World Business for Equal Dignity (WBusinessED)

•  General links
•  Day-to-day links
•  List of global businesses that appear to fit the ideal of equality in dignity
•  List of local businesses that appear to fit the ideal of equality in dignity

HumanDHS is primarily grounded in academic work. We are independent of any religious or political agenda. However, we wish to bring academic work into "real life." Our research focuses on topics such as dignity (with humiliation as its violation), or, more precisely, on respect for equal dignity for all human beings in the world. This is not only our research topic, but also our core value, in line with Article 1 of the Human Rights Declaration that states that every human being is born with equal dignity (that ought not be humiliated). We agree with Professor Shibley Telhami, who advocates the building of bridges from academia as follows, "I have always believed that good scholarship can be relevant and consequential for public policy. It is possible to affect public policy without being an advocate; to be passionate about peace without losing analytical rigor; to be moved by what is just while conceding that no one has a monopoly on justice." We would like to add that we believe that good scholarship can be relevant and consequential not only for public policy, but for raising awareness in general.

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We look for interested people, who would like to develop our WBusinessED page. Please see our Call for Creativity.

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In order to promote the HumanDHS vision of a world of equal dignity for all, away from practices of humiliation, new forms of business have to be developed, both locally and globally.

 

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General Links

Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit
The Center for BAWB advances extraordinary business innovation and entrepreneurship by turning the global environmental and social issues of our day into core value-creation opportunities.
BAWB provides solutions to the how of sustainable value and social entrepreneurship, helping companies become the leading-edge stars of their industries through applied sustainability, research, and education efforts.

Gateway to Sources of Global Information
The Environmental Ethics & Public Policy Program has served as a major vehicle of outreach to the community of scholars and concerned citizens investigating issues of environmental ethics.

One World
The OneWorld network spans five continents and produces content in 11 different languages, published across its international site, regional editions, and thematic channels. Many of these are produced from the South to widen the participation of the world's poorest and most marginalised peoples in the global debate.

Fair Trade Foundation
The Fairtrade Foundation was established in 1992 by CAFOD, Christian Aid, New Consumer, Oxfam, Traidcraft and the World Development Movement. These founding organisations were later joined by Britain's largest women's organisation, the Women's Institute.
The Foundation is the UK member of Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International (FLO), which unites 20 national initiatives across Europe, Japan, North America, Mexico and Australia/New Zealand.
Currently there are a total of 32 members of staff at the Fairtrade Foundation that work within the departments of Commercial Relations, Communications, Certification, and Finance and Resources. We also rely on the work of around 15 volunteers.

The Fair Trade Federation (FTF)
The Fair Trade Federation (FTF) is an association of fair trade wholesalers, retailers, and producers whose members are fully committed to providing fair wages and good employment opportunities to economically disadvantaged artisans and farmers worldwide.
FTF members link low-income producers with consumer markets and educate consumers about the importance of purchasing fairly traded products which support living wages and safe and healthy conditions for workers in the developing world. FTF provides resources and networking opportunities for its members and acts as a clearinghouse for information on fair trade. FTF membership is not a certification, but members are screened for their full commitment to fair trade.
By adhering to social criteria and environmental principles, fair trade organizations foster a more equitable and sustainable system of production and trade that benefits people and their communities.

Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International
Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO), established in 1997, is an association of 20 Labelling Initiatives that promote and market the Fairtrade label in their countries. FLO members currently operate in 15 European countries as well as Australia and New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Mexico (associate member) and the United States.
FLO is the leading Fairtrade standard setting and certification body. It regularly inspects and certifies about 508 producer organizations in more than 50 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Oxfam: Make Trade Fair
Fair Trade is a growing, international movement which ensures that producers in poor countries get a fair deal. This means a fair price for their goods (one that covers the cost of production and guarantees a living income), long-term contracts which provide real security; and for many, support to gain the knowledge and skills that they need to develop their businesses and increase sales.

Earth Report
Earth Report's half hour documentary style programmes cover a wide range of environmental issues – from the importance of conserving wetlands to the need for responsible tourism, from strategies for sustainable food production, to the impact of climate change.

Hands On
The highly successful Hands On programmes, an offspring of Earth Report, take a focused look at the challenges of sustainable development. Hands On offers a range of positive, practical solutions, based on examples of successful small-scale business enterprises and sustainable, transferable technologies. The programmes have elicited volumes of requests for further information from viewers in every corner of the world.

