Top 10 CR stories of 2010?

The Crane and Matten blog posted an entry today listing what they believe to be the top 10 CR stories of 2010. They are as follows:

1. BP Oil Spill
2. Google’s withdrawal from China
3. Wikileaks
4. Citizens United decision
5. Toyota’s product safety recall
6. Bank bonuses
7. Corporate response to Haiti earthquake
8. Greenpeace campaign against Sinar Mas palm oil
9. HP’s termination of CEO Mark Hurd
10. India’s 2G license scandal

Do you agree with the list as well as the order? Are there other stories this year that you believe were more important – and also will have a longer effect on society? To read the whole blog entry and vote for the story you thought was the most significant, please click here.

Winning Partnerships

When an advocacy group works together with a corporation to come up with commendable policy, great things can happen—socially, environmentally and economically—for both organizations. 

Although corporations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) often seem ethically opposed, now more than ever, successful businesses are realizing that social, environmental and economic responsibility can help their bottom line by boosting brand reputation, lowering waste & energy costs, and tapping the socially responsible investing market, among other things.  Businesses can gain quite a lot from employing the expertise of NGOs to become more socially and environmentally responsible.

Alternatively, NGOs have come to the understanding that it is easier to create change in alignment with their mission if they work with corporations instead of fighting against them.  In addition, by helping business, NGOs can sustain themselves economically with the money they receive for their services… which also helps them to continue their mission.

Here are some examples of Win-Win partnerships between advocacy groups and corporations:

“The Story of Stuff”

Today The New York Times published an article about “The Story of Stuff”, a 20-minute video about the effects of human consumption on our planet and its people. Like an indie movie catching fire in the underground world of pop culture, it’s become a ‘sleeper hit’ in classrooms across the country. Created by Annie Leonard, a former Greenpeace employee and independent lecturer, the video (which has been viewed by millions on its site storyofstuff.com and YouTube), paints a kid-friendly but realistic picture of how much Americans waste and the negative consequences associated with this waste. While many teachers have embraced the video as a valuable supplement to textbooks lacking significant information on environmental education, others are not so quick to jump on the bandwagon (some have labeled it anti-capitalist and more advocacy than educational). 

Regardless of opinion, the use of video and other types of electronic media are an effective way to reach people in all parts of the world to convey a message. It’s about meeting people where they are and making information exciting and creative; it allows such important issues as the environment to become accessible to anyone anywhere. Hopefully videos like this will inspire other people with a worthy cause to spread their message

For more info, check out www.storyofstuff.com. What do you think of it? We would love to hear your opinions!