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Many Westerners who come over to oriental societies have to immediate grapple with one reality - the strong culture and presence of gifts-giving and even bribery that takes place in our societies. It can range from the blatant (Indonesia or Vietnam) to the indirect (China or Philippines) to the “legalised and regulated” (Singapore!).

I remembered my first encounter with gifts as a teacher - I got a very expensive book from a parent. It was very, very difficult for me to return that gift without offending the parent so I approached my principal for advice. Public servants in Singapore (of whom teachers are a part of) have very strict instructions regarding gifts (declare value, report to superiors, etc), to avoid any problems or even appearance of bribery. I decided to make that book publicly available to all my colleagues.

Over at the Shanghai Singapore International School, I encountered Korean parents - and I realised that Korean parents took their gift-giving very seriously. It’s something like a mark of respect or even “face” to them to present a gift of nominal value (chocolates, for example) to a teacher they respect. But since I’m no longer a public servant, I could accept them without any problem.

There was one gift I had to return though, and that really destroyed my relationship with the parent (sigh). It was a very beautiful idol of some Indonesian tribe or something, which we suspect to be a totem of some sort. I don’t think it’s very appropriate for a Christian family to have this in the house so I wrote a card explaining my position and returned the gift. That parent never spoke to me again.

I know that God has very serious instructions regarding bribery.

“And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the discerning and perverts the words of the righteous.” Exodus 23:8

“You shall not pervert justice; you shall not show partiality, nor take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.” Deuteronomy 16:19

“A wicked man accepts a bribe behind the back, To pervert the ways of justice.” Proverbs 17:23

In other words, bribes are given to blind the eyes and to pervert justice. When money is given for the judge to award you his judgement, that’s a bribe. When money is given for a person to award you the contract, even if other parties obviously gives the better deal, that’s a bribe.

How about gifts? What does the Bible say about gifts (remember that the Hebrew society is an oriental one)?

“Many entreat the favor of the nobility, And every man is a friend to one who gives gifts.” Proverbs 19:6

“A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.” Proverbs 18:16

I think it is very clear here - a gift is an introduction, a means to put ourselves in good standing before a person in an oriental society (I suspect it works in western societies as well!). Herein lies the great power of the oft-acclaimed Chinese guanxi 关系, which literally means “connections” or “relations”. You can get guanxi by being a childhood friend or relative, or by being friends later in life (mostly through gifts - monetary, in kind or by being the leverage for your own personal guanxi elsewhere).

What gifts have I given so far that has given me some of this guanxi? I’ve a friend who has connections with government officials - she likes me, and I’ve been a great help to her in establishing herself in Singapore. I’ve leveraged upon my network to create opportunities for the school to perform in public venues - both sides are happy in the process.

I learnt one thing though - that ultimately, we need to be discerning over what constitutes a bribe and what constitutes a gift (I suspect many of my definitions of “gifts” are considered bribes by most governments of today). I believe that as long as we are sure we are not perverting justice or blinding the eyes of the decision-maker, any gifts we give to make room for us in high places would be regarded by God as wisdom. And what is the value God has placed upon wisdom?

My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you, So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding; Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, And find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding; Proverbs 2:1-6

Michael Chan used to be a teacher, before he left to run a managed fund. When his business failed, he returned to teaching, and is currently a Department Head at the Shanghai Singapore International School.

He constantly applies his business acumen to his job, to add value to his employer. His thoughts on K-12 education and on financial education can be found in his blog at http://www.senseimichael.com

I am not a business major by any means, but I have taken an interest in business, particularly home businesses, since I was in middle school. Even though I have had an interest in business for quite some time, I chose not to continue my college studies within the realm of business as a business major, but rather within science. I currently attend Kansas State University and I am an animal science major. Yet, even with giving my preference to science, I still continue my research of entrepreneurship, businesses, and home based businesses.

