Friends,
I have started a new blog called BE MORE. The purpose of the new blog is to share insights and inspiration to empower people, companies, communities and organizations to do and BE MORE.
Thank you for visiting A Responsible Way. I hope you will visit the new blog soon!
Be well,
Tracey--
It's that time of year again, when images of the attacks on 9/11 hit the airwaves, video sharing sites, newspapers and blogs.
Images of the horror our nation endured will always remain vivid in our minds. We still talk at the dinner table and among friends about where we were, who we were with, and how we felt at the time of the attacks. It's part of this generation's American experience.
One of the images that comes to my mind is of people from all walks of life with varying religions, ethnicity, political affiliations and viewpoints coming together united as a nation. We were kind to one another. Supportive. Tolerant. Patriotic. We hugged, cried, laughed and worried as a nation. Our bonds as Americans held us together. We were one.
Unfortunately, one of the best lessons we learned that day about ourselves has gone away. In is place is hatred, intolerance, impatience and pettiness. We've grown leery of people who are different than we are. We talk over those who have a different opinion and no longer listen. We blame others even when we look in the mirror. There are communities where flying the American flag is banned, and schools no longer begin the day with the Pledge of Allegiance. We no longer care.
Pastor Terry Jones caused a lot of fervor this week when he announced his church in Florida would burn the Koran in protest. Although he has the freedoms to do this, I am glad he has canceled the event. Instead, he intends to meet with the Imam working on plans to build a Mosque and community center at Ground Zero. Hopefully they will talk about peace and tolerance, and doing the right thing for us as a people. Hopefully they will listen.
As we commemorate the 9th anniversary of the attacks on 9/11, I hope we remember that we are all Americans and as citizens of this country, need to be united in purpose. That unity will always carry the day - always. May God bless us.
A man known for protesting the Discovery Channel's environmental programming took hostages today at the corporate office in Silver Spring, MD and eventually lost his life. Luckily, all of the hostages were freed, unharmed.
James Jay Lee has protested about Discovery before and recently distributed a notice about his intent to further protest. At what point do personal passions become so obsessive that they turn destructive?
For years, organizations such as PETA have turned advocacy into an extreme endeavor. At what point is advocacy harmful?
I believe that people with different perspectives should have their voices heard. Care2 is a favorite website of mine and they do a marvelous job of promoting advocacy among its online community in a way that's civil, courteous and informative. I'm hopeful that people will continue to advocate for issues and causes that are important to them without being destructive to others.
A new grassroots movement is about to begin and it all starts with you! One Million Acts of Kindness Week starts Monday, February 8th. During the week, students across the country are asked to fulfill one million acts of kindness over their lifetime. That's a commitment of nearly 55 years!
The goal of this movement is for young people to find the passion in their hearts for something or someone in need. Pretty simple. Bringing kindness into the mindset of today's young generation is not so simple however this campaign is setting out to make a difference, one person at a time.
One Million Acts of Kindness is starting out with schools and hopes to have at least 100 registered to take part next week. If you are an educator, teacher, professor or administrator involved in an academic setting, you are encouraged to register for the first annual week-long event. Anyone can participate, however. All it takes is a conversation with your friends, family and community to find ways to help those in need. People who participate are encouraged to share their stories online and build momentum to bring kindness back into our daily lives.
You can find One Million Acts of Kindness online and on Facebook or twitter. I hope this becomes an annual event that transforms young people to make a difference in their communities. Join the conversation!
There are thousands of ways to make a difference. As we approach the holiday season, people tend to become more charitable - of their time, resources and financial commitments. For the next ten weeks, I'll call attention to some of the fundamentals that you and your family can do to make a positive impact on society. From protecting our natural environment to volunteering to performing acts of citizenry, it's amazing how much can be accomplished by doing a little good every day!
Let's start with volunteering. People from all walks of life volunteer for many reasons. At the end of the day, people simply want to help others and fulfill a societal need. There's a terrific sense of accomplishment when you volunteer and it makes you feel good.
One of the reasons people don't volunteer is because they don't know where to start. There are several terrific Web sites to help you select volunteer opportunities that are important to you. The first is Volunteer Match. This is an easy-to-use site to help you find opportunities in your local community. From greeting others to improving parks to disaster relief assistance, Volunteer Match is a great way to help you discover opportunities to serve.
