Chris Trotter opines on Phil Goff’s “Nationhood” speech:

To these New Zealanders he was saying: “It’s okay, you and I think alike on this. I’m not going to brand you a racist because, like me, you were offended by Hone Harawira’s obscenities; or because you were repelled by the dirty dealing between National and the Maori Party over the ETS legislation.”

Well, I too was offended by Hone Harawira’s obscenities – although no more than I was by Trevor Mallard calling Chris Finlayson “Tinkerbell” in Parliament – , and I’m certainly repelled by the dirty dealing between National and the Maori Party over the ETS legislation.

If Goff had confined himself to that, he would have been, to use Trotter’s words, “taking the first, and absolutely necessary steps towards Labour’s rehabilitation – and re-election”.

But he didn’t confine himself to that.  Goff found in necessary to dog-whistle to racism by regurgitating a thinly disguised version-lite of Don Brash’s “Nationhood” speech.  Even worse, he defended the status quo on the foreshore and seabed.

The Foreshore and Seabed Act is racist legislation.  It nationalised without compensation all foreshore and seabed for which the Court of Appeal found iwi or hapu had the right to make claim to customary title before the courts had even had the chance to consider one single such claim.  But it didn’t nationalise any of the over 12,000 parcels of foreshore and seabed in private fee simple ownership.  It deprived one specific group of New Zealanders of their right to have their claim to property rights determined by the Courts.  The fact that the group of New Zealanders so deprived were defined by race makes the legislation racist – pure and simple.

As recently as July we looked to be finally working towards a political consensus on the foreshore and seabed, with Labour Shadow Attorney General David Parker stating:

National’s change of heart has established an opportunity to revisit the Act, which we support. John Key said in April that our submission indicated ‘there could well be agreement between the three of us, National, Labour and the Maori Party, (in) which case you’ll get a much better solution and one that’ll achieve what we want…’ ”.

We hope this remains the case. Changes which need to be made include restoring the ability for iwi and hapu to gain a customary title to the foreshore and seabed.”

But now we have Goff’s shameful backtrack to again supporting that racist legislation:

But for all the criticism I have heard, most people accept that the current foreshore and seabed rules aren’t broken and they’re a good foundation for moving forward. They believe its good legislation for all New Zealanders.

…

It’s hard to see why the country should be put through all the grief just to put a new brand on law that’s working.

Trotter is right to remind us that a class analysis is required, and that Goff needs to return Labour to its egalitarian, socialist roots.  He needs to also recall that the Labour Party has some racist roots, exemplified by things like the Foreshore and Seabed Act and the lower rate of unemployment benefit for Maori that persisted through to the 1950s.  Trotter is wrong to assert that it is all about class and not at all about race.

The people who waged the laws and made the laws that alienated 63 million acres of Maori land and nationalised the foreshore and seabed without compensation were not just les mofos riches – they were also les mofos blancs.

We all know there are many components to a comprehensive Business Continuity Management (BCM) program; BIAs, BCPs, Crisis Mgmt, Media Relations and many, many more but there is one that doesn’t usually fall under the BCM umbrella. A program can help BCM with many aspects of risk mitigation and other areas.  It’s the Health & Safety (H&S) program.  I don’t know where you – the reader – may reside but up here in Canada many organizations are required to have one and depending upon the province, there are various aspects that a H&S program is involved with.  For the purposes of this article, I’m going to focus on how it can be related to BCM and how it might be a missing link.

The H&S might not be utilized for BCM because in the majority of cases, the H&S committee is made of volunteers, not permanent members or a formal department.  Of course, if you’re in a manufacturing environment there is probably a well established committee with full time members, as these environments need to ensure safety of their workers is priority #1 at all times.  If many are volunteers, they are going to focus on their daily operational activities – those they are paid for – and not put a lot of focus on the H&S committee. 

From experience (as a co-chair of a H&S committee for a location with 500+ employees), management and employees didn’t take H&S seriously because it was a voluntary position and no one had actual claim or ownership of the process.  This is a shame because the H&S can help BCM.  How? 

Depending upon the provincial regulations, facility inspections performed by H&S members (must be a management and a non-management representative) occur on a monthly basis.  “Inspections?  What kind of inspections?” I hear you ask.  Well, these inspections help identify risk and hazards that can harm employees and cause potential damage to equipment and operations.  After the inspections are performed those committee members who had done the inspection write out their report and submit and ‘safety infractions’ to management for consideration; either to comply with recommended changes or – as is often the case – to be ignored. 

Not getting the connection yet?  Don’t worry, you will.  These inspections, as I alluded to ways to identify potential dangers and risk to employees and operations.  Though they may seem like small instances, sometimes the smallest risk identified can cause the largest impact; ‘From little acorns do might oaks grow,’ as the old saying goes.  Here’s an example.

Our facility is a large data centre, housing a large operations area but also has development personnel, finance employees and sales staff – all residing in the same facility.  One part of the facility also houses large printer to spit out reams and reams of cheques, invoices and statements – along with many other materials, such as marketing pamphlets.  During an inspection by the H&S committee members they identify a potential hazard where one of the large rolls of cheque stock/statement paper is not properly secured to the wall or loaded or stored on its wooden pallet properly.  The concern could be that it comes loose for the wall and injure an employee.  Now some may say that’s not a major business interruption – though without a doubt it would be a serious concern for employee safety – as one roll of paper injuring an employee will not hamper business operations.  Sales staff can still work and almost all other functions can continue. Well, in that respect its correct.