Everyday, I see ads over the internet offering ways to make thousands of dollars, but they turn out to be scams. On average, I would say that for every legitimate work from home or home business opportunity there are fifty or more scams. The population of those wanting to work from home seems to be growing everyday and the population for scams, particularly internet scams, seems to be growing just as fast if not faster. Luckily for me, I was able to find a good business that fits within my busy college lifestyle.

I really believe that research is of utmost importance and should be conducted before any type of investment into a business or any other work from home opportunity is made. Often times we become lazy and do not take the time to do any research. It is this same laziness that attracts us to false business opportunities or work from home scams that promise an outrageous income without you having to do any work whatsoever.

At one point I probably would be considered as one to be placed on the “most likely to be scammed” list, but now I have forced myself to become a little more skeptical of new opportunities. I make sure I do my research before I decide whether or not to become involved with anything.

http://www.bigcatcash.com

Work at Home

A few days ago I had one of those “random” conversations that sets the brain blazing down a hundred different paths almost immediately. The topic was DDT, and how that chemical was bought and sold with impunity in Latin America years after it had been banned in the United States for causing serious health and environmental problems.

In the beginning it was the wonder chemical of yore. From getting rid of vermin, to use as an agricultural pesticide, to eliminating malaria, the new potion apparently knew no bounds. Soon however, nasty little pieces of evidence – cancer, birth defects, and environmental hazards – started to spring up against the wonder chemical. Consequently, during the 1970s and 1980s, agricultural use of DDT was banned in the US and most developed countries.

However, it would seem this urgent health and environmental update somehow bypassed Latin America and some other parts of the world. In countries like Ecuador and Colombia, DDT and similar derivatives remain in active use especially for agricultural purposes. All this despite the 2001 Stockholm Convention calling for the elimination of such “persistent organic pollutants” in agribusiness.

DDT and other such persistent pollutants are just that – persistent. In human and other animal life, they cluster in fatty areas and proceed, nonstop, to erode the system from within. And this is just the proverbial tip.

Marketing and selling chemicals in developing countries, where public awareness of negative effects may be lower, is irresponsible, to say the least. And obviously certain businesses thrive by courting governments that are either more susceptible to manipulation or prone to allowing the unchecked commercialization of such hazardous products.

The ongoing side effects from the continued use of such chemicals in Colombian and Ecuadorian floral workers – headaches, nausea, impaired vision, asthma, stillbirths, congenital malformations, miscarriages – are graphic and constant reminders of the blatant sociopolitical and economic double standards at play in our current global dynamic.

Sneaky history. It’s almost impressive the way it keeps recycling itself. Well, at least we can’t call it unsustainable.

Columbia is the second largest flower producer in the world. Two-thirds of all fresh cut flowers sold in the United States come from Columbia. Dole, the leading producer of fresh fruit and vegetables, is also one of the largest flower producers in Latin America.

Dole’s official CSR report reads like a dream. That is, until you consider the fact that Columbian and Ecuadorian floral workers, many of them women, are exposed daily, to some of the most toxic chemicals available. Or unavailable – about a fifth of these chemicals used in the greenhouses are either banned, or not registered for use in the US or Canada for various health reasons. Dole has agreed to participate in an environmental standards program, but the question is whether the affected governments have any real monitoring systems in place.

The promotion of agribusiness should not come at the cost of human health, environment, or wildlife survival. This should be the business bottom line. However, looking at the plight of flower workers in Columbia and Ecuador, this common sense goal starts to look more like a foolish dream.

Is a rose just a rose anymore? I would argue with the bard. It would seem that its thorns are more the norm in certain parts of our world.

Jane Esi Hagan is the Corporate Engagement Liaison for First Peoples Worldwide, where she works to facilitate equitable and sustainable development initiatives for Indigenous Peoples. She holds an MA in International Affairs, with a specialization in Spanish/Latin American Studies from American University in Washington, DC.

Ms. Hagan is a passionate advocate for socioeconomic justice and equity. She has a varied and diverse interest in various international affairs issues including corporate social responsibility and international human rights.