The focus often falls upon the ethical corporate citizen in these posts. This is so for several reasons, not the least of which is the fact that when corporations do the right thing we’re happy to give them their due. Another is that by recognising exemplary behaviour, we actively promote it.
The subject of this writing is the Swiss luxury watch manufacturer Girard-Perregaux. In May the company participated in the 17th World Stars Football Match held in Monaco. Every year the event gets bigger, and that’s good news for the recipients of corporate goodwill. In this particular case, it’s the underprivileged children of the world who benefit. The revenue from the match gets passed along to the World Association of Children’s Friends (AMADE).
The prestigious watch manufacturer Girard-Perregaux also recently joined the Responsible Jewellery Council. The RJC’s agenda is to support ethnical companies in a quest to make the jewellery supply chain more transparent. In this they are succeeding, as every step, from the mining of the materials to the retailer, is regulated and certified. As the world’s stocks of precious and semi-precious materials dwindle, competition will grow for the remaining supplies. It is in this fit of self-interest that nations and corporations today jostle with each other–many times illegally. One has only to turn on the news to witness the latest drama regarding so-called “blood diamonds” in Africa. By joining the RJC, Girard-Perregaux is in keeping with the commitment it made by participating in the Football Match.
Exploitation has been a fact of life for millennia, and it’s hard to believe that that reality will ever change. But if a few companies don’t step up and draw a line between right and wrong, the world will never be a different place. Perhaps with corporations like Girard-Perregaux, that reality will be attained.
