Comments for Red-Washing http://redwashing.wordpress.com Uncovering true, transparent corporate philanthropy Wed, 14 Nov 2007 20:41:13 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 Comment on (REDWASHING): Will thousands of red iPods, T-shirts and cellphones really make the world a better place? by Chris MacDonald http://redwashing.wordpress.com/2007/11/08/red-washing-will-thousands-of-red-ipods-t-shirts-and-cellphones-really-make-the-world-a-better-place/#comment-2 Chris MacDonald Wed, 14 Nov 2007 20:41:13 +0000 http://redwashing.wordpress.com/2007/11/08/red-washing-will-thousands-of-red-ipods-t-shirts-and-cellphones-really-make-the-world-a-better-place/#comment-2 It's probably a good habit to question corporate motives, and it's an even better habit to ask of any charity what percentage of its revenues go to helping the people they're supposedly committed to helping. My two main comments about (Red): 1) No one's claiming it's a charity. It's a *business* model that harnesses the power of consumerism to help people who need help. 2) It would be a shame to let the "icky" feeling that some of us get from the idea of making charity "sexy" get in the way of saving lives. If it works, it works. I've blogged about (Red) a few times on my own blog, most recently about a year ago, here: http://www.businessethics.ca/blog/2006/10/ethics-of-product-red.html The "$100 Laptop" project has similarly recently moved to harness the power of consumerism to do some good in the world. See here: http://www.businessethics.ca/blog/2007/09/harnessing-consumerism-to-get-laptops.html It’s probably a good habit to question corporate motives, and it’s an even better habit to ask of any charity what percentage of its revenues go to helping the people they’re supposedly committed to helping. My two main comments about (Red):
1) No one’s claiming it’s a charity. It’s a *business* model that harnesses the power of consumerism to help people who need help.
2) It would be a shame to let the “icky” feeling that some of us get from the idea of making charity “sexy” get in the way of saving lives. If it works, it works.
I’ve blogged about (Red) a few times on my own blog, most recently about a year ago, here:
http://www.businessethics.ca/blog/2006/10/ethics-of-product-red.html
The “$100 Laptop” project has similarly recently moved to harness the power of consumerism to do some good in the world. See here:
http://www.businessethics.ca/blog/2007/09/harnessing-consumerism-to-get-laptops.html

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