However, what if that roll of heavy paper – some being a few hundred pounds – came away from the wall and rolled into one of the high impact printers?  Now, you have a different situation on your hands.  The roll could potentially damage the printer, which means that finance teams can’t get their invoices printed, sales and marketing staff can’t get their marketing materials printed, and for those that are awaiting cheques – will now have a delay in getting their money.  Much more of an incident now, isn’t it?

What if BCM was involved with H&S?  How could BCM help to ensure that this type of situation doesn’t occur?  Here are a few recommendations:

1. If your BCM program doesn’t have representation on the H&S committee, consider joining or at the very least, attending a few meetings. 
2. If you can gain access to inspection reports, find out if there are any hazards that may need to be addressed by contingency plans. 
3. From the same list of hazards, see if any mitigation processes can be put in place to ensure that the hazard doesn’t come to fruition – such as a better method to ensure rolls of cheque stock don’t come away from the walls.   
4. Figure out how – when one of these hazards occurs – how the processes for emergency/incident management tie into the situation.  For instance, there could be a hazardous materials spill, which could cause the facility to be evacuated.  Isn’t this part of our emergency response processes.  The two should tie together so that they work in conjunction, rather than people instantly believing there is an H&S incident.  To clarify, there is an H&S incident but it triggers BCM responses – in many cases.  

So, is it possible that H&S is a lost or forgotten component of BCM?  Maybe, maybe not.  Still, in many ways the H&S process and committee can bring attention to hazards that can cause the activation of BCM components.  Wouldn’t it be a better idea to understand some of these triggers – these risks and hazards – before they occur, rather than give the classic Homer Simpson response after the fact: D’OH!

Many will identify risks that can harm operations but often those are external with less emphasis on internal hazards.   Oh yes, there may be instances where internal risks and hazards are identified during risk analysis but the H&S committee can help identify additional risk and review risks on a monthly basis – the results of which can be used to help bolster response plans and contingency strategies.  In this respect, is H&S a lost component of BCM….or could it be the new component? 

Be healthy. Be safe.

http://sociallyresponsiblefilms.blogspot.com/

http://documentaries4u.blogspot.com/2009/07/flow-for-love-of-water.html

MORE TO ADD OF COURSE!

Wednesday’s presentation from the Ben & Jerry’s founders was certainly a popular event (I guess free icecream trumps the pain for many of us standing for an hour+). They told some fantastic tales of their almost accidental rise to fame and fortune.

The main message of their talk was how a business can be run in a socially responsible fashion. They offered some intriguing examples of (as they put it) “improving the quality of life in our community” without necessarily contradicting the usual modus operandi of business (i.e. pursuing customers with an attractive product).

It was great to see how they had leveraged their existing value chain and capabilities to deliver genuine social benefits.

At the supplier end they discussed their involvement with Greyston Bakery in Yonkers, New York. This bakery offers training and employment opportunities for socially-disadvantaged folks. Rather than just throwing these guys some money to keep up their good work, Ben & Jerry’s designed an ice-cream (Chocolate Fudge Brownie) using the Bakery’s output. They said this now sends around $4m worth of business the bakery’s way each year. See more on this here (including a cool video).

At the distribution end the firm has awarded a number of their retail franchises free to not-for-profits in various locations. Again, these NGOs usually offer training and employment opportunities for at-risk youth. These Partnershops look and feel like the for-profit stores, and the charities presumably seek to make surpluses in just the same fashion, equipped with the processes and expertise transferred to all franchisees.

Both of these approaches embrace the power of the firm’s core competitive advantages (designing, marketing and delivering fancy ice-cream) so as to achieve a financially and socially profitable result. It’s a great model for others to follow and adapt.

Oh, and the free Chunky Monkey Ice-cream tasted great. See a brief snippet from Jerry here.

Yesterday I took part in a charity event arranged by the Golden Horseshoe Chapter of IABC (International Association of Business Communicators) and the United Way of Burlington and Greater Hamilton.  Now in it’s fifth year, The Gift of Communication event ‘allows seasoned IABCers and communications students to work with representatives from community charities and share their expertise – while at the same time learning valuable insights into the issues facing today’s not-for-profit organizations.’

It was a great afternoon at the Royal Hamilton Yacht Club who provided their facilities free of charge.  Eight not-for-profit agencies attended including the Afro-Canadian Caribbean Association who I thoroughly enjoyed working with.  Our table included another public relations student like myself and a seasoned practioner and we all brain-stormed with the ACCA’s two representatives. Each charity registered for the event and provided background information including the two main issues they would like to discuss.  At our table we shared ideas on ACCA’s goals regarding ‘dealing with the media effectively’ and ‘building better relationships with stakeholders’.

As the afternoon wrapped up one of the IABC organizers, Jan Graves, explained that the idea for this event came from the Atlantic chapter of IABC.  During an IABC speaking engagement in the United States, Jan received great interest about the event from other chapters looking for ways to give their expertise to the community.  Jan will be moderating a session on social responsibility at the 2010 IABC World Conference in Toronto.

The association’s SR Committee is currently working with several international organizations including the World Health Organization to develop an ISO standard for social responsibility.  If you would like to know more about social responsibility initiatives within IABC, their web site includes conversations, resources, case studies and professional development opportunities.

Media has a wide influence and plays a vital role in our society. Primarily, its main function is to provide news and information which are essential to the public. Public service through social responsibility should be the main core of every journalist. But, what happens if the media overlook one of their essential functions? Will the public be able to fully trust the media? Or will it be the reason for the distrust of people and will eventually be a big threat in fulfilling their original role which is public service?

