Good Choices = choicemob

I have a good friend (and predecessor to me in Uganda) who has created a new movement/website intended to shape global economic policy by directing people to use the power of consumer choice to encourage and demand ethical products and business practices.

Enter choicemob.

The simple principle of supply and demand are alive and well. Thus, as we speak with our purchasing choices, we direct market forces and companies to supply towards our demand. Free market competition can help drive business towards socially proactive and positive ends.

James Pearson has created choicemob for this purpose. Here is the mission statement:

"Turning global business to the work of our common values: Fairness, Compassion, and Respect for the Earth."

The link to the blog: http://choicemob.com/

The basic idea is to mobilize people to purchase from ethical companies to encourage other companies to follow suit with ethical practices and ethically produced products. Rather than scolding business for running sweat shops, destroying the environment to get there products, profiting through child labor, or committing other inhumane acts to produce and supply their products/services, the idea is to positively support the businesses who don't do that through consumer choice and buying products from companies that have good practices.

Which brings us to today: The first choicemob purchase rally is for a business called Better World Books. It sells used and new books to help literacy programs around the world and helps recycle books to reduce waste. I know many, if not most, of you out there are book lovers, so this should be an easy one. Please link to their site through the choicemob blog, or for you Facebookers out there you can join choicemob through that little social organism and go from there. This is not an edict that you have to buy from Better World Books today, or at all, but it is a request that those of you looking for books as gifts consider today as a good day to buy, because as the choicemob grows and creates a groundswell of purchasing power then the more businesses will stand up and notice and take action.

As there are billions upon billions of dollars spent within the next month, wouldn't it be great to get companies to recognize the demand of consumers for ethical and environmental standards in their products. Again, the founder, James Pearson, says it much better than I could:

"The choicemob community believes that business is changing our world, so we need to change business. By ‘mobbing’ socially proactive companies with sales and attention, we can make them the envy of their competitors and draw more companies into the practice of social values. The more we shift our buying to companies that uphold our common values, and the more noise we make about it, the more the business world will embrace Fairness, Compassion, and Respect for the Earth."

Have a wonderful day and happy hunting in the virtual bookstore of Better World Books.

Peace to you all.

John

"In the world of business and consumer retail, your wallet speaks louder than your mouth ever could."