 
Thank you to Don Meade for this great question. Upon reflection, my
answer… 
 ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ 
͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ 
͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ 
͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ 
͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ 
͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ 
͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ 
͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ 
͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ 
͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ 
͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ 
͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ 
͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ 
͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ 
͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ 
͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏  

 		 [LinkedIn]
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 		 [Peet van Rensburg]
[https://za.linkedin.com/comm/in/peet-van-rensburg-7286a5136?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Aemail_email_series_follow_newsletter_01%3Bx%2FHoqC%2BzT0G6vlaCUd7qoQ%3D%3D&midToken=AQEiJLCnBJ9zrQ&midSig=0gGVuRUNHxaHg1&trk=eml-email_series_follow_newsletter_01-header-0-profile_glimmer&trkEmail=eml-email_series_follow_newsletter_01-header-0-profile_glimmer-null-97ongw~lvwahaxl~84-null-null&eid=97ongw-lvwahaxl-84&otpToken=MTcwMDE5ZTExMjJkYzljMWIyMjQwNGVkNDcxYmU3YmM4ZmNhZDM0ODkwYWY4ZjYxNzBjMTA4Njc0YjU5NWRmNmYwZDVkZmU1MTFkYWU2ZTEwMzhmZDI5MTE5YjY1ODJmYjc4YWEwY2E2MTg4OWVkOTg0MjAxMSwxLDE%3D]


 NEWSLETTER ON LINKEDIN 

 		 [Ask Richard]
[https://www.linkedin.com/comm/newsletters/6792750480419241984?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Aemail_email_series_follow_newsletter_01%3Bx%2FHoqC%2BzT0G6vlaCUd7qoQ%3D%3D&midToken=AQEiJLCnBJ9zrQ&midSig=0gGVuRUNHxaHg1&trk=eml-email_series_follow_newsletter_01-newsletter_entity_lockup-0-newsletter_entity_cta&trkEmail=eml-email_series_follow_newsletter_01-newsletter_entity_lockup-0-newsletter_entity_cta-null-97ongw~lvwahaxl~84-null-null&eid=97ongw-lvwahaxl-84&otpToken=MTcwMDE5ZTExMjJkYzljMWIyMjQwNGVkNDcxYmU3YmM4ZmNhZDM0ODkwYWY4ZjYxNzBjMTA4Njc0YjU5NWRmNmYwZDVkZmU1MTFkYWU2ZTEwMzhmZDI5MTE5YjY1ODJmYjc4YWEwY2E2MTg4OWVkOTg0MjAxMSwxLDE%3D]


 		 Ask Richard
[https://www.linkedin.com/comm/newsletters/6792750480419241984?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Aemail_email_series_follow_newsletter_01%3Bx%2FHoqC%2BzT0G6vlaCUd7qoQ%3D%3D&midToken=AQEiJLCnBJ9zrQ&midSig=0gGVuRUNHxaHg1&trk=eml-email_series_follow_newsletter_01-newsletter_entity_lockup-0-newsletter_entity_cta&trkEmail=eml-email_series_follow_newsletter_01-newsletter_entity_lockup-0-newsletter_entity_cta-null-97ongw~lvwahaxl~84-null-null&eid=97ongw-lvwahaxl-84&otpToken=MTcwMDE5ZTExMjJkYzljMWIyMjQwNGVkNDcxYmU3YmM4ZmNhZDM0ODkwYWY4ZjYxNzBjMTA4Njc0YjU5NWRmNmYwZDVkZmU1MTFkYWU2ZTEwMzhmZDI5MTE5YjY1ODJmYjc4YWEwY2E2MTg4OWVkOTg0MjAxMSwxLDE%3D]


 		 A place where you can ask me anything, and we can learn from one
another.
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 		 [Author image]
[https://www.linkedin.com/comm/in/rbranson?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Aemail_email_series_follow_newsletter_01%3Bx%2FHoqC%2BzT0G6vlaCUd7qoQ%3D%3D&midToken=AQEiJLCnBJ9zrQ&midSig=0gGVuRUNHxaHg1&trk=eml-email_series_follow_newsletter_01-newsletter_author_lockup-0-newsletter_author_cta&trkEmail=eml-email_series_follow_newsletter_01-newsletter_author_lockup-0-newsletter_author_cta-null-97ongw~lvwahaxl~84-null-null&eid=97ongw-lvwahaxl-84&otpToken=MTcwMDE5ZTExMjJkYzljMWIyMjQwNGVkNDcxYmU3YmM4ZmNhZDM0ODkwYWY4ZjYxNzBjMTA4Njc0YjU5NWRmNmYwZDVkZmU1MTFkYWU2ZTEwMzhmZDI5MTE5YjY1ODJmYjc4YWEwY2E2MTg4OWVkOTg0MjAxMSwxLDE%3D]