Fourth Sector Network
Over the past few decades, the boundaries between the public (government), private (business), and social (non-profit/non-governmental) sectors have been blurring, while a Fourth Sector of organization has been emerging. The archetypal Fourth Sector model is sometimes referred to as a For-Benefit organization, and the sector itself is also referred to as the For-Benefit Sector. There are a wide variety of other Fourth Sector models and approaches, bearing different names and emphasizing or embodying different aspects of the For-Benefit model.
See also another text on the Fourth Sector:
Is it beyond the radar of researchers, the media and politicians that a new organisation and company culture is emerging in both the US and Northern Europe? A company culture that breaks with earlier conceptions of the relationship and dynamics between the state, the private sector and the voluntary sector?
Or even more far-reaching: Are we currently witnessing the first serious run-up to the creation of a new social arena - 'the fourth sector' - that has absorbed the very best from both the private, public and voluntary sectors and therefore represents a possible solution to some of the challenges facing the three 'old' sectors today?
Something's definitely going on, because over the past ten years the boundaries between what is public (district, state, national), what is private (companies), and what belongs to voluntary organisations (non-profit) have become less and less distinct. Parallel to which the contours of an entirely new social arena have started to emerge - which the US has been the first to dub the "for-benefit '' or "fourth'' sector... Please read the entire text on http://www.kaospilot.dk/!

Charity Shops
A charity shop (UK), thrift store (U.S., Canada), resale shop (U.S.), or op shop (Australia/NZ, from opportunity shop) is a retail establishment operated by a charitable organization for the purpose of fundraising. Charity shops are a type of social enterprise. They usually sell second-hand goods donated by members of the public, and are often staffed by volunteers. Because the items for sale were obtained for free, they can be sold at very low prices. All the profits from the sales go towards the charity, apart from the costs for overheads such as lighting, electricity and the lease.
See also:
• Consignment shop
• Give-away shop
• Goodwill Industries
• Jumble sale
• Salvation Army
• Surplus store
Read all at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrift_store.

ChangeWorks
Changeworks exists to improve quality of life and to protect the environment. Changeworks works with passion, integrity and in collaboration to develop and deliver innovative projects and businesses in energy, waste prevention and transport that inspire and empower people and communities to make a difference.

Companies that Care
Mission:
The Center for Companies That Care (Companies That Care) is a national, not-for-profit organization dedicated to encouraging and celebrating businesses that prize their employees and are committed to community service.
Vision:
By encouraging and assisting business in creating, maintaining and re-shaping work environments that enable individuals and communities to thrive, we strengthen our communities and our society, resulting in a sustainable future for the generations to come.
Goals:
•  Businesses value and respect their employees
•  Businesses create a work environment that enables individuals to thrive
•  Businesses and communities develop partnerships to strengthen future generations of employees
•  People and communities are sustained and prosper.

Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS)
LOHAS is an acronym for Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability, a market segment focused on health and fitness, the environment, personal development, sustainable living, and social justice.
LOHAS companies practice "responsible capitalism" by providing goods and services using economic and environmentally sustainable business practices. LOHAS business owners and industry leaders from around the world meet each year at the LOHAS Conference to discuss industry trends, share ideas and learn how to run a successful LOHAS business.
LOHAS consumers, sometimes referred to as Lohasians, are interested in products covering a range of market sectors and sub-sectors, including: Green building supplies, socially responsible investing and "green stocks", alternative healthcare, organic clothing and food, personal development media, yoga and other fitness products, eco-tourism and more.

New Business and Human Rights Center
The Business and Human Rights Resource Center, launched in January 2005, is an independent, international, non-profit organization that strives to promote greater awareness and informed discussions of important issues relating to business and human rights. The online Resource Center includes reports of corporate misconduct, as well as example of positive actions taken by various companies and covers over 2400 companies, over 160 countries, and over 150 topics. The Center also maintains an International Advisory Network, including over 80 experts and is chaired by Mary Robinson, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and President of Ireland, and 20 institutions recognized internationally for their expertise in issues relevant to business and human rights.

Economists for Peace and Security
Economists for Peace and Security, formerly ECAAR, works to inform social scientists, citizens, journalists and policy-makers worldwide about the full costs of war and conflict, and to propose feasible alternative approaches to building international security.