Philippine media is facing a great challenge. Sensationalism is rampant; news and articles are so overdone; simple news are made to be complicated; and worst, irrelevant news now occupy space in newspaper and time slot in radio and television.

The alleged affair between People’s Champ, Manny Pacquiao and the young sexy star, Krista Ranillo has been one of the talked about issues present in Philippine media for almost a week. What does this news imply? Why do Filipinos have to suffer watching news about the love affair of Krista and Manny? Is this something that would give hope to the poor people of our country? Who will benefit on this, the public or the media itself?

Over-coverage, exaggerated news articles and repetitive airing in news programs— that’s how the media treated the love affair issue of Manny Pacquiao and Krista Ranillo.  This might just be another overused propaganda to promote their upcoming movie, “Wapakman” which is an entry for the next month’s Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF). This issue is a strategy for popularity. If people will talk about them, there is a big chance that their movie will be a great hit when it is released.

It’s a big shame that the Philippine media entertain and tolerate news which is so profit-oriented, not of public’s interest, and does not benefit the masses.

Journalists should be careful in covering issues, because their coverage defines what kind of media workers they are. As a public servant, they should know what’s of public importance and what’s not. They should know that there are a lot of important issues to cover rather than intervening at one’s private life.

Page 2 to go into my sketchbook for the Sketchbook Project.  My assigned topic:  How to Save the World.

A little background about the symbolism on this page: 

The symbolism here is tied to the religious paradigm of the mythical hero off to slay evil demons out in the wilderness so as to protect kith and kin. 

This paradigm was articulated by Mircea Eliade (1907-1986), a native of Romania, who was “a well-known historian of religion, fiction writer, philosopher, and professor at the University of Chicago. He was a leading interpreter of religious experience, who established paradigms in religious studies that persist to this day. His theory that hierophanies form the basis of religion, splitting the human experience of reality into sacred and profane space and time, has proved influential.^[1]” 

“Eliade argues that religious thought in general rests on a sharp distinction between the Sacred and the profane;^[83] whether it takes the form of God, gods, or mythical Ancestors, the Sacred contains all "reality", or value, and other things acquire "reality" only to the extent that they participate in the sacred.^[84] suggests that in traditional societies, people tended to view the world as being one of opposing realms, of the known world, and the unknown world.  The known world was “the realm of established order; and beyond the known world is a chaotic and dangerous realm, "peopled by ghosts, demons, [and] ‘foreigners’ (who are [identified with] demons and the souls of the dead).^[116] ….According to Eliade, traditional societies place their known world at the Center because (from their perspective) their known world is the realm that obeys a recognizable order, and it therefore must be the realm in which the Sacred manifests itself; the regions beyond the known world, which seem strange and foreign, must lie far from the Center, outside the order established by the Sacred.”  Full Wikipedia Article on Eliade’s life and work

Eliade’ argued passionately for the universality of these paradigms, probably the most controversial aspect of his work to others.  But I would argue that one doesn’t have to look very hard at contemporary cultures, to at least see the pervasiveness of the paradigm of the mythical hero as a recurrent theme today across most cultural groups, in religious stories, as well as popular drama and other entertainment.  It continues to be held up as a value throughout enculturation processes in some form.  The details may vary, but it is a powerful motivator to act, even today. Though the paradigm has its roots in traditional societies, it clearly persists in modern culture and shapes values on a primal level.   

It is a romantic notion that lies at the heart of the decisions of world leaders to take up arms, though how those leaders have formed their perception of who is included in the sacred or in the profane derives from how they, as individuals, have come to see who is “in” and who is “out”.  Whether you are looking at individuals who take extreme measures to strike through hostage taking, genocide, and mass murder, or the knight who fights on his home soil to defend against invaders, all can be seen to be acting on a sorting process.  This process of sorting the universe of being “one/part of us” or “in” and being “not part of us” or “out” begins in early social development.  How we learn to sort and how we act on that sorting is shaped by how we our personal biases are formed.  It is how we judge the behavior of others. 

If we view and judge others around us as being the profane, “outsiders”, “others”, we make them “dragons” in our minds, or the “chaos monster”, as Eliade would describe them.  We believe that it is a hero’s duty to slay dragons that threaten us.  The problem here, is that they are probably not dragons at all, and the facts are likely not that we are good and they are evil and must be defeated.  In fact, they may just be afraid of us, as we are of them, and by our perceptions and acting through fear, we cannot build empathy or understanding.  What is required to avoid the outcome that we are afraid of, is learn to see one another without judgment, to foster trust and acceptance through mutual respect of our common humanity and unique qualities.

When we are looking over at someone that we are perceiving as a “dragon”, we should question our perception, and the assumptions that form that perception.  We should investigate before we behave with prejudice toward another, and try our best to understand them, to see them as they are, not just as we “fear” they might be.  We should set aside our fear and loathing for what is unfamiliar and try to build empathy with others, not try to force them to be “us”, or to force us to be “them”, but to appreciate the differences and how the uncomfortable feelings arose, and then find the common ground to address respective concerns.   We can’t control what other people do, but we can do our part to attempt to bridge the gap.  This is how we can each be a “hero”, and save the world.

Don Brash, 27 January 2004:

Is it to be a modern democratic society, embodying the essential notion of one rule for all in a single nation state?

Or is it the racially divided nation, with two sets of laws, and two standards of citizenship, that the present Labour Government is moving us steadily towards?

