Corporate social responsibility is a commitment to improve community well-

being through discretionary business practices and contributions of corporate

resources.

Corporate social initiatives are major activities undertaken by a corporation

to support social causes and to fulfill commitments to corporate social
responsibility.

• American Express: “Good Works = Good Business. . . . Not only is it

appropriate for the company to give back to the communities in which it
operates, it is also smart business. Healthy communities are important to the
well-being of society and the overall economy.
They also provide an environment that helps companies such as American
Express grow, innovate, and attract outstanding talent.”
(Harvey Golub, Chairman and CEO, and Kenneth Chenault, President and
Chief Operating Officer, 2000)9
• Dell: “Dell is a global company that delivers products and services to more
than 190 countries. We have more than 40,000 employees who live and work
on six continents. That’s why it’s important that we provide technology to all
communities that we call home.” (Michael Dell, Chairman and CEO, July
2003)10
• Fannie Mae: “Fannie Mae and the Greenlining Institute share a common
mission. We are both devoted to improving the quality of life in underserved
communities. We both are working to bring more opportunities to people and
places inside the old red lines.
And we both believe in the power of housing.” (Franklin D. Raines, Chairman
and CEO, April 2003)11
• Ford Motor Company: “There is a difference between a good company and a
great company. A good company offers excellent products and services. A
great company also offers excellent products and services but also strives to
make the world a better place.”
(William Clay Ford, Jr., Chairman of the Board and CEO) 12
• Kellogg: “There are many measures of a company’s success. The most
obvious, of course, are profitability and share value. A company may also be
measured by its ability to change with the times, or develop innovative
products. These elements are all vital to Kellogg Company. But there is
another important measure that we hold ourselves accountable for—our
social responsibility.”
(Carlos M. Gutierrez, Chairman and CEO, 2003) 13
• Hewlett-Packard: “I honestly believe that the winning companies of this
century will be those who prove with their actions that they can be profitable
and increase social value—companies that both do well and do good. . . .
Increasingly, shareowners, customers, partners, and employees are going to
vote with their feet—rewarding those companies that fuel social change
through
business. This is simply the new reality of business—one that we should and
must embrace.” (Carly Fiorina, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,
November 2003)14
• McDonald’s: “Social responsibility is not a program that begins and ends.
Acting responsibly has always been a part of who we are and will continue to
be the way McDonald’s does business.
It’s an ongoing commitment.” (McDonald’s CEO, Jim Cantalupo, CEO, 2003) 15
• Nike: “The performance of Nike and every other global company in the
twenty-first century will be measured as much by our impact on quality of life
as it is by revenue growth and profit margins. We hope to have a head start.”
(Phil Knight, Chairman and CEO, 2001) bottom-line benefits, including
reference to several of the following:21
• Increased sales and market share.
• Strengthened brand positioning.

10 The Case for Doing at Least Some Good

• Enhanced corporate image and clout.
• Increased ability to attract, motivate, and retain employees.
• Decreased operating costs.
• Increased appeal to investors and financial analysts.

CSR typically includes "beyond law" commitments and activities pertaining to:
 corporate governance and ethics
 health and safety
 environmental stewardship
 human rights (including core labour rights)
 human resource management
 community involvement, development and investment
 involvement of and respect for Aboriginal peoples
 corporate philanthropy and employee volunteering
 customer satisfaction and adherence to principles of fair competition
 anti-bribery and anti-corruption measures
 accountability, transparency and performance reporting
 supplier relations, for both domestic and international supply chains.

