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P e op l e

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O r g a n i s at i o n s

P RE - LA U NC H ISS U E

Attaining

True Happiness

Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS)

~ Global Trends

Power of Creativity for World’s Betterment

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So c i e t y

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Lifestyles

Young Talents and Corporate Social Responsibility Lessons in Retirement Management Socially Responsible Investment

MICA (P) 260/06/2008


PEOPLE PEOPLE

10

POWER OF

CREATIVITY FOR WORLD’S BETTERMENT CREATIVITY is not a talent but a universal process based on natural law.

By TONY WONG


PEOPLE

It is a blessing to be human and we should use this precious gift of creativity for the greater good – for the creation of 12

a better world: a utopian world.

The art of cultivating silence daily not only contributes to moments of serenity, clarity and well-being in our lives, but also acts as a gateway to wisdom that may be difficult to

a place where we can love without inhibition, where we

reach due to the constant noise and chaos of modern life.

can prosper without creating poverty, and where we can

With the 21st century and its inhabitants becoming more global and universal, we find there is much wisdom to share between different cultures. One aspect which I feel is worth sharing is to value a time of silence each day to commune more with our deeper selves. I believe this guides us to make better choices in both our personal and professional lives. There is a greater wisdom within each of us that can guide us to a better place, but we have to have more faith in this power. If we are confused as to what choice or action to take next, simply seek the silence. I believe that the art of cultivating the silence should be an integral aspect of our 21st century lives.

celebrate and give gratitude to the diversity and wonder of life itself. It is also a state of mind that holds no fear, hatred or greed, but is full of delight, compassion and joy. Utopia is a world where everyone is encouraged to shine their unique light upon the world – a dazzling show of humanity expressing its creative genius in full glory. But I believe utopia is a destination that begins with the self - the world from within. Without a utopia within how can there be a utopia around us? Utopia begins with a personal creative choice. It starts as a beautiful seed waiting to be sown courageously within the soil of our mind - beginning with a revolution in our own personal world, then spreading to our family, society, country and ultimately the world around us. Human beings have the wonderful ability to learn from

Creativity &

Utopia

To me, each person on our planet is a microcosm of the grand universe – a multitude of mini-universes within one boundless universe.

And through the inherent creative

power within each person, a unique world is formed. We

the past through memory, envision a brighter and more beautiful future through imagination, and we also have the free will to make better choices in our lives in the present through the power of creativity, or, in other words, cause and effect. It is a blessing to be human and we should

have responsibility to tender this personal world, but also,

use this precious gift of creativity for the greater good

on a greater level, to the world around us.

– for the creation of a better world: a utopian world. Just imagine: six billion utopias shining on earth must surely

Human-beings are blessed with creative power to create

be a majestic sight to behold.

our own world and also influence the world around us. What is the ultimate objective of this journey? What is the ultimate objective of creativity and the creative process? To me, the ultimate objective is summed up in one word - Utopia. But what is Utopia? I feel it is a place where we can live in harmony with one another whilst striving for constant growth and development – not just secular progress but, more importantly, spiritual evolution. It is

About the Writer Tony Wong was born in England to Chinese parents who emigrated from Hong Kong during the 1960s. He graduated from Leeds University in 1997 with a degree in Graphic Arts and Design. Since then, he has been working as a graphic designer, and he currently lives with his wife and daughter in Japan.


O R G A N I S AT I O N

SINGAPORE’S 26

SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE YOUNG TALENTS As young Singaporeans are becoming more environmentally conscious and advocates of sustainable development, only companies with strong and credible CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) framework will attract the new breed of socially responsible talents.

By JEAN-PIERRE DALLA PALMA


O R G A N I S AT I O N

Soon, they will enter the job market with high career

They represent a new

prospects, but with different expectations from traditional job seekers. For them, salary and bonuses will no longer be the only major factors for choosing their employer. A

socially responsible mindset

company’s social responsibility profile will also have a very important influence on their choice. 28

with strong intentions to make

Alexander Yang Wanli, who is doing a Southeast Asian

the country and, eventually,

Studies major at NUS, sees the significance of social values in businesses. “I would want my employers to be sensitive

the world a better place.

to the various stakeholders they come into contact with, be it the local community, their own employees like myself, or the natural environment. More importantly, for me, would be work-life balance and a flexible working system.

