Dear entrepreneur, this is the sixth time in almost six years writing this article on Pere Duran Farell, someone whom he dedicated the wonderful label of "pragmatic visionary" - the great mix of dreams with reality - and I do , stubbornly, because I must not forget that people who have a social reference, and references to help shape identities.

After all these years writing it, I realize even more the greatness of his thoughts, because, in times of prosperity as in times of difficulty maintaining their luster. He was already aware of how humanity was engaged in major and arguments. Never speak of change for change: he was a great connoisseur of its social foundations, technological, economic and moral. In his thoughts were the essences to address it. We recall some of them.

First, optimism and belief in man "(when) you see the immense wealth and immense possibilities of man, for you are quite optimistic, because humanity has three solutions, has two o aware of this and makes authentic wonders in the future, or is destroyed. Because if we destroy, everything was finished, there is no alternative, humanity is forced to be wonderfully supportive, and this happens to men. " (1985)

The second, created by building a future: "There are a lot of human energy, capacity decision, perhaps aimed only to keep things as they are, (...). And then, what is the current way of acting? It could say so, how strictly administrative. (...) There is another way to decide which I call creative. The decision maker, involved in most of the data and reasoning, two other factors: intuition and faith, but how many people want to hear, of intuition and faith? I think these factors can intervene in major decisions is important for guiding future. " (1983)

The third company as an institution that should contribute to a better society: "As we know our world in the last five years of the twentieth century, both ideas as conventional structures are immersed in a deep crisis. Only the company can advance to become a staple in taking on the challenge of building a sustainable human society. (...) Therefore, continuing the momentum of moral values, cultural, ethical and aesthetic, both personal and social level must infuse companies, can only be carried out by persons endowed with special sensitivity to assume legitimating leadership of cultural change. " (1997).

Finally, my favorite phrase: "The world lacks philosophy, poetry lacks, and lacks utopia, a utopia made by responsible men." (1985).

Businessman friend, thoughts like these and men like Pere Duran, we can not forget them or forget it.

Joseph Albet

Economic Focus, 17-01-2009

We must not forget (January 2004)