The
Coalition
Courier
Volume 8, Issue 4
(May 2010)
In this issue:
How Would You Define 'Responsibly'?
Tell Nick: "Naughty" Games Are Not for Children
Record Fair Trade
Sales in 2009
Calling a Company to Accountability ...
How Would You Define ‘Responsibly’?
Good morning Members of the Board, Mr.
Blankenship, Massey Energy shareholders and employees. My name is Sister Ruth
Kuhn, a Sister of Charity of Cincinnati and Coordinator of the Region VI
Coalition for Responsible Investment. Included
among the co-filers of Resolution 3 (on page 79 of the proxy statement) are four
members of our Coalition: the Glenmary Home Missioners, the Ursuline Sisters of
Brown County , the Sisters of the Humility of Mary and the Sisters of Charity of
Cincinnati. Our 25 member organizations offer our sympathy to the
family and friends of the 29 Massey employees who lost their lives last month at
the Upper Big Branch Mine.
Five years
ago, following the first Massey annual shareholder meeting I attended, Don
Blankenship and I were sharing a conversation in the hallway. During this time
he said to me “Sister, I don’t think God would have put the coal in the ground
if He didn’t want us to use it. Do you?” My response at the time was something
like “True, but I do think He would want us to use it responsibly.”
At the time,
I didn’t give much thought to that response but as the years of dialogue and
shareholder resolutions with Massey continue, I find myself going back to that
May morning in 2006 and wondering if I could have made a stronger response – one
that more accurately represented my concern for mountain top removal mining
practices and the effect such practices have on the environment and the lives of
the people living in the area of the mines.
In Genesis we
read “God looked at everything He had made, and He found it very good.” (Gen.
1:31) And in the Psalms, “The earth is the Lord’s and all it holds, the world
and those who live there.” (Ps. 24:1). Our God entrusts us with the gift of
creation. The air, the earth, the plants and animals all reflect God’s beauty
and speak about our place in nature.
I realize
that those attending this meeting today represent various religious persuasions,
but since I am Catholic permit me to quote from the Catechism of
the Catholic Church to express what I believe is a summary of our place in
nature … and I quote “Man’s dominion (woman’s too!) over inanimate and other
living beings granted by the Creator is not absolute; it is limited by concern
for the quality of life of his neighbor, including generations to come; it
requires a religious respect for the integrity of creation.” (2415)
The number of
safety citations and violations of EPA regulations published against Massey have
increased in the past several years – and most notably at the Upper Big Branch
Mine in West Virginia in the six months prior to the accident which claimed the
lives of 29 miners. In defining the word “responsibly” I doubt that ‘ignoring
violations’ or ‘disregarding environmental effects’ would be practices that God
would use to illustrate the word’s meaning.
Since several
members of my Coalition brought mountain top removal to my attention – and in
particular Massey Energy’s involvement – I have been following some related
issues, such as human health issues documented by the American Cancer Society,
diminishment of wildlife and the relationship of the coal industry to Black Lung
to name a few examples. I have had the opportunity to meet with many whose
lives have been adversely affected by the practice, to hear their stories and to
see first-hand the devastation that the practice brings to the eco-systems
involved.
Doing
business responsibly means more than making a profit for shareholders and
governance members. In part, it is providing employees with reasonable wages
/benefits and safe and healthy working conditions. These are every worker’s
rights and are given to corporate leadership and management to safeguard and
oversee.
May the Upper
Big Branch Mine explosion in April teach us all a lesson about the dignity of
all living beings, our responsibility to safeguard human lives and the need to
work together to find better and safer means to produce the energy our nation
needs. In this way, the lives of the 29 miners (and the many others we could
site) will not have been lost in vain. Such is my prayer this morning. Thank
you.
Due to a change in time given for comments,
only the highlighted segments of these remarks were delivered at the
Massey Energy Annual Meeting of Shareholders—5-18-2010
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Tell Nick: "Naughty"
Games Are Not for Children
Nickelodeon, the
children’s media empire, is promoting sexualized and violent video games to
children as young as preschoolers. Its popular gaming website,
Addictinggames.com, features games such as Sorority Panty Raid, Bloody
Day (“Back alley butchering has never been so much fun. . . . How many kills
can you rack?”) and the Perry the Sneak series, where gamers take the
role of a peeping Tom trying to catch revealing glimpses of scantily clad and
naked women.
Nickelodeon promotes, and links directly to, Addicting games.com on Neopets,
Nick.com and even on its Nick Jr. websites for preschoolers.
