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Coca-Cola: University Ignores Community Concerns16 April 2006
University of Michigan Reinstates Coca-Cola ContractPrematurely
Allows Coca-Cola Funded Group to DesignInvestigation
San Francisco: The University ofMichigan has acted prematurely and recklessly in reinstatingCoca-Cola's contract with the university.
On April 11,the University of Michigan accepted a proposal from theCoca-Cola company which ostensibly paves the way for a thirdparty, independent investigation into the issues surroundingCoca-Cola in India and Colombia.
The Coca-Cola companyhas proposed that an organization in India that it funds andsponsors, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI),"develop a transparent and impartial independent third partyassessment of water resource management practices atCoca-Cola company facilities in India," according to thecompany's letter to the university.
The University tookjust one day to study Coca-Cola's proposal, and did notconsult with the student coalition who have led the campaignat the university or any groups affiliated with the campaignwho have engaged with the university in the past.
Reinstating Coca-Cola's contract does not absolve theCoca-Cola company of the crimes it is accused of in India-creating severe water shortages, polluting water and landaround its bottling plants, distributing toxic waste tofarmers, and selling drinks in India with extremely highlevels of pesticides.
"Accepting Coca-Cola'srecommendation that TERI - a group that is sponsored andfunded by Coca-Cola - develop the independent, third partyassessment of water issues in India is baffling," said AmitSrivastava of the India Resource Center, an internationalcampaigning organization working directly with communitiesin India affected by Coca-Cola's practices.
"Communitiesin India welcome an investigation into Coca-Cola's practicesin India. In fact, we expect a rigorous investigation by aprestigious university like the University of Michigan. Butallowing TERI, which clearly has a mutually beneficialrelationship with Coca-Cola, is neither fair, independent orthird party. By agreeing to Coca-Cola's choice of the groupin India to develop the investigation, the University ofMichigan is making a mockery of the concerns being raised bycommunities in India," said Srivastava.
The Coca-Colacompany in India has been implicated by state governmentauthorities for causing severe pollution around its bottlingplant in southern India, and government authorities havealso found steep drops in groundwater levels in northernIndia since Coca-Cola started operations.
"The Universityof Michigan need only look at the rulings against thecompany by government authorities in India, which haseffectively shut down one of the company's largest bottlingplants in India, to conclude that Coca-Cola engages inunethical practices. By allowing Coca-Cola to choose itsinvestigator, the University of Michigan is conceding thatCoca-Cola is not bound to abide by or come under theauthorized structures of any country and are above nationallaws and authorities," said C.R. Bijoy of the People's Unionfor Civil Liberties.
Research into the relationshipbetween TERI and Coca-Cola raises serious questions aboutTERI's ability to develop a third party, independentassessment:
* Coca-Cola India is an active funder of TERIin India, and Coca-Cola India Limited is an official sponsorof TERI.
* TERI has conducted various projects forCoca-Cola India, including "Strategies for Sustainable WaterResource Management in Sub Watersheds around Kaladeravillage" (2005), "GIS-based diagnostic study for assessingavailability and quality of water resources to addresscommunity concerns using a watershed approach" (January2006), and "Mobilizing youth for water conservation (MYWATER)" (April 2005).
* In a survey published by TERI inDecember 2001, TERI names Coca-Cola as among the mostresponsible companies in India.
* TERI organized EarthDay 2003 with the "support of Coca-Cola", and during whichSunil Gupta, Vice-President for Public Affairs andCommunication at Coca-Cola India was a keynote speaker.
* TERI organizes the Delhi Sustainable Development Summitannually, of which the Coca-Cola company is an AssociatePartner. TERI even included Sanjiv Gupta, President and CEOof Coca-Cola India in their press release dated February 4,2005.
* TERI's website carries a lengthy interview onCoca-Cola's sustainable programs with Sunil Gupta,Vice-President for Public Affairs and Communication atCoca-Cola India, dated April 30, 2003.
