A DOZEN ATLANTA-BASED CORPORATIONS ALREADY HAVE JOINED THE CARE CORPORATE COUNCIL IN THE BELIEF THAT TO STRENGTHEN THE AMERICAN ECONOMY U.S. COMPANIES AND SMALL BUSINESSES SHOULD SUPPORT CARE’S DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES IN THE THIRD WORLD.
AMERICA SHOWS A GROWING RELIANCE ON THE THIRD WORLD, SAID MARILYN GRIST, SOUTHEAST REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF THE AGENCY. STUDIES SUCH AS THOSE DONE BY THE WORLD BANK SHOW THAT 20 PERCENT OF OUR UNEMPLOYMENT RESULTS FROM RECESSIONS IN THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES, AND THAT 40 PERCENT OF OUR EXPORTS ARE SENT TO THOSE COUNTRIES.
THE WORLD’S LARGEST INTERNATIONAL RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION, CARE COMMITS MORE THAN TWO-THIRDS OF ITS $401.8 MILLION IN PROGRAMMING RESOURCES TO LONG-TERM SELF-SUPPORT PROGRAMS. CARE’S MISSION IS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES BY ESTABLISHING PROGRAMS THAT OFFER PEOPLE THE TRAINING AND RESOURCES TO HELP THEMSELVES, SAID MS. GRIST, WHO ADDED THAT THE AGENCY CONSIDERS ITSELF SUCCESSFUL WHEN ITS HELP IS NO LONGER NEEDED.
IN 1988, THE CARE CORPORATE COUNCIL WAS ESTABLISHED AS A BUSINESS LINK BETWEEN AMERICA’S BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND THE AGENCY BY RENOWNED MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT PETER DRUCKER, FORMER NEW YORK GOVERNOR HUGH CAREY AND W.R. GRACE & COMPANY CHAIRMAN J. PETER GRACE. THE COUNCIL’S CURRENT CHAIRMAN IS WILLIAM T. ESREY, CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF SPRINT.
THE COUNCIL CURRENTLY HAS MORE THAN 100 MEMBERS, INCLUDING SOME OF THE NATION’S LARGEST AND MOST INFLUENTIAL COMPANIES. THE DRIVE TO INCREASE MEMBERSHIP IN THE SOUTHEAST COINCIDES WITH CARE’S MOVE FROM NEW YORK CITY TO ATLANTA WHERE IT WILL OPEN ITS INTERNATIONAL HEADQUARTERS SEPT. 1.
THE MOVE AFTER 43 YEARS IN NEW YORK WAS PROMPTED BY COST SAVINGS IN DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS, AND CARE WAS LURED TO ATLANTA BY THE LOCAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
AMONG THE ATLANTA-BASED COMPANIES TO HAVE JOINED THE COUNCIL ARE: