ECOVAL

Solidarity via the Market

1. Profile

ECOVAL, Solidarity via the Market, is a civilian association of companies and consumers who are convinced that, by applying certain fundamental human values to all human relationships, a quantum leap will be reached in everyone’s well being, whether material, psychological or spiritual, plus, as a consequence, the necessary balance will be reached between mankind and Nature, between people and between nations.

2. Motives

The associates believe that what makes people worth of the adjective of “human” is their practice of five fundamental Human Values, which are:

• Truth, which means to say as we think and to do what we say. In companies and markets people call it transparency and honesty.
• Righteousness, which means to do one’s duty, that which one intimately knows to be good to be done in every moment. At work it results in Thoughtfulness and Responsibility.
• Peace, which is the silence of human passions that lets reason act unthwarted. It results in Rationality and Objectivity.
• Love, which is that elevated feeling that impels any person to perceive the happiness and welfare of other people as their own. In daily usage it is often referred to as Solidarity.
• Nonviolence, which means to approach all beings without arousing their rebuke. It stands on the understanding of universal brotherhood. In labour and company relationships it translates as Respect and Cordiality.

2.2 Equally well, members realise that History has sufficiently proven that Human Values, though sought by everybody in principle, stay at a theortical level unless a broad educational program is applied to the whole of society, with the result that society becomes split-mindedly ruled by two sets of antithetical values at home or at work. Hence it is necessary to teach the Values at all levels, and us, while we leave to other bodies the responsibility to reinforce the teaching of Human Values at school, what we intend is to bring to companies a project of continuous training and a Human Values methodology that help them succeed both in terms of economy and humanity.

2.3 The recent evolution of market economy, that is now strongly endorsing many postures with a high contents of Human Values, such as Ecology, induces us to believe that this is the right time in which society at large can and wants to go a step further.

PURPOSE

3.1 To create a relationship frame between consumers, companies and other economic agents, in order to attain the application of said Human Values to the whole of the Market Economy.

3.2 To stimulate the transformation of present-day companies into Enterprises Committed to Human Values (ECOVAL) and to incentivate the creation of new ones, taking the name of enterprise in its broader sense, as a team of people united around a common project and pact.

3.3 To foster the incorporation of companies dedicated to the advice and training of managers and workers in the new techniques for the development of company relationships according to the Human Values, while showing to everyone the (even) economical advantages of their achievement.

3.4 To issue standards and norms that make it possible to easily identify a company as an Ecoval, as well as to provide the means to give public assurance or audit of their enforcement.

3.5 To support and to spread the responsible consumption of the products of Ecoval companies.

3.6 To cooperate with any public or private bodies of any geographical adscription, even international, so as to best meet the above objectives.