i-genius: What is The International?
Alexandre: The International is a truly unique and fantastic new media venture. Our reporting aims to raise awareness about important social issues across the world while maintaining high journalistic standards. We go in-depth in the stories and investigate all actors. We analyze all perspectives with impartiality and include experts’ perspectives on how to solve the issues we report on. We have an online newspaper and we have just started a production company, so we will soon start producing feature length documentaries.

i-genius: Why is The International important now?
Alexandre: In the past few decades the interest in international development has tremendously increased. For example, the earthquake in Haiti prompted an unbelievable response from the international community. People are starting to care not only about their countries, but increasingly about all of humanity. This is something we want to push even further. We also want to help people understand that if they are serious about their desire to improve conditions everywhere across the world, it goes far beyond making a donation when a disaster occurs. We want our readers to be concerned and knowledgeable about these events, but we also want them to be constantly updated about long-term issues.

i-genius: What has been your biggest challenge to date?
Alexandre: It certainly has to do with the social enterprise aspect of our organization. Foundations see us as a for-profit company and investors see us as a non-profit. Especially here in the US, the social enterprise movement has not taken off the way it has in the UK, so it is overwhelming to constantly explain what we do and why. I try to vulgarize as much as I can.

i-genius: What is the future of The International?
Alexandre: A place in everyone’s iPad, a magazine in every newsstand, a documentary in every movie theatre, in every country. For now, we have the website, and of course, we have a very elaborate strategy to carry out before we get there. But since our goal is to have a fundamental impact on the aggregate concern and knowledge of world issues, dependent on viability, we want a place in every medium possible.

i-genius: What book are you reading now?
Alexandre: The last book I read was John Elkington’s The Power of Unreasonable People. It’s a fantastic read for any social entrepreneur. Social entrepreneurship is very often intrinsically unreasonable and this book eloquently makes the case for it. It’s a great how-to guide, too.

i-genius: If you could paint the world in three colours, what would they be and why?
Alexandre: Probably none. I have heard too much about red against blue, segregation based on skin colour, etc. I usually support anything that removes barriers between people. Getting rid of colours might be a little bit extreme though, but that’s the answer I can think of!