Please take a moment to tell Nickelodeon to stop promoting sexualized and
violent videogames to young children. Use the following address to send a
message to Steve Youngwood, Executive Vice President, Digital, Nickelodeon Kids
and Family Group. Type (or copy and paste) the following address into your
computer’s URL box:
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/621/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=1903
Message from Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood
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Record Fair Trade Sales in 2009
According to a recently
released report by TransFair, demand for and sales of Fair Trade in the United
States grew in 2009! According to the almanac, which includes specific data
about Fair Trade products and sales, there were 358 producers supplying Fair
Trade products in 2009.
Coffee is by far the
greatest percentage of Fair Trade sold in the United States with more than 100
million pounds sold in 2009. This is more than all Fair Trade coffee certified
in the first seven years of TransFair Certification combined!
Over 48 million dollars
of additional income was provided to farmers and producer organizations in 2009
alone! Social premiums for organizations, which contribute to education,
organic and environmental training, microfinance programs, health care, and more
reached over 13 million dollars.
New products were
certified such as quinoa and Brazil nuts and in just its second year, Fair Trade
Certified™ wine imports increased by 460 percent.
These great leaps in Fair
Trade are thanks to consumers like you who care about the lives of the producers
who grow your food. It is because of consumers like you, who actively seek out
Fair Trade options and ask for it every time you shop, that Fair Trade is
growing and expanding.
Let’s work together to
make 2010 an even more successful year for Fair Trade than 2009!
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Volume 8, Issue 3 (February 2010)
In this issue:
Encyclical Seeks New Way of Doing Business
"Half
the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide"
Faithful Reform in Health
Care
Caritas in Veritate ...
Encyclical Seeks New Way of Doing Business
A “social
encyclical” applies the consistent, traditional moral teachings of the Church to
the social and economic challenges of the current day. Beginning in 1891 with
Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical On the Condition of Labor (Rerum Novarum) to
A Catholic Framework for Economic Life (NCCB/YSCC) in 1996 including
Economic Justice for All (NCCB, 1986) the Church’s social teaching has been
expressed in many ways, including this newest letter.
The teaching letter
Caritas in Veritate was written to address the current economic
crisis, and deals with moral aspects of economic life, poverty and development,
human rights and duties, environmental responsibility, and other moral and
economic issues.
It is the latest in a
series of social encyclicals written by our popes over the last 120 years, as
the Church sought to apply its moral principles and social teaching to emerging
economic and social problems.
It certainly was no accident that Benedict’s third encyclical was
released by the Vatican in July 2009 on the eve of the Group of 8
industrialized nations summit meeting in Italy. The Pope emphasizes the need
for ‘greater social responsibility’ on the part of business. “Once profit
becomes the exclusive goal, if it is produced by improper means and without the
common good as its ultimate end, it risks destroying wealth and creating
poverty.” (#21)
"Striving to meet the deepest moral needs of the person also has important and
beneficial repercussions at the level of economics. The economy needs ethics
in order to function correctly—not any ethics whatsoever, but an ethics
which is people-centered.” (#45) It is this type of economy that we strive for
in our interactions with corporations.
For years in our dialogues and shareholder resolutions, we have been stressing
the importance of ecology and the climate. We have worked to create a new way
of doing business that encourages companies to be mindful of earth’s resources
as they go about the business of producing various goods and services. “The
environment is God’s gift to everyone, and in our use of it we have a
responsibility towards the poor, towards future generations and towards humanity
as a whole.” (#48)
The Pope also stresses the right of all to food and water. “The right to food,
like the right to water, has an important place within the pursuit of other
rights, beginning with the fundamental right to life. It is necessary to
cultivate a public conscience that considers food and access to water as
universal rights of all human beings, without distinction or discrimination.”
(#27) In the past few years, we have worked with corporations regarding the
privatization of water and this section of the letter provides us with solid
information which supports the basic issue of human rights.
The rights of workers is particularly important as we find ourselves engaged in
a global economy. It is important for those of us who work with corporations to
ensure social justice in all of their activities, especially with regard to
working conditions and the right to organize and join unions. “In many cases,
poverty results from a violation of the dignity of human work, either
because work opportunities are limited …, or because a low value is put on work
and rights that flow from it, especially the right to a just wage and to the
personal security of the worker and his or her family.” (#63)
As we move into new forms and ways of engaging in economic activity, let us
recall the rich teaching heritage that we have and rely on ‘our best kept
secret’ to guide and inform our efforts with corporations. “What does the
economy do for people? What does it do to people?
How do people participate in it?”
(Economic Justice for All Chapter 1, #1)
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Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide’
is a group of essays and anecdotes in two parts.
