CBA Press Release
THE DAWN OF A CONSCIOUS BUSINESS MOVEMENT
Humanity’s Team, The Club of Budapest, The Goi Peace Foundation, and the Fowler Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit form the Conscious Business Alliance
Humanity’s Team, The Club of Budapest, The Goi Peace Foundation, and the Fowler Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit form the Conscious Business Alliance
Boulder, CO (October 17, 2016) – Humanity’s Team, The Club of Budapest, The Goi Peace Foundation, and the Fowler Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit today announced the formation of the Conscious Business Alliance, that calls for a foundational shift in perspective for the global business community, and the creation of a new standard for 21st century commerce.
The four international NGOs have come together to form a unique partnership that advances a revolutionary business approach which facilitates effective change to avert the growing global crisis.
“The current standard of business isn’t working. Wealth inequality has never been greater. The richest one percent of the American population now controls 33 percent of the wealth, a disparity in wealth not seen since the 1920s. It’s not sustainable for life on earth and people are fed up,” said Steve Farrell, President of Humanity’s Team. “Businesses do not operate in silos. All of life is interconnected. Everything businesses do impacts people, the environment, and the world around them. Our world now requires that people and businesses partner together to enable far more revolutionary change.”
“Conscious businesses are the greatest hope for humanity at this time of crisis and transformation. While businesses are the biggest source of some of our world’s most challenging problems, they can also offer the greatest potential to help solve these problems,” said Ervin Laszlo, Chairman and President of the Club of Budapest. “Therein lies an amazing opportunity to break through and upend the status quo by adopting a new conscious business model dedicated to creating prosperity and opportunity for all."
The Conscious Business Alliance includes three key platforms:
1. The Conscious Business Declaration
The Conscious Business Declaration articulates the seven essential principles to define a new standard for business that will dramatically increase economic prosperity while healing the environment and improving human wellbeing. All forward thinking business leaders are encouraged to sign this declaration as the first step to acknowledging these principles and signaling their commitment to follow them. Founding signatories include Marilyn Tam, former President of Reebok and CEO of Aveda; Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever; Deborah Rozman, President & Co-CEO of HeartMath, Rinaldo Brutoco, Founding President of the World Business Academy, and Lance Secretan, former CEO of Manpower.
“I signed the Conscious Business Declaration because I believe in a future where business and society and the earth are intimately and purposefully connected—the first step to true prosperity for our planet,” said Marilyn Tam, former President of Reebok and CEO of Aveda.
2. Conscious Business Day
The Conscious Business Alliance is seeking to designate one day out of the year as “Conscious Business Day” -- when all of humanity will act as conscious consumers and business activists. On this day, through action, we will commit to supporting companies that nurture the earth and operate with economic, social, and ecological transparency. You are encouraged to support the call for Conscious Business Day by signing the Conscious Business Declaration. When sufficient signatures are gathered, the Conscious Business Alliance will petition the United Nations to formally recognize “Conscious Business Day.”
3. Conscious Business Designation
The Conscious Business Designation is a seal of approval for businesses that demonstrate they are adhering to the principles in the Conscious Business Declaration. This program will launch in mid-2017.
“We all understand that healthy profit is essential to a conscious business, but profit should not be the sole measure of success. There is money to be made in solving the world’s biggest problems. Consumers will seek-out brands that stand proudly for ideals that reach beyond quarterly earnings,” said Hiro Saionji, Founder & President of the Goi Peace Foundation, “It’s time for a new bottom line to emerge. The Conscious Business Designation promises to accelerate change in bringing about a new standard of evaluating business performance in a comprehensive way.”
“The seven principles in the Conscious Business Declaration are guides for businesses to become agents of world benefit,” said Chris Laszlo, Professor at Case Western Reserve University. “Remind yourself why the for-profit enterprise can be the most powerful positive institution on the planet."
About the Conscious Business Alliance
The Conscious Business Alliance was formed by four international NGO’s: Humanity’s Team, The Club of Budapest, The Goi Peace Foundation, and the Fowler Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit. Its mission is to establish a new conscious business model that that will dramatically increase economic prosperity while healing the environment and improving human wellbeing. The initiative, which is based on seven essential principles that define a new standard for 21st century commerce, was designed for any company to follow.
Contact
Kevin Farrell
cbisupport@humanitysteam.org
410.693.3933