Sonya Petcavich, an undergraduate student in Business

I would really like employers to focus on the quality of my

Administration/Global

work rather than on the amount of time I spend in the

businesses and government would put more efforts in

office,” he says.

the protection of the country’s natural habitats, such as

Management

at

NUS,

wishes

the coastal and jungle areas. Unwilling to be associated Yn Ay Soo, an Economics undergraduate student at SMU,

with harmful, inhumane, or environmentally-detrimental

sees a company’s commitment to CSR more as a bonus

companies, the young woman, who is also a volunteer

rather than an actual requirement, but will not choose

with ECO Singapore, deplores the lack of information on

an employer without moral values. “At the very least, I

sustainability programs from firms: “Many companies do

will expect that my future employer has an ethical and

not place CSR in their top priorities and I’m sure many

perhaps reputable operation. For smaller or lesser-known

employees don’t even know what their employers do

companies, it might not be easy to know until sometime

(in terms of CSR). I feel that companies should increase

after joining, but if I do find that a company does not

their transparency and openly state to all new and current

engage in honest business, I will not stay around.”

employees- whether through monthly seminars or quarterly outings- how the company is fulfilling it’s CSR tasks. The more transparent a company is, the more attractive it is to me because that shows that it has no ‘dirty laundry’ to hide.” With a growing number of young Singaporeans becoming concerned about sustainable businesses, what should companies do to attract this type of employee?

More than just philanthropy,

a solid CSR framework is crucial Simply giving to the community through philanthropic actions is not enough to show a solid CSR commitment. Companies with a strong profile in social responsibility and sustainability tend to have concrete achievements, such as active pollution prevention and recycling programmes, energy and carbon emission reduction measures and effective work-life balance frameworks.


SOCIETY + LIFESTYLES

62

If you are working, you’re probably trying to save money for your future. You may want to buy a home, pay for your children’s education, or prepare for your own retirement. Perhaps your savings are in a bank or a mutual fund, or perhaps you have invested in a portfolio of stocks and bonds. If you choose your investments well, your money will earn returns that bring you closer to your goals.

SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE

INVESTMENT By TUCKER GILMAN


SOCIETY + LIFESTYLES

Activist investment and the four forms of SRI screening mentioned earlier, together represent one of the fastest growing segments of the global financial marketplace. In fact, from 1995 to 2007 funds under socially responsible management grew from US$639 billion to more than US$2.71 trillion globally. 64

Today, more than 10% of all funds in managed portfolios worldwide are under some level of socially responsible management. Historically, one major obstacle that has prevented individual investors from adopting SRI is the perception that socially responsible investments offer lower returns than conventional ones. SRI investors exclude certain investments on the basis of environmental or social rather than strictly financial grounds – which give them fewer potential investments to choose from. The mainstream assumes that SRI investors must be missing out on many

SRI investors not only make profits, reflect the values of their shareholders, and new investors often find it most practical to carefully select organisations with established values similar to their own. In addition to screening, investment managers are increasingly including shareholder activism among the tools of socially responsible investment. Activist investors recognise that shareholders are the legal owners of a publicly traded company, and that a company’s officers are really just employees of the shareholders. Activist investors may negotiate with a company’s management for changes to the policies or practices, and if negotiations fail, they may introduce proposals for a vote by the shareholders at the next annual meeting. Shareholder activism can be expensive and time consuming for individual investors, but NGOs and professional SRI managers have partnered to use the technique with great success. For example, after negotiations with activist investors, PepsiCo agreed to increase its global recycling effort, Emerson Electric ended discriminatory hiring practices, and US conglomerate Proctor & Gamble agreed to begin marketing fair trade coffee.

but also help to create a better world in which to spend the money they have earned.


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