The first part is about the oppression of women in developing countries—nothing
less than slavery. The authors say such treatment calls for a moral and
political movement that is focused and principled, a campaign against slavery.
The second part looks at ways to create the mass movement to bring about the
needed changes.
(Susanna Hutcheson’s review
from http://www. Amazon.com)
This book examines our era’s most pervasive human rights violation: the
oppression of women and girls in the developing world. Nicholas D. Kristof and
Sheryl WuDunn travel through Africa and Asia to interview extraordinary women
struggling there, among them a Cambodian teenager sold into sex slavery and an
Ethiopian woman who suffered devastating injuries in childbirth.
The authors show how a little help can transform the lives of women and girls
abroad. The Cambodian girl eventually escaped from her brothel and, with
assistance from an aid group, built a thriving retail business that supports her
family. The Ethiopian woman had her injuries repaired and in time become a
surgeon.
Throughout much of the world, the greatest unexploited economic resource is the
female half of the population. We are led to see that the key to
economic progress lies in unleashing women’s potential. Countries such as China
have prospered precisely because they emancipated women and brought them into
the formal economy. Unleashing that process globally is not only the right
thing to do; it’s also the best strategy for fighting poverty. Deeply felt,
pragmatic, and inspirational, ‘Half the Sky’ is essential reading for
every global citizen.
(Review from http://weread.com/)
Article taken from Anti-Human Trafficking Newsletter—8/1
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Faithful Reform in Health Care
is an organization formed to expand
the depth and breadth of support for health care reform within the religious
community, educate people of faith about the issue and activate the prophetic
voice to promote affordable heath care for all in the United States as a moral
value.
Their expressed mission is to promote reform that truly embraces health,
wholeness and human dignity for all. Their goal is to ensure that health care
in our country will be inclusive, guaranteeing that everyone will be a
part of a reformed system … accessible, eliminating barriers to needed
care … affordable, assuring that persons will no longer have to chose
between health care and other basic needs … and accountable, holding all
participants in the system responsible for contributing to the common good.
Keep informed and up to date by visiting their web site regularly … http://www.faithfulreform.org/
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The
Coalition
Courier
Volume 8, Issue 2 (November 2009)
In
this issue ...
New Words for the World Economic Order
New
Report: Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining Too Costly to Appalachia's
Economies
ECPAT - USA Report
Caritas in Veritate ...
New Words for the World Economic Order
On July 7th the Vatican released Pope Benedict’s latest encyclical—Caritas
in Veritate. It addresses the current economic situation in terms of
right relationships. In this article and one to follow in February we will look
at some of the key concepts offered in the document, specifically with regard to
our work in socially responsible investing.
The Pope approaches the global nature of the crisis in a very positive manner.
“The current crisis obliges us to re-plan our journey, to set ourselves new
rules and to discover new forms of commitment, to build on positive experiences
and to reject negative ones. The crisis thus becomes an opportunity for
discernment, in which to shape a new vision for the future.” (#22)
The Pope makes it very clear that today’s economy calls for new ways of
understanding how business operates and the role of shareholders and other
stake-holders.
“Today’s international capital market offers great freedom of action. Yet there
is also increasing awareness of the need for greater social responsibility
on the part of business. Even if the ethical considerations that currently
inform debate on social responsibility of the corporate world are not all
acceptable from the perspective of the Church’s social doctrine, there is
nevertheless a growing conviction that business management cannot concern
itself only with the interests of the proprietors, but most also assume
responsibility for all the other stakeholders who contribute to the life of the
business: the workers, the clients, the suppliers of various elements of
production, the community of reference.” (#40)
To emphasize that this is not a new concept, he quotes from John Paul II—”investment
always has moral, as well as economic significance.”
This is particularly important when considering investment in the developing
world and its effect on their economies and the citizens who make their home
there. “What should be avoided is a speculative use of financial resources
that yields to the temptation of seeking only short-term profit, without
regard for the long-term sustainability of the enterprise, its benefit to the
real economy and attention to the advancement, to suitable and appropriate ways
of further economic initiatives in countries in need of development.” (#40)
“It is true that the export of investments and skills can benefit the
populations of the receiving country. Labor and technical knowledge are a
universal good. Yet it is not right to export these things merely for the sake
of obtaining advantageous conditions, or worse, for the purposes of
exploitation, without making a real contribution to local society by helping to
bring about a robust productive and social system, an essential factor for
stable development.” (#40)
These may not be new concepts, but they are ones that deserve a special emphasis
in today’s world. As we dialogue and file shareholder resolutions with
corporations doing business in the developing countries, these are valid ethical
and very practical concepts to emphasize.