* TERI's websitecarries a lengthy interview on Coca-Cola's "commitmenttowards addressing environment and water concerns" withJeffrey Seabright, Vice President, Environment and WaterResources, at Coca-Cola company, dated March 15, 2006.
The University of Michigan had suspended its businessrelationship with the Coca-Cola company on January 1, 2006because of the company's failure to agree to a protocol foran investigation into issues in India and Colombia.
Themove to suspend Coca-Cola came in response to studentconcerns over Coca-Cola's abuses in India and Colombia. TheUniversity of Michigan had convened a Dispute Review Board(DRB), an advisory body comprising of students, faculty andadministrators to look into the issues in India andColombia. After deliberating for 10 months, the DRBrecommended in June 2005 that the Coca-Cola company beplaced on probation. The DRB also laid out a series ofbenchmarks that the Coca-Cola company would have to meet inorder to show that it was acting in good faith to solve theproblems in India and Colombia, including agreeing to anindependent, third party investigation into issues in Indiaand Colombia.
Specific details regarding TERI andCoca-Cola's plans for assessing the issues in India willonly be finalized by April 30th, according to Coca-Cola.
For more information, visit http://www.IndiaResource.org/
Image available at http://www.indiaresource.org/news/2006/1052.html
Universityof Michigan Reinstates Coca-Cola Contract Prematurely
Allows Coca-Cola Funded Group to DesignInvestigation
San Francisco: The University ofMichigan has acted prematurely and recklessly in reinstatingCoca-Cola's contract with the university.
On April 11,the University of Michigan accepted a proposal from theCoca-Cola company which ostensibly paves the way for a thirdparty, independent investigation into the issues surroundingCoca-Cola in India and Colombia.
The Coca-Cola companyhas proposed that an organization in India that it funds andsponsors, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI),"develop a transparent and impartial independent third partyassessment of water resource management practices atCoca-Cola company facilities in India," according to thecompany's letter to the university.
The University tookjust one day to study Coca-Cola's proposal, and did notconsult with the student coalition who have led the campaignat the university or any groups affiliated with the campaignwho have engaged with the university in the past.
Reinstating Coca-Cola's contract does not absolve theCoca-Cola company of the crimes it is accused of in India-creating severe water shortages, polluting water and landaround its bottling plants, distributing toxic waste tofarmers, and selling drinks in India with extremely highlevels of pesticides.
"Accepting Coca-Cola'srecommendation that TERI - a group that is sponsored andfunded by Coca-Cola - develop the independent, third partyassessment of water issues in India is baffling," said AmitSrivastava of the India Resource Center, an internationalcampaigning organization working directly with communitiesin India affected by Coca-Cola's practices.
"Communitiesin India welcome an investigation into Coca-Cola's practicesin India. In fact, we expect a rigorous investigation by aprestigious university like the University of Michigan. Butallowing TERI, which clearly has a mutually beneficialrelationship with Coca-Cola, is neither fair, independent orthird party. By agreeing to Coca-Cola's choice of the groupin India to develop the investigation, the University ofMichigan is making a mockery of the concerns being raised bycommunities in India," said Srivastava.
The Coca-Colacompany in India has been implicated by state governmentauthorities for causing severe pollution around its bottlingplant in southern India, and government authorities havealso found steep drops in groundwater levels in northernIndia since Coca-Cola started operations.
"The Universityof Michigan need only look at the rulings against thecompany by government authorities in India, which haseffectively shut down one of the company's largest bottlingplants in India, to conclude that Coca-Cola engages inunethical practices. By allowing Coca-Cola to choose itsinvestigator, the University of Michigan is conceding thatCoca-Cola is not bound to abide by or come under theauthorized structures of any country and are above nationallaws and authorities," said C.R. Bijoy of the People's Unionfor Civil Liberties.
Research into the relationshipbetween TERI and Coca-Cola raises serious questions aboutTERI's ability to develop a third party, independentassessment:
* Coca-Cola India is an active funder of TERIin India, and Coca-Cola India Limited is an official sponsorof TERI.
