History | Worldview Impact

Bremley and Arne

The idea behind the company's creation goes back to the time when Bremley Lyngdoh first met Arne Fjortoft, Secretary General of Worldview International Foundation(WIF) at a United Nations ESCAP conference in Bangkok in 1999. It was there that Bremley was invited to serve on the Executive Committee of the Board of WIF. They discussed a plan to expand and sustain the communication and development work of WIF by creating a social enterprise. Bremley was later recognized and appointed by the Indian Prime Minister as the first Youth Representative representing his country as part of the government’s delegation to the historic United Nations Millennium Summit that brought together 189 heads of states and governments to agree on the Millennium Development Goals. His official statement to the Millennium Assembly on the 28th September 2000 called on world leaders and their governments to protect the environment by creating sustainable livelihoods for young people in developing countries.

Bremley and Arne Bremley then undertook some initial research on the impact of climate change on the livelihoods of the poor while doing his Master of International Affairs in Energy & Environmental Policy Studies at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University in New York in 2001. He then represented WIF at the Youth Employment Summit that was held in 2002 in Alexandria where he urged policy-makers to give more support to the development of sustainable livelihoods. Later in 2004 after a few consultations with Arne, he developed the business concept which was then incubated at the London School of Economics and Political Science where he was doing his Ph.D. in Sustainable Development Studies. Bremley then met with Arne in Oslo in April 2007 at a special celebration in the Norwegian Parliament, honouring Arne's international development work on his 70th birthday. They both invited some of their colleagues to join as advisors and directors, and later Bremley incorporated Worldview Impact as a company limited by shares under the Companies Acts (Reg no. 6353759) in England and Wales on 28th August 2007.

Based on initial projections, Worldview Impact will have a fast growth within the next five years. The initial stage will be establishing the first nursery in 2008, including planting of 100 Hectares the first year, with increased activities to complete planting of 2000 Hectares in Sri Lanka before the end of 2012. The first project in India will start in 2009, to be followed by project in other countries. The project in India will be done in cooperation with tribal kings and communities in Meghalaya in North East India. The goal of the company is to build upon the 30 years development work experience of WIF and expand it into a social enterprise business model of development.