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by Ambassador Antonio O. Garza, Jr.
Published -in Spanish- in Mexican daily El Universal
The heart of democracy, its very lifeblood, is responsibility. Not just the kind government must accept in order to provide basic services to its people. Responsibility in fact starts with the people, in the voice they give their opinions and in their behavior toward each other. Personal accountability sets the stage for how government approaches its own responsibilities. Business, the engine of the economy and a fundamental part of the identity of a nation, completes this circle of responsibility. Democratic societies all have to consider these ideas at some point, and Mexico finds itself grappling with them right now.
In grass-roots street marches in Mexico City in the past several months, ordinary citizens have taken to the downtown to demonstrate for changes in security, for a fair hearing on social security reform, and in support of their mayor. People are taking responsibility themselves for the future of their country. This is an indication of a larger trend. It seems to me that Mexico is in the midst of that healthy democratic process of examining its governmental institutions and the relationship between the people and their government.
It’s a time of great opportunity, and as a representative of the United States in Mexico, this new movement is very exciting to watch. People are expressing their ideals and government is responding. And the hesitant dance between them, part of the larger evolutionary move toward a more open democratic system, is thrilling. In time, Mexicans will work out what their government’s new basket of responsibilities will contain.
In the midst of this debate, one key responsibility of government, ever a cornerstone of democratic government, will remain: it is to foster an environment where its citizens can create wealth and prosper. Government ultimately exists to offer its people a degree of security that they cannot achieve alone. Fundamental to that security is to cultivate an environment in which business in its myriad forms, small family-owned shops, regional producers and large corporations, all can thrive.
This critical governmental responsibility will remain unchanged, and so too will the responsibility of business to give back to the community. Business doesn’t give back to the community because the law mandates it. Good business wants to work in good communities. It almost goes without saying that business can’t succeed in societies that fail. It’s the right thing to do.
Current examples of corporate responsibility abound. Starbucks Coffee has made a partner of Conservation International and given money to Chiapas coffee growers to help them develop their local economies. They’re working at the grass roots, and the result is quality coffee, an ecologically vibrant environment, and a lot of new economic opportunities for farmers living in the area.
Pfizer, the corporate pharmaceutical giant, regularly supports local charitable projects in the communities where its employees live and work. They have helped support construction of 20 medical clinics in Mexico and Central America, which serve 120 communities and benefit nearly 215,000 people. Just a few days ago, they gave a large sum to the Casa de la Amistad in Mexico City, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping children with cancer who can’t afford the medication they need. Two days later General Motors donated a vehicle to the Instituto Nacional de Anthropologia e Historia that will be used in the restoration and preservation of dozens of Mexico’s important archaeological sites.
Mexico has its own good corporate citizens too. Three years ago, Televisa created the Fundacion Televisa, with a commitment to helping communities all over Mexico in the areas of health, education, nutrition and environment. The Fundacion has worked with private and public institutions, and can count successes in all of their program areas. In a short time, their efforts have resulted in 10,000 child vaccinations, 34,000 children with eyeglasses, and 68,000 children with school libraries.
These are just a few of many important examples where businesses have committed to improving their communities. I mention them not to give praise to some companies that have done the right thing, but to show how important it is that others step up to the responsibility that they have to their community. Everyone has to work together to reduce poverty, but business has a special responsibility to give back and show the way forward. By making the community a better place to live and work, business helps itself by creating a better place to do business. In this sense, the very value of a company is a reflection of its positive impact on the community.
Both business and government in a democratic society are extensions of the will of its workers and voters. Mexicans are taking personal accountability seriously. They are looking for a new contract with government. While history is unfolding, corporations should be right up front waving their standards saying we’re taking responsibility too. Ultimately, that’s how everyone will benefit.
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