* TERI has conducted various projects forCoca-Cola India, including "Strategies for Sustainable WaterResource Management in Sub Watersheds around Kaladeravillage" (2005), "GIS-based diagnostic study for assessingavailability and quality of water resources to addresscommunity concerns using a watershed approach" (January2006), and "Mobilizing youth for water conservation (MYWATER)" (April 2005).
* In a survey published by TERI inDecember 2001, TERI names Coca-Cola as among the mostresponsible companies in India.
* TERI organized EarthDay 2003 with the "support of Coca-Cola", and during whichSunil Gupta, Vice-President for Public Affairs andCommunication at Coca-Cola India was a keynote speaker.
* TERI organizes the Delhi Sustainable Development Summitannually, of which the Coca-Cola company is an AssociatePartner. TERI even included Sanjiv Gupta, President and CEOof Coca-Cola India in their press release dated February 4,2005.
* TERI's website carries a lengthy interview onCoca-Cola's sustainable programs with Sunil Gupta,Vice-President for Public Affairs and Communication atCoca-Cola India, dated April 30, 2003.
* TERI's websitecarries a lengthy interview on Coca-Cola's "commitmenttowards addressing environment and water concerns" withJeffrey Seabright, Vice President, Environment and WaterResources, at Coca-Cola company, dated March 15, 2006.
The University of Michigan had suspended its businessrelationship with the Coca-Cola company on January 1, 2006because of the company's failure to agree to a protocol foran investigation into issues in India and Colombia.
Themove to suspend Coca-Cola came in response to studentconcerns over Coca-Cola's abuses in India and Colombia. TheUniversity of Michigan had convened a Dispute Review Board(DRB), an advisory body comprising of students, faculty andadministrators to look into the issues in India andColombia. After deliberating for 10 months, the DRBrecommended in June 2005 that the Coca-Cola company beplaced on probation. The DRB also laid out a series ofbenchmarks that the Coca-Cola company would have to meet inorder to show that it was acting in good faith to solve theproblems in India and Colombia, including agreeing to anindependent, third party investigation into issues in Indiaand Colombia.
Specific details regarding TERI andCoca-Cola's plans for assessing the issues in India willonly be finalized by April 30th, according to Coca-Cola.
For more information, visit http://www.IndiaResource.org/
Image available at http://www.indiaresource.org/news/2006/1052.html
THIS ISSUE Lead NZ News NZ Politics World News FeaturesInternational News Australia: PM Howard Appears Before Cole Commission; Comments on David Hicks and Changes to Asylum-Seeking Process - I want to repeat what I said this morning, that this Government, alone amongst governments around the world, has established a public inquiry with the powers of a royal commission. The significance of that is that a royal commission can compel the production of documents and the only way that in my submission, or my view that I can, that one can get to the bottom of something like this is to have a capacity to compel the production of documents. I might observe that there have been two, in a sense, seminal moments in investigating allegations about corruption. See... PM Howard on Cole Com; asylum seekers; David Hicks ALSO:Australia should act, British court backing Hicks
Scoop Audio: Latest UN New Brief... Annan Warns Africa Needs A Million More Health Workers to Meet MDGs -International Migration Landscape Changed Over Last Decade: UNFPA - General Assembly President Describes Darfur Violence as "Ethnic Cleansing" - Egeland Urges World to put Pressure on Sudan - Efforts to Combat Bird Flu on Poultry Farms Showing Success: FAO - WFP to Provide Food Aid in Support of Peace Process in Southern Philippines.
Congo: Life Sentences on Soldiers For Massive Rape - Welcoming the first sentencing of army soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for crimes against humanity stemming from massive rape, United Nations officials have called for further investigations to help prosecute other military personnel who may be implicated. "The court has validated the statute of Rome that created the International Criminal Court (ICC) in July 2002 and stated that massive rape is considered a crime against humanity and liable to life in prison," See... Congo: Life sentences on soldiers for massive rape
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