Vision and Perspectives
The Business for Peace Foundation was initiated in 2007 in the belief that socially responsible and ethical initiatives are not merely window dressing, but will stand the test as a business case, and gradually, as the moral culture of corporations matures, will constitute an integrated part of modern business.
The aim of the Foundation is to accelerate the development of ethical business practices through increasing the awareness of the strengths of the ethical business case. The vision is to inspire and encourage business people as individuals, to foster peace and stability to the benefit of humanity.
Though often viewed as such, business people are not limited to being one-dimensional profit-maximizers. As all human beings, business people have shared dimensions of values, beliefs and moral instincts. Though, occasionally, these dimensions may not have been particularly highlighted, the morality found in the best business relationships is deep and strong.
The Golden Rule
The roots lie at the individual level, and stem from the perception that “The one you invoice, you do not harm”. This emanates from a desire for, and anticipation of, repeat business. Repeat business fosters development of enduring relationships, both legal and personal. Good business relationships make business people more aware of their moral intelligence. The best business relationships are deeply moral, driven by the overriding principle arising from the ethics of reciprocity. This is often stated as The Golden Rule: Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you. At the heart of business is reciprocity and interdependence in relationships among people, irrespective of their cultural or other differences. The strength of the relationships fostered subsequently promotes stability, leading to peace and prosperity among the parties involved.
The financial crisis, leading to a global recession, has accentuated the challenge of managing the moral balance of self-interest in our relationships with others. Intuitively, most people react morally if they observe injustice happening close to them. We are not as ready to act when injustice takes place far away.
Yet, the surge of global information technologies has brought distant events much closer. This accentuates any discomfort we may feel when faced with obvious injustice, and influences the opinions and social consciousness of people, including business people. What might have been acceptable business practice in your community ten years ago may mean public condemnation today, or even land you in jail.
These changes in opinions and awareness have important effects on business, as changing moral and social values integrate with and influence the core of the business value creating process. It is the communities a business affects that in the final accounting assess its true value. What matters to people, must matter to business.
Maslow’s famous hierarchy of needs indicates that people’s level of moral and social awareness grows with a concurrent growth in prosperity. This leads people to wanting to identify with the Who, Why, What and How of their lives – while not having to beg that their motives be excused. The moral principles underpinning these questions are increasingly becoming accentuated around the globe, influencing local norms and attitudes, as people discover universal, moral values with the power to unite across old boundaries.
Businesses must recognize and adapt to the fact that their markets are becoming increasingly critical of “business as usual,” and that they are demanding that the businesses they support, also support their values.
