up new markets, which will help overcome some of the negative effects of globalization, such as job-outsourcing.

Once this happens, the extremists will become marginalized by their own people. They will come to feel the loneliness of being out of step with the will of the people. The will of the masses will not be deterred!

The extremists on all sides will not be able to capture the public?s imagination, once people begin to imagine a better life for themselves. Start investing in areas that are relatively secure and safe and little by little the message will resonate throughout the Middle East - "We stand ready to invest in you, if you are ready to invest in yourselves."