 		 Richard Branson
[https://www.linkedin.com/comm/in/rbranson?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Aemail_email_series_follow_newsletter_01%3Bx%2FHoqC%2BzT0G6vlaCUd7qoQ%3D%3D&midToken=AQEiJLCnBJ9zrQ&midSig=0gGVuRUNHxaHg1&trk=eml-email_series_follow_newsletter_01-newsletter_author_lockup-0-newsletter_author_cta&trkEmail=eml-email_series_follow_newsletter_01-newsletter_author_lockup-0-newsletter_author_cta-null-97ongw~lvwahaxl~84-null-null&eid=97ongw-lvwahaxl-84&otpToken=MTcwMDE5ZTExMjJkYzljMWIyMjQwNGVkNDcxYmU3YmM4ZmNhZDM0ODkwYWY4ZjYxNzBjMTA4Njc0YjU5NWRmNmYwZDVkZmU1MTFkYWU2ZTEwMzhmZDI5MTE5YjY1ODJmYjc4YWEwY2E2MTg4OWVkOTg0MjAxMSwxLDE%3D]


 		 Founder at Virgin Group
[https://www.linkedin.com/comm/in/rbranson?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Aemail_email_series_follow_newsletter_01%3Bx%2FHoqC%2BzT0G6vlaCUd7qoQ%3D%3D&midToken=AQEiJLCnBJ9zrQ&midSig=0gGVuRUNHxaHg1&trk=eml-email_series_follow_newsletter_01-newsletter_author_lockup-0-newsletter_author_cta&trkEmail=eml-email_series_follow_newsletter_01-newsletter_author_lockup-0-newsletter_author_cta-null-97ongw~lvwahaxl~84-null-null&eid=97ongw-lvwahaxl-84&otpToken=MTcwMDE5ZTExMjJkYzljMWIyMjQwNGVkNDcxYmU3YmM4ZmNhZDM0ODkwYWY4ZjYxNzBjMTA4Njc0YjU5NWRmNmYwZDVkZmU1MTFkYWU2ZTEwMzhmZDI5MTE5YjY1ODJmYjc4YWEwY2E2MTg4OWVkOTg0MjAxMSwxLDE%3D]


 		 See what others are saying about this topic: Open on Linkedin
[https://www.linkedin.com/comm/pulse/ask-richard-stage-your-life-what-motivates-you-richard-branson-wjwrc?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Aemail_email_series_follow_newsletter_01%3Bx%2FHoqC%2BzT0G6vlaCUd7qoQ%3D%3D&midToken=AQEiJLCnBJ9zrQ&midSig=0gGVuRUNHxaHg1&trk=eml-email_series_follow_newsletter_01-newsletter_hero_banner-0-open_on_linkedin_cta&trkEmail=eml-email_series_follow_newsletter_01-newsletter_hero_banner-0-open_on_linkedin_cta-null-97ongw~lvwahaxl~84-null-null&eid=97ongw-lvwahaxl-84&otpToken=MTcwMDE5ZTExMjJkYzljMWIyMjQwNGVkNDcxYmU3YmM4ZmNhZDM0ODkwYWY4ZjYxNzBjMTA4Njc0YjU5NWRmNmYwZDVkZmU1MTFkYWU2ZTEwMzhmZDI5MTE5YjY1ODJmYjc4YWEwY2E2MTg4OWVkOTg0MjAxMSwxLDE%3D]


 		 [Newsletter cover image]
[https://www.linkedin.com/comm/pulse/ask-richard-stage-your-life-what-motivates-you-richard-branson-wjwrc?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Aemail_email_series_follow_newsletter_01%3Bx%2FHoqC%2BzT0G6vlaCUd7qoQ%3D%3D&midToken=AQEiJLCnBJ9zrQ&midSig=0gGVuRUNHxaHg1&trk=eml-email_series_follow_newsletter_01-newsletter_content_preview-0-headline_&trkEmail=eml-email_series_follow_newsletter_01-newsletter_content_preview-0-headline_-null-97ongw~lvwahaxl~84-null-null&eid=97ongw-lvwahaxl-84&otpToken=MTcwMDE5ZTExMjJkYzljMWIyMjQwNGVkNDcxYmU3YmM4ZmNhZDM0ODkwYWY4ZjYxNzBjMTA4Njc0YjU5NWRmNmYwZDVkZmU1MTFkYWU2ZTEwMzhmZDI5MTE5YjY1ODJmYjc4YWEwY2E2MTg4OWVkOTg0MjAxMSwxLDE%3D]


 ASK RICHARD: AT THIS STAGE IN YOUR LIFE, WHAT MOTIVATES YOU? 

Thank you to Don Meade
[https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7164232963772112897?commentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Acomment%3A%28activity%3A7164232963772112897%2C7164234769235460097%29&dashCommentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_comment%3A%287164234769235460097%2Curn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A7164232963772112897%29] for
this great question. Upon reflection, my answer hasn’t changed since
the age of 16.  

What motivates me most in life is trying to solve unacceptable issues.
At 16, I couldn’t accept the brutality and senselessness of the
Vietnam War, so I started Student Magazine
[https://www.virgin.com/branson-family/richard-branson-blog/student-magazine] to
protest the war and report on the atrocities it was inflicting. I
wanted the magazine to challenge the stale publications of the day
and cover issues that really mattered to young people, such as
abortion bans, outdated, education models, LGBTQI+ discrimination, and
so forth. 

Now, at the age of 73, solving unacceptable issues is still my main
source of motivation and it is why we launched Virgin Unite
[https://unite.virgin.com/index.html?region=gb] 20 years ago. As a
relentless optimist, I believe there isn’t a single issue we cannot
combat in our lifetimes, if we dedicate enough energy to it. This is
what gets me up in the morning, and it’s what sometimes keeps me up
at night too. However, it’s important to not get pulled in so many
directions that you have no direction at all. And so, I wanted to
write more on the specific issues that I focus on the most, with
endless momentum from Virgin Unite and the wonderful Virgin Group
team.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM 

 I believe that people shouldn’t be judged by their darkest moment
in life, and societies can’t prosper without mercy. In my mind,
penal systems need to shift their focus away from punishment and
toward rehabilitation. People need to be given the best
possible chance of rebuilding their lives and escaping the cycle of
re-offending. This is why we work with the Responsible Business
Initiative for Justice [https://rbij.org/] (RBIJ) and other
organisations to advocate for rehabilitative justice systems, fair
checks on criminal records, ending cash bail (which cruelly
discriminate against people experiencing poverty), and abolishing the
death penalty. I’m also immensely proud of the endless work that
Virgin Unite does to help reform systems that trap vulnerable people
in destructive cycles of penalty and poverty. Together, we are all
working to bring fair chance hiring into mainstream business
practices. It’s a powerful way in which all businesses can get
involved in criminal justice reform. 

One area of reform I am particularly passionate about is ending the
death penalty. It is an inhumane, ineffective and error-prone form of
punishment. Why do we kill people who kill people to show people that
killing people is wrong? Some people claim the death penalty deters
crime, yet nothing could be further from the truth – and study after
study refutes this. Look anywhere in the 55 countries that retain the
practice [https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/death-penalty/]: the
death penalty doesn’t make communities safer, it has no noticeable
impact on crime rates, and it wastes resources that could be better
used elsewhere.  

		View media
[https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ask-richard-stage-your-life-what-motivates-you-richard-branson-wjwrc]

One of the most frustrating aspects of the death penalty is the
well-documented risk of executing innocent people. For every eight
people executed in the US, one person has been found to be innocent.
This is an unacceptable margin of error, particularly when the stake
at play is a human life. This is another area where businesses can
really take a stand, which is why we helped RBIJ launch Business
Leaders against the Death Penalty
[https://www.businessagainstdeathpenalty.org/], alongside many
business leaders like Paul Polman. The campaign has brought together
more than 250 notable leaders including Sheryl Sandberg, Alan Jope,
and Marc Benioff to call for an end to capital punishment all around
the world. Over the years, we’ve written countless letters and had
many tense phone calls to plead mercy for people on death row, and I
really struck a nerve
[https://www.virgin.com/branson-family/richard-branson-blog/my-response-to-singapores-home-affairs-minister-on-the-death-penalty]
when took on Singapore’s government over its horrific use of the
death penalty for non-violent drug offences. We don’t always
succeed, but I hope that our work will ultimately help people and
governments understand why its time to end the death penalty for good.

ENDING THE WAR ON DRUGS

The war on drugs cannot be won, but it can be ended. While the global
trade in illicit drugs has soared to upwards of $400 billion,
communities remain ravaged by drug-related violence, prisons are
overcrowded with people sentenced for simple drug possession and
personal use, addiction is rampant, and billions of dollars has been
wasted in fighting an impossible fight.