Phil Goff, 26 November 2009:

We can choose our future based on principle and with the interests of all New Zealanders at heart.

Or we can have a country where one New Zealander is turned against another, Maori against Pakeha, in a way that Labour strongly rejects.

And both speeches were entitled “Nationhood”.

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m as angry as anyone about the Maori Party’s sellout in supporting watering down the ETS to something that will be completely ineffective.

Goff was right to attack them on that (even though Labour’s ETS would itself have been been only minimally effective in reducing greenhouse gas emissions).

But he didn’t stop there – he’s crawled down into the sewer with Brash by dog-whistling the racist underbelly of society. Disgusting!

It’s great to have many continuity plans and strategies to prepare for and respond to, disasters.  However, if they aren’t validated they don’t carry any weight and there’s no way of knowing if they would be any good – useful – when a real situation occurs. 

BCM practitioners may make the case for exercising plans but sometimes management may not want to provide the resources – physical & financial – available to validate the plans.  There are a few questions that can be posed to executive management to possibly allow for the right kind of commitment and support to validate continuity strategies and plans.

1. Will an exercise increase overall BCM awareness within the organization?  Well, let’s face it, if you’re exercising BCM plans, of course you’ll be increasing BCM awareness.  Depending upon what you’re exercising and how you manage / facilitate the exercise, awareness will be increased but make it a positive experience or else BCM will end up being something negative in participants eyes.  (I’ll be writing another blog on how to turn exercises into positive experiences later.)
2. Will the exercise identify potential ‘gaps’ in documented BCM plans and procedures? Let’s hope so.  Not only do you want to validate what you have documented and discussed with numerous representatives but you also want to find things that may be wrong in the plans – not just what’s right.
3. Is there potential for the exercise to provide ‘learning opportunities’ for participants and the organization in general?  If managed correctly and viewed as a positive experience, then employees will learn from the exercises – and from each other.  In some cases, they may even be working with people they wouldn’t normally encounter in their daily operations.  
4. Will the exercise provide an opportunity to leverage the results for further corporate gain and benefit?  They should.  If you can show that you’re exercising you plans – and have documented proof of them (Exercise Charters, Executive Summaries, Issue Logs etc) then you can use this information to help respond to RFPs etc and develop a stronger case for a potential client to choose your organization over a competitor.  Having a strong BCM program can be used for competitive advantage.
5. Can the exercise provide skills and knowledge transfer between participants?  Depending on what is in scope for the exercise, participants may need to seek assistance from other people in the organization for guidance.  For instance, if a Single Point of Knowledge (SPOK) isn’t available to rebuild the payroll server because they are busy with other initiatives, they may be able to pass along their knowledge – as best they can – to another resource who will do it for the exercise, this way people are talking to each other and learning from each other.  This is a simple example but you get the idea.
6. Can the exercise increase the responsiveness and effectiveness of the organization should a real disaster (or other severe event) occur? Simply put, the more practice people get the better they become, whether that be BCM or in any other area.  Enough said.

If any answer is ‘yes’ to the above questions, you’re well on your way to securing the support for validating continuity strategies and plans.  Exercising only makes a person – or in this case, a program – stronger more robust. 

National Geographic has set up a foundation to ‘protect the world’s distinctive places through wisely managed tourism and enlightened destination stewardship.’  Their web site has great videos, none of which I managed to present here, but if you visit the site you’ll find them.

You will also find explanations and examples of sustainable tourism (avoids ‘loving a place to death syndrome’) and geotourism which ‘adds to sustainability principles by building on a destination’s geographical character, its “sense of place,” to emphasize the distinctiveness of its locale and benefit visitor and resident alike.’

There are a lot of cool things going on at this foundation’s web site including competitions, scorecards, upcoming events, global impact map and tips of the month.  Montreal is mentioned as having unveiled its first Urban Geotourism Map Guide.

Have a look – good information to be found and as to be expected with National Geographic – great visuals.

While browsing local news, I came across an article about a Fil Canadian boy named Luc Cagadoc in GMA website who according to report felt discriminated when the principal of the school was quoted as saying “you are here in Canada…you should eat the way Canadians eat”…at first I was confused thinking how does a typical Canadian eat their food??..since throughout the article it was said that the boy actually used spoon and fork eating his lunch so I thought, what’s wrong? I think it is quite acceptable. Then I realized, oh ok…because now the trend is to use Fork and knife when eating which many people consider the more proper way of eating food..even many Asians now do the same whenever they are not using chopsticks to eat.

To counter the issue, the principal claimed that the boy was disciplined for being disruptive and not for using spoon and fork at the same time per se. Of course everyone can state their claim but at the end, the court will be responsible to prove these claims.

Now my question is…what is really the proper way of eating food?

I googled and found out some interesting articles about Table manners in various parts of the world:

Wikipedia

Silver International

In summary, many countries observe different table manners. In India, Pakistan and Bangladesh even in Philippines, eating by hand is a common practice and a good way to savor the taste of the food and not rude at all.  Some countries burp or slurp the soup as loudly as possible to let the host (or chef) know that they are enjoying/enjoyed the food served.

Eating with Spoon and Fork at the same time is not as rude or annoying as let say talking when your mouth is full or filling your plate with too many foods but at the end cannot even finish half of the food.

It may be true the said incident was really taken out of proportion but I believe as an individual we have the right to enjoy the food or any blessing that is given to us. Respecting cultures and tradition is very important as well. On the contrary, if we live in a foreign country or consider a foreign country as our second home, we must also exert efforts to adjust to their customs and traditions so our old ways will not be considered taboo especially if locals of that country is not accustomed to our style. As the cliche goes, when in Rome, do as the Romans do..However, this doesn’t mean we forget our roots cos we should not, no matter what.

