Today is the International Corporate Philantropy Day (ICPD), hooray!

As I’m writing this, leaders from all over the world are gathering in New York for the ICPD conference, which has been ranked for the fifth consecutive year among the world’s top ten executive events. This is the 8th year of this international advocacy day and during the New York meeting, participants will be discussing how to mobilize business around societal issues, sharing best practices and developing partnerships with the mission to reach more strategic and effective societal investments.

The event is initiated by the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP) – an international forum of business CEOs and chairpersons who aim to raise the level and quality of corporate philanthropy. Attendendees include over 70 leading global CEOs, including more than 20 from Global 500 or Fortune 500 companies, who will gather to discuss this year’s theme “Business at its Best: Maximizing Long-Term Profitability and Societal Impact,”. Focus this year lies on overcoming the challenges corporations face as they reorient their businesses to engage in helping solve societal issues.

During the Board of Boards CEO Conference, CEO attendees will also join the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the UN Office for Partnerships, and other UN agencies to host a special program, “Partnering with the philanthropic community to promote education for all,”. This focuses on opportunities for philanthropy to help further Millennium Development Goal 2, which is to achieve universal primary education.

To give you an idea of how big this event is: United States President Barack Obama has sent a letter of support to business leaders in recognition of ICPD, saying:

“By offering their skills, time, financial support, and creativity to causes greater than themselves, generous corporate philanthropists strengthen our communities and enrich our lives.”

Also, in recognition of the day, leading corporate contributions executives from a wide range of companies, such as Bank of America Corporation, Campbell Soup Company, Deloitte Services LP, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., PepsiCo, and The Western Union Company, to name a few, will ring The Opening Bell℠ at the New York Stock Exchange and tonight, the Empire State Building in New York and the clock tower of the Wrigley Building in Chicago will be lit in blue and green – the colors of ICPD. Read more here!

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It’s weekend, but I am willing to bet that you, just like I, have felt your mind wander to work related thoughts today.

This is exactly why you need to sit down and listen to what Nigel Marsh has to say about work-life balance. In his TEDxSydney talk, Marsh shares his idea of a day perfectly balanced between family time, personal time and productivity and explains why this is way too important to leave up to your employer.

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In light of recent events in the Middle East, I find this initiative beyond cool. Access is a global movement for digital freedom, one which aims to bring access to internet and other forms of technology for all – especially in countries where governments restrict internet usage and block webpages as a method to control its citizens.

Founded after the 2009 Iranian post-election crackdown, Access aims to achieve greater participation, accountability and transparency. The movement provides support to human rights activists and pro-democracy activists in closed and semi-closed countries and is made up of ordinary people from all over the world, who share the belief that political participation and the realization of human rights is dependent on access to the internet and other forms of technology.

The non-profit organization is constantly looking for tech-savvy people who are willing to donate some of their unused bandwith and IP adress with the Tor Anti-sensorship tool, which works as such:

Tor is a network of tunnels through which information and internet sites can be requested and passed back anonymously, allowing users to access sites like Twitter, Facebook and Gmail even when they are blocked and without being tracked by their government. Your support will allow (the Egyptian) people to connect to sites like Facebook, as the encrypted traffic will pass through your donated bandwidth, avoiding firewalls set up by the government.

Read more about donating bandwith here. And remember, even if you aren’t the most tech-savvy,  can help! Here you can sign up to join Access’ Global Movement for Digital Freedom, which will keep you posted with action alerts and updates with easy ways to help. Read more about ongoing campaigns here.

Click here to read articles and news stories about Access and here to learn more about the movement, it’s partners and supporters.

Access also features a video archive, where human rights and democracy activists all over the world can post clips which are then hosted by access as a permanent human rights archive. Click here to go to the archive – but a warning is in order, some of the material can be quite disturbing to watch.

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As you may have heard, founder of the Grameen Bank and Nobel Peace Prize winner  prof. Muhammad Yunus is being investigated for alleged corruption by the government of Bangladesh. According to a recent article by Nick Stace at The Telegraph, due to his clear stance against corruption in politics Yunus has long been distrusted and opposed by the Bangladeshi government. In his article, Stace voices his support for the ”father of microfinance”, asking readers to join new organisation Friends of Grameen, an initiative by Liam Black, co-founder of Grameen partner Wavelength and Danone. The organization is being chaired by Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland and has already gained massive support from world leaders within social business and politics.

