The Arc Initiative helps entrepreneurs understand and develop their businesses by teaching them business tools and knowledge while they teach the UBC students / alumni about their business and provide them with experience with small businesses.
The United Nations on the other hand looks towards finding peace between nations, maintaining international security, solving international problems etc. (“The UN in Brief.”) This is fantastic for many businesses as they strive to provide more stable nations politically, which can greatly hinder some firms, and of course this will lead to a greater economy – with more people getting educated, better health care etc.
However, Arc Initiative is an important tool for under-developed countries at the moment as it helps entrepreneurs with their businesses allowing them to succeed to a high degree in their city or town. It is important for two reasons; firstly, the world is better and more efficient when people are taught how to do things rather than given things. This is why there is such high debate about aid; it is only a very short term solution. Norman Borlaug (leader of the green revolution) proved this to be very true.
He went through a lot of Asia to teach developing countries efficient ways to farm using new technologies creating a much larger yield and thus profit for the farmers to expand. This is how I see the Arc Initiative- they give the entrepreneurs the tools and push them in the right direction- allowing them to strive in their business and hopefully teach their new skills to others in their company to create a more knowledgeable group of people who can potentially run their own businesses.
Overall, it is a very necessary program, regardless of the united nations involvement in the world.
“The UN in Brief.” UN News Center. UN. Web. 10 Nov. 2014. <http://www.un.org/Overview/uninbrief/about.shtml>