ooc: [under construction] dominic greene, in semi-organized form
SUBJECT TO ELABORATION
Dominic Philippe Leidie de Greene was born in the canton of Geneva in 1965 (the 26 cantons of Switzerland are the states of the federal state of Switzerland) to a very, very rich family.
The Canton of Geneva is the westernmost canton or state of Switzerland, surrounded on almost all sides by France. The official name of this canton in French is République et Canton de Genève. Like some other Swiss cantons (Ticino, Neuchâtel, Jura) this canton calls itself a republic, as part of the Swiss confederation. The canton of Geneva is located in the southwestern corner of Switzerland and is considered one of the most cosmopolitan areas of the country. As a center of the Calvinist Reformation, the city of Geneva had a great influence on the canton, which essentially consists of Geneva and its hinterlands.
The canton is practically isolated from other cantons of Switzerland. As home of Calvin's Reformation the canton of Geneva has traditionally been a Protestant Christian stronghold. However, over the latter part of the 20th century the proportion of Catholics rose, in large part due to immigration from Southern Europe, and now they outnumber Protestants in the canton. However, the canton is still officially considered Protestant. The surrounding regions of France are mostly Roman Catholic. Women were granted the right to vote in the first Swiss cantons in 1959, at the federal level in 1971.
The city of Geneva dominates the economy of the canton. It is a center of commerce, trade and finance. Geneva is of international significance also as a financial center. A great number of Swiss banks are located in Geneva, particularly in the area of private banking. The service industry is most significant in Geneva where there are headquarters of a number of international corporations and organizations, such as the United Nations and the International Labor Organization. Agriculture is commonplace in the hinterlands of Geneva, particularly wheat and wine. Precision machinery and instruments are other branches where the economy of the canton of Geneva is strong. This is also reflected in the tradition of watchmaking in Geneva.
The main educational institution is the University of Geneva, founded in 1559 by Calvin. It was originally called Schola Genevensis. The original buildings are not used by the University anymore, but by Collège Calvin.
Most of the main roads in the canton of Geneva radiate from the capital city of Geneva. Of these main roads, a great number lead into France rather than any Swiss canton. The canton is served by an international airport at Cointrin (Geneva International Airport) which has one terminal only. There are good rail links to cities in France and Switzerland. Since 1984 the French high-speed trains (TGV) come to Geneva. In 1964 the canton of Geneva was connected to the Swiss highway system, in 1970 to that of France.
Geneva was an independent republic until 1798, but had been an "everlasting ally" of the Swiss Confederation since 1584. During the Napoleonic wars, Geneva was occupied and annexed to France. After its liberation in 1813, Geneva joined the Swiss Confederation in 1815 as the 22nd canton, having been enlarged by French and Savoyard territories at the Vienna Congress.
His mother (Anne-Sophie Karine de Avoyelle) worked as a piano teacher at the Conservatoire de musique de Genève, and his father (Jacques Emmerich de Greene) was a private banker.
Private banking is a term for banking, investment and other financial services provided by banks to private individuals investing sizable assets. The term "private" refers to the customer service being rendered on a more personal basis than in mass-market retail banking, usually via dedicated bank advisers. It should not be confused with a private bank, which is simply a non-incorporated banking institution.
Historically private banking has been viewed as very exclusive, only catering for high net worth individuals with liquidity over $2 million, although it is now possible to open some private bank accounts with as little as $250,000 for private investors. An institution's private banking division will provide various services such as wealth management, savings, inheritance and tax planning for their clients. A high-level form of private banking (for the especially affluent) is often referred to as wealth management.
The word "private" also alludes to bank secrecy and minimizing taxes via careful allocation of assets.
Banking in Switzerland is characterized by stability, privacy and protection of clients' assets and information. The country's tradition of bank secrecy, which dates to the Middle Ages, was first codified in a 1934 law. All banks in Switzerland are regulated by the Federal Banking Commission (FBC), which derives its authority from a series of federal statutes.
(Note: It is possible that Greene is related to the Rothschild banking family, more specifically Maurice de Rothschild, who moved to Geneva, Switzerland.)