The smearing of Yunus’ name has culminated as Sheikh Hasina, the Bangladeshi prime minister, has given credence to unsubstantiated claims of corruption at Grameen. However, not even the government in Bangladesh  can question the enormous impact that microloans have had on poverty in their country. According to a report released by the Microcredit Summit Campaign, a program of the US-based advocacy group RESULTS Educational Fund, nearly 2 million Bangladeshi households involved in microfinance were able to rise above the $1.25 a day threshold between 1990 and 2008. These households include nearly 10 million family members. Read the full report here.

If you would like to sign the Friends of Grameen petition against the treatment of Mohammad Yuns by the Bangladeshi government, click here. Read more articles on Yunus’ work here and the controversy he is currently facing here.

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After their Garden collection and the precious ten garments made of organic cotton  which are included in the H&M selection every three months, the textile giant has decided to take on the next giant challenge: Waste.

Recently, the Swedish fashion company launched a new collH&Mection with garments created out of unsold clothes. It is difficult to perceive the collection, fittingly named ”Waste”, as anything else than a reaction to the PR disaster following the discovery last year that the New York H&M shops were simply throwing away all clothes which hadn’t been sold.

The Waste collection will contain 10 garments, and since last week it can be purchased both online and in H&M shops. Simultaneously, the line is being marketed on the H&M website through a giant sustainability campaign which emphasises the importance of using organic sotton, recycled polyester and organic linen. Read more about the campaign anf recycled garments in this recent Guardian article.

Though the motive for the campaign could be seen as mildly questionable, what can hardly be questioned is that it is about time for garment producers to adopt this concept. Every year, 12,7 million tons of textile waste is produced and only a fraction of this mass turns up in second hand shops.

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Pedagogics in absurdum: In “Bank Bailouts Explained”, ex-banker Omid Malekan lets two animated bears discuss how the U.S. government bails out banks and how it all went awry to start with, have a look:

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As an individual, it can be hard to make your voice heard. Sometimes, the best way  is to band together with other likeminded people to achieve a greater, collective impact.

Change.org give people the tools to do just that – to identify problems, mobilize people, and create real change. At their website, you can swiftly and easily start a campaign about the cause your’e passionate about.

Here’s how it works: Anyone, anywhere in the world can start a petition on Change.org. Then, members start spreading the word over social media such as Facebook, Twitter, email, and blogs. The Change.org team of organizers support members to increase pressure via phone calls, in-person events, media exposure, and other grassroots tactics and soon, the target of the petition is flooded with messages calling for change and is simply forced to listen.

The goal is to create an international network, a grassroot movement of people empowered to fight for what’s right locally and have an impact globally. Change.org have been the facilitators for thousands of campaigns, addressing causes from animal rights to sex trafficking, criminal justice and women’s rights. Read more about current campaigns here.

Change.org believe that building momentum for social change globally means empowering citizen activists locally. With their community-driven model, Change.org members are building a powerful, worldwide movement. Hundreds of campaigns have already been won, from getting urban beekeeping legalized to fighting discriminating policies – read more about them here.

Is there an issue that you want to do something about? Don’t hesitate: start your own campaign here.

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Does your company have outstanding corporate responsibility and sustainability practices? Would you like to gain recognition from your peers and experts as a global leader in CSR, receive acknowledgement for your company’s commitment to responsible business practice and boost your reputation for ethical best practice?

Then you should be aware that the deadline for entries to the 2nd annual Ethical Corporation Awards is slowly creeping closer. February 25 is the last day to apply to compete for the awards, which will be presented on May 3rd London at the end of the first day of the Responsible Business Summit.

Created to give recognition and reward to leading responsible businesses and highlight best practice and key strategies that actually work, The Ethical Corporation Awards provide an opportunity for companies who have integrated sustainable business techniques into their operations to be recognized by the corporate sustainability community. A panel consisting of 5 independent judges will appoint winners in 8 different categories: Authentic communications, Individual leader, Effective Campaigner, Best Collaboration, Sustainability Commercialised and Best Private Company. Read more about the categories here.

Being awarded by the Ethical Corporation not only gives the prestige of being recognised by the largest CSR community in the world but also offers a platform to network and learn about best practice techniques used by other companies with the same goals.

If you want to sign up for the awards, you can do so here, and remember, February 25 marks the deadline! Curious about past winners? Read more here. If you’re interested in sponsoring the awards, you’ll find more information about that here.