Global Political Economy Commission (GPEC)
The Global Political Economy Commission (GPEC) of IPRA emphasizes the intersections between Economics and Politics, as well as other critical intersectionalities. GPEC is engaged in the World Social Forum and other international initiatives to advance socio-politico-economic and gender justices. GPEC maintains a listserv and an independent website.

Social Lending:
- Zopa is a marketplace for Social Lending. People lend and borrow money with each other, sidestepping the banks.
- Kiva lets you connect with and loan money to unique small businesses in the developing world.
See also http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/click_online/6623267.stm.

Joanne B. Ciulla
Joanne B. Ciulla, Ph.D., Professor, Coston Family Chair in Leadership and Ethics, Jepson School of Leadership Studies, University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia, USA.

Heidi von Weltzien Høivik
Heidi von Weltzien Høivik, European Business Ethics Network (EBEN).

Comparative Research on Poverty (CROP)
CROP is an international NGO initiated in 1992 by the International Social Science Council. It is now one of the major programmes of the Council.

Thunderbird
Introduction and Mission Statement from Thunderbird's Website:
Founded in 1946, Thunderbird is the oldest graduate management school focused exclusively on global business. Regarded as the world's leading institution in the education of global managers, the curriculum is based on the principle that to do business on a global scale, executives must not only know the intricacies of business, but also understand the customs of other countries and be able to communicate with different cultures. Worldwide, 35,500 Thunderbird alumni live and work in more than 140 countries.
Thunderbird's unique mission is grounded in our steadfast commitment to furthering worldwide prosperity by educating the leaders of global enterprises. Summed up in the phrase, "borders frequented by trade seldom need soldiers," the worldwide Thunderbird community is the living embodiment of the belief that global management can be a force for positive economic and social change.
To prepare global managers to fulfill this mission, Thunderbird offers a unique and powerful educational experience that teaches the application of management knowledge across cultures, borders, and socio-economic systems. This ability to work successfully with individuals from diverse cultures and to manage effectively in different social, economic, and political environments is both the core value we provide and the essential characteristic that sets T-birds apart from their peers.
While Thunderbird has remained consistent in its mission, the School has a long history of anticipating market needs. Thunderbird's founding was itself visionary, coming long before the need for global management talent was widely recognized. In the six decades since, Thunderbird has continuously met the challenges of a dynamic global market and rightfully earned its reputation as the world's top-ranked school of global management.
Today, the continuous march of globalization means the Thunderbird mission has never been more relevant and in demand. We will seize this opportunity to enhance our rich legacy to firmly establish Thunderbird as the world's foremost learning community for global managers and global enterprises.

Eight Ways to Build Collaborative Teams by Lynda Gratton and Tamara J. Erickson (Harvard Business Review, November, 2007):
Even the largest and most complex teams can work together effectively if the right conditions are in place:
What Executives Can Do
• Invest in building and maintaining social relationships throughout your organization.
Example: Royal Bank of Scotland’s CEO commissioned new headquarters built around an indoor atrium and featuring a “Main Street” with shops, picnic spaces, and a leisure club. The design encourages employees to rub shoulders daily, which fuels collaboration in RBS’s complex teams.
• Model collaborative behavior.
Example: At Standard Chartered Bank, top executives frequently fill in for one another, whether leading regional celebrations, representing SCB at key external events, or initiating internal dialogues with employees. They make their collaborative behavior visible through extensive travel and photos of leaders from varied sites working together.
• Use coaching to reinforce a collaborative culture.
Example: At Nokia, each new hire’s manager lists everyone in the organization the newcomer should meet, suggests topics he or she should discuss with each person on the list, and explains why establishing each of these relationships is important.
What HR Can Do
• Train employees in the specific skills required for collaboration: appreciating others, engaging in purposeful conversation, productively and creatively resolving conflicts, and managing programs.
• Support a sense of community by sponsoring events and activities such as networking groups, cooking weekends, or tennis coaching. Spontaneous, unannounced activities can further foster community spirit.
Example: Marriott has recognized the anniversary of the company’s first hotel opening by rolling back the cafeteria to the 1950s and sponsoring a team twist dance contest.
What Team Leaders Can Do
• Ensure that at least 20%–40% of a new team’s members already know one another.
Example: When Nokia needs to transfer skills across business functions or units, it moves entire small teams intact instead of reshuffling individual people into new positions.
• Change your leadership style as your team develops. At early stages in the project, be task-oriented: articulate the team’s goal and accountabilities. As inevitable conflicts start emerging, switch to relationship building.
• Assign distinct roles so team members can do their work independently. They’ll spend less time negotiating responsibilities or protecting turf. But leave the path to achieving the team’s goal somewhat ambiguous. Lacking well-defined tasks, members are more likely to invest time and energy collaborating.
This HBR in Brief presents key ideas from a full-length Harvard Business Review article. See the entire article here.

