A new tool for ethical and socially responsible politics is currently being
discussed by New York City Council members. Ethical Impact Standards for
labor and the environment have a potentially vital role in the bidding process
for city contracts, and can enable city government to take the relationship
between business and community to a more humanly satisfying level.
Of 10 companies with equal credentials bidding for a city contract, the
final decision would be based on which business demonstrated the best record
of social responsibility in labor, environment and possibly other areas.
Please join our downtown City Councilman in an interactive exploration
of how to implement this groundbreaking legislation and promote governance
based on vital human needs. This is an opportunity for New York City to become
a model for municipalities around the country, showing how their governments
could be more responsive to the social, economic and environmental needs
of their diverse communities.
Express your views, have input, and support this vital legislation in a
specially facilitated Forum for information, dialogue and understanding.
There will be a followup meeting (to be announced) to take action on implementing
Ethical Impact Standards for Business.
Background: About Ethical Impact Reports
There are many ways that our municipal government can be more responsive
to the social, economic and environmental needs of New York's diverse communities.
One interesting possibility is through the mandating of "Ethical Impact Reports"
(conceived and developed by Michael Lerner, Editor of Tikkun Magazine and
Founder with Mark Levine of the Foundation for Ethics and Meaning). These
Reports would be issued on corporations and other institutions to assess
the extent to which their policies and activities encouraged just, caring
and sustainable business practices, government policies, and community development.
Ballot initiatives in support of mandating EIRs have already begun in several
cities around the U.S. and we would like to explore the feasibility and desirability
of doing so in NYC.
Drawing on input from representatives of the stakeholders of a corporation
(such as its stockholders, workers, the consumers of its product or service,
and the communities affected by the company), Ethical Impact Reports over
time would thus help spur not only better corporate social responsibility,
but also would help transform the way businesses, governments and communities
understand ideas such as "productivity", "efficiency", "profit" and similar
economistic terms whose human and ecological costs are too often buried under
a sea of money and power.
Specifically, Ethical Impact Reports could be used as part of the review
process for corporations bidding for a city or state contract. Once
the selection comes down to 10 or so corporations who otherwise have equal
credentials, the final decision would be made based on which company demonstrated
the best record of social responsibility, as indicated by their latest Ethical
Impact Report.
Some criteria for EIRs:
QUANTITATIVE
Crime: Does the corp. break the law here or abroad?
Labor/Rewards For Work: Can all workers afford a decent living (including
workers in other countries); salary ratio between top & bottom; attitude
re: union.
Diversity: equal pay for equal work?; glass ceilings?
Pollution Output/Social Costs
Promotion/Advancement Policies
Benefits/Family Issues
Economic Record in the Community
Public Openness
QUALITATIVE
Honesty/Integrity: how well does the firm promote the values of truth-telling
and personal integrity?
Decision-Making Participation & Accountability for both workers and
executives
Impact of Work on Health, Stress, and Self-Worth
Cooperation vs. Backstabbing
Respect for Others
Sense of Purpose
Effect of Advertising Policies
Impact of the Firm on Politics and Gov't Policies (Lobbying practices,
etc)
Is The Product or Service a Good Thing For Society?
Rwandan Remembrance Day,
April 7, 2006
Commemoration of the 12th Anniversary of the Rwandan
genocide
HEALING THE PAST
TO PROVIDE HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
United Nations, New York City
First Avenue between 45th and 46th
Streets
Conference Room 4
1:00-2:30 pm
(Please arrive no later than 12:15PM for security
check-in)
Co-Sponsored by
We,
The World
and
Women Beyond Survival
Speakers will include:
-
Victoria H. Trabosh - President of NGO Itafari
-
Immaculee Ilibagiza - Author of ³Left To Tell²
and a survivor of the genocide
-
Louise Mushikiwabo - Author of
³Rwanda Means the
Universe²
-
Dr. Grace Chung Lee - Secretary General of World Culture
Open
-
Robert Van Lierop - International Lawyer who participated
in the International Criminal Tribunal For Rwanda
-
A survivor of the Jewish Holocaust
-
A Representative of the Rwandan Embassy
-
Safiyya Sarkin - Founder of Women Beyond Survival; Safiyya will
introduce Immaculee Ilibagiza
-
Rick Ulfik (Moderator) - Founder
and Director of We, The World
PLUS Performance by Jean
Paul Samputu
To mark the occasion,
a song of honor will be sang by Jean Paul Samputu and his Rwandese group.
Jean Paul Samputu travels the world as a cultural ambassador for Rwanda
bringing to his audiences not only traditional African singing, dancing,
and drumming, but also a message of peace and reconciliation. See www.samputu.com
RSVP by Wednesday April 5th at 3PM (latest) to be on U.N. Security
Guest List
If you or friends of yours would like to attend but do
not have a U.N. pass, we will need to hear from you by 3PM Wednesday
April 5th. Please reply to this message with Rwanda Guest List
in the subject line, or email us. Please
include
full name(s) - last name, first name - email addresses
and any other contact info you would like us to have. Passes will
be issued at a table in the lobby of the UN Visitors Entrance which you
enter after passing through the initial metal detector area.
What happened to Rwanda happened to all of us.
Our children look up to us, we owe them a future.
Dear Friends,
You are cordially
invited to participate in an afternoon of inspiration, healing and hope.
Meet those whose faith and forgiveness have transformed their tragedy into
a commitment to reconciliation and the cause of peace.
If you or your friends
are in New York City April 7th, please join us in this commemoration of
the 12th anniversary of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide to be held at United
Nations Headquarters. I hope to see you there!
Rick Ulfik
Many thanks if you participated in these events. More are on the way in cities around the world as we move toward the next
11
Days of Global Unity
culminating on the International Day of Peace September 21, 2006
Click here to return to top.
