Of the many thoughts that "Seeking Common Ground: Petroleum and Indigenous Peoples in Ecuador's Amazon" (page 12 of this issue) provokes, three in particular deserve mention: the relationship between extractive industries and local development; the conditions under which business might be more socially and environmentally responsible; and the specific issue of trust funds. Reflecting on these issues will give us a clearer sense of the responsibilities that companies such as Arco have toward organizations like OPIP and regions such as Pastaza. While the article implies that Arco dealt with local indigenous organizations because it was good business to do so (thus acting in conformity with economist Milton Friedman's claim that business's only social responsibility is to make a profit), I believe that business has a moral and ethical responsibility to behave in this way—and indeed, to go even further.
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