NEWSROOM

Fifth annual conference on Trust and Integrity in the Global Economy attracts participants of 26 nationalities

The fifth annual conference on Trust and Integrity in the Global Economy (TIGE) was held at the international conference centre of Initiatives of Change in Caux, Switzerland, from 15 to 24 July. It attracted participants from 26 countries. They included businessmen and bankers, social entrepreneurs and farmers, academics and consultants, campaigners on the environment and sustainable development, university students and families. As well as daily plenary sessions, six work stream discussion groups met over three days to share experiences and insights. These were on: reshaping business around core values; food and the new development paradigm; leading change for a sustainable world; authentic self-leadership; integral economy and integral society; and creating a learning society.

Each day, a conference ‘Hub’ provided a meeting place where new ideas and initiatives could be shared with the whole conference. Swedish participants highlighted their annual World Values Day during the conference and British banker Paul Moore launched an online New Wilberforce Alliance which seeks to ‘free the world from the modern-day slavery caused by the culture of greed’. L’Hebdo, the leading French-language weekly magazine of Switzerland, interviewed conference keynote speaker Lady Susan Rice, Managing Director of Lloyds Banking Group in Scotland who is also a member of the governing body of the Bank of England.

The following reports give a picture of the whole conference. Reports by: Chris Breitenberg, Yasin Choudhary, Sophie Durut, Dorothea Endres, Louisa Meury and Andrew Stallybrass. Photos by: Marion Bouvier, Mbindyo Kimanthi and Louisa Meury.

Globalisation in the Age of Communities

'The question I want to discuss here is whether ‘communities’ can play a positive role in the context of globalization. There is a need to bridge gaps between people and societies around the world. As community members, we can all contribute. How?'
Thoughts from Hein Bogaard, development economist and member of the Junior Round Table
Wednesday, August 28, 2002
Beyond Conflict to Community in the Global Home

In a society where success is the leading value, is it strange that rules and laws are seen as obstacles rather than as guidelines on the road to esteem and respect? What is the value of rules without a solid respected and applied set of norms and values?
Reflections from Menso Fermin, Director of CIB
Wednesday, August 14, 2002
Procter and Gamble Aims to ‘improve the Lives of the Next Generation’

Procter and Gamble’s corporate tradition is ‘rooted in the principles of personal integrity and respect for the individual’, according to Andrea Cooper, a British manager in the consumer products multinational. The phrase ‘doing what’s right’ is ‘a slogan that is part of the P&G culture’, she said. The company would never knowingly condone illegal or unethical dealings anywhere in the world, she claimed, pointing out that a recent report indicated that one in six shoppers would buy or boycott products because of a brand’s or manufacturer’s reputation.
Wednesday, July 24, 2002
Alcoa Multinational Takes the A3 Route

An executive from the giant American Alcoa aluminium corporation today emphasized the need for community involvement and accountability. The multinational, which has 129,000 employees in 38 countries and annual sales of $23 billion, had gone through a ‘fundamental change over the past 10 years,’ said Don Cowles who till last year was President of Alcoa’s distribution business. Cowles, from Richmond, Virginia, was speaking at the business conference ‘Globalization : from conflict to opportunity’ being held at the Initiatives of Change centre in Caux, Switzerland.
Wednesday, July 24, 2002
Leading Indian Tata Firms Combine Competitiveness With Social Commitment

A leading Indian industrialist today claimed it was possible to be competitive in a global market ‘and still follow the path of social consciousness and maintain values’. Sarosh Ghandy, Managing Director of Telcon, a Tata Industries company which manufactures construction equipment, was speaking at the conference ‘Globalization : from conflict to opportunity’ being held, 20-24 July, at the Initiatives of Change centre in Caux, Switzerland.
Wednesday, July 24, 2002
‘Globalization is an Opportunity, Not Just a Threat’ says Bombay Businessman

Bombay businessman Suresh Vazirani today told the international business conference ‘Globalization : from conflict to opportunity’ how his company has met the challenges of globalization in the face of international competition. Transasia Biomedical, which he founded in 1980, exports diagnostic machines for blood diseases to 30 countries.
Tuesday, July 23, 2002
Globalization '- From Conflict to Opportunity

As anti-globalization protestors demonstrated in Genoa to mark the anniversary of the death there of one of their number at last year’s G7 summit, a four-day international conference on ‘Globalization - from conflict to opportunity’ was opening at the international centre of Initiatives of Change in Caux, Switzerland.
Sunday, July 21, 2002
The Business of Soul

As competition becomes ever more global, complex and intense, businesses are increasingly unable to differentiate themselves on traditional, material competitive levers like increased scale and reduced cost.
By Michelle Holliday, CEO of The Soularium LLC
Tuesday, July 16, 2002
Replenishing the Capital of Trust

We can no longer be so confident that we have found the secret of organising life and society, freely ignoring ancient truths distilled for us in our religious traditions.
Friday, July 12, 2002
Moral Poverty

Letter to the Editor published in The Daily Telegraph (London)
Tuesday, July 9, 2002