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Global Conference on Social Responsibility
Global Conference on Social Responsibility
Came across this bit of news, whilst browing the Transparency International site:
February 16th to 18th 2006 a conference is being held looking at Practical Steps for Business to Alleviate Poverty and Raise Profits at the Dom Pedro Golf Hotel, Vilamoura, Portugal
http://www.wcfcg.net/
February 16th to 18th 2006 a conference is being held looking at Practical Steps for Business to Alleviate Poverty and Raise Profits at the Dom Pedro Golf Hotel, Vilamoura, Portugal
http://www.wcfcg.net/
Social responsibility?
THE ANT AND THE GRASSHOPPER - OLD OR CLASSIC VERSION
The ant works hard in the wiithering heat all summer long, building his
house and laying in supplies for the winter.The grasshopper laughs,
thinks he is a fool,and dances and plays away the summer months.
Come winter,the ant is warm and well fed.The shivering grasshopper
has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold.
THE END
THE NEW BRITISH VERSION.
The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building his house
and laying in supplies for winter.The grasshopper laughs and spends the
summer dancing his time away. Come winter the ant is warm and well fed.
so far so good eh!
The shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know
why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others,
less fortunate like him are cold and hungry.The BBC shows up to provide
live coverage of the freezing grasshopper with cuts to a video of the
ant in his comfortable warm home in Hampstead with his table full of
food.The British are stunned that in a country of such wealth this poor
grasshopper is allowed to suffer while others have plenty.
The Liberal Party ,The Respect Party,The Transvestites With Starving
Babies Party and The Coalition Against Poverty Party demonstrate in
front of the ants house.The BBC interrupts a Rastafarian cultural
festival special from Grimsby with breaking news and broadcasts them
singing We Shall Overcome.
Ken Livingstone laments in an interview with Panorama that the ant has
got rich off the backs of grasshoppers,and calls for an immediate tax
hike on his fair share. In response, the Labour Government drafts the
Economic Equity and Grasshopper Anti-Discrimination Act, retro-active
to the beginning of the summer.The ants taxes are reassessed and he is
also fined for failing to hire grasshoppers as helpers. Without enough
money to pay the fine and retrospective taxes his home is confiscated
by Camden Council.
The ant moves to France and starts a successful agribiz company with
funding from the EU.
The BBC later shows the now fat grasshopper finishing up the last of
the ants food ,though spring is still months away,while his council
house, which just happens to be the ants old house falls into disrepair
through neglect.
Inadequate government funding is blamed,Diane Abbot is appointed to
head a commission of enquiry at a cost of £ 85 million pounds.
The grasshopper soon dies from a drugs overdose, and the Guardian
blames it on the obvious failure of government to address the root
causes of despair arising from social inequality.The now abandoned
house is taken over by a gang of immigrant spiders, highly praised by
the government for enriching Britains diverse and multicultural
society, who promptly set up a marijuana growing operation and
terrorise the local community............and so we go on!
THE ANT AND THE GRASSHOPPER - OLD OR CLASSIC VERSION
The ant works hard in the wiithering heat all summer long, building his
house and laying in supplies for the winter.The grasshopper laughs,
thinks he is a fool,and dances and plays away the summer months.
Come winter,the ant is warm and well fed.The shivering grasshopper
has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold.
THE END
THE NEW BRITISH VERSION.
The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building his house
and laying in supplies for winter.The grasshopper laughs and spends the
summer dancing his time away. Come winter the ant is warm and well fed.
so far so good eh!
The shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know
why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others,
less fortunate like him are cold and hungry.The BBC shows up to provide
live coverage of the freezing grasshopper with cuts to a video of the
ant in his comfortable warm home in Hampstead with his table full of
food.The British are stunned that in a country of such wealth this poor
grasshopper is allowed to suffer while others have plenty.
The Liberal Party ,The Respect Party,The Transvestites With Starving
Babies Party and The Coalition Against Poverty Party demonstrate in
front of the ants house.The BBC interrupts a Rastafarian cultural
festival special from Grimsby with breaking news and broadcasts them
singing We Shall Overcome.
Ken Livingstone laments in an interview with Panorama that the ant has
got rich off the backs of grasshoppers,and calls for an immediate tax
hike on his fair share. In response, the Labour Government drafts the
Economic Equity and Grasshopper Anti-Discrimination Act, retro-active
to the beginning of the summer.The ants taxes are reassessed and he is
also fined for failing to hire grasshoppers as helpers. Without enough
money to pay the fine and retrospective taxes his home is confiscated
by Camden Council.
The ant moves to France and starts a successful agribiz company with
funding from the EU.
The BBC later shows the now fat grasshopper finishing up the last of
the ants food ,though spring is still months away,while his council
house, which just happens to be the ants old house falls into disrepair
through neglect.
Inadequate government funding is blamed,Diane Abbot is appointed to
head a commission of enquiry at a cost of £ 85 million pounds.
The grasshopper soon dies from a drugs overdose, and the Guardian
blames it on the obvious failure of government to address the root
causes of despair arising from social inequality.The now abandoned
house is taken over by a gang of immigrant spiders, highly praised by
the government for enriching Britains diverse and multicultural
society, who promptly set up a marijuana growing operation and
terrorise the local community............and so we go on!
-
Guest
-
AFKA1
Some good points there Cember.I know there are always exceptions and people sometimes find themselves out on the street because of a violent partner or are kids running away from violence in the home etc.
I worked in Manchester City centre a few years ago and saw homeless people sleeping in card board boxes etc, one of my friends gave one guy who was sleeping rough either 50p or £1.00 everyday for nearly 2 weeks every time we walked passed him.
One day my friend had no change and just walked by the poor homeless man! when he saw he was getting no money he started verbally abusing my friend calling him mean and tight fisted and that he was a snob!
My friend asked him why he didn't go out and get a job and help himself instead of begging, The reply in between all the effing and blinding was............Why should I work when I can get benefits - and get around £50.00 a day off mugs like you!
It turned out this guy was not homeless and he used to get into Manchester in his car about 5am every morning park up and take his cardboard box into a shop door way.........He was usually back home around 1pm with all his takings and the rest of the day free!
-
Ellie
- CVO Oracle
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AFKAI, we've all read cases like that, and we saw a young fella in Southend, after sitting begging i the high street, get up and walk to his BMW and drive off with his takings.....BUT!..surely you and Cember are not saying that there isn't poverty in the UK are you? That there are not cases of deprivation? I think statistics would prove you wrong!
And I'd bet my bottom dollar there are more than a few in Portugal in dire need.
I believe we are our brother's keeper and should care and be concerned about our fellow man.
And I'd bet my bottom dollar there are more than a few in Portugal in dire need.
I believe we are our brother's keeper and should care and be concerned about our fellow man.
-
Guest
The original story by AESOP:-The Ants and the Grasshopper
The ants were spending a fine winter's day drying grain collected in the summertime.
A grasshopper, quite hungry, passed by and begged for a little food.
The ants asked him, "Why didn't you gather up food during the summer?" He replied, "I as too busy having fun to work. I passed the days singing."
They then said in mockery: "If you were foolish enough to sing all the summer, you must dance without supper to bed in the winter."
Moral: One can not get through life without a little work.
No matter how much one tries sometimes, you just cannot get through to some on taking responsibility for themselves (with the exception of course to those who have impediments).
If I was the ant in the story, I would help the grasshopper once...which would include showing the grasshopper what must be done to feed him/herself for the following season. But if the grasshopper did not and came back again...then the answer would be no. It's a bit like the story of one of Bob Geldof's helpers, who said that when he had finished his day's work and sat down in his tent to eat his meal...he knew that a few feet away from him were people starving...but if he kept on giving his food away..he would become ill and worse and then his very valuable help would be no more...
I wonder how many parents have throughly spoilt their offsprings to the extent of propping them up and even into their becoming mature adults.. the fault of course is the loving parent(s)...but through this love I see a generation that on occassion (some.. that is not all) which comes across as seeing little importance of actual work etc.
Nightrider.
The ants were spending a fine winter's day drying grain collected in the summertime.
A grasshopper, quite hungry, passed by and begged for a little food.
The ants asked him, "Why didn't you gather up food during the summer?" He replied, "I as too busy having fun to work. I passed the days singing."
They then said in mockery: "If you were foolish enough to sing all the summer, you must dance without supper to bed in the winter."
Moral: One can not get through life without a little work.
No matter how much one tries sometimes, you just cannot get through to some on taking responsibility for themselves (with the exception of course to those who have impediments).