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Who are the most likely to inspire you to do something great? Exactly, people who Do great things! This is the simple reson why I find the idea of Do Lectures so compelling.

Once a year, a group of people are invited to a forest between Teifi Gorge and Teifi Marshes Nature Reserve in West Wales, UK, to share what they do. The idea is that their stories will inspire others to do things too, great or small things, as long as they do.

The idea originally came to life during a dinner conversation between David and Clare Hieatt, as they discussed how to actually do the things they cared about. They came to the simple conclusion that people who are doers could inspire others to act.

The idea for the talks are to give inspiration, but also practical tools, different points of view, new ideas, improvements to old ideas. But also, some simply share an interesting story or a wish.

The speakers come from all fields, from business to science, technology, politicis, they are environmentalists, authors, bloggers and film makers or potential savers of the planet. The founders spend huge amounts of time and effort researching for suitable speakers. If you know one that you would like to nominate, don’t be shy, but click here.

Apart from the lectures, workshops and entertainment, the getaway in West Wales offers beautiful surroundings, forests and wildlife. The accomodation is furnished tents on raised wooden decks, with space to sit out and take in the view, and the food is locally produced. Read more about the location here.

The talks take place on the15th-18th September 2011. Now, the Do Lectures is a small event, which means places are limited and therefore, the organizers want to make sure they have a diverse collection of people attending, which is why they invite you to apply for a ticket. Email them here for an application pack. Luckily, if you can’t get a spot or won’t make it anyway, all the talks will be filmed and placed on the website so you can view each one. Why not visit already to take a peak at the 2009 lectures?

The ticket price of ￡1,500 includes lectures, workshops, accommodation, food and wine  and music. There are only 80 spots to fill, so hurry to apply!!

For all enquiries e-mail info@thedolectures.co.uk or call the Do phone on 01239 623584. Also, please take a look at the Do Blog!

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At a press conference today in Berlin’s central park Tiergarten, the non-profit initiative HOLY WOOD was presented by the mayor of Berlin together with the director of the Berlin International film festival, artist Ralf Schmerberg and the CEO of green electricity supplier ENTEGA.

Behind them towered a gigantic and instantly recognizable 13×53 meter HOLY WOOD sign, created by Schmerberg as a reference to the collaboration between ENTEGA and the Berlinale, which aims to set an example for climate protection.

- Berlinale has always been a political festival where big themes have been addressed and sometimes caused controversy. Environmental protection and global warming are themes that today belong to everyday life, thank god. (…) The subject is unavoidable, said the mayor.

Wowereit is the man who coined the term “poor but sexy” when describing the German capital and in his speech today he went on to express his regret that Berlin’s low funds make it hard to afford replacing the trees which must be felled each year in the city.

This problem is being addressed by one of the aspects of the HOLY WOOD project, the ”10 000 trees for Berlin” initiative, where trees which have been felled for natural reasons will be reintroduced around the city. The non-profit replantation initiative will be open to the public, giving  anyone the opportunity to sponsor a tree of their own. Wowereit expressed his gratitude for the private investment which is making replantation possible, and hoped that the initiative will set off many more similar actions where both companies and private persons can get engaged.

Also ENTEGA CEO Holger Mayer expressed his satisfaction with the collaboration:

- We are very proud to be able to partner up with Berlinale, this city of Berlin and also very proud to create some food for thought together with Ralf Schmerberg. (..) To me, climate protection is impossible without forest protection. Trees are not just the lungs of the world, they don’t just have a biological function, but also entail a sensory experience and inspire us, said Mayer, explaining that this to him made perfect sense in connection to the film festival and art installation.

The collaboration with the Berlin International Film Festival entails the reduction of its carbon footprint, which starting this year will be monitored during a three-year period by the Öko-Institut, a leading European research and consultancy institute within the field of sustainability.

- A film festival is hardly an ecological initiative, but we’ve found a partner in ENTEGA, and together with them we’ll see what improvements can be done to the festival, said Dieter Kosslick, director of Berlinale. He went on to tell that already, the festival has started using green energy from ENTEGA, powering the lights on the red carpet as well as the festival office.

Though in all honesty, we think the collaboration between the film festival and green energy company could be perceived as having a rather weak foundation, we do have to agree with the sentiment that whatever shines more light on environmental issues is a good thing, so what can we do but roll out the red carpet for the HOLY WOOD project?

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