The irresponsible corporation

An article in the Huffington Post, Human exploitation fuels mining trade in DRC: Apple, Dell look away, written by former Chair of Amnesty International USA Chip Pitts, exposes how major IT companies are ignoring human rights abuses by their suppliers. It's all about making a buck. Ostrich tails in the air, because they aren't actually committing the abuses with their own hands, they actually believe they remain spotless. It's a crime.

I'm spearheading a contract through the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM, the professional association of the minerals industry in Canada) to develop an online Centre of Excellence on Corporate Social Responsibility - one of the four pillars of the Canadian government's recently announced action plan on CSR. At a recent stakeholders' meeting, everyone around the table - about 75 representatives from CSOs, Industry, Government, were 100% committed to the necessity of instilling CSR regulations and practices. Yet, articles like the Huffington one suggest some could simply be paying lip service - without proper regulations, who's to say?

We're a greedy society. We're apt to point the finger as a knee-jerk reaction to avoid taking blame. Apple and Dell, I'm sure, feel absolutely care-free about their role in the continuation of human rights abuses in the DRC - they have no real reason to take action. There are no consequences.

It's a messy world. Companies doing business globally, particularly mining companies who by the very nature of their business often find their operations in the most remote corners of the developing nations, don't have clear guidelines on how to navigate the waters of government corruption, civilian unrest, and unclear policies. Yet, ever action taken to draw up a set of guidelines is met with displeasure - worries about competitiveness, resources...the bottom line.

In the end, perhaps it's the consumers who need to make a point. A boycott of products tied to such abuses would drive home the message that major corporations are accountable for ethical conduct through all stages of producing their products, including the conduct of their suppliers (not just middlemen). The question remains: are we consumers ready to give up our material conveniences in the fight for all human rights?

View the Huffington Post article at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amnesty-international/human-exploitation-fuels_b_243939.html for more information.