By Campus Community

Dear Editor:We wish to commend President Rosenberg, faculty, administrators, students and members of the Social Responsibility Committee at Macalester College for engaging in a productive, meaningful dialogue with The Coca-Cola Company. This dialogue has produced important results that will do much more to protect human rights and raise environmental practices than a continued focus on the past and boycotts of our products.

Contrary to the views expressed in The Mac Weekly, we believe that the SRC review process has been productive. Through the committee, The Coca-Cola Company has been able to address the students’ request for an independent assessment of the Company’s labor relations practices in Colombia and our water resource management practices in India.

We have worked diligently to meet these requests. On March 24, the International Labor Organization agreed to conduct an investigation and evaluation of labor relations and workers’ rights practices of Coca-Cola bottling operations in Colombia. Additionally, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) is conducting an assessment of water resource management in India. President Rosenberg, in consultation with members of the SRC, agreed that these recent developments were positive steps to address the concerns of Macalester students.

We are proud of the progress that has been achieved so far as a result of the constructive collaboration and engagement between the Company and Macalester and we encourage further dialogue. It is only in working together that we can achieve human rights and environmental stewardship goals.

Sincerely,
Diana Garza Ciarlante
Coca-Cola North America