items of interest

with contributions from Swati Chopra, Penelope McCain, Diana L. Eck

"Maverick businesswoman and social activist Anita Roddick is in India to conduct a course on 'Ethics, Business and Sustainability' at environmental activist Vandana Shiva's Beeja Vidyapeeth in Dehradun. On Sunday [November 10] at the Ashoka Hotel, Roddick spoke about how business as it is conducted today is a 'crime.' 'I have taken it upon myself to put idealism back in business, since I believe business must be about building relationships and not just products and profits,' she said.

"As the owner of The Body Shop, a 'values driven' retailer of natural skin and hair care products, UK-based Roddick is a pioneer of a global movement for social responsibility in business. Ever since its inception in 1976, The Body Shop has not only tried to reshape the way business is done, by talking about 'bringing the heart into the workplace' and infusing business with a sense of spirituality, it has also campaigned against objectionable business practices. 'Businesses rarely point fingers at one another when it comes to moral responsibility,' said Roddick. 'We decided to change this through our public campaigns against unfair practices like animal testing and exploitation of Third World resources by multinational corporations.'"

Swati Chopra
Excerpted from "Put Ethics Back in Business"
The Times of India
November 12, 2002

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