China - home of the upcoming Olympics - place that is persecuting Tibetans and its own citizens who speak out - home of two dear friends who were hospitality students in the US and went home to work on the Olympics and with the Chinese broadcasting company that will broadcast the Olympics.  A place of great beauty from the pictures I've seen and the people with whom I've talked who have been there.

China, like many countries, a place of contradictions - a country becoming a bit more westernized while it continues to struggle with its people and the desire of some for a more democratic place.

This article - http://globalethics.org/newsline/2008/04/07/controversies-continue-over-china-ethics-and-the-olympics/ - made me think even more about what organizations and individuals consider when they look at meeting and travel destinations. 

Industry associations, universities and corporations have  opened offices in places which human rights organizations have panned for the disregard for the rights of the citizens and the workers.

The UN Global Compact lists 10 areas about which those concerned with Corporate Social Responsibility have agreed to abide. 

What questions do you ask when considering a destination?  Will you speak up if you believe it is not a smart move to do business in a place that disregards the rights of many for the gain of a few?

Do you think it better to go and make a statement or to stay home and make a statement and an even greater one by not spending money in that destination?

I struggle with this - I want to go to China to see my friends, these wonderful young women I've mentored for years.  It seems tho' that it may not be a smart move. 

And you?

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