Another terrific Web resource is Serve.gov. This federal site is a great online resource to not only find volunteer opportunities, but create one of your own. Have you ever wanted to start a community garden but needed help from others? You can post community projects online and find volunteers to take action.
DoSomething is another great Web site, especially for teens and young adults. From volunteering to taking action and advocacy, this site will give you plenty of ideas for engagement offline.
In addition to volunteer Web sites, you can visit non-profit organizations in need of volunteers. The Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Kaboom! and the American Red Cross are some of my favorites.
It's terrific to be a volunteer. Helping just a little goes a long way. I hope you will check back each week to discover how you can make a difference in your life and in the lives of others.
The Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship and Reputation Institute have announced the 2009 CSR Index of the Top 50 companies with best practices in the areas of corporate citizenship, governance and workplace practices. The Walt Disney Company was announced as the #1 CSR Index winner.
Disney recently released its 2008 CSR report and has pledged to reduce its emissions and waste by 50% and electricity use by 10% in its theme parks. In addition, they have aggressive plans to continue to improve their CSR practices over the next five years.
The Top 10 companies in the CSR Index include:
- The Walt Disney Co.
- Microsoft
- Honda of America
- Johnson & Johnson
- PepsiCo
- General Mills
- Kraft Foods
- Campbell Soup Company
- FedEX
Congratulations to all of the companies in the Top 50 list who are doing their part to implement strong governance practices, improve working conditions, provide for the environment and support the needs of communities!
There are stories circulating about a line item in the Defense budget for Gulfstream 550 jets for Members of Congress. According to Glenn Thrush at Politico, the House Appropriations Committee put money in for three jets to be used for congressional delegation trips. The Air Force has only requested one. That's a cost of $200 million of taxpayer money to be spent on Congress to fly private jets.
Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) has vowed to kill the line item in the Defense bill. That is good. In today's economic climate, many Americans take issue with needless spending on the Hill. Senator McCaskill is quoted as saying, "While American families are tightening their belts there is no way we should be buying extra executive jets. No wonder so many people think we don't get it." She sums it up well.
I applaud Senator McCaskill's concern over the executive jets in the Defense budget. She's being fiscally responsible and I hope she convinces her colleagues to do the same.
53% of Americans say it is likely the U.S. will enter into a depression similar to the 1930's in the next few years*. That's a large percentage of Americans.
If you're like me, you try your best not to let the current economic situation take hold of your every day life. I have wondered however how our society would respond to a crisis as bad as a national or global depression. How would this impact your life?
We are a very different society today than we were in 1929 when the Great Depression first began. For one thing, neighbors helped each other and communities rallied together to sustain their way of life. Do you even know your neighbor?
We are consumed with our individual lives and material goods in an unhealthy way. Many Americans, especially younger generations, have never experienced personal crisis nor have they had to sacrifice to save money, to survive.
The United States of America is a giving nation - a kind nation. In tough times, we have always come together for the betterment of our country and our communities. The crisis on September 11, 2001 is a recent example of Americans coming together to help others in need. In an economic crisis, I hope we'll continue this American spirit.
We should never forget to give - of ourselves - for each other.
*Source: Rasmussen Reports, March 2009.
What a historic week! It was awesome to view the swearing in of the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama. I lived in Washington, DC and attended the last two inaugural events - I missed being there for this one! It was still inspiring nonetheless.
I'm hopeful that the new year, new Administration and 111th Congress will provide a positive outlook for us as Americans. There's been too much negativity, action and non-action and discord in our country. Whether you voted for him or not, President Obama represents a sense of renewal for our country at a time when we need it most. It's up to us to make a difference and reinforce the ideals that have made us a great nation.
In President Obama's inaugural address he stated the following:
"Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task. This is the price and the promise of citizenship. "
We are all responsible for ourselves, our communities and our country. I sincerely hope these ideals will endure not only during President Obama's administration, but well beyond.
It's this thought that gives way to the purpose of this blog - I hope you will join the discussion.
Marketing and communications strategist with experience in brand marketing, public relations, strategic philanthropy, cause marketing, consumer products and licensing.
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