If I was the ant in the story, I would help the grasshopper once...which would include showing the grasshopper what must be done to feed him/herself for the following season. But if the grasshopper did not and came back again...then the answer would be no. It's a bit like the story of one of Bob Geldof's helpers, who said that when he had finished his day's work and sat down in his tent to eat his meal...he knew that a few feet away from him were people starving...but if he kept on giving his food away..he would become ill and worse and then his very valuable help would be no more...
I wonder how many parents have throughly spoilt their offsprings to the extent of propping them up and even into their becoming mature adults.. the fault of course is the loving parent(s)...but through this love I see a generation that on occassion (some.. that is not all) which comes across as seeing little importance of actual work etc.
Nightrider.
Well, I just posted the link out of interest, as I stumbled across it this morning and as it was being held in the Algarve. I was thinking that the conference might be about big business putting something back into their communities, like Bill Gates does. If you are making so much money that you can't spend it in one lifetime, I think it would be pretty sick not to help "legitimate" others, who need the help. I was also not thinking of the UK but worldwide.
We all know of cases, like the ones you have mentioned above in the UK and Portugal, but that wasn't really why I posted this.
We all know of cases, like the ones you have mentioned above in the UK and Portugal, but that wasn't really why I posted this.
-
Guest
-
elle
Of course there is poverty and depriviation in the UK and PortugalBUT!..surely you and Cember are not saying that there isn't poverty in the UK are you? That there are not cases of deprivation? I think statistics would prove you wrong!
And I'd bet my bottom dollar there are more than a few in Portugal in dire need.
I believe we are our brother's keeper and should care and be concerned about our fellow man.
I am mearly pointing out that this Gov is fostering an attitude of blame always being someone elses fault.It is too much of a "nanny" state.
I beleive people are first and formost responsible for their own lives.
We see it all the time in the papers here ...The Mother who blames the school because her "little darling" is unmanageable-its not her fault.
The family with 3 girls 14.15.16 all pregnant,and mums so proud if them,of course its nothing to do with the way they've been bought up.
Some people don't want to accept responsibility for their actions just permanent handouts.....
I gave a job to a woman whose husband had left her,she needed a job to be able to get a flat, I was prepared to give her enough hours to add up to £200 a week,she came to work for 2 weeks, then dissapeared no phone call -nothing, the money went on booze and fags.
In the UK now it seems that if you are prepaired to work and look after yourself then you get penalised in favour of those that expect someone else to provide for them.
For example... work hard save up - maybe buy your own house.Then when you retire and have to go into "Care" don't expect to leave the house to the kids - you have to sell it to pay for your "Care".
second option -do nothing, dont save a penny, sponge of the state,then when you go into "care" it will all be paid for.
How about be a dodgy Northern European and come over to Portugal and set up an illegal business, which you also run from your bedroom in the UK and get cash. Employ Eastern Europeans, as your staff, who you don't give any contracts to and pay them cash in hand. Or set up a legal business in Portugal, rake in loads of money from your venture but pay your Portuguese staff 500 Euros a month, saying "oh well, this is Portugal, that is the going rate, tough luck, we are not into profit sharing." Or how about set up a business, rip everybody off and then do a bunk.
Social responsibility? Depends what we mean by it, doesn't it?
Anyhow, I hope the conference is a success.
Social responsibility? Depends what we mean by it, doesn't it?
Anyhow, I hope the conference is a success.
yes how to alleviate poverty ..to be held at the golf hotel in vilamoura...at how much a night plus food and expenses..now why I wonder couldnt they have held this meeting in say Burundi or Somalia...always puzzled me why so many UN and world organisations (olympics)etc ) seem to be in switzerland where they are so rich..why not move these organisations to some poor country where they would welcome the work and revenue created.
I find it disconcerting that people have a tendency to quote the 'extreme' exceptions to prove their point - the stories in the newspapers, the ones someone decided to make a tv programme about -
- they make the news, get their programme because they are extreme and have shock value (because apparently we like that sort of thing).
I watch and read - be it documentaries, the newspapers, or even the "soaps" and would struggle to identify anyone from those mediums who appears to represent the lives of almost everyone I know - they are caricatures.
Maddi
- they make the news, get their programme because they are extreme and have shock value (because apparently we like that sort of thing).
I watch and read - be it documentaries, the newspapers, or even the "soaps" and would struggle to identify anyone from those mediums who appears to represent the lives of almost everyone I know - they are caricatures.
Maddi