The Kick Project

Bangladesh had a fraught path to independence. Squeezed in between the mega forces of Pakistan and India the people of the former East Pakistan suffered greatly as they sought freedom. But, as this little known story (at least to us) shows, there was an important strategy by some to use sport to open up the debate. Some of the tactics used might sit uncomfortably with some - the involvement of some Indians for instance seems reflective of the politics of convenience at a tense time for instance - but the overall strategy of using sport as a form of peace diplomacy is roundly endorsed by The Kick Project. The power of sport to open up the space for dialogue - often in inarticulate ways - remains a powerful and too-little used force for good in the human world. This i nteresting read from Vice.

Good to see Puma is making some moves to address its environmental and social footprint, but I still see some gaps in their system. For one, employing big accounting firms to run your corporate social responsibility program might sound impressive, but my experience is that they are not always the best options. Such firms are generally very adept at knowing what they can get away with and in a context where legislation doesnt really exist - as is the case with big corporations using off-shore supply lines - it's often more a case of what can be got away with; a very minimalist approach. Second, it is concerning that the company still hasnt set up systems to ensure its social impact is even being assessed, let alone decreased. As the article suggests, this is still to be established. In today's world, this should already have been done long ago. For the Kick Project, it is important that we are closely examining the social profile of those with whom we work, as pa...