Solve the Succession Crisis by Growing Inside-Outside Leaders by Joseph L. Bower
(Harvard Business Review, November 2007):
The most successful CEOs, on balance, are those who are developed inside the company—but manage to retain an outside perspective
When a CEO retires or steps down, companies are often left in the uncomfortable position of trying to find a new leader without having anyone in ranks who is prepared to take over the job. Bower argues that, rather than hiring an outsider as is often the case, companies should try to actively cultivate future CEOs on the fringes of the company. These employees would presumably have a hybrid "inside-outside" perspective. Bower very clearly outlines the numerous ways in which both outside and inside perspectives are essential to leadership, as well as the proper methods for "grooming" such individuals.
Please read more at http://harvardbusinessonline.hbsp.harvard.edu/.

The Story of Stuff
This is a video that illustrates in an easy-to-grasp manner how the philosophy of "obsolence" destroys the environment, humiliates people by degrading them to puppets of consumerism, and how humankind can recapture their dignity.
Please read on http://storyofstuff.com/: "From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It'll teach you something, it'll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever
Please watch the video at http://storyofstuff.com/index.html.

The Puritan Gift: Triumph, Collapse and Revival of an American Dream, by Kenneth Hopper & William Hopper
William Hopper explained on BBC World HARDtalk on 16th January 2008, that, according to his analysis, there are two management approaches:
1. traditional management, where people rise within the company and acquire "domain" knowledge
2. "professional" management, where people study at business schools, get diplomas, and then lead companies without having much "domain" knowledge: this approach is partially failing!
What Hopper says about larger trends in the business world is in line with our HumanDHS experience that we have to find people who intimately know our vision. We have to be cautious with mainstream "expert" advice.
Even though the new book by the Hopper brothers, The Puritan Gift, was not written for the HumanDHS vision of dignifying the world (with business representing part of it), however, it seems that their views are indeed helpful for this aim.

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Day-to-Day Links

Business Chiefs Urge Carbon Curbs
By Richard Black
Environment correspondent, BBC News website
A coalition of 99 companies is asking political leaders to set targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions and to establish a global carbon market. Their blueprint for tackling climate change is being handed to Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda ahead of next month's G8 summit in Japan. Companies involved include Alcoa, British Airways (BA), Deutsche Bank, EDF, Petrobras, Shell and Vattenfall. They argue that cutting emissions must be made to carry economic advantages. The business leaders hope their ideas will feed through the G8 into the series of UN climate meetings that are aiming to produce a successor to the Kyoto Protocol when its current targets expire in 2012...
Please read more at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/sci/tech/7464517.stm.

“Living Well,” a Development Alternative
Latin America Press
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Elsa Chanduví
Proposal is considered legacy of indigenous peoples to humanity:
More than 1,000 representatives from indigenous communities across the Americas gathered in Lima, Peru, have agreed on a new social system, known as “Living Well,” focused on reciprocity between people and the Earth.
The participants — delegates of the Quechua, Kichwa, Aymara, Lafquenche, Guambiano, Toba, Colla, Poccra, Ashaninka and other indigenous groups — agreed in the “Declaration of the Children of the Earth” to reject the “planetary suicide of the commoditization of life,” when the document was reached at the end of a two-day National Summit of Indigenous Communities and Peoples of Peru and the International Forum: Indigenous Agenda, the European Union and the Decolonialization of Power and Knowledge held on May 12-13.
A break from market dogmas:
“We believe there is a big difference between [living well and] those who believe that living well is to live better than someone else. [The latter] reflects a competition instead of respect and equality. So, ‘living well’ is the exercise of rights, respect, equality, and means a life for everyone,” said Blanca Chancoso, a renowned leader of Ecuador ’s Kichwa women, who formerly served as one of the directors of the country’s largest indigenous organization, CONAIE. She is currently part of the Dolores Ulcuango Indigenous School in Ecuador .
“Capitalism is guilty of the depredation of Mother Nature and therefore, of global warming, which is going to have serious consequences for the life of the planet,” said Tomás Huanacu, of Bolivia ’s National Council of Ayllus and Markas of Qollasuyo. “So, the indigenous peoples are looking to ‘live well’ but within a planned system, not one of super exploitation, but one of rational exploitation.”
The concept of “living well” is based on respect of the environment and equality...
Read more at http://www.latinamericapress.org/.

