ABSTRACT
'Caterpillar faces an intifada' reported Farhad Manjoo in the online magazine Salon.com in May 2004, as various groups targeted 'the manufacturer of the giant bulldozer that Israel uses to demolish Palestinian homes'. Dr Elizabeth Corrie cited the corporate citizenship policy of the company, which states, 'Caterpillar accepts the responsibilities of global citizenship' and recognises that Caterpillar's 'commitment to financial success must also take into account social, economic, political, and environmental priorities'. A paper published by the United Nations’ Research Institute for Social Development in June 2004 argued that a corporate accountability movement could now be identified, which may lead to that systemic change. The paper examines the limitations of voluntary corporate initiatives in addressing systemic problems in the global economy, but suggests voluntary corporate responsibility could be an opportunity if it can lead to the re-channelling of corporate power to address those systemic problems. Throughout 2004 the responsibility of journalists was, somewhat ironically, a running story in the media.
