Jain Spirit 2002 03 No 10

Author(s): Jain Spirit UK
Publisher: UK Young Jains

Page 47

WORKPLACE
TAKE IT PERSONALLY
Atul Shah reviews a new book by Anita Roddick, which shows the widespread damage done by modern business immorality
SHAILEEN SHAH
in areas which resonate with my inner conscience. Anita Roddick, the founder of Body Shop, has tried to examine the impact of her business and other businesses on people and the planet and she has opened the eyes of the world to many lies and excesses of corporate greed. Her latest book 'Take it Personally is a brilliant culmination of this lifetime of work and demonstrates that modern business continues to devastate. She is especially critical of big business, comparing for example the wages of CEO's to those of factory floor workers who actually make the goods which generate the profits for the company.
The book is a compilation of essays, pictures and art from all over the world, which describe the impact of business. Very often, the impact of your company on the outside world would be hidden or invisible as you are simply a cog in the wheel. However, when you see some of the graphic pictures of child labour or the statistics of wage differentials, then these facts really come home. The book contains contributions from eminent writers like Vandana Shiva, Paul Hawken, Ralph Nader, David Korten and The Ruckus Society which specialises in non-violent protest. It pieces together the whole picture of corporate actions and impact in a way which is unique. The subjects covered include globali
Modern business often blindfolds us by its sophistication and technology. As a result, employees lose touch with the impact of their work on society and the environment.
The above picture was taken at a Young Jains retreat in the English countryside
concerned about the impact of our work and actions on others, or are we simply content to focus on the pay cheque and leave ethics to someone else?
These are questions I have often asked myself and I have tried to work
TE ARE LIVING IN A WORLD which is very complex and
becoming ever more so with time. Our lives have become complex, our health and well-being are suffering and the planet is buckling under the pressure of it all. How does a computer analyst working in a multinational corporation assess the impact of his actions on society and the planet? Is it wrong to work for international banks with prestigious names, but also with big corporate clients who use child labour in the third world? As Jains, are we really
"Modern business
continues to devastate society and the planet.”
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Jain Spirit . March - May 2002