Lucire publisher enters political arena, runs for Parliament

Lucire publisher Jack Yan is standing for Parliament in New Zealand’s General Election next month, four days after the United States’ presidential election.
Mr Yan is number 10 on the Alliance Party’s list.
He part-jokingly says that the Alliance stands for ‘change you can believe in.’
He says he is willing to put his business credentials and record in social responsibility to good use in the political sphere.
Under his leadership Lucire became the first fashion industry partner of the United Nations Environment Programme in 2003, before the green movement became mainstream.
The following year he proved that a website could extend its brand in to print when Lucire, New Zealand’s longest running online fashion magazine, launched international print editions.
Mr Yan is a director of the Medinge Group think-tank in Sweden, which gives out the Brands with a Conscience awards annually.
‘I’ve had 21 years of spotting new business trends, and I will be helping my party look at ways of strengthening New Zealand’s enterprise and economy,’ he says.
‘What technocrats do not realize is that this can be done by being both business-friendly and socially responsible,’ he adds.
‘I have had a life-long interest in politics so I am delighted to be playing my part in this country’s democracy.’
Mr Yan has said in the past that he is a globalist and a Confucianist, and that some people have found it strange that he would campaign under a left-wing ticket.
He says, ‘This country’s technocratic policies have failed the people, and rather than look at whether a party is left- or right-wing, I looked at one that is most humanist. The Alliance is the natural choice.’

‘Change you can believe in’
Those humanist policies have resonated so much that the ruling Labour Party and its ally, Jim Anderton’s Progressive Party, have been taking credit for them, says Mr Yan.
‘Perhaps it’s the publisher in me, but I want people to know the truth, especially when historical revisionism is involved,’ he says.
He rejects the idea that the National Party, the country’s main opposition currently ahead in polls, will mean any change in New Zealand.
‘If you look at the voting record, National voted for the laws that New Zealanders are most up in arms about. By putting my weight behind the Alliance, I hope people can see that there is a real alternative for New Zealand—not the confused policies of Labour or the flip-flop-flip of John Key and National,’ he says.
‘I see a widening gap between rich and poor, and crime that has grown so much that one is eight times more likely to be murdered today than in the 1950s—and that’s taking into account the population growth. Labour–National and their allies do not want to talk about these basic statistics, because they are both complicit.’
New Zealand has a proportional representation system, similar to that of Germany, which means minor parties can have great influence in governmental matters.

Images
Images for this release may be downloaded at <http://jya.net/081028pr1.htm>.

About Lucire
Lucire, the global fashion magazine (www.lucire.com), started on the web in 1997. In October 2004, it became the first magazine in its sector to extend its brand into a print magazine. By May 2005, it became the first web magazine to spawn international print editions. Lucire became the first fashion industry partner of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP, www.unep.org). In 2008, it launched a mobile edition, primarily for the US market, putting the web back at the core of its business. It is headquartered in Wellington, New Zealand and published by Lucire LLC. For business information, see <http://www.lucire.net>.

About the Alliance
The Alliance is a New Zealand registered political party that has contested every General Election since 1993. It is a broad inclusive party of the left with policies based on democratic socialist principles: democracy, equality and social ownership. It combines a concern for the protection of the environment with the need to create a democratic economy and a modern welfare state.

About Jack Yan
Jack Yan founded Jack Yan & Associates (http://jya.net), one of the world’s first virtual firms, in 1987. His company is based or represented in over a dozen countries worldwide. Among his company’s interests are business consulting, imaging, software and media, including the fashion magazine brand Lucire. He writes on topics, ranging from branding and business responsibility to fashion and typography, in numerous publications worldwide and is a regular international speaker. His personal site is at www.jackyan.com, and features a highly regarded blog. He is a director of the Medinge Group (http://medinge.org), a think-tank in Sweden devoted to cutting-edge branding.

Notes to editors
Lucire is a registered trade mark of Jack Yan & Associates and subject to protection in certain jurisdictions. All other trade marks are the properties of their respective owners and are only used in a descriptive fashion without any intention to infringe.

Contacts:
Jack Yan, CEO
Jack Yan & Associates
T 64 4 387-3213, F 64 4 387-3213
E jack.yan@jyanet.com

Amanda Dolheguy
Delineate Ltd.
A JY&A Consulting global partner
T 64 3 366-3690, cellphone 64 21 328-869
E amanda@jya.net

Simone Knol, Editor, web edition
Lucire
T 44 7876 701-505
E simone.knol@lucire.com

Elyse Glickman, US West Coast Editor
Lucire
T 1 310 497-7157
E elyse.glickman@lucire.com