A friend wrote to me yesterday sharing a link to ebay’s social conscious.
In September of this year, World of Good, Inc. launched WorldofGood.com in partnership with ebay. Customers can shop by category, or by what the site calls “Goodprint” (people possitive, eco possitive, animal friendly, supports a cause).
In his book Just Another Emperor? The Myths and Realities of Philanthrocapitalism, Michael Edwards warns that “Philanthrocapitalism has seized on an important part of the puzzle of how to square democracy with the market, but is in danger of passing itself off as the whole solution, downgrading the costs and trade-offs of extending business and market principles into social transformation.” (Edwards, 8 ) Edwards quotes Jeff Skoll, ebay co-founder, to highlight business attitudes toward the opportunities created by philanthtocapitalism: “‘The most pressing environmental issues of our time will be…solved when desperate governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) finally surrender their ideologies and tap the private sector for help” ‘ (13).
I wonder if the people at World of Good, Inc. believe that by partnering with ebay they have serendered their ideologies?
Edwards, Michael. Just Another Emperor? The Myths and Realities of Philanthrocapitalism. USA: Dēmos: A Network for Ideas & Action and The Youth Foundation, 2008.
Dr Mary F Hanlon 