Olympic Sponsors Criticize Dream For Darfur Report Card
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Olympic Sponsors Respond To Criticisms
In Mia Farrow's Dream For Darfur Report |
After "taking criticism from activist groups over the last few months, some Olympic sponsors are starting to criticize right back," according to Stephanie Clifford of the N.Y. TIMES. Human rights group Dream for Darfur (DFD), led by actress Mia Farrow, Thursday issued a report card that "roundly criticized most of the major Olympic sponsors. DFD in its report card gave 16 of the 19 Beijing Games sponsors a "D" or an "F." McDonald's, adidas and Eastman Kodak earned the highest marks," while nine companies -- Anheuser-Busch, Atos Origin, BHP Billiton, Manulife Financial, Panasonic, Staples, Swatch, UPS and Volkswagen -- received an "F," which "largely meant they had not responded" to DFD. In response, several of those sponsors criticized "the group's approach." Coca-Cola Dir of Marketing Communications Kelly Brooks: "For an organization that has not eased the suffering of a single individual on the ground in Darfur to criticize those who are helping thousands every day is more than ironic. This is not a report card on sponsors’ good works, this is simply a report card judging companies solely on the basis of the [DFD] yardstick -- a company’s willingness to publicly pressure a sovereign nation to intervene in the activities of another country." Johnson & Johnson also was critical of DFD's report. J&J spokesperson Lorie Gawreluk, in an e-mail, said that J&J has "worked hard for years to help the people of Darfur. ... Given the complexities of the tragedy in Darfur, we are disappointed that [DFD] has used such a narrow context by which to evaluate the company’s response." And GE Dir of PR & Marketing Services Deirdre Latour, via e-mail, said, "We commend [DFD] for raising awareness of this tragic situation, however we strongly disagree with the organization’s approach as well as the use of the Olympic Games as a political platform and the assertions made in the report card." Clifford notes thus far "almost none of the sponsors have changed their stance, most saying that political issues are not within their purview" (N.Y. TIMES, 4/25).
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Bubka Feels Beijing Olympics Not
Time Or Place For Protests |
ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER: Meanwhile, 15 members of the IOC's Athletes' Commission Thursday, following a meeting in Switzerland, issued a joint statement that "condemned the attempts to use the Games for political purposes and said the best way to bring change to Communist China was 'to engage through sport.'" The group discouraged athletes from using the Beijing Olympics as a "forum to advance political views [and] decried any boycotts of the Games." The group also "condemned what it described as recent mistreatment and exploitation of the Olympic torch by political protesters" during the int'l torch relay. Former Olympians in the group include Moroccan runner Hicham El Guerrouj, Russian swimmer Alexander Popov and U.S. volleyball player Bob Ctvrtlik (WASHINGTON POST, 4/25). Former Ukraine pole vaulter Sergei Bubka, who serves as Chair of the group, said, "We see that someone wants to use athletes and try to put them to political issues. Our strength is staying separate and out of political issues. There are a lot of different conflicts around the world. If you let them get in (the Olympic venues) you can destroy the movement." Bubka said that he had not received any letters from athletes "demanding the right to protest" (AP, 4/24).
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