Action Canada 2004/2005 Fellows

Freddy Abnousi • Craig Cameron • Nadine Caron • Kevin Chan • Severn Cullis-Suzuki •
Sara Ehrhardt • Kris Frederickson • Ginger Gosnell • Jason Hein • Roxanne Joyal •
Ahmed Kayssi • Cynthia Mackenzie • Jean-Frédéric Morin • Anil Patel • Ben Peterson •
Lyndsay Poaps • George Roter • Beverly Sembsmoen • Josh Silvertown
Freddy Abnousi
Freddy aspires to reduce inequities in health through medicine and policy, both in Canada
and abroad. "I want to even the playing field," says the Armenian-born North
Vancouverite, who has a BSc from the University of British Columbia, an MSc from the
London School of Economics and an MBA from Oxford. Currently in second year at
UBC medical school, Freddy plans to specialize in trauma surgery and also become a
provider of generic medicine to developing countries. He wants to help ensure Canada's
healthcare sustainability as well, through the implementation of medical information
technology, and he recently consulted on a key project to decrease barriers to medical IT.
Internationally, he has led projects for the Kenyan Agency for Rural Development, the
British Medical Association, the American Enterprise Institute, the NESsT Venture Fund
in Chile and the World Bank in India. Freddy regards Action Canada as a rare opportunity
to meet public-minded contemporaries "who have already proven themselves as leaders
at a very young age."
Craig Cameron
Craig is a quintessential people person. "I'm passionate about the energy people have
within them and how you can help bring that out," says the Regina native, who is
completing an MA in physical education at Memorial University of Newfoundland in St.
John's. After graduation, Craig hopes to use the inspirational power of sport to tap into
that energy in disadvantaged children, enriching their lives and communities, especially
in developing countries. It's a goal that crystallized during his volunteer work in West
Africa as a program coordinator for Right To Play (formerly OympicAid) after
completing a BA in physical activities studies at the University of Regina. Craig has been
politically active throughout his academic career and is extremely impressed by the social
and political awareness of the people he has met through Action Canada. He believes his
Fellowship "will introduce me to a lot of opportunities and also open up my eyes to the
kind of issues that are facing Canada in the future."
Nadine Caron
Nadine was astounded to learn, in 1997, that she was the first aboriginal woman to
graduate from the University of BC's medical school. The Kamloops native now
regularly encourages aboriginal kids throughout the continent to attend university. "I tell
them they can achieve anything if they work hard and believe in themselves," says
Nadine, who also holds a BSc from Simon Fraser University and a master of public
health degree from Harvard, earned while completing her surgical residency. Nadine has
won more than 20 major academic awards and was named one of Maclean's 100 Faces of
the Future. She s passionate about aboriginal health and Canadian health policy, and has
served on committees with numerous stakeholders including the BC and Canadian
medical associations and the BC health ministry. Nadine is currently studying endocrine
surgery at the University of California at San Francisco, with plans to practice medicine
in northern BC. She says Action Canada "has exceeded all my expectations, both from
the other Fellows and our mentors."
Kevin Chan
Kevin is Executive Assistant to the Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet (Operations) at the
Privy Council Office. Previously, he was a senior analyst at PCO providing advice and
support to the Prime Minister and Cabinet on environmental and fisheries and oceans
issues. In 2004, Kevin was seconded from PCO to the Government of Nunavut to
complete a study on devolution for the territory. Prior to joining the Public Service, he
was a management consultant at Monitor. Kevin is the founder and managing director of
Bouge.ca, an e-mentoring registered charity for high school students funded by the
Community Foundation of Ottawa. He also sits on the advisory council of the Lawrence
National Centre for Policy and Management at the Ivey School of Business, and is a co-
founder and board member of DreamcatcherYukon.ca. Kevin received a Master in Public
Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, as well as a degree in business
administration from Ivey, where he was a President Scholar. He has also studied at the
Chinese University of Hong Kong. He is an Associate of the Royal Conservatory of
Music and was selected an Action Canada Fellow in 2004.
Severn Cullis-Suzuki
Action Canada "promotes the kind of idealism that I've believed in my whole life," says
Severn, who has been active in environmental and social justice work since kindergarten.
"It gives me hope for our national and academic institutions." Born and raised in
Vancouver, Severn began public speaking at age 12 with an internationally acclaimed
speech at the 1992 UN Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. She continues to speak her mind
publicly and frequently on personal values and individual responsibility for global social
and environmental issues. She earned a BSc in biology at Yale and began an MSc in
