The PR Machine - The Lions on the Road: Cycling London to Cape Town - page 22

me a.s.a.p. Iwaited forseveral dayswith noreply.STC'ssilence waskilling me. (This was
my first mountain and, boy did I pray for strength to climb over it.)
I couldn't wait any longer. On the following Monday, I telephoned STC Canada
to ask for their decision. As I dialled the final numbers, I prepared myself for a heated
argument. When I got Mr. Hutchinson on the line I was well-mannered but ready to vent
my disgust if STC didn't reverse their decision. He said hello and then nonchalantly said,
“Oh…you did what you had to do.”
STCCanada wasbackonboard.Imustadmit that Istill haveabitter taste inmy
mouth on how they dealt with me. In hindsight, I should have placed Nestlé's logo on my
shirts anyway to spite STC Canada.
Sins of the Father?
This ordeal got me thinking. How far back must one go before a company's history
compels us to boycott them? Does STC accept donations from companies who in the past
had far greater human rights violations like what Michelin Tire did in West Africa (rubber
tree farmers), Del Monte in Central America (fruit plantations), BMW during the Holo-
caust (Auschwitz) , etc. ? When are we able to forgive? When the donation is big enough?
Or, do we just continue throwing the past into their face, reminding them of their past sins.
Sorry, back to this experience. By mid-May I received a lengthy fax from Nestlé
Canada explaining itself. The fax stressed their beliefs on the importance of breast-feeding
forbabies,however,inthoseinstanceswhenamothercouldnotorchosenottobreast-feed,
anutritiousbreast-milksubstitutewasanecessity.AccordingtoNestlé,theirmarketingdid
follow World Health Organization's Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes since
1981.Itwasin1988thatthecontroversyovertheprovisionoffreelow-costinfantformula
supplies to hospitals arose. Since 1991 UNICEF and WHO announced the Baby-Friendly
Hospital Initiative (BFH) a global effort to encourage national action to promote breast-
feeding. Nestlé, who was the founding member of The International Association of Infant
Food Manufacturers (IFM), had enlisted WHO and UNICEF for supporting a country-by-
country process aimed at achieving government action to end infant formula donations to
maternity wards and hospitals by the end of 1992.
Nestlé Canada ended their fax with this, “I would ask you to reconsider your de-
cision based on the latest information.”
My hands were tied. As much as I applauded Nestlé's initiatives and direction, it
was STC Canada who had left me no choice but to refuse their support. Subsequently, I