As for me, I am not ashamed to say I eat by hands whenever at home enjoying Mom’s home cooked food with the family. I use chopsticks when eating Chinese or Japanese food or some Thai food for that matter. I eat with spoon and fork if there is no available knife and lastly I can eat with fork and knife during social functions or if no spoon is available in the table.

The key is balance. We adjust our way of life a little and do our old ways a little. Then we can enjoy both worlds.

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Tolley was born happy. She had a mother and father, and they had lots and lots of money. They loved each other, and they had lots and lots and lots of money.

Tolley was warm and cozy in whichever of her many houses she chose to live in. What more could she want?

Tolley loved the simple things in life. She loved to ride in helicopters. When she had an itch on her back, all Tolley would want was someone to scratch her back for her. She never wanted to be someplace other than up in a helicopter.

Tolley was never bothered with the problems workers have because she had lots and lots and lots of money. When she looked in a mirror all she saw was what she was. Tolley fell in love with money and power and became a National Party MP.

She was the most perfect and happy Tolley when the nice Mr Key made her Minister of Education.

She could ride in helicopters whenever she chose. She could cut Enviroschools and community education classes and school staffing levels and freeze wages and draw up league tables and read children’s stories to teachers.  She was the most perfect and happy Tolley.

She could ride in helicopters whenever she chose and the nice Mr Key would still be relaxed.

Sadly enough, the political life of a Minister of Education is short, and especially so when she is thick and incompetent.

[With apologies to Colin Thompson and Amy Lissiat]

Update: Roger Waters beat me to it – by over 30 years:

As with all things in life, there are no free lunches. The price of a democracy is highly dependent on the ability of it’s citizens to be Aware, Knowledgeable and Actionable (AKA). They have to understand the issues we are facing today and the challenges that are evolving in the 21st century. More than likely, our survival as a nation and a global community will depend on it. Unfortunately, for many students,  Graduation Day is viewed as the end of a long and arduous process. No more books to read, papers to write or presentations to make. Just listen to their comments in the halls at Graduation. “I’m so glad I don’t have to read any more books.” “I’ve written my last paper.” “I just want to kick back and do nothing.”

In fact, Graduation is just the beginning. Students are entering a world with real problems requiring real solutions and must be solved real quickly. This will require a much greater understanding of complex issues such as Global Recessions, Energy Conservation and Development, Global Warming, Deficit Spending,Technology, Global Collaboration and Competition. If there isn’t a true understanding of these issues, how can they elect leaders to address the problems and then hold them accountable. That’s the price of a true democracy. If you want the power in the hands of the people, then the people must be held accountable for their decisions and actions.

Awareness
This social responsibility starts with building awareness in students. I’ve found in classroom discussions and assigned papers that many students tend to be myopic in their views focusing on the local and present. Their view of the world frequently comes from the local TV News and Newspaper.
They need to expand their source of information to include global resources and technologies of today.
The good news is all this is free and readily available. News sources from around the world can be delivered up to the minute to your desk using RSS readers. Approximately 200 million blogs exist today on virtually any topic conceivable with another two blogs created every second. The greatest minds and speakers in the world are sharing their ideas in podcasts from sites such as Ted.com, poptech.com and YouTube, where 100 million videos are being served per day. The information is there. As teachers, it is our duty to insure that our students have the skill set to gain this awareness and ideally we have sparked a passion to become lifelong learners and active participants in life.

Knowledgeable
While Awareness is the first step, building true knowledge is the foundation to social responsibility. You may be aware that other parts of the world have taken the lead on key 21st industries, but not necessarily understand how or why. This is where knowledge come in. It requires time, diligent effort, research and the willingness to explore ideas and concepts that are both foreign and contrary to our own beliefs. We need to understand what other nations are doing and their repercussions to our own future well being.

Actionable
It is great to be aware and knowledgeable, however what you do with that knowledge is what counts. This is not a time to sit on the sidelines and see what evolves. I promise you won’t like the outcome if that is your strategy. It is a time to become actionable. It is a time to observe the status quo, understand it for what it is and change what needs to be changed. We cannot be timid or afraid to speak our minds even if your voice is the only contrarian one in the room. It is time to get involved. The passive 20th Century is over and the interactive 21st Century will belong to those who take it.

At a recent meeting where signatories of the UN Global Compact discussed the topic of the impact of climate change on human rights, my initial thought was the two areas are exclusive.  However, as speakers from the International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF) and the Institute for Human Rights & Business gave their views, the real impact climate change can have at grassroots level began to sink in, making it very likely to be a hot topic at the upcoming Copenhagen Climate Change summit.

Commerce can be a good thing, bringing benefits such as growth, jobs and infrastructure development to countries. This has been experienced in many regions of the world – in particular and most recently, in China and India. Companies have extended their global reach and contributed to growth in the developing world through direct investment, joint ventures and other routes, giving them an influential position in some of the regions they operate in.

However, with climate change playing a part in changing the environmental dynamics of the world they operate in, the role businesses play when facing significant climate change and human rights challenges will change.  For example, there is gathering momentum from the United Nations and lobbying groups, as exhibited through the frameworks that have come into existence over the last decade; for example the UN Millennium Development Goals and UN Global Compact.

