Keeping the Balance
This is a listing of individuals and groups advocating for balancing economic interest/mission with social responsibility.
It isn't that history repeats itself, it's that some things never change. In the 1987 film "Wall Street," Gordon Gekko famously remarked, "Greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right. Greed works." The film may now be seen as a period piece from an especially cutthroat period in American business, but the philosophy it expresses is thoroughly up-to-date. Plenty of corporations -- perhaps more today than ever before -- put their bottom lines above almost everything else, including human decency.
Infact is a national grassroots corporate watchdog organization. Founded in 1977, Infact is best known for its successful Nestle and GE Boycott Campaigns, and its new film Making a Killing. Infact is now organizing the Tobacco Industry Campaign and the Hall of Shame Campaign.
Democracy Watch (Canada)
Foundation Partnership on Corporate Responsibility
http://www.foundationpartnership.org/
Essential Information
Watchdog group of Ralph Nader. This site has many excellent resources on corporations, including the Multinational Monitor and various listservs on corporate accountability (including corporate welfare). Home page has a simple keyword search engine (which does not search the listserv archives). Click on the Search button to do a more selective search of sections/publications of the website. Click on "lists.essential.org" to get to and search various listservs.
Friends of the Earth
Confronting Companies Using Shareholder Power: A Handbook on Socially-Oriented Shareholder Activism. A useful guide with links on the process of shareholder activism by this national environmental organization dedicated to preserving the health and diversity of the planet for future generations.
http://www.foe.org
http://www.foe.org/international/shareholder
DataCenter exists to build the capacity of a broad-based social justice movement that embodies, embraces, and honors diverse cultures to create the new systems and institutions essential to building a just and equitable world.
For the social justice movement to have an impact, community voices and action must be informed.
The DataCenter's mission is to provide social justice advocates, especially the poor and people of color, access to strategic information, analysis, and research skills that will help them conduct more effective campaigns.
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
The Committee has also emerged as a major national -- and international -- resource in free speech issues, disseminating information in a variety of forms, including a quarterly legal review, a bi-weekly newsletter, a 24-hour hotline, and various handbooks on media law issues.
New York State Labor-Religion Coalition
Founded as a volunteer organization more than 20 years ago--and incorporated in 1997--the New York State Labor-Religion Coalition is a growing alliance of unions, religious institutions, youth groups and individuals who share a commitment to challenging economic injustice. Through education, support for organizing, and advocacy the Coalition works to help low-wage workers both in New York and in developing countries to challenge corporate control. Both the labor movement and religious institutions share a long history of activism for social justice and both root this work in a fundamental respect for the dignity of each worker. We believe-and have demonstrated-that together unions and religious institutions can advance workers' rights. That said, the Coalition is both nonpartisan and nonsectarian. While we believe that all workers have the right to union representation if they so choose, we do not represent or speak for any union. Similarly, we do not adhere to or promote the religious beliefs of any faith.
Links
www.anitaroddick.com
www.idealist.org
www.finance.yahoo.com
www.youthradio.org
www.opensecrets.org
www.teenwire.org
www.exploratorium.edu
www.corporatewatch.org
www.idealist.org
www.abolishsweatshops.org
www.summersault.com
www.speakout.com
www.johannesburg.org
www.nlcnet.org
www.freethechildren.org
www.myhero.com
www.nosweat.org.uk
www.uniteunion.org\sweatshops
www.oneworld.net
www.aflcio.org\sweatfree\students.htm
www.aflcio.org\women
www.tolerance.org
www.alternet.org
www.bbc.co.uk\radio4\womenshour
www.workingforchange.com
www.adbusters.org
www.ltbn.com
www.tradejusticemovement.org.uk
www.peopleandplanet.org
www.getethical.com
www.ethicaltrade.org
