Our Principles
We've spent many evenings discussing (sometimes loudly) what exactly an "Ethical Guide" is, whether or not it should be called that, and if so, what goes in it.
We think it'd be kind of useful if society supported things that make the world a better place, and discouraged things that make it worse. We'd like to promote organisations that fit that bill, so that more people will become aware of them, be inspired by them, and maybe get involved with them in some way. So, we're defining ethics in terms of how our interactions with the world demonstrate a respect for life and its environment, i.e. how does it affect others if I drive a car, or buy less stuff that's tested on animals, or use products made in sweatshops, or volunteer for a charity. We came up with some principles that define what we think is positive, and we list organisations that support those principles through their activities.
Sometimes we ran into difficulties deciding whether something was 'in' or 'out', and came up with the following arbitrary rulings: We don't promote supermarkets, animal products, or flights. It's not that, for example, all supermarkets are exactly the same as one another, however we think there are fundamental Issues that mean we don't want to suggest that we recommend any of them.
We recognise that self-improvement and looking after one's health are big aspects of an empowered and generally positive life. That said, they're not something that we've got room for in this guide in their own right, and so we only list things like education classes, therapists and health practitioners if they're free or subsidised, as we reckon this makes them into community resources.
Ok, glad we got that sorted out. So what goes in this guide? One of the first things we tried to get down on paper was the 'why' we're trying to put an ethical guide together. We came up with five 'Principles'. If organisations support some of these principles without fundamentally going against others then we're up for including them. So, without further ado, here they are:
Community
A healthy community is something that we create and maintain together - we all want to feel that we belong and that we are supported in our local environment. A sense of community is created by anything from a small local shop where we have a relationship with the people who work there, to a support group that may help us through a difficult period in our lives.
We therefore promote groups and organisations that encourage social connectivity and responsibility for each other, that build bonds and bridges between people, and that offer services and opportunities to all.
By using and providing local goods and services, we contribute to a vibrant and sustainable community.
Participation
We believe that a society is unlikely to promote ethical behaviour unless people have an appropriate level of say in things that affect them. How do we get to this rather abstract state of democratic nirvana? Well, we reckon that it starts with Participation - the more people are able to know about and take part in what's going on around them and in their lives, the more informed and empowered they'll be.
So... we promote organisations that are open to input, both from within the organisation, and from outside. This includes organisations run as cooperatives, where members tend to have an equal share of ownership of the organisation, and where members work out their own decision-making processes that suit them, rather than having them handed down from on high. Given the amount of time we spend at home or at work, it seems sensible that we should have a good amount of say in what goes on in these worlds, and housing and workers co-ops put this principle into practise with members acting as their own landlord or employer.
In terms of being open to input from outside, we promote small local businesses over big chains, which are less accountable to local opinion, and tend to put small shops out of business.
We also promote organisations that empower people through providing information or services that alert them to issues that affect them, and help them to get on with the good stuff.
People's Rights
We want to promote organisations that look out for people's ability to get on with their lives without being exploited by their employer, beaten up by their government, or affected by war. If we promote businesses, we want them to be responsible both for their workers, and for other people affected by their activities. We'll be looking out for workers' rights in terms of things like co-ops, unions, fair trade, social firms, and organisations campaigning on such issues including labour laws and fair pay. If we're aware that an organisation supports practises such as investment in oppressive regimes, the arms trade, or particularly irresponsible marketing then we'll kick their ass (and not list them).
Environment
There is mounting evidence that humans are tipping the planet's ecosystem into a ever more dangerous state. Global warming, habitat destruction, pollution and species extinction are all results of unsustainable patterns of consumption.
If we want to preserve our environment for ourselves and future generations we must find alternative ways of living that work with our environment in a sustainable manner. To this end, we promote organisations that provide information or services that focus on re-using, re-cycling and repairing rather than consuming raw materials. We promote energy efficiency, local produce, and alternatives to fossil fuels, both to reduce pollution and to end our murderous dependence on other people's oil. We promote organic as an alternative to GM food to help prevent unpredictable and irreversible long-term risks to environmental and human health, as well as the monopolisation and control of the food industry.
Animal Rights
Animals are often seen as a commodity, to be used or otherwise affected by our lifestyles as we see fit. This guide is intend to promote a respect for life, so after long discussion, we've decided to avoid promoting any kind of animal products. While there are some standards relating to animal welfare such as free range and organic, none of them can avoid the fact that turning animals into commodities generally involves mistreating and killing them. For example, for egg or milk production, only female animals are required, so half the population gets made into pet food (or human food, like veal. Nice!) at an early age. In a hypothetical universe there may be a few people selling eggs collected from RSPCA-rescued hens, but we're not aware of it! So, we list organisations that promote animal welfare, and supply animal-free products such as food, cosmetics, clothes and cleaning products.