CSRwire Talkback

By Martha Shaw

Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen. - Winston Churchill

Courage may hold the most hope for mankind as we face a future wrought with complex problems of all kinds that can appear insurmountable. This was the underlying theme of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) 2011, concluding in New York City today. Over 1,200 global leaders and concerned citizens from government, business, communities and not-for-profits, gathered at CGI 2011 this week to tackle the most pressing issues of our time, focusing on commitments to support job creation, fuel a green economy, promote sustainable consumption and, last but not least, bring social justice to women and girls.

What role does courage play in saving the world? CGI 2011 “Conversations on Courage” stresses how we cannot solve the problems of the world using the same kind of thinking that has caused them. It takes courage to think differently, stand up, speak out, set aside grudges, sacrifice profits, overturn customs and traditions, retool systems and change habits that are deeply entrenched in culture. Inherent in courageous acts is the risk of losing what is near and dear to us personally, for the greater good. Yet, courage is the one inexhaustible resource readily available to everyone.

Inspired by a who’s who of world leaders including President Barack Obama who appeared yesterday, CGI 2011 “Conversations on Courage” urges its member attendees to support social heroes and brave deeds in their industries and in their communities. Each member makes a Commitment to Action to address a major local or global challenge with the help of CGI.

Today, on the 149th anniversary of Lincoln's announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation, MTV's college network has launched "mtvU's Against Our Will," a project to empower America's college students to stop modern-day slavery in the US In partnership with Polaris Project, GEMS and Free the Slaves, the campaign will raise awareness about sex and labor slavery, encourage activism, reduce demand for products and services linked to slavery and promote volunteerism in support of trafficking survivors and at-risk youth.

^{Luis CdeBaca, Office to Monitor and Combat Human Trafficking, US Dept. of State; Stephen Friedman, President of MTV; Rotsen Law, student activist; Sophie Gasperment; Chairman of The Body Shop; Julie Osmond, founder of Alliance to Stop Slavery and End Trafficking, at CGI 2011.}

Another new global partnership has been announced by Archbishop Desmond Tutu to end tens of millions of forced child marriages that deny young girls of education and freedoms. The Elders, the Ford Foundation, the Nike Foundation and the NoVo Foundation have committed to jointly establish 'Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage' and see it grow to a membership of at least 150 organizations running programs in at least 20 countries by December 2012.

PepsiCo, the World Food Programme (WFP) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have committed to develop an innovative market-based solution to economic, food and nutritional insecurity in Ethiopia. 

United Nations Foundation, in collaboration with public and private partners, has committed to launch a new US-based campaign to expand access to vaccines for children in the developing world.

Grassroot Soccer (GRS) has committed to scaling Skillz Street, a program that will positively impact 12,500 girls in southern Africa to address gender-specific challenges and HIV prevention through non-competitive soccer. 

Samasource, a social enterprise known for its innovative solutions to bring jobs to 1,500 women, youth and refugees across the globe, has committed to extend its reach to America.

eBay Foundation has committed to launch The Opportunity Project, a global initiative designed to support and help scale market-based approaches to providing economic opportunity in vulnerable communities.

Walmart has committed to develop a marketplace on the company's e-commerce site to link women-owned businesses around the world to consumers.

Darden has committed to helping rebuild troubled fisheries through the creation of an alliance of companies, NGOs and other groups to support targeted fishery improvement projects (FIPs).

Waste action groups and corporations have instituted programs to reclaim waste, addressing the fact that every second, over 50 tons of trash are deposited in landfills, oceans and streambeds worldwide. The Ocean Recovery Alliance announced progress on its 2010 CGI commitments to report, rate and map floating trash, and a call for corporate reporting of plastic use and management policies.

International Justice Mission (IJM), in collaboration with public and private partners, has committed to increase the quantity and quality of Public Justice System-initiated anti-trafficking operations in a metropolitan sex trafficking hub in Southeast Asia.

Apne Aap Women Worldwide and the Rose Collar Foundation have committed to provide intensive and holistic support to 10 women in prostitution, transforming their lives and the lives of women in their communities by providing access to sustainable livelihoods and breaking the cycle of exploitation.

A complete list of these acts of courage by topic and region will continue to be posted here.

The topic of courage persisted through this week, and what courage means in modern-day society when we are defending our whole species as much as our own families.

There may be no better example of the courage to act on one’s convictions than Aung San Suu Kyi, General Secretary of the National League for Democracy, who was imprisoned or under house arrest for a combined 15 years since she returned to Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, in 1988. At CGI on Wednesday, television host, Charlie Rose, moderated a conversation between Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Suu Kyi. “All journeys are made step by step,” said Suu Kyi via satellite. “To be quite honest, I didn't think when I first started out in the movement for democracy, I'd have to devote my whole life to it.” Desmond Tutu concluded the interview by calling for a ‘mutual admiration’ society.

^{Aung San Suu Kyi, General Secretary of the National League for Democracy, at CGI 2011. Watch video here.}

Since CGI was founded in 2005, members have made nearly 2,000 commitments that have improved the lives of nearly 300 million people in more than 180 countries. These are acts of courage that should be recognized and proliferated.

About Martha Shaw

Martha Shaw is a contributing writer for CSRwire covering clean technology and other topics. Martha has been named an Adweek Creative All Star and is the winner of international awards in communications. She is a member of the Climate Literacy Network, Fellow of the Explorers Club, board member of NYSES and CEO of Earth Advertising.

This commentary is written by a valued member of the CSRwire contributing writers' community and expresses this author's views alone.

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