ethnobotany this year at the University of Victoria. A recipient of the UN Environmental
Program's Global 500 Award, Severn has served on the UN's Earth Charter Commission
and on Kofi Annan's Special Advisory Panel for the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable
Development in Johannesburg. She also co-founded the Skyfish Project
(www.skyfishproject.org), an Internet based think tank that encourages youth to speak out
for their future and adopt a sustainable lifestyle.
Sara Ehrhardt
Sara is passionate about the relationship between social justice and the environment -
keeping both people and our planet healthy. "We can dream big and bring people
together," says the University of Waterloo systems-design engineering graduate, "and
make progressive changes." Born and raised in Moncton, Sara has worked in the Alberta
tar sands, led a construction project in the Guyanese rainforest, worked with indigenous
peoples in Mexico and played an integral role in the development of Engineers Without
Borders. In 2002, she was the first recipient of the Canadian Council of Professional
Engineers Gold Medal Student Award for volunteerism and leadership. She serves on the
board of directors of Shad Valley, a summer program for high school students. She also
mentors with Alternative Work Experience, Waterloo Unlimited and Bouge. Sara is
currently based in Ottawa, campaigning to protect Canada's water resources with The
Council of Canadians. She describes Action Canada as an "an energizing experience" that
"has given me insight into other directions."
Kris Frederickson
Kris Frederickson is a Water Management Engineer for global energy producer, Nexen
Inc. His current work focuses on sustainable water management practices at the Long
Lake Project, a joint-venture oil sands project with OPTI Canada. Kris graduated from
the University of Manitoba with his undergraduate and master’s degrees in Biosystems
Engineering. His post-graduate work centered on water treatment on Manitoban First
Nations communities. Kris has been the recipient of numerous accolades including an
Action Canada Fellowship and a National Aboriginal Achievement Award. Kris is the
co-chair of 2335: A United Way Initiative and co-editor of the book “Notes from
Canada’s Young Activists” published in April 2007.
Ginger Gosnell
Ginger is passionate about advancing aboriginal rights and titles, while breaking down
barriers between aboriginal and non-aboriginal people. And to help accomplish those
goals, "I'm following my elders' advice to build relationships within Canadian society,"
says the New Aiyansh, BC-born member of the Nisga'a and Kwagiulth First Nations.
Ginger is a member of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), the Liberal Party of
Canada's Aboriginal Peoples Commission National Executive, the 1st Nations Youth
Caucus and the Urban Native Youth Association (UNYA). She has facilitated and spoken
at numerous provincial, national and international events, including the Senate Standing
Committee on Aboriginal Peoples and the United Nations Permanent Forum of
Indigenous Peoples. She is currently developing a leaders training initiative with the AFN
for First Nations youth and is working with the UNYA to build a multi-purpose native
youth centre in Vancouver. Ginger and her Action Canada colleagues "are united," she
says, "with a common purpose of wanting to play a role in making Canada a better
country."
Jason Hein
Jason loves infusing kids with his passion for science. "It's really satisfying," says the
Winnipeg-born University of Manitoba chemist. In addition to volunteering with Let’s
Talk Science, a group focused on attracting more students to the discipline, Jason's own
one-hour chemistry demonstrations attract hundreds of high school students annually. He
is currently completing a PhD in synthetic-organic chemistry as well as following a BSc
in biochemistry, both from the U of M, and looks forward to beginning post-graduate
studies in sustainable chemistry. As an undergrad, he helped initiate ongoing research into
Alzheimer's disease at Wisconsin's Synchrotron Radiation Center. Jason has attended
numerous national and international conferences and is published in a number of
international journals. He has held several positions with the Chemical Institute of
Canada's Manitoba section. He has also served as the chemistry graduate students’
association president and student liaison on the graduate studies awards committee. With
Action Canada, says Jason, "I've put myself in the middle of some absolutely stellar
people, including some amazing mentors beyond the scientific community."
Roxanne Joyal
Roxanne may be a Rhodes scholar, but what she is most proud of is the Kenyan
leadership education centre she established last year for international children's advocacy
group Free The Children, of which she was a founding staff member and is now interim
director. "It was a challenging but ultimately an immensely rewarding three-year project,"
says the Franco-Manitoban from Winnipeg. "I really enjoyed it from start to finish."
Roxanne used her Rhodes scholarship to complete a law degree at Oxford this year,
following an honours BA at Stanford in international development. In addition to Kenya,
where she is currently planning to launch a micro-enterprise in Nairobi, she has done
fieldwork in Thailand and Zimbabwe. Her accolades include recognition by Maclean's as