The Pope also emphasizes the need to always consider the common good when
judging any economic activity. The convictions of ‘self-sufficiency’ and
‘autonomy’ as related to human nature and the economy are also examined.
“ … these convictions have led to economic, social and political systems that
trample upon personal and social freedom, and are therefore unable to deliver
the justice that they promise.” (#34)
So we see in this short examination of “Love in Truth” emphasis on
new and innovative ways of doing business which call us to re-examine and
re-position what has been done in the past.
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New Report: Mountaintop Removal
Coal Mining Too Costly to Appalachia's EconomiesTransition to Clean Energy Would Bring
More Jobs, Economic Sustainability
The Sierra
Club today released a groundbreaking new report that reaffirms the economic
benefits of ending mountaintop removal coal mining and transitioning to clean
energy
sources in Appalachia. Conducted by Synapse Energy Economics, Inc., the report
comes on the heels of the Obama administration's praiseworthy decision to review
79 permits for new mountaintop removal coal mining permits citing water quality
concerns.
The report --
along with other recent studies of this most destructive form of coal mining --
shows that America can have affordable electricity without mountaintop removal
because many factors contribute to the cost of electricity, with coal prices
playing just one small part. There are an abundance of cost-effective
alternatives to mountaintop removal coal – including natural gas, energy
efficiency and renewable sources such as wind power and low-impact
hydroelectric.
"This new
report highlights the benefits for Appalachia that would result from ending
mountaintop removal mining and transitioning to clean energy jobs," said Mary
Anne Hitt,
Deputy Director of Sierra Club's
Beyond Coal Campaign.
"We can have
affordable electricity without mountaintop removal, and we can protect our
communities, streams, forests and mountains at the same time."
According to
the report, mountaintop removal is not the economic savior for Appalachia that
some have claimed. In fact, the studies show that other types of mining in
Appalachia actually employ more workers, and that mountaintop removal coal
mining costs state budgets more that it generates.
This week the
Army Corps of Engineers is holding public hearings across Appalachia where
hundreds of residents are calling for an end to a "one-size-fits-all" nationwide
permit that has been used for years to allow this destructive type of coal
mining. At the hearings, the coal industry will likely argue that radical strip
mining benefits Appalachia's economy, but this new report reaffirms the value of
clean energy.
The Synapse
report demonstrates the importance of supporting clean energy sources instead of
leveling areas for mountaintop removal coal mining. This radical form of
blasting destroys clean energy sources. Appalachia can only tap the power of
clean energy if the mountains, valleys and waterways that support these
resources remain intact.
Find a full
copy of the report, including an executive summary and a white paper on other
recent mountaintop removal coal mining studies, at
www.sierraclub.org/coal/factsheets.aspx
10/13/09
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ECPAT- USA Report
A new survey of New York
City tourists by ECPAT-USA reveals that most travelers are unaware of the extent
of the phenomenon of child sex tourism; in particular, of American citizens
traveling abroad to engage in sex with minors.
More surprisingly, a majority of travelers were unsure of whether an American
citizen could be prosecuted for the crime in the country where the exploitation
took place as well as in the U.S. Many also admitted they would not report a
suspected incident for a variety of reasons; in some cases, because they assumed
it was completely legal.
However, when informed of
the extent of the problem, more than 75% said they would strongly support travel
companies that implement a tourism “Code of Conduct” to help address the issue
and protect children at risk.
End Child Prostitution and Trafficking
Press Release—ECPAT-USA, Inc. 2009
http://ecpatusa.org/EcpatUSA_PDF/Child%20Sex%20Tourism%20Survey_Final.pdf
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Volume 8, Issue 1 (August 2009)
In
this issue ...
Ten Reasons to Support Health Care Reform
Trafficking In Persons
American Clean Energy and Security Act
The time for change is NOW ...
Ten Reasons to Support
Health Care Reform
The health reform debate is in full swing and proposals are taking shape. Even
though key decisions are still being made, it is clear those working for some
type of reform have gained significant ground.
There is much
to be excited about in these proposals: Millions more people will gain health
insurance, coverage will be more affordable, and people will have access to the
health services they need. These provisions will improve the lives of millions
of Americans and give us the peace of mind that comes with knowing that we have
coverage no matter what.
But the road
ahead will not be easy. We must continue to work for improvements and we must
ensure that we do not lose the gains we have made so far—the end product will be
worth the efforts we have put forward. Below are some highlights in the health
care reform proposals.
Some of the benefits of health care
reform ...