He was the middle child, with an older sister (Marie Périgord, 2 years older) and younger brother (Jean-Luc Horace, 1 year younger), and succumbed to the middle child stereotype in being particularly motivated to succeed. They were raised not-quite-spoiled, in that they had everything that they needed, but their parents were strict, their father in particular. Most of Dominic's efforts as a child were directed to impress his father (e.g., trying to emulate the sort of behavior that their father exhibited in order to gain attention). His efforts went in vain, as it is no exaggeration when we say that his father did not love him, and his frustration at going unacknowledged was enough such that he developed a bit of an Oedipus complex. He was, however, an expert at concealing whatever feelings he had, although not nearly as good at it as he would get as an adult. When at home, his parents expected their children to act as adults would, especially when hosting dinners at the house the five shared. Dominic's childhood was not so much a period of growth as an exercise in the sort of acting he'd use in his adulthood.
He was extremely jealous of whatever attention his siblings received but never made this known to anyone in his immediate family. He had a tendency of ignoring those he deemed below his social standing (e.g., the servants his household employed) and did his best to make a favorable impression upon the people his parents would invite to dinner.
For education, he was sent to the International School of Geneva, where he first learned English.
His problems were only really revealed once throughout his childhood. At fifteen, he had developed a crush on one of his mother's piano students. However, when he heard her saying some unsavoury things about him, things got a bit ugly. As she left what was to be her last piano lesson (this is notable because he did not bother doing this somewhere he would not be apprehended), he confronted her with an iron, bashing her on the head before going for her fingers. The student's parents were, unsurprisingly, not happy. However, with a few carefully written checks, the incident was forgotten, and the student withdrew from the conservatory.
Upon finishing his secondary education, Dominic was sent to the University of Geneva.
University of Geneva: Founded by John Calvin in 1559 as a theological seminary that also taught law, it remained focused on theology until the 17th century, when it became a center for Enlightenment scholarship. In 1873 it dropped its religious affiliations and became officially secular. Today, the university is the second-largest university in Switzerland. It has programs in many fields but is especially noted for its programs in international relations (with Geneva being a center for many international organizations), and scientific research (with a record of notable discoveries in planetary science and genetics, among other fields).
Classes are taught in French. The university pursues three missions: teaching, research, and service to the community. It was ranked number one generalist university in continental Europe among the "Top 100 Global Universities" by Newsweek in 2006. The university is a member of the League of European Research Universities.
Degree system
Before 2005, the University applied the French education model of granting academic degrees, with some minor differences: demi-licence (two years), licence (four years), diplôme d'études approfondies and diplôme d'études superieures spécialisées (DEA/DESS) (1-2 years), and doctorate (3-5 years).
Organization
The university is composed of nine faculties:
* Faculty of Sciences (natural sciences)
* Faculty of Medicine (medical school)
* Faculty of Arts (arts)
* Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences and Hautes Études Commerciales (HEC) department (social sciences including economics; business school)
* Faculty of Law (Geneva Law School) (law school)
* Faculty of Protestant Theology (Protestant theological school)
* Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences (psychology and education)
* School of Translation and Interpretation (translating and interpreting)
* Institute of Architecture (architecture)
The university has also developed a continuing education programme. The university has a partnership with the nearby Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies and the Bossey Ecumenical Institute, and students at the university may take courses at these institutes.
Inter-faculty centers:
* Institute for Reformation History (the Reformation)
* Computer Science Department (computer science)
* University Centre of Human Ecology and Environmental Sciences (human ecology, environmental science)
* University Centre for Study of Energy Problems (energy policy)
* The European Institute of the University of Geneva (European studies, European integration)
* Interfaculty Center of Gerontology (gerontology)
* Swiss Center for Affective Sciences (affective science)
Following his college education, Dominic returned home. Officially, the record is that his siblings died in a car accident, his mother falling down the stairs, and his father slipping and hitting his head on the bathtub, all within the same year. 'What actually happened' is a mystery, as there is no evidence to the contrary.
Notably, Dominic did not attend the funerals. Shortly after his father's death, he went straight to Lyon, hopping the French-Swiss border with everything his family had. In Lyon, he set up what was to become Greene Planet (and when prompted, he will say he is from Lyon, rather than Geneva). He took advantage of the sympathies of family friends to help him get established.