Turning Values into Action

These days, many share the desire to do work that helps the world. Yet, despite good intentions, social enterprises and nonprofits are not immune to ethical challenges. This line of thinking- that because my cause is pure, I don't need to be concerned about values, conflicts, or ethics- is particularly relevant for social innovators. It can blind social innovators to their own value biases or failings; and worse, it can too easily let them conclude that their pure ends can justify some questionable means. Despite very real and thorny ethical complexities and pressures, some people find successful ways to voice and act their values, and we can learn a lot from them. This is a skill to be developed, and scholar Mary C. Gentile outlines the seven principles behind this skill.

READ FULL STORY