 If the focus shifted to decriminalising and regulating recreational
drugs, it could create seismic shifts in harm reduction, public
health, public spending, prison statistics, drug-related violence,
death, and more. Governments need to wrestle control from criminal
networks by creating legalised and regulated markets. The health risks
of drug use and the dramatically rising overdose death toll in many
countries often make people feel nervous about decriminalisation.
However, the failed war on drugs has only increased these health risks
and exacerbated the dramatic outcomes we see. Prohibition has driven
the market towards riskier, more potent, and contaminated substances
with unregulated strengths, ingredients, and production methods.
Furthermore, people are pushed to consume drugs in unsafe
environments, leading to greater risk of harm.

It’s time we wake up to the fact that the so-called war on drugs is
a war on people, which is what led me to become a member of The Global
Commission on Drug Policy
[https://www.globalcommissionondrugs.org/]. The commission does a
fantastic job in creating informed, evidence-based discussions about
humane and effective ways to reduce the harm caused by drugs and drug
policies. My fellow Commissioners and I have spent years making the
case that no one should be criminalised, marginalised, or stigmatised
for possession and personal use of illicit drugs. When problems arise,
drug addiction should be treated as a public health issue, not a
responsibility of already overburdened criminal justice systems.
It’s wonderful to see the tide shifting in both policy and opinion
on this issue! If you’re unsure where you stand, I would suggest
reading through the commission’s reports and opinion pieces
[https://www.globalcommissionondrugs.org/].

LGBTQI+ RIGHTS

LGBTQI+ equality was one of the first issues I campaigned about as a
teenager. At 17, I launched the Student Advisory Centre
[https://unite.virgin.com/our-impact/timeline/index.html?region=gb]
after discovering a huge demand for young people wanting advice on
topics including sexuality, health and relationships. Many ostracised
gay people came to us seeking support and ways to meet other gay
people and feel part of a community. The fact that someone could be
shunned, bullied, discriminated against, thrown into prison, or even
face the death penalty (as is sadly still the case in quite a few
countries) for same-sex relationships is completely unacceptable.
Business can play a big role here, which is why we supported the I
helped launch of the wonderful organisation Open for Business
[https://open-for-business.org/], as a business-led coalition that
makes the economic case for LGBTQI+ inclusion. From creating safe and
inclusive workplaces to putting pressure on governments that persecute
LGBTQI+ people, joining coalitions like Open For Business
[https://open-for-business.org/]and raising awareness through
meaningful Pride festivities – there’s so much that businesses can
do. At Virgin, I’m so proud of the work our companies and Virgin
Unite are doing, which includes implementing gender-neutral uniform
policies, Pride flights, effective partnerships, inclusion networks,
advocacy efforts, and beyond.

RE-DEFINING DYSLEXIA AND NEURODIVERSITY

I am dyslexic, and I don’t shy away from talking about it. In fact,
I want businesses around the world to understand the unique value of
hiring dyslexics; and I want society to understand that dyslexia is
just a different way of seeing the world, a different way of
processing information, and an opportunity to come up with great
ideas. To bring this message across, we started working with Made By
Dyslexia [https://www.madebydyslexia.org/] many years ago and it’s
proven to be a very impactful partnership. Together, we worked with
LinkedIn to change the
[https://www.virgin.com/branson-family/richard-branson-blog/working-together-to-redefine-dyslexia]Dictionary.com
[http://Dictionary.com] definition
[https://www.virgin.com/branson-family/richard-branson-blog/working-together-to-redefine-dyslexia]
of ‘dyslexia’, encouraged LinkedIn to add ‘Dyslexic Thinking’
to its list of recognised skills, developed Dyslexic Thinking training
on LinkedIn Learning, delved into the aggregated power of dyslexia and
AI, and much more.

		View media
[https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ask-richard-stage-your-life-what-motivates-you-richard-branson-wjwrc]

Beyond dyslexia, I believe that all forms of neurodiversity should be
embraced by employers, education systems and wider society. We need to
reframe neurodiversity, and ensure that neurodiverse thinkers have the
support they need to reach their full potential in life. This is why
we invested in auticon [https://auticon.com/uk/] back in 2016, and
have proudly supported their teams ever since. auticon is a fantastic
IT consulting business and social enterprise that employs adults on
the autism spectrum, and places them in permanent roles as IT
consultants. auticon is now the largest autistic-majority company in
the world, and works across 15 countries. Brilliant. I truly believe
that the world needs a neurodiverse workforce to help solve some
of the big problems of our time, so it’s brilliant to see more and
more leaders catching onto this too.  

