Evil vs Good
August 19, 2008
One of Glenn Kaplan's answers leaped out of our interview. And it was to my question "What was the spark for EVIL, INC?" Glenn says that during his research for an earlier, non-fiction book, Bruce Henderson, a consultant, told him that CEO's of big companies have a lot in common with sociopaths. That goes to explaining the headlines I read on the air -- the massive layoffs, the multi-million dollar payoffs to CEO's, the insanely high gas prices.
But what I don't read on the air is the pure goodness of gracious friends doing what they can for people they've never met halfway around the world. All these actions, at whatever size, shift us into a world that has heart. Actions such as those I witnessed in my very own home tonight.
I hosted a gathering for Itafari. The word means brick among the people of Rwanda. And Vicky Trabash, a co-founder of Itafari, unveiled her story before a room full of warm and wonderful people. I didn't take notes, but what clings to my heart -- devastatingly poor Rwandan women who prostitute themselves for one-dollar, or, for unprotected sex, they can get two-dollars, often resulting in AIDS babies who die long before their time. Another tragedy. But, Vicky tells us our dollars can buy goats, build a school, sponsor a child. There are baskets, woven by the women, glorious baskets,woven with their joyfulness at creating a work of art someone in the U-S will buy,and you feel the energy in the flawless work. You hold a basket, you feel the story of the woman who wove it -- and in case you forget, there is her signature woven on a scrap of paper to the basket. One woman who had just been laid off -- there it is again -- clutched a beautiful green and black and orange basket to her chest, saying she couldn't leave it -- she had to buy it even if she wasn't sure of her financial future.
Glenn's chilly thriller takes us around the world, too, and we see how mercenaries cover up a crime that has killed thousands at a company, including the family of his main character, family man, Ken Olson. EVIL, INC could come true.
I've been interviewing hundreds of MBA students lately, and I see how so many treasure the bottom line...and only a few watch to keep low the number of people fired, laid off, quitting. It's a numbers game. Which numbers will future CEO's watch?
Basket by basket, bangle by bangle, brick by brick, dollar by dollar, the beautiful women in my living room are connecting with the women of Rwanda, those who are left after the crippling, evil destruction of their country.
Usually, at these functions, one child is "adopted." Vicky tells me among these beautiful women, six children are adopted. Six!
Now that's a story.
How not to wear a basket:
One of Glenn Kaplan's answers leaped out of our interview. And it was to my question "What was the spark for EVIL, INC?" Glenn says that during his research for an earlier, non-fiction book, Bruce Henderson, a consultant, told him that CEO's of big companies have a lot in common with sociopaths. That goes to explaining the headlines I read on the air -- the massive layoffs, the multi-million dollar payoffs to CEO's, the insanely high gas prices.
But what I don't read on the air is the pure goodness of gracious friends doing what they can for people they've never met halfway around the world. All these actions, at whatever size, shift us into a world that has heart. Actions such as those I witnessed in my very own home tonight.
I hosted a gathering for Itafari. The word means brick among the people of Rwanda. And Vicky Trabash, a co-founder of Itafari, unveiled her story before a room full of warm and wonderful people. I didn't take notes, but what clings to my heart -- devastatingly poor Rwandan women who prostitute themselves for one-dollar, or, for unprotected sex, they can get two-dollars, often resulting in AIDS babies who die long before their time. Another tragedy. But, Vicky tells us our dollars can buy goats, build a school, sponsor a child. There are baskets, woven by the women, glorious baskets,woven with their joyfulness at creating a work of art someone in the U-S will buy,and you feel the energy in the flawless work. You hold a basket, you feel the story of the woman who wove it -- and in case you forget, there is her signature woven on a scrap of paper to the basket. One woman who had just been laid off -- there it is again -- clutched a beautiful green and black and orange basket to her chest, saying she couldn't leave it -- she had to buy it even if she wasn't sure of her financial future.
Glenn's chilly thriller takes us around the world, too, and we see how mercenaries cover up a crime that has killed thousands at a company, including the family of his main character, family man, Ken Olson. EVIL, INC could come true.
I've been interviewing hundreds of MBA students lately, and I see how so many treasure the bottom line...and only a few watch to keep low the number of people fired, laid off, quitting. It's a numbers game. Which numbers will future CEO's watch?
Basket by basket, bangle by bangle, brick by brick, dollar by dollar, the beautiful women in my living room are connecting with the women of Rwanda, those who are left after the crippling, evil destruction of their country.
Usually, at these functions, one child is "adopted." Vicky tells me among these beautiful women, six children are adopted. Six!
Now that's a story.
How not to wear a basket:
Labels: books, CEO, EVIL, Glenn Kaplan, good versus evil, INC, Itafari, layoffs, Vicky Trabash
posted by Diana Page Jordan @ 10:41 PM
1 Comments:
Diana, thank you so much for providing the opportunity to share with your friends the message that ordinary people can accomplish the extraordinary. It was a joy to be with you and we raised an amazing amount of money for The Itafari Foundation. Murakoze cyane cyane! (thank you very very much!)
Vic
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