War and terrorism, economic distress, and corporate scandals have dominated the news in the first two and a half years of the new millennium. It is not hard to link economic distress to unease over terrorist attacks and concern about the war against Iraq. It is also not hard to link economic distress with the corporate scandals and their resulting impact on the trustworthiness of corporate USA. This book goes further and suggests that there might also be a link between positive corporate behavior and a more secure, safe world.

On the one hand, it would seem that corporations are well positioned to do exactly this. Corporations, after all, are the engines that produce jobs and with them the economic and social benefits that follow employed engaged individuals. Corporations also have the capability of reaching across borders to engage individuals who might otherwise be in conflict with common enterprise. On the other hand, to the extent that corporations are perceived to be exploiting local populations and dominating valued cultures, they can also sow the seeds for unrest. From this, we posit that a particular kind of company, a company that provides economic development with a sensitive eye to the concerns of affected stakeholders, might be able optimally to contribute to sustainable peace, a peace that endures because it is just.

These concepts warrant an exploration of how ethical business behavior might be a force for positive social change.