1. A major
expansion of Medicaid coverage—fully federally funded—for millions of low-income
working families who currently fall through the cracks.
2. A
regulated marketplace that clamps down on insurance company abuses so people
can no longer be denied coverage.
3.
Requirements that insurance companies spend more of the premium dollars they
collect on patient care.
4.
Sliding-scale subsidies so middle-class, working families can afford the
coverage they need to keep their families healthy.
5. A strong
public plan option that will provide choice, stability, and an honest yardstick
to keep costs down.
6. Limits on
out-of-pocket spending, giving Americans real health security and peace of
mind.
7.
Much-needed relief for small businesses so they can afford to offer coverage to
their employees.
8.
Improvements to Medicare that will help seniors and people with disabilities
afford their drugs and their cost-sharing.
9. Better
access to coverage for uninsured children so they can get the care they need.
10. Long
overdue steps to modernize the system, improve the quality of care provided, and
curb unnecessary spending so our American health care system delivers the best
possible care.
Congressional
staff members from the Senate and the House will be working during the summer
recess to bring together the different versions that have come out of committee
work.
They need to
hear from us. Now is the time to let them know your concerns and wishes for
health care reform.
Call the local offices of your
representative and senators.
Your can find
the phone numbers by going to
http://capwiz.com/networklobby/dbq/officials/
-- enter your zip code, click on 'info' under their picture, and then click on
the 'contact' tab.
Ask when you
can see your representative or senator - by visiting their office, attending a
town hall meeting, or inviting them to meet with your community or group.
Tell them why
healthcare reform matters to you.
Call the DC offices of your
representative and senators.
Call via this
toll-free number: 1-888-797-8717 (thanks to the United Church of Christ
Justice and Witness Ministries and the General Board of Church and Society of
the United Methodist Church.)
Talk to the
staff in the office about why you want healthcare reform now.
Send e-mail
You can find
a sample message at
http://capwiz.com/networklobby/issues/alert/?alertid=13829611&type=CO
August is a
critical time for your congressional leadership to hear from you.
Note: Information
for this article came from Families USA and NETWORK.
ICCR
continues to work with corporations regarding their lobbying efforts around
health care reform.
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TIP Report for 2009 …
Trafficking In Persons
The 2009 Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP) is the ninth annual report
submitted to Congress by the U.S. State Department as a requirement under the
Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA). It assessed and ranked 175 countries
during the period April 2008 through March 2009.
“During this time and since the passage of the TVPA, the fight against
trafficking passed an important milestone, as more than half of the world’s
countries have enacted criminal legislation prohibiting all forms of trafficking
in persons. Over the last year alone, 26 countries enacted new anti-trafficking
legislation, some going beyond the minimum standards of the TVPA and the 2000 UN
TIP Protocol by offering the victims of trafficking restitution through court
proceedings and other protections.”
“The last year was marked also by the onset of a global financial crisis, which
has raised the specter of increased human trafficking around the world. As a
result of the crisis, two concurrent trends—a shrinking global demand for labor
and a growing supply of workers willing to take ever greater risks for economic
opportunities—seem a recipe for increased forced labor cases of migrant workers
and women in prostitution.”
(TIP pg. 9)
“This report attempts to identify systemic contributing factors to particular
forms of human trafficking. These include particular policies or practices,
such as labor recruiters’ charging of excessive fees to prospective migrants and
governmental policies allowing employers to confiscate passports of foreign
workers—factors that have been shown to contribute to forced labor.”
(TIP pg. 11)
A Senate priority this Fall ...
American Clean Energy and
Security Act
The American
Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) passed by the House is a good start – the
first climate bill to succeed in either chamber of Congress – but
it doesn't go far enough.
Even worse, it rolls back a section of the Clean Air Act that allowed for the
EPA to regulate individual polluting coal plants.
It doesn't make sense to let a
mega-polluting coal plant off the hook
as long as ACES' new industry-wide goals are met. That would be like doing away
with building codes for individual buildings or fuel-efficiency standards for
individual cars, as long as US buildings or US automobiles on average are
meeting average efficiency goals.
To truly
mitigate the effects of climate change, we need to invest in a real transition
from the coal-based infrastructure that destroys local communities at its source
and destroys the habitability of this planet at large, and move toward a new
energy infrastructure based on fuel sources that are clean and free forever,
like solar and wind.
The Senate
needs to hear that its version of ACES must leave the Clean Air Act intact, with
the goal of pushing toward the day when clean and affordable renewable energy is
the rule, not the exception, and coal-fired power plants become a thing of the
past.
(Excerpts from an editorial by Green America August, 2009.)
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