Here in the US, clean drinking water is completely taken for granted. Even the nastiest public restrooms have running water that 99% cleaner than the drinking water in most third world countries.

• 20% (nearly 1.1 Billion, yes billion) of the world’s population lack access to clean drinking water
• Unsafe water kills an estimated 4,500 kids EACH day
• Out of the 2.2 Million deaths related to unsafe drinking water, 90% were children under five
• Young women trek over six miles for water – at the expense of education, housekeeping, and employment

It’s said that “Man cannot survive on bread and water alone”. And I agree, but you absolutely cannot survive without it.

Get involved, conserve water and help to stop this global crisis.

Here’s an easy way to help without much effort.

• 57% of consumers said they are more loyal to socially responsible companies
• 52% are more likely to talk to friends and family about those corporations, products and services
• 38% are willing to pay extra
• 35% are more likely to buy stock in those firms

Let’s see, loyalty, referrals, profitability, ownership! Yep, pretty much covers all the bases of strategic growth.

See the Top 50 socially & environmentally responsible companies (PDF)

If you’re not on board but would like to learn more, give me a ring. We’ve helped others, chances are we can help you.

Caro Doria is Brazilian, 25 and has been working for the magazine Grande Reportagem, in Lisbon, Portugal, for the last 3 years. He is part of the team that produced the flags campaign which has been circulating the Earth in chain letters via e-mail.

Angola

Brazil

Burkina

China

Columbia

EU

Somalia

United States

For the last few years, Fast Company has been promoting profit-driven socially-focused organizations.

Here is the latest Fast 50 list of fifty people of companies that are making a difference in the world.

And here’s a little shameless self-promotion for my posts as an Expert Blogger for Fast Company.

I was just turned on to the upcoming movie, Amazing Grace, about William Wilberforce and his life’s work of abolishing slavery in England. It from the same follks that produced Bridge to Terabitha, Chronicles of Narnia and Ray.

As a businessman with a decent amount of international sales & marketing experience, I had no idea just how big child slave labor is TODAY. There are more than 27 million people in slavery around the world today. That’s more than double the numbers of the mid to late 1800’s. I know there are valiant efforts in place to reduce child labor and sweat shops, but the numbers are shocking:

• 27,000,000+ in slavery today
• 50% are children
• 1 in 5 of the world’s 5-17 year olds work in the worst forms of child labor
• 91 cities in the US have reported cases of human trafficking
• 800,000 people trafficked across international borders each year

To learn more and sign the petition to end modern day slavery, visit Amazing Change, the social action component of the movie. Rumor has it that George Bush will be the last signature before it goes to the UN to take sanctions against countries that encourage or turn a deaf ear to slave trade. Love Bush or hate Bush, this is the right thing to do.