one of Canada's 100 Faces of the Future. In 2006, she begins a clerkship with the
Supreme Court of Canada. For Roxanne, Action Canada offers "a chance to work with an
incredible network of Canadians who are making a difference in many different fields."
Ahmed Kayssi
Ahmed hopes to eventually become a doctor and contribute to the country's healthcare
debate. But as a native Iraqi who lived in Egypt and Saudi Arabia before settling in
Montreal in 1998, he's also "very passionate about the place newcomers have within
Canada." Ahmed earned dual bachelor's degrees in engineering chemistry and business
German and is currently pursuing an MSc in physiology, all at Queen's University. He
was the university's 28th rector, founded the Arab Students Association and has served
with the residence, arts and science, engineering, and alma mater societies. To promote
debate on campus, he organised and moderated panel discussions on free speech and
Canada-US relations. He also travelled to Scotland and Northern Ireland to raise his
university's colours on five local campuses as a student-aid fund-raising stunt. Ahmed
says his Action Canada experience has been "tremendously invigorating so far. My
colleagues and our sponsors are incredible people, not just for their accomplishments but
the considerate and compassionate way they conduct themselves."
Cynthia Mackenzie
Cynthia is in Australia earning her political science doctorate, but Canada is never far
from her mind. "I feel privileged to have been born Canadian into a wonderful family,"
says the devoted human rights activist, whose BA from the University of Calgary and
MA from York are also in political science. "I'm driven to work for more equity and
social change in our country." Cynthia was Manitoba-born and Alberta-raised, mainly in
Swan Hills and Cochrane. But her compassion is global. From sex worker outreach in
Calgary to community development in India and Costa Rica, safe streets planning in
Victoria and refugee advocacy in Vancouver, Cynthia has worked for positive change. It's
a passion she plans to pursue as a career. Volunteer Calgary named her a Leader of
Tomorrow and Maclean's dubbed her one of Canada's 100 Faces of the Future. But
Cynthia calls herself "a proud Canuck" and her Action Canada colleagues "beyond
inspiring." Like her, "They see a world full of possibility and change."
Jean-Frédéric Morin
Jean-Frédéric has travelled extensively, but there's one country he's particularly eager to
explore: Canada. "Action Canada offers me the opportunity to travel across the country,
meet other Canadians and learn about national issues," says the Quebec City native. Jean-
Frédéric earned a BA in history and an MA in international relations, both from Quebec
City's Université Laval. He is currently working on dual PhDs in international law at the
Université de Montpellier and political science at Université du Québec à Montréal.
While pursuing his studies, Jean-Frédéric has dedicated himself to improving sustainable
development policy in Canada and abroad. He has published numerous articles in
mainstream and scientific periodicals, raising awareness on issues such as the
conservation of biological diversity, the protection of fresh water resources and the
promotion of indigenous traditional knowledge. He has also conducted research for a
number of governments, NGOs, think tanks and other organizations on the nexus
between international trade law and environmental policy.
Anil Patel
Anil Patel was born in London Ontario in August 1974 and raised in the nearby farming
community of Chatham. He was educated at Queen‚s University, earning an
Environmental Chemistry degree. Anil entered the work-force with Molson Canada. After
6 years of channel marketing, territory sales and business development experience, he
made a decision to pursue an idea he had to get engage people his age in community
work. In 2001, Anil along with some of his university friends co-founded Framework
Timeraiser, a program aimed at engaging skilled and energetic Canadians to get involved
in the community. The Timeraiser is Part volunteer fair, Part silent art auction, Part night
on the town. It is an evening celebrating the kick-off of a 12 month endeavour to engage
Canadians aged 22 to 35 to pick up a cause and support community development through
volunteerism. The Timeraiser is a silent art auction with a twist: instead of bidding
money, participants bid volunteer time, to volunteer agencies that need their skills and
energy. Successful auction bidders have 12 months to complete their volunteer pledge.
When they do, they get to bring the artwork home as a reminder of their good will. To
date the Timeraiser has generated 36,000 volunteer hours, engaged 1,000 Canadians to
pick-up a cause, worked with 150+ agencies in need of skilled volunteers and invested
$110,000 in the careers of Canadian artists. Framework is the 2006 recipient of the
Queen‚s Alumni Humanitarian Award. In the decades ahead, he has made a commitment
to rekindling the spirit of citizen involvement across the country. Anil was recently
appointed to the United Way of Greater Toronto‚s Board of Trustees and is asked
regularly to contribute to other initiatives in Canada focused on volunteerism, corporate
social responsibility/employee-supported volunteerism and non profit capacity building.
