Do (or should) you bring workplace values to your private life? Does free speech extend to demonization and factual lies?
EthicScan Canada has been a major consultant and trainer on ethical partnering and organizational due diligence for two decades. Two of its associates have become active in a campaign to bring social responsibility assurance to a Canadian bank. The issue is the refusal by the Toronto-Dominion’s Bank, which has significantly funded Gay Pride Parade for a few years (it is the major private sector funder), to publicly state its opposition to the calumy that is Israel-Apartheid — a group called Queers Against Israel-Apartheid (QuAIA) has perverted the positive-vibration and inclusive character of the Toronto Parade in each of the last two years– and to ensure that Gay Pride Parade organizers agree in advance to do everything possible to prevent such hate speech participation in organized Gay Pride activities. The two associates (acting as individuals) say it is time, through organized community-based activities (such as e-mails, demonstrations, advocacy, and withdrawing funds), to put a stake through the heart of Israel Apartheid– which is nothing but demonization of a country based on lies, and has nothing at all to do with gay pride or same sex advocacy, which these two organizers support. The federal government and the City of Toronto have recently acted– bringing governance and responsibility assurance conditions to sponsoring the annual event– but the Toronto-Dominion Bank has not.
For more information, see <http://stopsponsoringhatred.com>. Your thoughts?