This may be the start of a process that sees climate change related human rights issues being viewed in the same way as corruption – i.e. factors which affect individuals’ and communities’ human rights will be viewed in the same way as corruption is viewed today, with stringent rules, legislation and policies in place. As the consequences of climate change are experienced more intensely and lobbying groups’ activities gather momentum there will be increasing pressure on companies to better manage the impacts of their operations. Investors and the media will also play a more active role in exerting pressure on companies than ever before.

Human rights challenges in the future could include mass migration as a result of climate change factors such as sea level rises causing flooding, and soil erosion impacting land fertility. If not managed these could have a massive impact, with the worst case scenario being conflict – how will Bangladesh’s neighbouring countries respond if flooding induces mass migration? Conversely, the droughts of East Africa may drive inhabitants towards Southern Africa, which has benefitted from above average rainfall over the last few years. What will reaction there be? Biofuels offer an alternative energy source, but what are the real costs associated with it? For companies, ensuring their risk management process is flexible and sophisticated enough to incorporate all these variables will become a necessity.

Managing stakeholder relationships and collaborating (rather than competing) over the use of scarce resources can ensure the benefits generated are shared with the local communities. Defining policies and internal strategies is the first step, but the greater challenge lies in ensuring the wider impact is considered and plans executed so that real benefits are generated, for both companies and communities. With the stakes so high, finding such solutions and implementing them becomes critical.

This blog was written by Aarti Shah

teaching, education, social responsibility, schools

Love. Hope. Kindness.

Maybe it has been cliched by numerous organizations in an attempt for “social responsibility.” Or they are simply doing the “PR thing.” But these are the essential qualities that all of us seek out in life. Authentic love: to share in genuine, authentic love. We need hope, hope in the face of adversity, in the face of conflict, in the face of anger. We need kindness.

These are the sounds of life, the melody that inspires. This is what motivates, encourages, empowers. This is what pushes us forward, what keeps us holding on. We break. We fall. But with love, with hope and with kindness — we find our way again. We find the courage and the hope to not only press on, but to rise above, to be born anew. It is these times — times when we break — that we find ourselves reborn. We become alive again.

PR is not about doing these things because it is what people want. It’s not always about what we want. Today, people can choose to hear only the news they are interested in. But life is about hearing what we want to know and what we don’t want to know. It’s about succeeding and it’s about breaking down. The important thing is to understand what we need, understanding that what we need is not always what we want. We all need love, hope and kindness. We need to listen to all perspectives, and build relationship.

I am in PR because I want to spread this message, this truth. I want to understand, and be understood. I want to be a conduit for positive energy, strength, compassion, truth. I want to inspire and empower. What better field than the field of mass communication?

Great minds of the world have an grand understanding of life and the dedication to a purpose of a greater cause than themselves. I hope by reading this you find the strength to change the world for the better.

“Fall seven times; stand up eight.” – Japanese proverb

“You must give up the life you planned in order to have the life that is waiting for you.” – Joseph Campbell

“The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” – Chinese Proverb

“You must be the change you want to see in the world.” – Gandhi

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” – Theodore Roosevelt

“I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” – Jimmy Dean

“All is flux, nothing stays still.” – Heraclitus

“For everything you have missed, you have gained something else, and for everything you gain, you lose something else.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

“I am tomorrow, or some future day, what I establish today. I am today what I established yesterday or some previous day.” – James Joyce

“I don’t need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better.” – Plutarch

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.” – Epicurus

“Be a first rate version of yourself, not a second rate version of someone else” – Judy Garland

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” – Anne Frank

“The mind can make a heaven out of hell or a hell out of heaven” – John Milton

“Try not to become a man of success but a man of value.” – Albert Einstein

“The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance; the wise grows it under his feet.” – James Oppenheim

Hey everyone,

It has been more than two weeks. So, I am admitting i did not keep my commitment. I am still getting used to keep updating my blog, but i have no excuse. So let me update you on my life before I begin talking about this next topic. I have just been working on promoting the Gear Gator Product for ATVs. I have also been promoting, planning, and executing contest for my iChange committee, part of SGA at Virginia Tech. Lastly, i have recently been accepted into SEED and training has just started. So as you can see i have been extremely busy but enough about me! 

so as i was getting lunch at owens hall yesterday i figured out something. As you all know, people lecture for great and improtnat causes all the time, and usually the average person believes what the person is saying is right. So obviously we must act on it, right? NO! We never do, it is just like our New Year’s Resolutions we cannot keep. Why does people telling you and showing no have that big of an effect in the long term. Well three reasons, one i will talk about when i finish reading the book, Influencers, two people forget, three it does not involve them personally. I will be talking about the third point. Of course in someway everything involves us; look at AIDS and cancer, that affects everyone yet not everyone is doing something about it.

You might be asking why not? well i always knew the answer but it never struck me until i was getting food and got it to go. So they put the food in a styrofoam box, and i was on my way. I felt really bad because recently, i have been really conscious about being environmental friendly; it is my social responsibility, but it is yours as well. So what is the difference between me and the person next to me. You have no attachment; it is like the saying out of sight out of mind. I have been involved in the going green campaign at Virginia Tech. Therefore, when i took that styrofoam to go box i felt as if i did something wrong. I was fighting the cause i was helping. How contradictory. 

