CISCO NOW FOCUS OF HOLY LAND PRINCIPLES: GE, CORNING & INTEL RESOLUTIONized
Three major American companies doing business in Palestine/Israel – Israel/Palestine have now been served with Shareholder Resolutions on the Holy Land Principles— an 8-point corporate code of conduct.
GE, Corning and Intel have all been “ RESOLUTIONized.”
Fr. Sean Mc Manus— President of the Capitol Hill-based Holy Land Principles, Inc. and Irish National Caucus— explained: “ I have coined the word “ RESOLUTIONized to hammer home an important truth. For the first time in history, American companies doing business in Palestine/Israel- Israel/Palestine are being challenged on their record of fair employment. It is the very first time Shareholder Resolutions on fair employment have been submitted, which is of real significance. Isn’t it extraordinary that this had never been done before? Imagine, 545 of the top American companies doing business over there, and their fair employment record escaped all scrutiny by American shareholders, consumers and stakeholders! But, of course, the same myopia prevailed regarding American companies in Northern Ireland until we launched in 1984 the Mac Bride Principles— on which the Holy Land Principles are based. And, then, the Mac Bride Principles changed the entire fair employment dynamic in Northern Ireland. The Holy Land Principles can do the same in Palestine/Israel-Israel/Palestine.”
Fr. Mc Manus continued: “ Now,of course, it’s very important to get as many investors as possible to vote for the Resolution, but that, while very important, is of secondary importance. Of first importance, naturally and logically, is submitting the Resolution— bringing it into the Boardroom for the very first time and confronting the Company with the moral, ethical and good governance choice, arguing one’s case before the SEC and raising consciousness on the whole crucial issue. In all three cases, GE, Corning and Intel tried to have the SEC exclude our Resolution but the SEC ruled in our favor. Another important milestone, and enduring dynamic for the Holy Land Principles.”
Although at the Annual Meeting on May 21, Intel announced the preliminary vote of 3% for the Holy Land Principles, the final vote — because Intel counts abstentions — was 2.63%. This means the same resolution cannot be re-submitted next year, but it does not mean no other helpful Resolution can be submitted. The Holy Land Principles, Inc. SHALL be back next year before both Corning and Intel— it did succeed in achieving 3% before GE.
Fr. Mc Manus concluded: “ We have already filed a Holy Land Resolution with Cisco. Now Cisco will be the focus of our campaign, without losing sight of the on-going reality and enduring dynamic that GE, Corning and Intel have been RESOLUTIONized—with many more to come.
Cisco itself has already, in effect, admitted the urgent need for the Holy Land Principles. Cisco in their 2012 Corporate Sustainability Report acknowledged the shocking problem of ‘under-represented minorities’ in the hi-tech workplace. Arab citizens constitute 20 percent of the population in Israel, but make up less than 0.4 percent of the high-tech industry workforce. Such 50:1 inequality of outcomes for Israel’s Arab citizens, if operative instead for African-Americans, would read ‘Black citizens constitute 12% of the population of the United States, but make up less than 0.24% of the high-tech industry workforce.”
The Holy Land Principles rests its case!
In other recent news from the Holy Land Principles:
Holy Land Principles Scores Key Win At Intel Annual Meeting
Santa Clara CA.Thursday, May 21, 2015 —— Holy Land Principles, Inc. has secured for the second time the key number of votes for its Resolution.
The first time was at the GE Annual meeting in April, and now today at the Intel Annual Meeting where it was announced preliminarily that Holy Land Principles had gained 3% of the vote—the number required for being able to re-introduce the Resolution again next year.
The final count will be confirmed and certified within 48 hours. If a Resolution does not gain at least 3% it cannot be resubmitted for another three years according to SEC rules.
Fr. Sean Mc Manus — President of the Capitol Hill-based Holy Land Principles, Inc. and Irish National Caucus— who proposed and spoke on the Resolution said after the meeting: “We are delighted. As they say, nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come. The time of the Holy Land Principles is here. The Principles — just like the Mac Bride Principles, on which they are based— will grow and grow because they are inherently just and eminently reasonable. Who can even begin to argue against them? The Holy Land Principles make only one demand: That all 545 American companies in Palestine-Israel practice fair employment. What could be wrong with that? The only surprising thing is, extraordinarily, it had never been done before we launched the Holy Land Principles.
Barbara Flaherty, Executive Vice President of Holy Land Principles, Inc. who also attended the Intel Annual Meeting, said: “ It is very reassuring that we achieved the key 3% threshold. Our campaign continues with vigor. Now on to Cisco where our Resolution will be moved in the Fall.”
The Holy Land Principles— a corporate code of conduct for American companies doing business in Palestine-Israel— are pro-Jewish, pro-Palestinian and pro-company. The Principles do not call for quotas, reverse discrimination, divestment, disinvestment or boycotts. The Principles do not take any position on solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian issue. The Principles do not try to tell the Palestinians or the Israelis what to do.
The Holy Land Principles only call for fair employment by American companies in Palestine-Israel.
