Helena Norberg-Hodge, widely regarded as one of the most significant environmentalists of our time, has been a steady critic of the destructive impact of global monoculture. In addition, she is a pioneer of the “new economy” movement, which promotes localization in the face of a global political economy dominated by money, commercialism and the exploitation of resources for the maintenance and reproduction of capital accumulation.
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Gender matters now more than ever in sustainability — not just for the sake of individual women, but for the prospects of the global economy, the environment and society at large. In developing countries, the focus is on forging more paths to self-sufficiency and better safeguards for women who do find financial opportunity in ever-expanding global supply chains.
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Fairphone is the world’s first socially responsible and sustainable company to design, manufacture and sell mobile phones. Like most companies, Fairphone aims to make a profit. But less common is that the company refuses to do so at the expense of its purpose.
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Greenhouse 17 is a small 40-acre farm and business outside Lexington, Kentucky, that provides women who are survivors of domestic abuse with both shelter and employment, giving them a chance to gain skills, confidence, and a renewed sense of self-worth. Residents grow vegetables, herbs, and flowers and sell them to the public through a community-supported agriculture program.
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Grassroots experiences are steadily shifting the awareness of climate change, from an abstract phenomenon of carbon levels and future impacts to an ever-more tangible, multi-layered issue that brings together all kinds of social, environmental and economic struggles. With this perspective, youth groups globally are engaging in critical, transformative activism for climate and environmental justice.
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Water is sacred to the Turtle Mountain Tribe among many other. Water, more than anything, explains why members of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians acted so quickly when they learned their region was next in line for fracking. Within just a few weeks of tribal women meeting on the topic in late 2011, the council banned fracking on the 77,000-acre reservation. They now are developing alternative energy with a Department of Energy grant.
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When Ann Crady Weiss pitched her first start up — a social network known as Maya’s Mom that would allow mothers to seek advice and share their experiences — male investors weren’t exactly enamored with the idea. “There were many investors I spoke to who said moms don’t have time for social networks,” Weiss told Mashable. Weiss would, of course, prove those investors wrong: Maya’s Mom would raise $1 million in angel funding in 2006 before being acquired by a division of mega baby brand Johnson & Johnson a year later. But Weiss’ story isn’t exactly shocking or unique: it’s well-known that women in tech aren’t embraced by the primarily male venture capitalist community. Only about 5% of venture capital for new startups goes to companies headed by women. Now Weiss is the co-founder and CEO of her second startup: Hatch Baby, which produces products to help new parents, like a changing pad that tracks a baby’s weight, growth, and feeding patterns. While Hatch Baby has already brought in $7 million in Series A funding, Weiss turned to an unusual source of funding for a proven Silicon Valley CEO: ABC’s “Shark Tank.” The competition show, in which entrepreneurs pitch celebrity […]
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Tsai Ing-wen wins historic victory as voters express dissatisfaction with economy and outgoing leader. Taiwan’s first female president has vowed to build a new era of politics after sealing a historic landslide election victory that is expected to strain the state’s relationship with China. With more than half of the votes counted, the Democratic Progressive party (DPP) candidate, Tsai Ing-wen, had built an unassailable lead over her closest rival, the Nationalist (KMT) candidate, Eric Chu. “Thank you for helping the DPP stand up again and for trusting us to govern this country,” Tsai, 59, said in her victory address on Saturday night. “We will put political polarisation behind us and look forward to the arrival of a new era of politics in Taiwan.” Earlier Chu, 54, had conceded defeat telling his supporters: “We have failed the expectations of all voters.” More than 20,000 DPP supporters gathered outside the party’s headquarters in Taipei to celebrate Tsai’s victory, shouting: “We are making history.” “For me this is not just about an election victory,” Tsai said in her first address after the results became clear. “The results today tell me that the people want to see a government more willing to listen to […]
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Unarmed Peacekeeper Linda Sartor is not afraid to die. Dedicated to nonviolence, Linda Sartor spent 10 years after September 11, 2001 traveling to conflict zones throughout the world as an unarmed peacekeeper, with roles ranging from protective accompaniment to direct inter-positioning between parties when tensions were running high. She documents her work across the world — in Israel/Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Iran and most recently Bahrain — in her new book, Turning Fear into Power: One Woman’s Journey Confronting the War on Terror. Inwardly quiet and exceedingly humble (she chose to sleep outside for eight years of her adult life), her courage and conviction are not only refreshing, they’re infectious. I recently had the privilege of spending a day with her to discuss her travels and the ways in which they have changed her as an individual, as well as her relationship to nonviolent action. Is there a nonviolent response to terrorism? I think George W. Bush misused the word “terrorism” so much that it really has no meaning. When protesters in the Occupy movement are portrayed as terrorists, that really changes the meaning of democracy too. If there is such a thing as real terrorism, I think it […]
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“I think we have to become more conscious of the kind of cultures that we create in organizations. We want to create cultures where human beings are empowered, they flourish and they’re able to self-actualize themselves.” These are the words of Whole Foods Market Co-CEO John Mackey during an interview with Steve Forbes on his book “Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business”. In the book, Mackey outlines four principles by which some of America’s most successful and highly regarded companies operate: higher purpose, stakeholder integration, conscious leadership, and conscious culture/management. I can identify with these four principles and strive to implement similar ideas within my own organization. I am particularly passionate about creating a people-centric culture that encourages growth of our team members, improves our productivity, and enhances our ability to innovate and respond to challenges. During my professional journey from Wall Street to state government to economic development, I have seen the differences between companies that focus on their people and those that do not. It is evident to me that strong, smart and healthy organizations are built by employees who feel valued and are clear about their roles and responsibilities. I recently attended a three-day training […]
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