Dear friends,

The world never ceases to amaze me with all the work to be done in order to ensure dignity and fairness for all. For those of us who are older (ahem), we sometimes tend to think that we have contributed what we can and now “it’s time to smell the roses”. That’s tempting but as I reflect on human rights violations and injustices, whether domestically or internationally, I know that the work will never be finished.

Business and Human Rights: Can These Two Partners Dance?

On the academic side, I will continue my research on the strong linkages between business practices and human rights violations and protections. Too often, we believe that the two worlds live in separate silos. They don’t. Whether in the areas of corruption, health and safety standards, transparency, human trafficking, labour and environmental concerns, corporate leaders, policy makers and human rights activists need to dialogue – and often.

Leadership

We often believe that if we just change a business model or alter a mode of voting or revamp a political institution or enact more laws, we can improve how we govern/conduct our society. All these shifts may be helpful, but too often, we overlook an analysis of leadership, which can be bad, good or indifferent. In the coming months, I will be delving into this question of "the tone from the top" so stay tuned.

Youth Voting

A healthy democracy needs the investment, the ideas and the energy of young people. Yet, only 38.8% of Canadian youth cast their ballots in the last federal election. If they do not vote today, they are unlikely to do so tomorrow. Therefore, I am delighted to join a new national council created by www.apathyisboring.com that will discuss strategies and latest trends to overcome this issue.

Lots to do. Better get busy!

With best wishes,

Penny Collenette
Please follow me on Twitter: @penottawa

From classrooms to boardrooms, from the Prime Minister’s Office to the prestigious John F. Kennedy School of Government and to the University of Ottawa, Penny Collenette (www.pennycollenette.ca) has enjoyed a unique career. Her footprint spans the worlds of business, academia, politics and public policy allowing her to research, write and comment on issues of ethics, corporate responsibility, governance and leadership. She is well known as a media commentator and is active on Twitter @penottawa.

Penny, a lawyer, is currently Adjunct Professor, Common Law Faculty of the University of Ottawa where she has created two new law courses:

         - Whistleblowing: The Busy Intersection of Law and Ethics
         - A New International Corporate Reality: The Business of Human Rights

Past positions include Director of Appointments, Prime Minister’s Office (1993-1997). During her tenure, the number of federal female appointments rose over 10 percent in 4 years. She has also served as Vice President, Chairman’s Office, George Weston Ltd (1998-2002), Senior Fellow, Centre of Business and Government, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard (2002-2004) and Executive in Residence, Telfer School of Business, University of Ottawa (2002-2010). She was a Director of Holt Renfrew for six years and was a founding Independent Director of an income trust fund.

Maclean’s magazine has called Penny one of Canada’s 50 Most Influential People. She has also been named as a Champion to the Top 100 Women list of the Women’s Executive Network (WXN) and The International Alliance of Women. She was inducted into the Honour Roll of UOttawa’s Common Law in 2011 and has recently been awarded a 2012 Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

She is a tireless community fundraiser, especially for causes relating to women and to those living with disabilities. She is currently appointed to a National Advisory Council to encourage youth electoral engagement and she is Executive VP of the Harvard Club of Ottawa. She has recentlycompleted three years on the Advisory Council of the Prosperity Long-Term Care Fund and the National Committee of the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards.

April 2013

Mike Duffy scandal finds the Tories in a moral maze without a compass

Penny Collenette
Special to The Globe and Mail

Like children lost in the maze of a glorious English garden, the public office holders of both the Prime Minister’s Office and the Senate can’t seem to find their way out of ethical messes.

Values and ethics are difficult, philosophical subjects at the best of times and are often the subject of hot debate. A typical business example is that of “favours.” Do you try to influence a government official in another country (or, sadly, even in Canada) with a bribe because it’s expected and your competitors are doing it? If you don’t…

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