Ben Peterson
Ben believes strongly in the power of the press to improve human rights. "The media
holds an enormous key," says the co-founder and executive director of Journalists for
Human Rights (JHR), an NGO that works to build the capacity of African media to report
on human rights. He frequently gives talks at universities, conferences and to professional
organizations across North America. Before JHR, Ben worked in Africa with Ghana's
justice ministry, leading efforts to write reports to the UN on various international human
rights treaties. He has also worked for former Canadian foreign affairs minister Lloyd
Axworthy and David Bonior, a former Democratic Whip in the US House of
Representatives. Ben has a BA in economics and an honours BA in political studies from
Queen's University, and an MSc in political theory from the London School of
Economics. The Toronto-born activist says "Action Canada enables me to branch out and
meet accomplished people from across Canada who are dealing with all sorts of different
issues."
Lyndsay Poaps
Lyndsay is the youngest elected official in Vancouver's history, and the city park board
commissioner is passionate about engaging her generation in community building and
decision making. "I want them to become more critical of the world around them," she
says, "to find out information on their own and empower themselves to make decisions."
Lyndsay co-founded Check Your Head (CYH) in 1999 and now co-directs the youth-
driven group, which "connects the dots" between global and local issues. CYH has
reached some 15,000 people during 600 workshops. Originally from Ottawa, Lyndsay
"escaped" to Vancouver in 1997 as the youth organizer of the APEC People's Summit.
She has worked as Lower Mainland coordinator of the Sierra Club of BC, co-chair of the
BC Environmental Network, and a board member of Farm Folk City Folk. "Action
Canada enables me to gain skills and understand myself better as a leader," says Lyndsay.
"Plus I get to meet others who are not a part of my network but who I really respect."
George Roter
George believes technology can profoundly improve the lives of the world's poor - and
he's acting on that conviction. Engineers Without Borders (EWB), the Canadian non-
profit group he co-founded in 2000 and currently leads as co-CEO, has some 10,000
professional and student members coast-to-coast. EWB has sent over 100 volunteers to
projects in more than 20 developing countries, helping local entrepreneurs spread simple
technologies such as pedal-operated irrigation pumps that are transforming their
impoverished communities. His efforts have earned him numerous awards, and Time
magazine has called him one of the country's next generation of social leaders. George is
also a fervent believer in social change at home and says Action Canada has introduced
him to "a quality and diversity of people" who have been very successful in numerous
different fields. "It has allowed me to grow as a person," adds the Toronto native, who
holds a BASc in mechanical engineering from the University of Waterloo, "and to
explore public policy issues I wouldn't have otherwise."
Beverly Sembsmoen
Beverly never expected to be selected as an Action Canada Fellow. "I don't have any
initials at the end of my name," jokes the legislation development manager with the
Carcross/Tagish First Nation (CTFN) near Whitehorse, Yukon. What Beverly does have
is considerable experience forging aboriginal land-claim and self-governing structures.
She has also been instrumental in numerous grass roots initiatives and has a distinguished
record of commitment to the environment, health, education and traditional values of her
people. A Dakl’aweidí clan member of Tagish and Tlingit heritage, Beverly played a key
role in negotiating the CTFN's treaty and self-government agreements with the federal
government from 1996-2004. She also chairs the Four Mountains Resort development, a
$24-million facility scheduled to open around 2007. The CTFN-affiliated resort will
create a sustainable tourism economy in the region while protecting aboriginal culture
and traditions. Though initially sceptical, Beverly says the genuine compassion other
Action Canada Fellows have shown regarding aboriginal issues "has given me an
incredible boost of hope."
Josh Silvertown
Josh envisions a future at the forefront of biomedical research but he also loves getting
kids excited about science. "My ideal career would include teaching science as well as
doing hands-on clinical research," says the young Torontonian, who is currently on an
NSERC post-doctoral fellowship at the Ontario Cancer Institute. Josh completed his
honours BSc at the University of Guelph where he also earned a PhD in biomedical
sciences after only three years of graduate school. On campus, he was a member of the
graduate student association and the university's senate and board of governors. Off
campus, he volunteered with Big Brothers Big Sisters as a Big Brother, chair of the
recruitment committee and member of the board of directors. He also co-founded "Tech
Quest", Guelph's first children's computer science and technology camp, and led a similar
summer science camp in Yellowknife. In addition, Josh is the founder and editor of an
international scientific newsletter intended to enhance collaboration and communication
among researchers.