INTEL, ISRAEL’S LARGEST PRIVATE SECTOR EMPLOYER, PRESSED TO SET FAIR EMPLOYMENT STANDARD
CAPITOL HILL. May 12, 2015 —— Intel, the multinational technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, is being pressed to sign the Holy Land Principles— a corporate code of conduct for American companies doing business in Israel-Palestine.
The 8-point set of Principles is based on the Mac Bride Principles that have proven so effective in Northern Ireland.
Fr. Sean Mc Manus, originally from Northern Ireland, launched the Mac Bride Principles in 1984, and the Holy Land Principles in 2012. He is president of the Capitol Hill-based Irish National Caucus and Holy Land Principles, Inc.
Fr. Mc Manus will “move ’’ — present and speak on — the Holy Land Principles resolution at Intel’s Annual General Meeting in Santa Clara on May 21.The Resolution calls on Intel to sign the Holy Land Principles.
He said: “ The only claim Holy Land Principles, Inc. makes is that we are filling a vacuum that was crying out to be filled. We are holding all the 545 American companies doing business in Palestine-Israel responsible for their fair employment. Isn’t it extraordinary that until the Principles were launched this issue had never been raised before? Sure, a few companies involved in military activity had been called to account, but all the other companies had escaped under the radar. But now, for the first time, this is being addressed. And who could possibly object to this? What could be more reasonable and legitimate? Whatever Americans may think of the Palestine-Israel issue, all Americans expect American companies to practice fair employment. The Holy Land Principles are pro-Jewish, pro-Palestinian and pro-company. The Principles do not call for quotas, reverse discrimination, disinvestment, divestment or boycotts. The Holy Land Principles only call for fair employment by American companies in Israel-Palestine. But saying “only” in no way diminishes the vital importance of fair employment — a basic and central human right— and the most imperative duty of American companies, from which they cannot escape.”
Underrepresented Minorities
Last September Intel announced a $6 billion investment (for which it got 300 Million in government grants) in Israel, where the serious problem of “ underrepresented minorities” in the hi-tech workplace has been acknowledged by such industry leaders as Cisco in their 2012 Corporate Sustainability Report: “Arab citizens constitute 20 percent of the population in Israel, but make up less than 0.4 percent of the high-tech industry workforce.” Such 50:1 inequality of outcomes for Israel’s Arab citizens, if operative instead for African-Americans, would read “Black citizens constitute 12 percent of the population of the United States, but make up less than 0.24% of the high-tech industry workforce.”
Fr. Mc Manus said:“ In view of the indisputable fact that American hi-tech companies have this problem, surely signing the Holy Land Principles would be, at the very least, an expression of good faith and a first step? However, instead, Intel not only refused to sign the Holy Land Principles but also petitioned, on January 12, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to exclude our Resolution. The SEC ruled in favor of the Holy Land Principles, refusing to exclude our Resolution.
Largest Private Sector Employer
Intel is Israel’s largest private sector employer, with over 10,000 employees. Since Israel’s Occupation of the West Bank in 1967, Intel has invested $10.8 billion in plants and development centers in Israel, and received $1.5 billion in related grants (Reuters, September 22, 2014). Israel’s Finance Minister Yair Lapid said in a statement “Intel’s investment is a strategic asset for Israel’s industry…. This is the biggest investment by a foreign company ever in Israel…”
Fr. Mc Manus said: “ Signing the Holy Land Principles would be the perfect way for Intel to demonstrate that their CEO, Mr. Brian Krzanich, meant what he said in his speech on January 6 to the International Consumer Electronics Show (International CES) in Las Vegas : “I’m here to say tonight, it’s time to step up and do more. It’s not good enough to say we value diversity and then have our workplaces and our industry not reflect the full availability and talent pool of women and underrepresented minorities.”
Fr. Mc Manus explained: “The companies are fighting the Holy Land Principles just as they shortsightedly fought the Mac Bride Principles. However, eventually 116 American companies signed the Mac Bride Principles, having been forced to recognize that it was the proper and fair thing to do. And now the Mac Bride Principles are universally accepted as being the most effective campaign ever against discrimination in Northern Ireland. I am equally convinced that companies will come to realize that signing the Holy Land Principles is the fair and decent thing to do. It puts them on the right side of history, and it’s good for business. Furthermore, surely the companies cannot argue that Irish Catholics in Northern Ireland deserved these Principles but Palestinian Christians and Palestinian Muslims do not?”
Fr. Mc Manus concluded: “ Furthermore the easiest and most transparent way for a company to convince investors, consumers and other stakeholders, that it is proud of its fair employment record is to release a statistical breakdown of its workforce according to national, racial, ethnic or religious identity. Intel should do that immediately— in a way consistent, of course, with respecting personal privacy and security.”
Contact:
Fr. Sean Mc Manus, President
Holy Land Principles,Inc.
P.O. BOX 15128, Washington, DC 20003-0849
Tel. 202-488-0107 * Fax. 202-488-7537
[email protected]
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Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.
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