Rethos.com - MENTOR's Global Feed

ChicoBag founder Andy Keller on landfills, Bikram Yoga and his beef with plastic

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:32:45 -0400

There is no shortage of entrepreneurs inspired by the movie Wall Street or the stories of Sam Walton or Steve Jobs. I recently had the opportunity to interview Andy Keller, whose inspiration is a little more, shall we say, down to Earth.

CA -- Tell us about the origins of ChicoBag.

AK -- I used to sell software for an enterprise software company down in the Bay Area. I ended up getting laid off when the company was bought out by a company in the UK. The community and lifestyle in Chico (California) really appealed to me, so it was important...

Treehuggers to descend on Montreal

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:43:44 -0400

More than 165 exhibitors and 35,000 visitors are expected to descend on Montreal's Old Port for three days beginning June 13th, to share ideas about living more sustainably.

The "Salon national de l'environnement" (SNE) was developed out of a citizens’ initiative in 2006. The event looks at the current challenges to the environment and offers visitors concrete solutions. The event describes as its objective "to make visitors aware of today’s environmental challenges, while proposing solutions and tools for people to have a better understanding and to encourage beha...

Quebec and Ontario showing leadership with cap-and-trade program

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 17:47:50 -0400

The provinces of Quebec and Ontario have shown great leadership by working together to institute a bilateral "cap-and-trade" system in an attempt to curb green house gas emissions. When the Canadian federal government is dragging its heels on what most consider the most important issue curretnly facing humanity, bilateral initiatives between provinces or municipalities makes a good deal of sense.

This kind of autonomy and leadership at the provincial level is refreshing. A similar dynamic has existed for many years in the U.S., where despite an administration nearl...

What Gets Seventh Generationâ€™s â€œDirector of Corporate Consciousnessâ€ Out of Bed in the Morning?

Tue, 27 May 2008 10:41:01 -0400

What Gets Seventh Generation’s “Director of Corporate Consciousness” Out of Bed in the Morning?

An exclusive interview with Gregor Barnum, senior executive of Vermont-based Seventh Generation, one of the sustainability movement’s most innovative companies.

By Alex Salzman
May 19, 2008

Don’t let the altruistic job title fool you – Gregor Barnum and his cohorts at Seventh Generation are relentlessly pragmatic about building a sustainable company. I recently caught up with Barnum, who is part ethics s...

Become a mentor - help a child/youth in need!

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 15:27:51 -0400

Help MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership close the current mentoring gap - 15 million kids in U.S. alone - need/want a caring adult mentor in thier lives. You can find a volunteer mentoring opportunity by using MENTOR's Opportunity Finder.

Facebook Underutilized as a Tool Kit for Activism

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 04:35:57 -0500

Despite Facebook’s vast, international audience and best-of-breed viral features, the site has yet to realize its potential to advance social change. My two co-founders and I conceived of Rethos.com out of criticism of the landscape of mainstream social networking websites and their apparent obsession with superficial content. Indeed, it remains doubtful that Facebook’s 60+ million members are going to super-poke their way to a more just and sustainable world.

But the...

Doing Philanthropy the Google Way

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 02:27:07 -0500

This is a great article about the changing landscape of philanthropy. As it has the worlds of search, advertising and online media, Google is disrupting and evolving the nature of corporate philanthropy by taking an entrepreneurial approach as opposed to a charitable approach to solving societal problems. Says Susan Raymond, senior managing director for research and chief analyst at OnPhilanthropy, about Google.org and its new, entrepreneurial attitude towards philanthropy: “Instead of just giving a man a fish, or even teaching him to fish, a social entrepreneur would invest in hi...

The Story of STUFF

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 16:41:53 -0500

THIS IS AN EXTRAORDINARY AND IMPORTANT VIDEO! CHECK IT OUT!

What is the Story of Stuff?

From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable ...

Philanthropy Is For Everyone

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 07:31:59 -0500

Twenty-two years ago I stumbled into the profession of fundraising, beginning as a special events director and progressing to corporate and foundation grant-writing. In that time I have helped to secure all kinds of gifts: the most unusual being a quart of bull semen (for an agricultural college), and the most impressive being a $5 million grant from a major philanthropic organization (aka a â€œFoundationâ€).

What is it that makes a person or an organization philanthropic? Last fall I attended a national conference of the nonprofit/independent/third sector in which the preside...

The Silliness of "the Silliness of CSR": A Response to Kiadso

Thu, 15 Nov 2007 15:42:57 -0500

The following is a response to a post by Kiadso:

I see Rethos as a tool. A tool that allows us to educate, influence, and help make this world a better place. Rethos, from my understanding, is a platform for change. And the only way to start such a change is to initiate a discussion.

I want to see corporations on this site. I want to hear what companies are doing to make a difference and look at how genuine their intentions are. I want us to propose solutions and I want these corporations to listen to us. I want us to find their flaws, their misrepresentations, and en...

Picture This!

Sun, 11 Nov 2007 14:00:14 -0500

Picture This! A world that has found it’s way through the fragmented reality in which it currently exists. Imagine a world in which you could easily and readily feel the interconnectedness of all things. Imagine a world where you feel like you are Living. WHAT? Living. Hold on. I was just beginning to imagine. Living, what would that be? I wish that I could answer that question for everyone around me, but alas….. there isn’t an answer that sits well with everyone at every moment. What I do know is that there is a growing movement to describe...

Alliance Accepted! - Michael Johnson-Chase

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 15:44:09 -0400

Alliance Accepted! - Technology For People Group Inc.

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 15:42:15 -0400

Alliance Accepted! - Ian Wooden

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 15:42:10 -0400

New comment! - Strategies For Recruiting And Retaining Volunteers

Thu, 13 Sep 2007 15:12:21 -0400

Both my father and stepfather died prior to my 30th birthday and left a hole in my life. I have sought so often to continually grow through the connection of male mentors based on ethics that my stepfather had instilled in me prior to his passing. I would not have felt the strength and love needed to contemplate deeper ethics without the help of these men. I have also informally mentored teenage males, hopefully instilling in them a reverance for this gift of life. It brings a warm feeling to my heart to know of your existence. Please honor me by accepting me as an ally.

Alliance Accepted! - Jason Boyer

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 15:42:00 -0400

Alliance Accepted! - Philip M. Darivoff

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 09:30:14 -0400

Alliance Accepted! - Chris Advansun

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 20:41:18 -0400