We want everyone to feel this feeling. This feeling alone has and can do wonders for our society. Involvement is the key but how? this shows the beauty of marketing. People believe they have limited time and only join if they believe strongly in the case or if it has directly affected them (e.g. the death of a child or parent). Obviously everyone does not fall in these categories but most do.  So how do we become effective marketers, better yet how do we become better Influencers. That is what i will be talking about next time…

Happy Holidays

“SportBusiness event Making The Difference – The Sport and Social Responsibility Summit – is seeking submissions of papers showcasing novel ideas, approaches and campaigns in sport and social responsibility ahead of its next edition in March 2010.

The event organisers say it will seek to answer the question: “In these changing times how do sport and social responsibility fit together?”

The 2009 edition of the conference saw contributions from, among others, former NBA star John Amaechi, Simon Morgan of the Premier League, Tricia Thompson of BSkyB, Matt Roberts of Eurosport and Mel Young, founder of the Homeless World Cup.

The organisers now want abstracts which show the objectives of the campaigns and their relevance to the challenges of the programme or campaign for consideration by the Committee .

The 350 word abstracts are to be emailed to conferences@sportbusiness.com no later than Friday 27th November.”

**Sorry for the late post, my time has suddenly become a much more limited resource and so you should now assume that I’ll be only posting about once a week.If you are reading this, hope you enjoy this weeks post.**

Our societies have developed incredible creations of design, intelligence, and value. Every day new ideas and solutions to problems come to mind, and while only a certain percentage of them are followed through with, they nonetheless have significant value. But as our society becomes more globalized and interdependent, as our network of information, politics, cultures, and technologies become more intricate, the possibilities for engagement grow exponentially.

Assuming that civic participation is desirable, how can we ensure that people engage?

One idea that has been brewing in my mind has been to develop an educational program where the goal of the program is to develop collaborative solutions to current social, environmental, and economic problems.

The collaboration comes from the necessity that to participate you must form a group with students from different programs.

The challenge is to find a solution to a problem of your choosing. The combined elements of your disciplines must be present in your solution.

The incentive? A 2000-5000$ prize for the top 5 (10?) solutions as well as administrative/professional support in bringing your solution to fruition.

The criteria: Simplicity of solution, adaptability, realism, elegance, and the social value of the solution (how many people might it impact? How much utility could the solution generate?)

So what does this have to do with getting people engaged? Here’s why:

People like a challenge, no one likes being bored.

People respond to incentives, and a 2-5k cash prize is a pretty good incentive for students.

People like to be significant, it is a rare person who wants to not be remembered, and bringing about positive sustainable change is (in my opinion) the most rewarding significance of all. The most important step in this is that the winners are supported and provided the resources to bring their idea to action.

As a Canadian, I feel that it is not only my duty to stand on guard for my country, but also to stand for my community, my world, and my fellow men and women. We are capable of so much it’s time we stood up with dignity, and together as a world, strive for a new 2.0 enlightenment.

Our human capacity for brilliance is limited only by our imagination and tools, and when we make our own tools, the possibilities are endless.

Cheers

i’ve had a lot of different questions from people since i found out i got accepted to TFA for next year. most people have been excited and supportive, some have been concerned about me living in los angeles, and some (few) have been downright discouraging, believing i’m going to be snatched up by gangbangers never to return (really guys?). ha. so here are a few of the questions that keep coming up:

*when will you leave?
i have to be in LA on june 20. i have one week of regional induction where i will meet my fellow corps members, be introduced to the area- where to shop, eat, live, etc. they will show us where corps members have lived in the past (so it will be in a safe area, and will be affordable, as they have formed partnerships for reduced housing costs) and we will meet with the principals and staff of our schools. we will find out our specific grade level assignment (right now all i know is high school) and at which school we’ll be placed. after induction, i’ll have 5 weeks of training at the institute, where i’ll student teach in the mornings and attend sessions in the afternoons and nights. i’ll have weekends free to finalize apartment plans and begin moving in. i’ll be staying in the dorms at loyola marymount university during these 6 weeks. this is also where i’ll be attending school for my master’s.

* los angeles is an expensive place to live. won’t you be broke if you’re living there on a teacher’s salary?
yes. but i’m broke now. so that will be the least of the adjustments i’ll have to make. i’ll be paid a regular first year california teacher’s salary. so while i won’t be living in beverly hills, i’ll be making enough to afford the necessities and provide for my students. and i’ve never considered salary when thinking about what i wanted to do, and i’m pretty sure that’s not God’s priority either. this is where He’s called me. He will take care of me.

*aren’t you scared to teach high school since you’re so close to the students in age?
yes. i’m very scared. not because of my age necessarily, but scared that they will feel they can’t relate to me since i’m a young white girl from south carolina who has never even visited LA before. but i’ve heard from other corps members and am convinced myself that racial and cultural barriers can be broken once they see that i’m truly on their side and care about seeing them succeed. i think this will be the biggest challenge, but it will be amazing once we overcome it.

* are you scared to live in LA?
no. i’ve traveled a lot by myself and i really feel like God allowed me to do so to prepare me for this. He’s shown me very clearly in the past that my life is totally in His hands. i trust Him. and i think LA is going to be ballin

*why do you want to teach in such a difficult setting when you could teach in a better school system and be paid more?
(i have to admit, this one frustrates me a bit). if no one will go teach in the underprivileged schools, then the students in said schools are never going to receive an equitable education, and society will continue to reflect this. do students in these schools really deserve an inferior education simply because they were born into a poorer community? or because they were born on the same street where drug dealers and prostitutes and pimps make their living? are students of a different race or socioeconomic background less capable of achieving educational success?
no.
these students have gotten shafted for too long because of circumstances that they have no control over and it is not fair. jesus has made it clear that if we claim to know him, we are to join him in the pursuit of justice, and this is the means by which He has called and allowed me to be a part of His work. i’m EXCITED about the opportunity to get to be a part of this.