Freeconomics: The Big Giveaway
International flights that don't cost a thing? Books or music you don't have to pay for? Even companies handing out cars? Traditional business is based on the certainty that everything has a price. But now US writer Chris Anderson believes we are at the dawn of a new consumerist era, governed by what he dubs 'freeconomics'. He talks to Stuart Jeffries ...
Pleas read more at http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2008/may/06/consumeraffairs.economics.

Testosterone Levels in Male Financial Traders
A new study links high testosterone levels in male financial traders to profits, but too much of the hormone can have the opposite effect...
In a new study John Coates reports that traders who start the workday with high testosterone levels make more money on that day than their low-testosterone colleagues do... Women are less likely to get so "addicted" to success that they seek it out aggressively by taking risks, says Coates. It also means they may be less likely to succumb to testosterone-fueled stupidity - the downside of the winner effect...
Please read more at http://www.newsweek.com/id/132044/output/print.

Partnership Columbia Business School and Fudan University
The Columbia Business School has established a partnership with Fudan University's School of Management in Shanghai, China, to provide Chinese financial executives the opportunity to study global financial markets with Columbia faculty. The collaboration is supported by Shanghai Financial Working Committee, a department of the Shanghai Municipal Government. The Business School also extends its reach through its Executive MBA-Global Program in conjunction with the London Business School.

Wind-up Lights for African Homes
The technology behind the wind-up radio could soon be helping to light up some of the poorest homes in Africa. The Freeplay Foundation is developing prototypes of a charging station for house lights it hopes will improve the quality of life for many Africans...
Please read more at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/technology/7072741.stm.

'$100 laptop' to Sell to Public
By Jonathan Fildes
Science and technology reporter, BBC News
Computer enthusiasts in the developed world will soon be able to get their hands on the so-called "$100 laptop".
The organisation behind the project has launched the "give one, get one" scheme that will allow US residents to purchase two laptops for $399 (£198).
Please read the entire article at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/technology/6994957.stm and on http://www.xogiving.org/.

Hurt and Humiliation Costs Increase for Employers
by Ben Thomas
Employers are paying more, on average $6,167, to disgruntled employees for “hurt and humiliation” in the Employment Relations Authority, annual figures released by the Employers and Manufacturers Association (Northern) show.
And while they are paying out less often for unjustifiably dismissing staff, employers are facing more complaints of unjustifiable disadvantage – which the authority seems more likely to resolve against businesses.
The EMA says that’s because employers feel gun-shy confronted with employment laws that favour employees.
EMA employment services manager David Lowe says “The number of actual and constructive dismissal claims dropped from 312 to 217, which indicates that employers feel they cannot safely dismiss anyone any longer...
Please see the rest of article at http://www.nbr.co.nz/home/.

Judith E. Glaser (2007)
The Gauge & Arc of Engagement Tool
(Judith looks for like-minded consultants, who would wish to immerse themselves in this work: please read her letter to interested consultants).

Rune Kvist Olsen (2006)
From a Vertical and Hierarchical Order to a Horizontal and Egalitarian Order in Structuring and Shaping the Flow of Power in the Organization: Getting Things Done at Work - Myth and Realities

ORGDYNE
ORGDYNE Training & Consulting LLCSM is a global firm dedicated to the unique mission of Connecting People & Ideas WorldwideSM. We are making significant progress toward our objective by harnessing the enormous potential of the Internet, and providing global opportunities for experiential and didactical learning across the boundaries of time, space, culture, and territory.
As "knowledge brokers" in the organizational development field, we take special pride in bringing together "producers" and "users" of knowledge. Without this important integration of research and practice, organizations cannot sustain growth and excellence in a rapidly changing global economy.
We are deeply committed to providing organizational leaders with an enhanced understanding of, and appreciation for, organizational systems and processes that are difficult to explain using traditional management theories. The "systems psychodynamic" frame provides a unique lens through which these elusive processes can be successfully explored. We work regularly with a team of distinguished scholar-practitioners from around the world who continue to research and contribute to the theoretical foundations of organizational practice.

