Socially Responsible Crossroads

04/13/06 08:54

As I look for goodies to pack into our member benefits, I am finding myself at an interesting crossroad.

One of my goals is to find a wholesaler of webcams and headsets so our Cultural Creatives in business can connect and interact remotely, affordably and conveniently. My first action is to check my member database to see we have a member who already does this, but I found no matches.

I got a cold call one day from a nice gentleman who gave me an excellent price point on a small volume, but I've been holding out for a Cultural Creative to step forward who sells such things.

And this got me questioning my own conscious procurement:

• What if the manufacturer were on the up and up -- providing livable wages, using recycled materials, etc. -- but the wholesaleer/distrubuter/retailer was not?
  
• What if the manufacturer who had socially responsible internal practices (volunteering, active in a citizenship program), bought materials or parts from other suppliers that are not socially reposonsible? It's possible that some of those parts are created using a method that might harm our environment or that the supplier did business with sweat shops.
  
• What if I'm presented with a really great product, guaranteed with eco-friendliness and responsible workforce initiatives, but the folks selling the product are operating under a Multi Level Marketing scheme, or some other questionable practice.
  
• How does one determine whether to work with a business if some of the people who work there are behaving conscientiously and others are not?

On what can I base my own conscious buying decision with so many contraditions -- with so profound a crossroad?

How does one really walk away from Omelas?