My personal theme and goal for this year is to raise social consciousness…. one person at a time. The companies that I work with in Japan inspired this theme. They take Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to a whole new level. It is not another marketing gimmick, but a real desire to create a sustainable society for the generations to come. They support their vision with actions and resources, and raise the consciousness of their employees in this area.
There are a lot of people out there who believe that caring about a sustainable society is either for hippies or for people who are close to the top of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. It seems, however, that we might have passed a tipping point. During the 2008 worldwide recession, sales of “ethical” consumer products (i.e. green, natural, organic, humane) kept on growing. It appears that even though people had less money, they were willing to spend their hard earned dollars on more expensive products by companies that they perceived as caring about people and the planet.
What is causing this tipping point? …continue reading