*how will you afford to move to cali?
TFA is providing grant money that will cover all my costs of moving and settling in.

*where will you teach?
corps members are placed primarily in charter schools, the LA Unified School District, the Compton School District, or the Pasadena School District. i won’t know for sure until i get there and meet with the principals.

*what will a typical week look like for you?
most corps members are at their schools between 10 and 12 hours a day, hosting tutoring sessions before and after school and taking on other leadership roles such as coaching, conducting student council, etc. i will also be attending at least 6 hours of classes at LMU per week, as well as participating in regularly scheduled professional development workshops and seminars as required by TFA. other non-negotiables during the week will be finding a church community and small group to be involved in and committed to, and finding time to work out, whether that be running or yoga or playing basketball with my kids during their lunchtime. it’s very time-consuming commitment but i knew that going into it and i really believe it will be worth it.

i think these are most of the big questions i’ve been asked. if you want to find out more about the program, you can visit their website- www.teachforamerica.org. a good book to read to learn about the students i’ll be spending time with is The Freedom Writer’s Diary by Erin Gruwell. i’ve never seen the movie version, but the book is amazing. and its actually about a high school english teach in long beach, california, which is potentially where i could be placed, so it should give a fairly accurate description of what my experience could be like.

thank yall for all your support and excitement i’ll definitely keep you updated, and am planning on starting a blog specifically about my experience with TFA over the next 2 years. i need your prayers. this is going to be challenging. but awesome. i know it sounds weird, but i already love these students so much, and i’m not even there yet. it just feels like God has been preparing me for this for years now, and i can’t wait to see what all He does.

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Raphael over on Planet Debian was kind enough to post a link to the Earth Hour web website to allow others to support their efforts to fight global warming. I spoke with Nanci about it and we agreed that we need to do more than simply vote ourselves.

You’ll find a button in our right sidebar to cast your vote. Please join us and cast your vote. It’s more important than voting for open source software or supporting GNOME. It’s free. It’s Easy. And it definitely makes a difference.

As I was about to call it a day, I saw a video link from a Facebook Page I joined called “Definitely Filipino” about the CNN Hero of the Year. It say’s: Acceptance speech of OUR 2009 CNN HERO and the thumbnail picture of Efren Penaflorida was attached to it.

Prior to being feted as such, Efren is relatively unknown. At such a young age of 28, he has accomplished something that not many people his age or even older had accomplished or will ever accomplish in their entire life..that is, changing the lives of others–for the better.

He created the group called “Dynamic Teen Company” which aims to teach basic reading and writing to children living on the streets in the hope that it will be a diversion to hooking up into gang activities like vandalizing, bullying others or even raping young girls.

Their classroom is a ubiquitous push cart wherein volunteers teach children with age ranging from 2-14 years old. Since 1997, approximately 10,000 members had taught over 1,500 “children of the slums”. To sustain this activity, they make and sell crafts or collecting items to recycle.

Moreover, those children that they taught upon getting the inspiration to learn more and strive to have a better life has also become volunteers for future students.

CNN selected 10 nominees for this year’s Hero of the Year which is now on it’s 3rd year. These Heroes as what the tagline says “Ordinary People, Extraordinary Impact” was selected by a distinguished panel comprising of leaders and humanitarians such as Gen. Colin Powell, Whoopi Goldberg, Sir Elton John, Phil Jackson, Shakira among others.

The Gala Tribute attended by an audience of 3,000 was held in Kodak Theatre, Hollywood last Saturday, November 21 and will have its premiere on Thanksgiving, November 26.

Apart from the prestigious recognition, Efren received USD 100,000 to continue his advocacy. More than 2.75 million votes were received online in CNN.com in a span of 7 weeks. Proof of the impact CNN Heroes of the year has brought us in 3 years time.

Presenters include Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Neil Patrick Harris, Pierce Brosnan, Dwayne Johnson, Eva Mendes, Randy Jackson, Greg Kinnear, George Lopez and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

Here is Efren’s acceptance speech. While delivering it, he was visibly shaken and emotional maybe upon realizing he won such a great recognition and soon will be watched by millions of people worldwide.

“Our planet is filled with heroes, young and old, rich and poor, man, woman of different colors, shapes and sizes. We are one great tapestry,” Peñaflorida said upon accepting the honor. “Each person has a hidden hero within, you just have to look inside you and search it in your heart, and be the hero to the next one in need.”

“So to each and every person inside in this theater and for those who are watching at home, the hero in you is waiting to be unleashed. Serve, serve well, serve others above yourself and be happy to serve. As I always tell to my co-volunteers … you are the change that you dream as I am the change that I dream and collectively we are the change that this world needs to be.”

His speech is short but so meaningful and inspirational. May this recognition give him and his team more energy and passion to continue helping needy children have the education they deserve. It is such a pride and honor to the Filipino people to be given such award. Hope this would also open the eyes of many of us to help someone in need whenever we can. All the small efforts we exerted can be a life-changing experience for others.

For the full story of the CNN Hero of the Year gala night, please click the link below.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/11/16/cnnheroes.tribute.show/index.html

Update: According to ABS-CBN news report, Efren said 90% of the prize money will go to his organization and the remaining 10% to the Church and none for him..really a selfless act. May your tribe increase.

Mabuhay ka Efren! Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! Mabuhay ang lahing  Pilipino!