UKRAINE

Promoting peace is how my advocacy journey began, as I protested the
Vietnam War
[https://www.virgin.com/branson-family/richard-branson-blog/protesting-from-the-page-to-the-streets]
on the streets on London and through the pages of Student Magazine. On
the eve of the Iraq War in 2003, I organised for Nelson Mandela and
Kofi Annan to fly to Baghdad
[https://www.virgin.com/branson-family/richard-branson-blog/how-we-tried-stop-iraq-war]
and try to convince Saddam Hussein to step down in the interests of
his people. Sadly, the war broke out the week they were due to travel.
Frustrated by this experience, Peter Gabriel and I came up with the
idea for a group of respected global leaders to come together and
promote human rights and peaceful conflict resolution. This led to the
launch of  The Elders [https://theelders.org/] with Nelson Mandela at
the helm and including visionary leaders such as Archbishop Desmond
Tutu, President Jimmy Carter, Kofi Annan and Graça Machel.

It’s through my work with The Elders that I was keen to speak out on
the war against Ukraine. When Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, I was
worried by the general apathy that surrounded the issue. I visited
Ukraine in September 2014 to encourage leaders, businesses, and global
citizens to take it seriously. Eight years later, after Putin’s
full-scale invasion, I was shocked and horrified. I pushed for Western
governments to swiftly deliver advanced weapons and for global
businesses to show unwavering support for Ukraine. We must remember
that Ukraine's troops are defending far more than their own
sovereignty and national identity. They are fighting and dying so the
rest of us don't have to. Since the war broke out, we have visited the
country
[https://www.virgin.com/branson-family/richard-branson-blog/visiting-ukraine]
multiple times and met with President Zelensky to understand how
businesses can better support the country.  As a result, I became an
ambassador to President Zelensky’s UNITED24 [https://u24.gov.ua/]
fundraising platform, and worked with Virgin Unite to partner with the
Howard G. Buffett Foundation and the Bridgeway Foundation to support
some brilliant projects including the SuperHumans Center
[https://www.virgin.com/virgin-unite/latest/a-world-class-medical-centre-opens-for-ukrainians-wounded-by-war]
– which is a world-class medical facility for Ukrainians wounded in
the war and the incredible organisation GEM that is getting relief to
those who need it the most. I was also thrilled to host a dinner
[https://www.virgin.com/virgin-unite/latest/united24-charity-dinner-raises-usd635-000-to-rebuild-school-in-ukraine]
with UNITED24 at our Virgin Hotels [https://virginhotels.com/]
property in New York, which raised $635,000 to rebuild a school in
Marianivka. Liev S. (get spelling) also joined me as a fellow
Ambassador for United24. His work to get funds to local Ukrainian
charities through BlueCheck is tremendous. In this war of attrition,
Ukraine’s allies must double down on their commitments, and do
everything they can to ensure that Ukraines’s brave people can repel
Russia’s aggression, protect their sovereignty, and rebuild their
country.

ELEVATING THE PLANETARY BOUNDARY SCIENCE

Humanity is_ _not on track to meet the goals of the 2015 Paris
Climate Agreement and the cost to future generations is rising with
every passing day of inaction.

The Planetary Boundaries Framework
[https://www.stockholmresilience.org/research/planetary-boundaries.html] was
first developed in 2009 by a global team of the world’s leading
scientists and led by Professor Johan Rockström of the Potsdam
Institute for Climate Impact Research - identifies nine critical
systems needed to regulate the health of the entire planet. From
climate change to freshwater use, biodiversity
[https://time.com/6281910/the-planet-is-losing-more-wildlife-than-earlier-thought/] loss
to chemical pollution and the release of novel entities, the
boundaries define what Rockström calls the “safe operating space”
for humanity. Veer too far beyond these limits and we risk causing
irreversible damage to the very ecosystems that sustain life.

I was thrilled to join Virgin Unite 
[https://www.virgin.com/virgin-unite]and several partners for the
 launch of Planetary Guardians
[https://planetaryguardians.com/] last year. The Guardians are an
independent group of leaders, working together to elevate the
planetary boundary science, and make the boundaries a measurement and
operating framework to inform collective global action. The work of
Planetary Guardians, can help to change our current course and secure
Earth’s future, but it will require constant vigilance and
radical collaboration
[https://time.com/6308020/climate-change-homelessness-maui-hilary/] from
the rest of us.

There are many other issues that deeply concern me and so I use
advocacy, investments, partnerships and outreach to try to solve them.
It is only by believing that humanity can solve the issues we’re up
against that we can stay motivated and empowered to do it. And so,
this is what motivates me above all else, Don. I hope it has motivated
a few other readers too.

Until next month,

Richard

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