testimonial
Petra Bayr, spokeswoman for global development of the Austrian Social Democratic Party
“What a beautiful dream:
The ZiB 1 reports that the eyesore initiative has abolished itself because of the introduction of binding policy frameworks and increasingly critical consumers. A coalition of representatives of trade unions, politics, civil society, NGOs and exemplary companies has managed to make initiatives like the eyesore superfluous by exerting constant political pressure and by persistent awareness raising. Corporations take their responsibility towards the workers and the environmental needs, non-compliance is threatened by massive consequences and consumers exercise their power as a matter of course and support through their purchasing decisions respect for human rights and environmental protection.
To make this dream real, the initiative eyesore is an important help to awake us – thank you!”
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Bernd Brandstetter, managing director of the trade-union vida
“Black Sheep
According to the free encyclopedia Wikipedia a “Black Sheep” is an outsider who has certain characteristics or behavioural patterns which do not meet the accepted ideas or rules in the group.
These “black sheep” among the companies that operate using anti–social and inhumane practiceshave to be donounced publicly.
That’s why we support this campaign.”
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Michael Baumgartner, Greenpeace Switzerland and jury member for the Public Eye Award
“The Public Eye Award is given to companies worldwide, that behave socially irresponsible. I support the idea of national initiatives as the EYESORE with the aim to put pressure on companies.”
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Thilo Bode, founder and managing director of the German consumer rights organization foodwatch
foodwatch awards the prize for the most impudent advertising lie, the “golden puffs” and has thus triggered a broad public and political debate on the systematic deception in the food market since 2009. Many manufacturers have also changed criticized products or withdrawn theses products from the market.
“The industry will only adjust irresponsible behavior when consumers protest and public pressure force them to change. I hope that the EYESORE initiates such a protest as well as the necessary political debate.”
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Christoph & Lollo, Vienna singer-songwriter
Foto: Ingo Pertramer
“Hardworking, decent companies strive to boost their sales every day, avoid taxation of profits and make sure they exploit human beings and nature, poison and destroy the planet, help the richs getting richer and the poor even getting poorer. And what do they get in return? A few ridiculous billion in revenues, privileges, prestige, political influence, power … And these shouldn’t be all! No, we have to award these noble organizations also with prizes!
The “eyesore of the year” make it finally possible to point out to the companies which are unscrupulously destroying the future of our children and our ecosystem, just to serve their one true law: If it ist good for the economy, then the economy must be doing well. We thank the initiators for their campaign!”
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Willi Mernyi, national director of the fraction of the Social Democratic trade unionists, FSG
“The initiative eyesore is great for two reasons.
1. I can no longer hear, when trade unionists speak of any operation in any city. The discussion must be conducted with facts and data. To expose eyesores means to specifically reveal grievances and call them by name.
2. Eyesore can assist me as an active consumer in my purchasing decisions, or rather to help me in my decisions not to buy.”
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Klaudia Paiha, spokeswoman for the Federal Green and alternatives trade unionists – AUGE / UG
“We support the” eyesore” because it is important to make publicly visible, that and, respectively, which companies, organizations, … do act irresponsibly without any regard to their social or environmental impacts – often quite contrary to the principles postulated by themselves. Consumers, commissioners, cooperation partners, … should have the opportunity to opt for responsible behaviour and alternatives.”
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Alexander Pollak, spokesperson of SOS Mitmensch
“Our work is to show where injustice happens. We want to develop alternatives to a policy, which is producing exclusions, is blocking life paths and inflicts damage on many people – and, in fact, on all of us. This also means that we should identify particularly irresponsible and recklessly performing actors and demand a rethinking from them. Therefore, we support the Eyesor initiative of the Network Social Responsibility.”
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Freda Meissner-Blau, politician, environmental activist
“Again a fire and again hundred dead people. I see how important your concern is and KIK has probably (dis)honestly deserved the. Unfortunately others as well.”
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Klaus Werner-Lobo, (co-) author of the bestseller “The Black Book Brand Companies”, councilman, member of the Landtag
“Business comes from”creating value”. It is about respect and the appreciation of people and environment. As long as corporations ruthlessly go for profits instead of respecting common good and thereby violate human rights, social justice and ecological balance, as long it will be necessary to uncover these abuses and accuse them loudly. And it will be necessary to defend democracy and human dignity every day again against the power interests of the corporations and banks.”
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Günter Wallraff, investigative journalist and author
“I support the eyesore of the year, because in my undercover activities and through my office work-watch I’m regularly confronted with calls for help and case stories of victims, who report about serious and often cruel social and environmental abuses. It is good, that platforms such as the Network Social Responsibility make public corporate arbitrariness and abuse of power.”
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Jean Ziegler, Swiss sociologist, politician, author and former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food
“According to the World Bank the 500 largest multinational private corporations controlled 52.8% of the world gross product (ie all goods produced in a year in the world, capital, services, etc.) last year.We live under the dictatorship of the transcontinental oligopolies.
Your courageous, critical work is a crucial contribution to attempts to exercise social control over these Cosmocrats.”