For decades, the joke about Brazil has been that it's the country of the future-- and always will be. Despite enormous natural resources, it has long displayed an uncanny ability to squander its vast potential. Now it's beginning to look like Brazil might have the last laugh.

While Europe is consumed with debt and unemployment, and the mind is about fear of recession, Brazil is trying to figure out how to manage an economic boom. With the World Cup and the Olympics on their way, Brazil is about to make its grand entrance on the global stage.

2012 will be a tough year for the Eurozone. The broad agreements to redress the debt crisis will require governments to enact additional expenditure restraint and revenue enhancement measures to cap and eventually reverse fiscal and debt imbalances, with the extent of the retrenchment dependent upon the respective countries' current budgetary situation. Second, lending by the financial institutions will be constrained by the need to bolster capital and meet more stringent requirements.

Despite the popular association of lobbyists with corruption, it would be very difficult for government officials to conduct the public's business without lobbyists. Lobbyists serve an invaluable function in democratic governance. They provide useful information and expertise to government officials on any given matter. They represent interests that may be adversely and unintentionally impacted by a poor deliberated public policy. And they translate into understandable terms everything from scientific data to public opinions.

The economic growth in Southeast Asian countries (Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, and Timor Leste) has strengthened the position of the private sector towards the public sector considerably. Governments and administrative bodies (civil servants or bureaucrats) are increasingly inclined to strike deals with important actors in the private sector. At the same time, the red tape and corruption in the public sector worries the private sector and makes it look for NGO allies to pressure governments to take action.

In India the role of the government has changed to that of a referee and the rules of the game are in a high state of flux and evolution. Dealing with government is like walking on shifting sands. Policy is determined by political exigencies and these can change from day to day. Coalition politics with its continous push and pull results in changing policies. Despite liberalization, there is still a great deal of government interference in business.

This is the first line at a plaque at the basis of the Statue of Liberty in New York. It's from a poem called "the New Colossus" written by Emma Lazarus. For a long time, it symbolized the way the United States of America was open to all people. Today, things have changed. According to a recent survey of government and industry data, nearly half of all Americans lack economic security, meaning they live above the federal poverty  threshold but still do not have enough money to cover housing, food, healthcare and other basic expenses.

Indonesia has witnessed strong economic growth in recent years, mainly on the basis of booming private investment and consumption. Yet despite significant improvements with regard to the general investment climate and the deregulation process that has been successfully implemented, investors still point at corruption, red tape and an uncertain legal environment as the main challenges for conducting business in the country.

The Government of India and the European Union have been negotiating the conclusion of a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement since 2007. The European Business Group in India (EBGI), recognized by the Indian Government and the European Commission as the industry lobby representing the interests of European companies in India, has been a key promoter of a comprehensive free trade agreement between India and the European Union since its inception in 1997.

The Eurozone crisis is not a financial crisis. It is not an economic crisis. IT IS FIRST AND FOREMOST A GROWTH CRISIS.  EU countries (except for Germany and Scandinavian countries) have not spent enough in areas that produce growth: human capital formation, training, research, education and innovation. These are all the things by the way in which Germany has invested. Productivity is also a key factor that leads to overall economic growth. Productivity is affected by investments in R&D and new capital formation.

The current focus by the EU is to reduce spending as much as possible to reduce budget deficits. This will cause lower growth and falling tax revenues. By doing that we will get a prolonged economic stagnation and a serious recession in the south of Europe (Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, France etc..) Reducing budget deficits will not by itself solve the EU economic difficulties.