The Real Wealth of Nations: Creating a Caring Economics
Riane Eisler's new book: The Real Wealth of Nations: Creating a Caring Economics.
In this powerful book, eminent social scientist Riane Eisler shows that the great problems of our time – such as poverty, inequality, war, terrorism, and environmental degradation – are due largely to flawed economic systems that set the wrong priorities and misallocate resources. Conventional economic models fail to value and support the most essential human work: caring and caregiving. So basic human needs are increasingly neglected, despair and ecological destruction escalate, and the resulting social tensions fuel many of the conflicts we face today.
Eisler offers a bold reformulation: a caring economics that transcends traditional categories like capitalist and socialist and offers enormous economic and social benefits. She describes how to put this model into practice through new government and business policies and practices, innovative economic indicators that incorporate caregiving activities, and new social structures. And she lays out practical steps we can take to move towards a society based on this more humane economic model.Like her classic The Chalice and The Blade, The Real Wealth of Nations is a bold and insightful look at how to create a society in which everyone can achieve the full measure of their humanity.
This text is quoted from www.partnershipway.org/.
Please read more on www.partnershipway.org/html/subpages/wealth.htm.

The World Debate: The Business of Climate Change
The World Debate is a series of discussion programmes broadcast on BBC World from around the globe, mediated regularly by senior channel presenters Zeinab Badawi, Nik Gowing and Stephen Sackur.
Saturday 7th April
If global environmental sustainability is to be attained, business is almost certainly the engine through which much of the energy and effort for change will flow. The World Debate sets out to explore the dynamics, the challenges, and the evolution of those efforts. In particular, how is business adapting to address sustainable development challenges and how it can do so in a profitable way? Nik Gowing sits down with five of the world ' s most senior business leaders in Hong Kong, to explore these topics, their roles and their responsibilities.
Please read more at http://www.bbcworld.com/Pages/Programme.aspx?id=47.

BBC World Hardtalk with James Rogers, American Corporate Leader, Wednesday 4th April 2007
Will the American Government legislate to cut carbon emissions? If they don’t, is there any point any of the rest of us bothering? James Rogers is one of a select group of American corporate leaders who are now calling for new laws to make carbon cuts mandatory.
Stephen Sackur talks to him about how business is leading the way in the US on global warming.
This text is retrieved from http://www.bbcworld.com/Pages/Programme.aspx?id=10 on 4th April 2007.

BBC World Hardtalk with Steve Howard, CEO The Climate Group and Rick Lazio, Vice President of JP Morgan, Monday 2nd April 2007
The world seems finally to have woken up to the threat of climate change, but where is the leadership to find effective ways of altering the course of global warming?
Can we rely on politicians to make us change our ways in time? Or is it the business world which will have to make the running?
All this week HARDtalk will be looking at the issue of climate change and leadership. In today’s programme Stephen Sackur talks to Steve Howard, CEO The Climate Group and Rick Lazio, Vice President of JP Morgan.
This text is retrieved from http://www.bbcworld.com/Pages/Programme.aspx?id=10 on 2nd April 2007.

How the Corporate Sector Can Push for More Dignity in the World
Please see here some passages from Chapter Eight (pp. 301-302) in Thomas L. Friedman (2005). The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux).

Richest 2% Own 'Half the Wealth'
By Andrew Walker
Economics correspondent, BBC World Service
The richest 2% of adults in the world own more than half of all household wealth, according to a new study by a United Nations research institute. The report, from the World Institute for Development Economics Research at the UN University, says that the poorer half of the world's population own barely 1% of global wealth. There have of course been many studies of worldwide inequality. But what is new about this report, the authors say, is its coverage.
It deals with all countries in the world - either actual data or estimates based on statistical analysis - and it deals with wealth, where most previous research has looked at income.
What they mean by wealth in this study is what people own, less what they owe - their debts. The assets include land, buildings, animals and financial assets.
Please read the entire article at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/business/6211250.stm.

World 'Failing on Hunger Pledges'
Little progress has been made in tackling world hunger despite pledges by leaders to halve the number who are underfed, the UN's food agency says.
Some 820m people in the developing world were hungry in 2001-2003, only 3m fewer than 1990-1992, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said.
Although the overall proportion of hungry people in the world has fallen, that is only down to population growth.
FAO head Jacques Diouf said the "sad reality" was that little had been done.
Please read the entire article at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/6099460.stm.